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Post by lordeffinghamhunt on Mar 6, 2009 11:55:48 GMT
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Post by PONTAFCE on Mar 6, 2009 11:58:10 GMT
I dont agree to be honest we need more than three to stay up.We need atleast one win away from home and another four to five wins at home.I suppose the odd draw may save us but im certain that three wins wont keep us up.
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Post by Targaryen Stokie on Mar 6, 2009 11:59:27 GMT
Good read, well said Mr. Coates.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2009 12:04:24 GMT
I think 4 more wins will be enough. 1 away would take some pressure off at home. I can see us winning 3 more home games.
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Post by grayscfc on Mar 6, 2009 12:06:36 GMT
we certainly should`nt need to win away unless the rest of the pack all have blazing runs of form in the run-in which is unlikely, so if we carry on with our home form and win 4-5 home games & draw 2-3 away we`ll be fine.
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Post by glouscesterstokie on Mar 6, 2009 12:09:29 GMT
does any of you think we played really well against bolton:S i dont think we did to be honest i thought bolton were very poor...
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Post by dexter97 on Mar 6, 2009 12:11:39 GMT
Three wins puts us on 38 points, which might still prove sufficient. Throw a couple of draws in and we'll be safe.
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Post by kingdeano on Mar 6, 2009 12:14:01 GMT
gloucester in all fairness i dont think their is much between us and bolton, we are very similar teams, with very similar managers, both physical, play it narrow, plenty of long balls, long throws etc, it was never going be a classic, and although i say their aint much between us i think we just do it a touch better, even at their place on the first game, if it wasnt for a fluke goal i think we would have got something
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Post by Beloved Monkfish on Mar 6, 2009 12:14:02 GMT
we certainly should`nt need to win away unless the rest of the pack all have blazing runs of form in the run-in which is unlikely, so if we carry on with our home form and win 4-5 home games & draw 2-3 away we`ll be fine. That'll mean winning every home game then. To be honest I agree with Coates. 3 more wins will give us 38 points, added to that a few draws and we'll have the magic 40 points, which I think will be more than enough this season. |
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Post by lordeffinghamhunt on Mar 6, 2009 12:15:02 GMT
I still think we will need more than 40 points. Do you think that the Stokies will go mad as soon as the 40 point mark is reached or will we be a bit apprehensive
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Post by glouscesterstokie on Mar 6, 2009 12:17:23 GMT
agreed but ive seen stoke play alot better and loose for example everton at home... or man utd at home
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Post by bossthemidfield on Mar 6, 2009 12:18:51 GMT
If we beat Brazil away thats the away win we need. Of the 5 remaining home games I can see us getting three wins and two draws so another 11pts. 43pts should be enough.  |
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Post by lordeffinghamhunt on Mar 6, 2009 12:20:42 GMT
agreed but ive seen stoke play alot better and loose for example everton at home... or man utd at home You should know Stoke by now. They always play their best when they play top opposition. I think that the Bolton game was the best game that we have played because they play the same kind of football as us. |
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Post by Paul Spencer on Mar 6, 2009 12:29:43 GMT
Wins against Boro, Newcastle and Blackburn and not losing to West Brom and Hull will mean that we are safe or extremely close to being safe.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2009 12:30:24 GMT
I think 4 wins too. I'd be pretty pissed off if we went down on 41 points!
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Post by evans1863 on Mar 6, 2009 12:31:36 GMT
Three wins and two draws will be enough IMO.
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Post by Davef on Mar 6, 2009 12:37:15 GMT
I think beating Middlesbrough, Newcastle and Blackburn, teams all desperate for points is an extremely tall order indeed. If I was a betting man, I'd go for a win and two draws from those three games, though to be honest I wouldn't rule out a narrow defeat in one of them. That leaves West Ham and Wigan and I can see us winnng one of those games, considering they'll be pretty much safe this season and maybe not up for the battle that'll come their way.
IMO, we need to win at least one away game before the season's over.
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Post by Northy on Mar 6, 2009 12:43:52 GMT
All our home games are going to be difficult, 3 relegation rivals and 2 teams battling for 7th spot for Euro, scenarios like the Pompey game all the way.
An away win would help my sphincter
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Post by evans1863 on Mar 6, 2009 12:45:30 GMT
Very pessimistic Dave - Boro are absolutley wank and with our phenominal home record, strikers on form and no Richard Cresswell (touch wood) we will be too strong for them. Castle aren't as bad but as above I think we will be too strong for them.
Blackburn are a slightly different matter, big Sam will have them fired up, and in the same way as Bolton should have been Wednesday night, a draw/defeat is realistic but yet again you cant rule out another three points if we get behind the team.
West Ham have nothing to play for and their style under Zola plays into our hands, a must win surely? I cant see us breaking down Wigan, likewise them to us, another point there.
So yes, we can survive on home form, and if I'm proved wrong there is no reason we cant win at the team with the worst home record in the league, or the team that look absolutley fucked.
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Post by MrMagic on Mar 6, 2009 12:46:31 GMT
I have a very strong feeling that we might get something at Everton. That would put us in a great position because a point at Goodison would probably allow us to go into other away games with less fear.
40 points should be enough.
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Post by towraytek on Mar 6, 2009 12:50:14 GMT
It will surely be the six-pointers against West Brom, Middlesborough, Blackburn, Hull and Newcastle that will make the difference because any points we lose, they gain. At a minimum we need to win 3 and draw 2 of these fixtures plus pick up points against others.
I am pretty confident after Bolton. Regardless of the details I thought we generally looked and performed like an established Premiership side.
I'd be quite happy to see all other bottom of the table clashes finish up as nil-nil draws which helps keep them in the mix whilst we move up the table.
The difference in mood between half time against Villa and full time against Bolton is quite a jump isnt it!
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Post by evans1863 on Mar 6, 2009 12:57:17 GMT
I think even if we did somehow lose to the Brazilians (who btw have rock bottom confidence and cant buy a win vs us) they would still be doomed, 7 points adrift now?
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Post by Davef on Mar 6, 2009 12:58:09 GMT
It might sound pessemistic to you Evans, but I've watched football and Stoke long enough to learn that a massive kick in the bollocks is always waiting for you around the corner, especially if you get too far ahead of yourself.
I'd fancy us to beat Middlesbrough (I said we would win one of those three games), but I think the Blackburn and Newcastle games are a potential banana skin. I remember back in November people talking about Hull and Fulham being must win games, but we got just two points from those games.
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Post by trebor63 on Mar 6, 2009 13:11:13 GMT
I still think we will need more than 40 points. Do you think that the Stokies will go mad as soon as the 40 point mark is reached or will we be a bit apprehensive At the start of the season I'd have agreed but the way the seasons going I very much doubt we'll need forty points. I reckon 38 will almost certainly be enough and forty will more or less guarantee safety. At the moment there are four clubs which are averaging a point a game or less. If that average continues then 40 will be clearly safe and I can't see that average improving by much. However to get into Europe we need to win at least two away games and all our home games |
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Post by glouscesterstokie on Mar 6, 2009 13:11:54 GMT
agreed but ive seen stoke play alot better and loose for example everton at home... or man utd at home You should know Stoke by now. They always play their best when they play top opposition. I think that the Bolton game was the best game that we have played because they play the same kind of football as us. your right but thats whats so frustrating the fact that we are up for the tougher teams more than the lesser teams we need to do both! |
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Post by lordb on Mar 6, 2009 13:19:42 GMT
12 points required possibly less
5 home games & WBA away we can win any of them & would expect to win 3 of them at least.
Sure we may lose to Boro/Rovers or someone at home but cant see more than 1 defeat out of those 6 fixtures.
we may even get a point (any wins here would be fantastic) at Everton,Fulham or Arsenal whilst a draw at Hull is quite probable.
we could end up on 43/44 points quite realisticly.
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Post by vestanpance on Mar 6, 2009 13:21:59 GMT
3 wins, two draw should be enough.
I think we can get them.
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Post by evans1863 on Mar 6, 2009 13:24:18 GMT
It might sound pessemistic to you Evans, but I've watched football and Stoke long enough to learn that a massive kick in the bollocks is always waiting for you around the corner, especially if you get too far ahead of yourself. I'd fancy us to beat Middlesbrough (I said we would win one of those three games), but I think the Blackburn and Newcastle games are a potential banana skin. I remember back in November people talking about Hull and Fulham being must win games, but we got just two points from those games. To be fair, you dont need to have been going for a very long time, just look back to Hartlepool and Derby this season . The Hull and Fulham games are well in the past: Dont forget when Hull came to town it wasnt too long after they'd won away St.James', the Emirates and White Hart Lane (ok anybody could have beaten Spurs at that time of the season). They were on a roll and you could argue that we should have stolen the game, the fact we didnt was because we lacked the creativity which we now have. The same applies to Fulham, they had recorded 4 succesive 0-0s on the road, and when Mama went off we decided to play hoof ball and get Cresswell chasing it, never going to work in a million years. With Beattie, Etherington and Lawrence back im 100% more confident going into these sort of games than I was back in December. |
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Post by sufolkstokie on Mar 6, 2009 13:38:42 GMT
Evans - totally agree mate
We are a different side now
A very good back four and Sonko stepping up to the mark to cover where ever gives us cover
Midfield - So long as he only plays one holding midfielder from now (Faye for me as teh start - really got hold of it and improves each game) on we have options to change the game - Delap back will make a difference (even without his throw) and he is more attack minded, Liam is raising his game slowly but adding value now, Matty - well what an outlet and Whelan finally stepping up - so much confidence between them
Up front Fuller back to his best and Beattie simply awesome - with back up from Camara and Mama
We can then mix this around depending on the type of team we play
Cant remember when we last had so many options - well I can but that just makes me feel bloody old
The team has come so far this season and is just getting stronger and the gaffer is now making very good tactical changes at the right time
Everton away was a loss and is now a win for me with a great back four, Matty flying, Whelan on song and Beattie has it in his contract that he must score two against any former club!!
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Post by truckerged on Mar 6, 2009 14:49:29 GMT
i have been supporting stoke for far to long we never do things by the booki predict we will win an away game but it wont be one we expected [maybe everton?] then we will shoot ourselves in the foot and lose at home to someone like blackburn or boro. hope im wrong and even if i am i still think we will garner enough points to stay up.at least we have a manager who fully understands the fight on our hands[thank fuck we aint got mowbry or tango] it will go right to the wire but im hoping we can relax against arse and play the kids lol
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