Team news - New formation (3-4-1-2) 5 changes

[FullerMagic]

www.stokesentinel.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/stoke-city-qpr-live-stream-9097962

Team news: Five changes for Stoke vs QPR
Steven Schumacher has made five changes to the Stoke City starting line-up in what looks like a change to a back three against Queens Park Rangers.

Michael Rose, Jordan Thompson, Ki-Jana Hoever, Lewis Baker and Luke Cundle are back in following the 3-1 defeat at Blackburn Rovers on Saturday. Rose and Hoever join Luke McNally in the back line as Ben Wilmot drops out.

Junior Tchamadeu and Jordan Thompson are expected to line up as wing-backs with Lewis Baker and Wouter Burger in the middle of midfield and Luke Cundle behind Bae Junho and Niall Ennis up front.

It is a vital game for Stoke, who are only three points above third-bottom QPR. Schumacher is tasked with ending a four-game losing streak and securing a first home victory since October.

He said in his pre-match press conference: "I think winning games of football requires you to do both sides of the game really well. I feel as well in the last few games – maybe not in the Leicester game, I don’t think we were brilliant with the ball against Leicester – but in the other three defeats, we were more than capable with the ball. We’ve played well, we’ve had opportunities, we should have scored more goals than what we have but we haven’t defended well enough so therefore we haven’t won any of the games.

"We’ve got to do both sides of the game. I don’t think you have to lose your principles or go away from your beliefs. But you have to recognise and explain to the players as well that it’s not all about one side of the game. You have to be right at it on both sides."

Stoke: Iversen, Rose, McNally, Hoever, Tchamadeu, Thompson, Baker, Burger, Cundle, Junho, Ennis.

Subs: Bonham, Gooch, Pearson, Campbell, Wilmt, Wesley, Leris, Laurent, Manhoef.

[scfcwebby]

[plymouthpotter4]

Sigh.

[Fred Merger]

Wilmot dropped is a start.Baker in is a plus. OK with that team. 👍

[LGH87]

Interesting Pete has it as a front two and not two 10s being Ennis

[cvillestokie]

I assume it’s actually 3421, with Bae and Cundle behind Ennis. Not sure what he sees in Cundle.

It’s so heavily imbalanced on that left side. I think we’ll struggle.

[stokemark]

Well it's 'different'

Crazy that we sign a £3m winger drop him and then play Jordan Thompson as a wingback

[seabridgestokie]

Flooding the midfield with a 3-6-1 to overrun them, let’s see how it goes hoping Baker willl be the number 10 though or maybe Bae and Baker behind Ennis

[stokief]

Another pic'n'mix dogs dinner Oh well, I, as always wait to be proved wrong!

[scfcwebby]

Feb 14, 2024 18:50:11 GMT cvillestokie said:

I assume it’s actually 3421, with Bae and Cundle behind Ennis. Not sure what he sees in Cundle.

It’s so heavily imbalanced on that left side. I think we’ll struggle.

I'm not sure why cundle gets so much stick if I'm honest. Don't get me wrong he's not the best player we've ever had but he hasn't really done much wrong since he joined 🤷🏻

[FullerMagic]

Feb 14, 2024 18:50:11 GMT LGH87 said:

Interesting Pete has it as a front two and not two 10s being Ennis

Sohail said it was 3-4-1-2 too, so must have been briefed out that way?

[wonderwall]

Hard to pick the bones out of that.

Not sure if I like it or not.

I’m confused 🤣

[Fred Merger]

Feb 14, 2024 18:51:07 GMT stokemark said:

Well it's 'different'

Crazy that we sign a £3m winger drop him and then play Jordan Thompson as a wingback

We could always have spent the 3.4 million on a competent CB and LB, but what do we know?

[kickfortouch]

Weirdly similar team to what I thought he should go for but it still looks a mess. Glad there’s no Vidigal and Bae is central and the 3 should make us less open.

[shakermaker]

Plus points:

+ I'd have gone back three too, and those are the defenders I'd have chosen. Thank fuck Wilmot isn't starting.

Negatives:

- Manhoef at LWB would be far more effective
- Pearson next to Burger (with Burger on the left) would provide a bit more solidity.
- Got no issue with Cundle making an appearance in the latter stages of the game when we've taken the bite out of them, but would have preferred Junho and Leris as the AMs behind Ennis. I think Leris provides a strong work rate that will be needed right from the off.

[StokieDJC]

Cundle needs to start doing something to justify his place.

New winger must be chuffed.

[GeneralFaye]

🤷🏻‍♂️

[maninasuitcase]

5 changes = incoming loss 🫣🫣

[datguy]

I’d have gone for something similar. Would’ve taken Mmaee over Ennis, though.

[sticky]

No Mmaee on the bench then?

[greenhoff]

More shit chucked against the wall and seeing how much sticks? We really are in an almighty mess.

[stokefanone]

Very lightweight team, only one striker?
Would have like to see million start instead of hoever.

Let’s hope there’s enough there to get the points!.

Good luck stoke!

[FullerMagic]

Feb 14, 2024 18:56:02 GMT stokefanone said:

Very lightweight team, only one striker?
Would have like to see million start instead of hoever.

Let’s hope there’s enough there to get the points!.

Good luck stoke!

Sohail and Pete Smith are both saying Bae is playing up front as part of a front 2 with Ennis

Whether that'll actually be the case, who knows?

[clarkeda]

Feb 14, 2024 18:52:15 GMT FullerMagic said:

Feb 14, 2024 18:50:11 GMT LGH87 said:

Interesting Pete has it as a front two and not two 10s being Ennis

Sohail said it was 3-4-1-2 too, so must have been briefed out that way?

Surely not. I’d have like to see Manhoef in the 10 with licence to drift wide. But can only assume Cundle knows the system.

[Block 26]

I’m confused.. so who is on the wing? I’m guessing Junior & Hoever are wing backs but no wingers on at all?

£3m for a winger & he’s on the bench. Crazy stuff.

Hope SS knows what he’s doing tonight as we are desperate for these points.

[cobhamstokey]

it’s worrying that it feels like a selection done out of desperation.

Is Thompson a WB?

[theonlooker]

So we sign a winger when we're desperate for defenders and 1 game after the window closes we swap to a back 5?

That's about right...

[stiggerstackle]

No Vidigal at all?!?

[Caddick988]

No Vidigal or DJ on the bench either…

[bridgnorthstokie]

Feb 14, 2024 18:55:35 GMT sticky said:

No Mmaee on the bench then?

Or vidigal.