|
|
Post by eriksson74 on Mar 31, 2008 8:16:17 GMT
I was hoping that Pulis would have learnt his lessons, from last season. So far he has shown at times that some things have sunk in, ie style of play and we now mix it up a lot more and have actually gone and finished teams off when we are on top.
NOW, though he has reverted to type and that second half on Saturday was poor, sitting as deep as did right from the kick off give Wednesday the confidence and space to get at us.
Yes we missed some good chances before that, but they were created when we played positively and played 20 yards further up the filed, if we had continued as was, then 3 points would have been ours.
This cautious approach is costing us points but also putting immense pressure on the players, yet again the last 20 mins saw the tension get too much for them and the passing and the basics went right out of the window, thus creating further pressure.
First half we looked good so more of the same please
|
|
|
|
Post by mcf on Mar 31, 2008 8:20:02 GMT
Missed chances cost us dearly.
Tactics seemed pretty spot on to me.
We should easily have outscored them.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2008 8:24:16 GMT
I dunno Pulis could not do anything about Cressy's header which in fairness was a shocking miss. We were away from home so they were bound to come at us a little bit. I do think though he has gone into his we must not lose at all costs mode.
|
|
devsad
Academy Starlet
Posts: 213
|
Post by devsad on Mar 31, 2008 9:38:04 GMT
Thing is indeed we must not lose at all costs
|
|
ianrb1
Youth Player
' Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you have got till it's gone'
Posts: 443
|
Post by ianrb1 on Mar 31, 2008 9:48:08 GMT
It was a point gained - we have been shipping too many goals and we have tightened up in recent games - doing exactly what I said we should do a few weeks ago.
We have three home games left and we must win them, that is what TP will be concentrating on. I wouldn't swap our manager, our team or our remaining fixtures with any of our rivals.
|
|
|
|
Post by stokemark on Mar 31, 2008 9:52:38 GMT
To be fair things started going wrong a while a go. Consecutive defeats to Preston and QPR aswell as shipping in soft early goals against Scunthorpe, Burnley and Blackpool its not suprising that TP has been 'cautious' as its so un-Stoke like.
Arguably, the fact that we are still second and have a chance of auto-promotion is a minor miracle and I do think we are fortunate that its still in our own hands. Ironically, its been alot to do with the shortcomings of our two most expensive players (Ryan and Cort) who, as a pairing, simply dont work.
I do also beleive that the lack of leadership hasnt helped and that was why TP persisted with Salif when he clearly wasnt match fit. It is now time to drop Griff but will TP have the balls to do it ? Personally speaking I think Griff has let TP down massively.
So, we are where we are - Can we still go up - OF COURSE WE FUCKING CAN !!!!
|
|
|
|
Post by adamsson on Mar 31, 2008 9:55:11 GMT
One win in the last eight is NOT promotion form.
|
|
|
|
Post by sheikhmomo on Mar 31, 2008 9:56:08 GMT
It's by no means a bad result but it is worrying that both West Brom and Brizzle apparently had it within them to be piling forward at the end of their (admittedly much easier) fixtures.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2008 9:57:46 GMT
Adamasson I don't think anybody will disagree but in perspective we stopped a rot when we lost 2 in a row. As things go with the swings and roundabouts then we are due our good phase at the right time.
|
|
|
|
Post by eriksson74 on Mar 31, 2008 11:48:55 GMT
Yes we missed some good chances before that, but they were created when we played positively and played 20 yards further up the filed, if we had continued as was, then 3 points would have been ours.
MCR see above - yes we did but those chances were created when we weren't sat on our own 6 yard box. Sitting deep creates chances for the opposition as well as space to explot and gain confidence to stroke it around.
Too many of the last few games have seen us set up not to loose (or loose what we have) rather than trying to win the game.
We got to where we are by playing more offensive ( as well as a bit of luck), to blow it by being cautious would be a travesty. Pulis did say that the fans wouldn't be happy if we didn't got fot it, that counts on the pitch as well as off it.
The baggies and the Wurzels kept going for it for 95 mins on Saturday and got their rewards where as Hull went for it for 90 mins against Watford and got there's.
|
|
|
|
Post by MrMagic on Mar 31, 2008 11:51:28 GMT
It was a point gained - we have been shipping too many goals and we have tightened up in recent games - doing exactly what I said we should do a few weeks ago. We have three home games left and we must win them, that is what TP will be concentrating on. I wouldn't swap our manager, our team or our remaining fixtures with any of our rivals. Ian - it was not a point gained at all. I suppose from a numbers perspective, then yes, we have one more point than we did before kick-off. But a team preparing to be promoted should be beating the likes of Wednesday. The table does not lie, and they are down there for a reason. There is a massive difference between tightening up, and sitting back. We gave Wednesday too much space to play in and tried to sit on the one-nil lead. We are not good enough defensively to do that, and need to go and bully sides if we are going to go up automatically. 8 weeks ago or so, our style of play was completely different. We were going at teams, and playing with no fear. Now we seem scared to death. Fingers crossed, our run-in will give us the opportunity to maintain our position, but we need points. Draws at this stage are not good enough. Come May you'll be the first on here congratulating Tony for a magnificent play-off final defeat if we are not careful. |
|
|
|
Post by davejohnno1 on Mar 31, 2008 12:27:48 GMT
Ian...we have done exactly what you said we should have done a few weeks ago have we? Nice to know that the beliefs of both you and your hero have resulted in our worst sequence of results this season, at arguably the most important time. What quality managers you both make! That said, for 70 minutes of yesterdays game, we turned in a very good effort, arguably our best for a while. We undoubtedly weakened ourselves with the subsitutions, whereas somehow (godknows how  ) they seemed to strengthen their starting 11. We do sit back too much at times though. Fortune favours the brave! |
|
|
|
Post by Big J on Mar 31, 2008 12:29:11 GMT
If he sits back, we will concede. Go for the win TONY!
|
|
|
|
Post by Davef on Mar 31, 2008 16:49:46 GMT
We might be conceding less goals than we were a few weeks ago, but I see little improvement in the way we're defending. We should have scored three or four on Saturday, but Wednesday themselves could have had two or three.
Both Blackpool and Burnley had opportunities to score more than the one they ended up with and by all accounts we were very fortunate to come away with a clean sheet at Watford, and only an astonishing last minute missed sitter by Jamie Cureton saved us dropping two points at Carrow Road.
On top of that there are one or two individuals who, if they don't get their act together over the next few weeks, are going to cost us big time. Our captain in particular needs to get his head on things.
|
|
|
|
Post by Soi Cowboy on Mar 31, 2008 16:53:04 GMT
End of last season saw us miss golden chances v Hull and Cardiff which wasn't down to negative play just poor finishing- created enough to have the games wrapped up- Hendrie and Fuller missed gilt edged chances v Hull to wrap it up.
|
|
) they seemed to strengthen their starting 11.
