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Post by mermaidsal on Sept 20, 2008 20:35:12 GMT
Was this the day we finally got the player we used to have back? I wasn't there, am only going from the commentary and other people's reports but it sounds like at last he slotted back into the role of shielding the back four and breaking up play again. If he is on the way back to his best that would be like having signed another new player.
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Post by th05 on Sept 20, 2008 20:39:24 GMT
Yeh, my seat didn't have the best view, but he looked quality today shielding the back four very well, so yeh, back to the Salif of old I thought. The back four were quality today but I thought Ab. Faye was absolutely immense.
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Post by salopstick on Sept 20, 2008 20:40:19 GMT
diao's best game since signing permanent lets hope he keeps it up our squad is beginning to look a lot more impressive
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Post by potters11 on Sept 20, 2008 20:41:24 GMT
Back to the SALIF we know and love. Ab. Faye is immense, a quality Premier League player, still don't understand Newcastle letting him go!
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Post by mermaidsal on Sept 20, 2008 20:43:35 GMT
So far Ab Faye is the best of the new signings by a mile for me.
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Post by LDE76 on Sept 20, 2008 20:43:58 GMT
Back to the SALIF we know and love. Ab. Faye is immense, a quality Premier League player, still don't understand Newcastle letting him go! There were reports of him wanting to return to the North-west, but whichever way you slice it, £2.25m is a steal.
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Post by ramitupper on Sept 20, 2008 20:45:19 GMT
Interesting to see how he got on with "Carra",after carra giving him a rate slaggin off in his autobiography.
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Post by mermaidsal on Sept 20, 2008 20:47:55 GMT
What did he say, ramit?
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Post by Trouserdog on Sept 20, 2008 20:55:02 GMT
I thought that selecting Diao would be a disastrous decision, but Salif finally put in the kind of display that we once took for granted...he played the role of midfield anchor man superbly.
Be interesting to see whether he keeps his place once Amdy faye is back from suspension. It would be very harsh to drop him after today.
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Post by ramitupper on Sept 20, 2008 20:58:06 GMT
"when he(diao) arrived at training the rest of the lads thought he was the worst footballer they'd seen,couldn't pass,run,tackle nowt.Glad whan he left." Or words to that effect.
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Post by 16quidachuck on Sept 20, 2008 22:06:51 GMT
DIAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
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Post by Jamo on the wing on Sept 20, 2008 22:15:53 GMT
Diao did very well, God knows how he managed the full 90 minutes but it was a good effort from him.
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Post by swampySCFC on Sept 20, 2008 22:31:52 GMT
Nice to see Rick kick fuck out of Carragher.
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Post by expectedtoulouse on Sept 20, 2008 22:50:18 GMT
Diao did very well. We needed a cool head in there to stand up and block out Alonso and Gerrard from coming through the middle and Diao did exactly that. It seems like he's back to his good old days from the 06/07 season, scrapping, tackling tidying up and playing some good passes. It'll be good for TP to have a selection headache.
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Post by One-Two on Sept 20, 2008 22:56:44 GMT
whelan deffo won't start for a long time now but on a more positive note GOARN STOKE P.S did any1 else think whelan looked reeeaaaally pissed when he was doing his warm-down
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Post by barndoorbanjo on Sept 20, 2008 22:58:41 GMT
Diao was my man of the match today. Just shaded it from any of the back four. Salif is back! Salif is back! woh..woh..!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2008 23:01:16 GMT
Only remember diao playing one stray pass all game
closed the play down really well
from set pieces, I thought that sidibe defended superbly too
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Post by OldStokie on Sept 20, 2008 23:11:00 GMT
Good call there, Sal. Another good problem for Pulis to add to the fact that Faye and Cort played so well together. I said the other day that it would take a few games for Pulis to sort out his defence. Based on today's performance, it should be...
Griff. Faye. Cort. Higgy...with Salif playing the anchor role...if he maintains this form.
OS.
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Post by risa on Sept 21, 2008 1:24:36 GMT
Love the little poem OldStokie!
Lost my mind years ago!
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Post by fca47 on Sept 21, 2008 8:52:35 GMT
Trouble is we have many of the same type of player, when it comes to home games, I think we have got to have more creativity, so I think Whelan, Tonge etc. should be used more at home. We have to win home games, draws will not be enough. Diao gives us solidity but nothing going forward. At least Whelan and Tonge can shoot.
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Post by Miniman on Sept 21, 2008 9:37:11 GMT
I'm sorry but he just seemed lazy when I was watching online. He kept giving possession straight to lawrence instead of doing anything else and you could see Lawrence wasn't enjoying playing. In 80 odd minutes he made a fantastic challenege on Torres then just sood there while Torres stood up and took possesion again. This was when Kuyt struck just into Sorensen's arms! How can anyone say he was so good!! he didn't even feature looking online, It was Seyi the Saviour not Salif.
Sorry for the negativity but in my eyes, Whelan is by far a better player, if not better than Amdy faye who is just not good enough for Charlton or Rangers. Amdy sat out of Rangers UEFA cup final behind David bloody Weir! I think Whelan should be our set-piece taker and our best Centre-mid.
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Post by Lakeland Potter on Sept 21, 2008 9:39:40 GMT
Good point fca. I can see Diao being used more in the difficult away games (like yesterday) and in the home games against the top teams (such as Chelsea next week?). You'd have to hope that players like Soares, Tonge and Whelan get the chance to show what they can do in games where we need to put more emphasis on attack. I've always thought that one of the biggest differences between the Premiership and the Championship is that the Premiership is much more dependent upon having a squad of players so you can vary the line up. Hopefully, TP is slowly feeling his way towards what is best for each game.
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Post by Lakeland Potter on Sept 21, 2008 9:44:08 GMT
Miniman, you may have a false impression from watching online. Diao protected the back four very well yesterday. Very few attacks from Liverpool managed to break though in the centre of the pitch. Most attacks were forced out to the wings giving the centre backs a bit more time to regroup.
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Post by Miniman on Sept 21, 2008 9:45:14 GMT
Exactly but it looked like Oli did that more than Salif???
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Post by Miniman on Sept 21, 2008 9:45:50 GMT
btw Delap had another great game, even without the throw ins!!
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Post by kingdeano on Sept 21, 2008 9:51:15 GMT
diao played well yesterday, as someone as already put tho, id like see a different alternative in home games, bit of a masterstroke by pulis because i thought it was one hell of a gamble starting him when we have whelan who is fit and raring to go.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2008 9:52:03 GMT
Exactly but it looked like Oli did that more than Salif??? Salif played the Makelele role, to do nothing spectacular but keep it simple, break up play, protect the back four and play it to the attacking players. It's an important role and most of the best sides have one. Keeping possession is going to be crucial if we are to stay up, and if the Diao of old can return, or Amdy Faye can play as well as he did against Villa (whether he was "good enough" for Charlton or Rangers is completely irrelevant, he's looked good for us so far), or even if Rory can be as effective in this role as he was last season, it's the kind of player we're going to need.
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Post by Miniman on Sept 21, 2008 9:59:22 GMT
Ok then point taken, Salif was the silent player that does everything but doesn't stand out. It would be great though with Whelan because he can really break play down like with R.O.I. He really brought pace down at exactly the correct time.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2008 10:03:03 GMT
I've seen nothing from Whelan yet in a Stoke shirt to think he warrants a starting place.
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tommo12
Spectator
Come On Stoke!!!
Posts: 3
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Post by tommo12 on Sept 21, 2008 10:17:56 GMT
Ab Faye was immense all game, higgy quality, salif back to when we first signed him and sidebe played a different position and did really well.
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