Stoke City v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[JUAN PABLO]

To think MON spunked all that money on his squad and Stokes bench looked better than ours.  The only player we have that could turn a game on the bench is SI and he didnt even come on , If he aint fit , dont bloody bring him.

As soon as we started to play like Stoke, hoof hoof , then obviously Stoke would come out the better...   

I am convinced MON was still managing us last night..

[midnite]

pennant is a wan*y c**t. I hate the cheating bastard with a passion. I've even had the displeasure of meeting the twat and my opinion didn't change of him. Wish he would fuck off back to turkey or Spain or where ever the vile guy has reared his head from.

Couldn't believe the ref gave that free kick.

Ahhhh deep breath.

Had to get that off my chest.

Never known us give away so many free kicks in a game. It must be stokes game plan to play for fouls and launch balls into the area.

[Merv]

Conceding with 20 seconds to go was obviously harsh, but we didn't do enough to win.

Can't wait for Houllier to start and get to grips with this team. We're still very much in O'Neill tactic mode - take the lead and then play in third gear, playing within ourselves, looking to close the game out. Never actually looked to win the game, put the result beyond doubt - other than that 10-min spell before half-time. Always risky playing this way, and it came back to bite us.

NRC was very good, Albrighton bright in patches. Downing's header was excellent. If Ireland was fit, he really should have featured for the last 25-30 mins. Stoke had some good options on the bench and used them; we didn't (again).

[Simon Ward]

Can't bring myself to comment!

[jonzy85]

To think MON spunked all that money on his squad and Stokes bench looked better than ours.  The only player we have that could turn a game on the bench is SI and he didnt even come on , If he aint fit , dont bloody bring him.

As soon as we started to play like Stoke, hoof hoof , then obviously Stoke would come out the better...   

I am convinced MON was still managing us last night..

The main reason their bench was better than ours was because they went and signed a few players in the summer. We've had a swap - that's it.

[Dr Butler]

Never known us give away so many free kicks in a game. It must be stokes game plan to play for fouls and launch balls into the area.

and there you have it.

[DBTW]

I personally think we played really well in most parts. It was the addition of Fuller and their change of play from hoof to playing to the feel of Fuller and jones that changed the game. Dunne and Collins couldnt cope with their mpvement.

I also think Downing had by far his best game in a Villa shirt.

[Somebody_Told_Me]

Hello Stokie here,

Tough luck last night, I thought you deserved a draw as possibly we did too, you played much better with the ball but we did have some good chances in the first 15mins.

I thought Reo-coker, Albrighton (even though he give us the wanker sign LOL, but if you can't take it, don't give it, so good for him.) Young and Downing played very well also I wish Collins had signed for us not you.

I thought your fans were very good until we scored and still decent at 1-1 very loud and to be fair I was praying we scored to shut you up, but that is a complement to your away fans.

Reffing mistakes probably evened out, I thought is was a pen and Pennant went down easy. This is my biggest hatred of being in the Prem sportsmanship does us every week players like Crouch falling over every 2 mins winning free kicks it was a change to see us get one in our favour.

I'm just glad to have points on the board, as for Villa I sincerley hope you get into the top 6 (minimum) I really think you look very strong you may have not played great last night but you do look strong. You’ve again you have appointed a popular manager (like MOM) in Hollier and most neutrals will hope to see you crash the top 4 you may just fall short of that but I'm sure you'll be top 6.

I don't normally post on here close to a game in case you think I'm the usual gloating bellend but wanted to say good luck for the rest of the season bar 1 game obviously.

[Dr Butler]

Hello Stokie here,

Tough luck last night, I thought you deserved a draw as possibly we did too, you played much better with the ball but we did have some good chances in the first 15mins.

I thought Reo-coker, Albrighton (even though he give us the wanker sign LOL, but if you can't take it, don't give it, so good for him.) Young and Downing played very well also I wish Collins had signed for us not you.

I thought your fans were very good until we scored and still decent at 1-1 very loud and to be fair I was praying we scored to shut you up, but that is a complement to your away fans.

Reffing mistakes probably evened out, I thought is was a pen and Pennant went down easy. This is my biggest hatred of being in the Prem sportsmanship does us every week players like Crouch falling over every 2 mins winning free kicks it was a change to see us get one in our favour.

I'm just glad to have points on the board, as for Villa I sincerley hope you get into the top 6 (minimum) I really think you look very strong you may have not played great last night but you do look strong. You’ve again you have appointed a popular manager (like MOM) in Hollier and most neutrals will hope to see you crash the top 4 you may just fall short of that but I'm sure you'll be top 6.

I don't normally post on here close to a game in case you think I'm the usual gloating bellend but wanted to say good luck for the rest of the season bar 1 game obviously.

Cheers STM and good luck yourself.

UTV
The Doc

[whydelilah]

Yeah, I thought a draw would have been a fair result but I am obviously not complaining.

You were a lot better on the ball than us, but then again, most teams are.

Cracking header from Downing but Pulis turning up gave everyone a lift and we never stopped going.

I reckon top 6 or 7 will be comfortable for you. If I were Houllier I’d spend big on a top striker in Jan.

All the best for the rest of the season.

WD

[pablopicasso_10]

we should have had that game dead an buried long before the piss poor defending for the conceded goals...

as for the referee, absolutely appalling... a free kick for pennant falling over thin air? disgraceful... we should have defended it better, but we shouldnt have had to defend it at all...

he did however, get the stoke "penalty" whinge correct... handball is intentionally handling the ball, collins, did no such thing... his arms were coming down his side after jumping for a header and the ball hit his arm... under the laws of the game, that is not a handball...

the blatant kick out on petrov in the box in the first half however, went unpunished... and then he gives the free kick for the winner for pennant getting tackled by the wind... disgraceful...

but, as i said, we should have had the game wrapped up long before they scored... we didnt, so thats that...

have to say, ricardo fuller is always excellent whenever i see him... holds up the ball, 'properly' bullys defenders (unlike the stoke defenders going in like steam trains to try and catch the man with or without the ball), plays his colleagues in, and generally looks like an excellent hold up striker... everything that the lazy fat useless donkey heskey doesnt do... i nearly cried when he came on... it really is like playing with 10 against 12, as his passes and flick ons are brilliant to the opposition... useless fat ******...

there were some good signs from the villa in terms of passing the ball about, keeping posession, etc, but piss poor defending has yet again, cost us...

[whydelilah]

I'm still scratching my head as to how we lost that.
I fucking hate Stoke and I hope they get relegated.

Bit harsh.

[Dr Butler]

I'm still scratching my head as to how we lost that.
I fucking hate Stoke and I hope they get relegated.

Bit harsh.

agreed

[not3bad]

Can't wait for Houllier to start and get to grips with this team.

Lesson 1: How to close out a game.

[Monty]

Can't wait for Houllier to start and get to grips with this team.

Lesson 1: How to close out a game.

Exactly right. There are two methods in my book: 'The Jose', where you defend as 11 in a very organised way in your own half, and 'The Spain' where you pass the ball around so that the opposition eventually lose all hope and want to kill themselves. I prefer the latter, it's less risky than inviting pressure, particularly as 'The Jose' only seems to work when you have Lucio, Cambiasso, Zanetti and co.