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Post by Deleted on Aug 18, 2012 16:47:09 GMT
Taking a point before the game is fair enough, but taking a point when: 1. after 75 minute you are in complete control with your right winger having a quality debut and taking a lot of pressure off; 2. you're still 1-0 up as you're heading in to injury time.
Do you think a couple of seasons ago when Arsenal went to Newcastle, after being 4-0 up and ended up drawing 4-4, Arsenal fans were saying 'I'd have taken a point beforehand'?
I dont mind shutting up shop with 5 minutes to go, but doing so with 10-15 minutes left is just annoying, and gives them plenty of time to build up the pressure, force us back. 'Looking where we've come from', we were doing the same and pissing it up against Barnsley and Preston, and we're still doing the same now.
Until the subs, very good performance, fantastic debut from Kightly, good effort from Walters, great to see Huth put in a full shift too.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 18, 2012 16:47:44 GMT
After all said and done with how comfortable we were for 75 mins until Tony's typical self destruction.
We still didn't look like scoring and took a major error by the keeper to get us the goal.
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Post by ohbottom on Aug 18, 2012 16:55:09 GMT
Wasnt the refs fault for us shutting up shop on 75 minutes. Wasnt the refs fault for keeping a player on who was late to every challenge and deserved his sending off. Wasnt the refs fault for giving a penalty away. Also if you think we shift to 4-5-1 to make up for Jeromes ineffectiveness then i really give up with football fans. He's put on to play 4-5-1 not changing to 4-5-1 to accomodate him. Jesus wept. Every time Jerome comes on, he starts off playing up front. He did today, as I'm sure you must have spotted. Every time, after 5 minutes of painful ineffectiveness that allows the opposition back into the game, we have to switch to 4-5-1 with Jerome out wide where he hampers our chances a bit less and an extra man in the middle. The same happened today. He's useless and needs selling. Massive waste of money. We don't switch to 4-5-1 when Jerome comes on. We play 4-5-1 from the start (or at best 4-4-1-1). The stupidity of the first sub was this: Kightly is more effective than SJW playing on the right. SJW is more effective than Jerome playing just in front of the 2 CMs. If you want to go defensive to protect a lead, then you either bring on Delap for Kightly and leave SJW where he is, or bring on Palacios for SJW. If you want fresher legs up front to deny space to the oppo, then bring on Jerome for Walters. Instead TP weakens the team and loses the shape - and shape is the only real strength we have away from home. Credit TP for putting out a team that could (and should) have won the game. But I'm afraid he also has to take responsibility for inviting the pressure that lost us 2 points. This was one of the more winnable away games we'll have this season. An opportunity lost I'm afraid.
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Post by takeshikovacs on Aug 18, 2012 16:58:07 GMT
Shit tactics from TP - showed his limitations.
On a positive note, first point of the new season (away from home) on the board. Huth is back, we've got Cameron to slot into midfield, and hopefully one or two others to replace the likes of our 'liabilities'.
QPR lost 0-5 at home, and Norwich drubbed 5-0 at Fulham. Arsenil held at home by Sunderland and Liverpoo losing 3-0 to West Brom. Some fans will feel a lot worse than we do!
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Post by tcdobinghoff on Aug 18, 2012 19:56:14 GMT
I don't object to closing the game down at all. When you are only 1 up and with 15 mins to go it is always a risk though.
BUT there are ways of closing out a game intelligently and taking off your threatening players and constantly giving the ball to the opposition in space is not intelligent.
We showed our experience for 75 minutes and looked a better team than Reading but we lost it completely and they didn't in the last 15 minutes. they kept their shape and kept probing we fell apart.
I agree with those who say opportunity lost - actually thrown away by a lack of thought and intelligence - by manager or players ???????????????????
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Post by matelot1996 on Aug 18, 2012 21:19:23 GMT
As a Stoke Supporter for 25 years I have always tried to sympathise with managers when things are not going right, however, the supporters good will towards TP is due to run out this season. Whilst sitting in the away end today sweating my nacks off it quickly became apparent that nothing whatsoever had changed in the close season. The most frustrating aspects were. 1. Only 1 new player on display, (Man of match). 2. Wilko and Whitehead amatuerish tackling put us under pressure in the first half by giving away many free kicks in dangerous places. Wilko is a poor player with no footballing intelligence. 3. Crouch ineffective. 4. Etherington unable to beat his man or cross a ball. 5. Walters, same old same old. 6. TP subbing our best player - why why why delilah. (Ulitimately cost us the game due to the lack of outlet and defensive mindset). 7. Why is Wilson not in midfield, our best crosser of the ball? On the plus side we earned an away point against an average side who will struggle. Huth looked very good, Shawcross solid but clumsy. I dont think TP has the nouse to change the way we play. I think the writing is on the wall, he did not look comfortable in his TV interview yesterday when he was forced to admit the academy and lack of funds from Coates has limited his ability to spend. Not impessed today with tactics, managerial decisions, but loved the cold beer
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Post by monstermunch on Aug 18, 2012 22:41:45 GMT
Oh well, onwards and upwards.
37 games left, everyone calm down.
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Post by stokiejoeofalsager on Aug 19, 2012 13:41:58 GMT
just had a look through the reading forum. what a deluded bunch
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Post by Deleted on Aug 20, 2012 1:23:47 GMT
Seems I dont need to say much , some people are waking up to Pulis
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Post by musik on Aug 20, 2012 14:16:12 GMT
Stoke were the slightly better team and should have won it, 2-1 or a draw 1-1.
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