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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2018 8:59:44 GMT
I think our team is still a shambles from the last few years. At present, our defence is too slow, our loans are crap, our left creative winger is crap, we have no one who he trusts to play killer balls that split opponents open.
We look to players who’s legs have gone to come on and change games for us as our subs.
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Post by thehoof on Dec 4, 2018 21:58:12 GMT
The defence could clearly be improved, but it won’t make a scrap of difference when we continue to fritter away chance after chance. Afobe is almost Diouf like in the number of chances he requires before he nets. I have been a massive non-fan of Ince, but he is making me eat humble pie- Allen gets loads of stick but is the only midfielder who looks like scoring and our defenders have contributed 3 goals -2 from a guy who hadn’t scored for 4 years. The difference between us and the teams above is that they have forwards who score pretty regularly and we put our eggs in the Afobe basket and for us he looks pretty lamentable.
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Post by cobhamstokey on Dec 8, 2018 23:07:24 GMT
I stand by this. I thought Ryan was poor again today and though decent in the air I'm really worried how he'll get on next week v Abrahams. Williams started well but 2nd half his distribution was poor. Eric was OK and Martina was hit and miss. I still believe we need a pacey CB because right now our CM are worrying too much about covering for the back 4.
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Post by terryconroysmagic on Dec 8, 2018 23:09:21 GMT
Williams have improved considerably from the ambling embarrassment we saw at the start of the season
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Post by Davef on Dec 8, 2018 23:13:09 GMT
I stand by this. I thought Ryan was poor again today and though decent in the air I'm really worried how he'll get on next week v Abrahams. Williams started well but 2nd half his distribution was poor. Eric was OK and Martina was hit and miss. I still believe we need a pacey CB because right now our CM are worrying too much about covering for the back 4. Our defensive record is on a par with most at the top end of the league. Our problem is at the other end. We're almost a calendar year without scoring more than two goals in a match and we've just watched our team have two on target attempts against one of the worst teams we've faced for a decade.
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Post by cobhamstokey on Dec 8, 2018 23:17:03 GMT
Williams have improved considerably from the ambling embarrassment we saw at the start of the season I thought he was excellent first half and with the ball at his feet looked really good but second half hit a few poor passes. Still think he's our best CB though. I just think we need a quicker CB beside him.
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Post by TexasPotter on Dec 9, 2018 0:09:11 GMT
I'd say it is our linkage between midfield and the wide players. We have Ince then McClean who cancels out our sides attack (McClean is shit going forward.)
We then become stagnant to type. I.e. Get it wide, FB overlap, look inside to midfield and then pass back to reset, in a infuriating nauseating boring repetitious shitshow.
We don't have a 10 as nobody knows what Allen does but run around in a free role not knowing where he is (players just look for whoever is closet on the wing). We have Clucas who looks to pass forward (for once a nice change) and moves but then you have no partner as Woods sits back. Its predictable as all hell. We scored today only to individual efforts versus a shit side.
Any decent side would walk us back all match as we don't have balance on the wing. We don't have a creative player in at the 10 or CAM to threaten a back four.
People lay blame on the defense and forwards but the problem lies in between the two and the inability to hold possession and threaten/create from the middle. Stoke is sticking to a failing formation for years has been the biggest problem as we really don't scare clubs going forward they just press us and know we'll go wide.
Lambert was hoping we didn't have the individual skill today but we did when Allen tapped one past on the move.
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Post by cobhamstokey on Dec 15, 2018 17:04:53 GMT
If we can get a decent young CB in in Jan and LB completion we’ll be cooking
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Post by stokie23 on Dec 15, 2018 17:08:35 GMT
Twice in front today, defence let us down big time....hope we can stay close to play offs and attract a couple of top defenders in Jan
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Post by GreaterGlasgowstokie on Dec 15, 2018 17:12:45 GMT
We need some pace and power in that defence..urgently
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Post by bolders on Dec 15, 2018 17:14:31 GMT
If we can get a decent young CB in in Jan and LB completion we’ll be cooking Add an extra winger in there and we should be ok
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Post by thehoof on Dec 15, 2018 17:14:58 GMT
Shawcross and Pieters have needed replacing for a long time. Williams has settled down Bruno needs to be alongside him. A new LB in January and a younger right sided CB and we can still get into the playoffs. Apart from the fact that Shawcross was our best defender today you have a point.
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Post by TexasPotter on Dec 15, 2018 17:20:34 GMT
If we can get a decent young CB in in Jan and LB completion we’ll be cooking How many years has that been said? Seems we always revert to those two positions and then we are always an attacking linking up play midfielder away from walking the league. We'll get neither most likely with how we're recruiting lately. We'd be top 4 with those three additions in and three outs.
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Post by stokeoptimist on Dec 15, 2018 17:24:10 GMT
If we can get a decent young CB in in Jan and LB completion we’ll be cooking How many years has that been said? Seems we always revert to those two positions and then we are always an attacking linking up play midfielder away from walking the league. We'll get neither most likely with how we've recruit lately. We'd be top 4 with those three additions in and three outs. Do you not think that all the clubs around us are saying the same thing?
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Post by TexasPotter on Dec 15, 2018 17:27:46 GMT
How many years has that been said? Seems we always revert to those two positions and then we are always an attacking linking up play midfielder away from walking the league. We'll get neither most likely with how we've recruit lately. We'd be top 4 with those three additions in and three outs. Do you not think that all the clubs around us are saying the same thing? Probably, I don't care about them. I've got no confidence in our staff to get it right the pizza boys have a huge window to save it if we keep drawing to stay close to the top 8. Would you bet on them coming through? Would you bet your house on it? If anything I'd be happy with decent coverage our bench is horrible.
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Post by Godo on Dec 15, 2018 17:30:45 GMT
Window must include a left back, mobile centre back and try and develop Edwards at right back.
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Post by nik80 on Dec 15, 2018 17:43:36 GMT
Martina played pretty well vs Derby but Edwards should never have been dropped for him. I said vs QPR that Rowett would be happy because he had his excuse, not that I thought Edwards was to blame for either goal in that match really. Can’t understand his love for Cuco and Rowett annoys me for it 👍🏼 Good point today though I suppose
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Post by trincostokie on Dec 15, 2018 17:45:54 GMT
So far this season, we've contrived to drop 10 points from winning positions...Obviously it's unrealistic to expect any team to always hold on to their leads, especially if they are a side like us who seems to have forgotten that it's not against the rules to go 2 goals up in games, but if we'd managed to win just 3 of those games, we'd be sitting pretty in the top 6, within striking distance of the automatic places...
Promoted teams have a knack of seeing out close games. Conversely, playing well and going on long unbeaten runs, whilst failing to string regular back to back wins together won't get you out of this league. We can blame it on defensive frailties all day long, but the bottom line is that if we were more effective at the top end of the pitch, the defensive lapses would be almost irrelevant.
Taking a man on in and around the box at pace makes things happen, whether that be penalty kicks, lucky bounces, defensive errors or well constructed goals...creating half a yard of space then cutting back to lay it off sideways, then backwards, then pissing about for another half dozen or so pretty looking phases of ineffectual keep ball is way too predictable and easy to defend against...I spend most of the game tearing out the non-existent hair on my head and listening to myself shouting obscenities at the screen.
Just occasionally, it would be nice to fucking enjoy a game...
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Post by kevkj on Dec 15, 2018 17:46:24 GMT
Stokes back four as a unit is just so slow it's killing us.If he wants play Shawcross and Williams then he needs younger quicker full backs to cover.
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Post by cobhamstokey on Dec 15, 2018 17:51:24 GMT
Stokes back four as a unit is just so slow it's killing us.If he wants play Shawcross and Williams then he needs younger quicker full backs to cover. Bauer? He's rapid. I think he was definitely a scapegoat after our bad start I don't think the defence has improved because of his exclusion. More because our CM's are sitting deeper.
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Post by stokeoptimist on Dec 15, 2018 17:59:25 GMT
Stokes back four as a unit is just so slow it's killing us.If he wants play Shawcross and Williams then he needs younger quicker full backs to cover. Bauer? He's rapid. I think he was definitely a scapegoat after our bad start I don't think the defence has improved because of his exclusion. More because our CM's are sitting deeper. Lenny says his attitude stinks
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Post by cobhamstokey on Dec 23, 2018 8:33:33 GMT
A clean sheet but quite a bit of luck and things could have ended very differently. Williams and Pieters are fine but we need a new faster CB and RB.
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Post by robwahlmann on Dec 23, 2018 8:39:11 GMT
A clean sheet but quite a bit of luck and things could have ended very differently. Williams and Pieters are fine but we need a new faster CB and RB. I really struggle to see why so many supporters are satisfied with Pieters as I think he is a liability.
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Post by wuzza on Dec 23, 2018 8:48:27 GMT
A clean sheet but quite a bit of luck and things could have ended very differently. Williams and Pieters are fine but we need a new faster CB and RB. I think yesterday demonstrated that neither of them are beyond reproach and nor have they been all season.
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Post by ravey123 on Dec 23, 2018 9:06:31 GMT
A clean sheet but quite a bit of luck and things could have ended very differently. Williams and Pieters are fine but we need a new faster CB and RB. I thought there were a couple of occasions yesterday where Shawcross showed a great turn of pace over 40 yds or so to stop attacks. I think his problem is more about mobility and pace over the first 10 yds
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Post by march4 on Dec 23, 2018 10:32:41 GMT
Centre forward is our biggest issue.
Teams can press high up the pitch because all of our forward options carry no threat. They have no pace nor can they win the ball in the air. Bera has stamina but that is pointless when he spends game after game trying to get within a yard of the ball. Afobe has power but like Bera it offers nothing to the collective team.
I think Rowett is very close to having a promotion winning team, but without that last vital piece of the jigsaw we are going no where.
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Post by cobhamstokey on Dec 26, 2018 17:54:20 GMT
Centre forward is our biggest issue. Teams can press high up the pitch because all of our forward options carry no threat. They have no pace nor can they win the ball in the air. Bera has stamina but that is pointless when he spends game after game trying to get within a yard of the ball. Afobe has power but like Bera it offers nothing to the collective team. I think Rowett is very close to having a promotion winning team, but without that last vital piece of the jigsaw we are going no where. After today I think it’s both 1- defence shocking with the ball at their feet bar Williams and can’t defend. Ryan’s becoming a huge weakness with his total lack of pace. Martina is truly awful. 2- no focal point up front who can hold up the ball.
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Post by Fred Merger on Dec 26, 2018 17:59:13 GMT
To state that Williams is our best defender at the moment is probably true,but doesn't say a lot for the other three!
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Post by cobhamstokey on Dec 26, 2018 18:01:44 GMT
To state that Williams is our best defender at the moment is probably true,but doesn't say a lot for the other three! Your not wrong. If fit I’d be far more comfortable with Edwards Williams Indi Pieters When everyone’s fit but idealy we need a new CB minimum.
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Post by Fred Merger on Dec 26, 2018 18:09:52 GMT
Well ive been informed that we have two defenders already lined up for the window but no names as to who. I really hope that they are a fullback and a Shawcross replacement!
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