Late Wilko & Diao fitness tests

[knowles]

Sorry if already posted but Wilko and Diao face late fitness tests. Fingers crossed one of them pulls through

www.stokecityfc.com/page/NewsDetail/0,,10310~1609955,00.html

[northstokie]

Please let Diao not be fit......

[fradleyhomes]

Diao will play unless he can't walk! Like it or not Pulis obviously rates him higher than anybody else! Really hope wilko plays to get stuck into the brazillians

[assessornum1]

Ive never wished a stoke player injured, ok i have, cresswell, oh and lightbourne, and..............

[Deleted]

Diao hasn't looked match fit since about October 2006.

[stokielaura]

diao shouldnt even be in the squad.

[Deleted]

Assuming diao is fit who wont start ? Etherington, Delap, Whelan or Lawrence out of the four who finished against boro ?

[PONTAFCE]

He just aint up to it anymore on his day a few years ago he was qaulity but now he doesnt seem the same.

[stokielaura]

pulis loves diao, but lets face it he shouldnt be in the team! etherington, delap, whelan and lawrence should all start.

[Deleted]

Apr 2, 2009 14:30:01 GMT @quasimodo said:

Assuming diao is fit who wont start ? Etherington, Delap, Whelan or Lawrence out of the four who finished against boro ?

I suspect Whelan. Maybe Lawrence.

[jen]

Diao was fantastic when he first played for us, but hasn't been able to recapture that form since his layoff. I reckon TP will have Whelan on the bench on Sat because he's already played 2 games for Ireland this week.

[PONTAFCE]

Apr 2, 2009 14:33:23 GMT jen said:

Diao was fantastic when he first played for us, but hasn't been able to recapture that form since his layoff. I reckon TP will have Whelan on the bench on Sat because he's already played 2 games for Ireland this week.

Thats a good point jen with whelan.

[Paul Spencer]

Apr 2, 2009 14:33:23 GMT jen said:

I reckon TP will have Whelan on the bench on Sat because he's already played 2 games for Ireland this week.

I reckon you might be right Jen, but for me this would be nothing more than excuse from Pulis so that he can still get away with starting Salif.

Is Benitez going to be dropping Gerrard this weekend, or Ferguson dropping Rooney or Hiddink dropping Lampard etc. etc. etc?

[jen]

Apr 2, 2009 14:38:49 GMT Paul Spencer said:

Apr 2, 2009 14:33:23 GMT jen said:

I reckon TP will have Whelan on the bench on Sat because he's already played 2 games for Ireland this week.

I reckon you might be right Jen, but for me this would be nothing more than excuse from Pulis so that he can still get away with starting Salif.

Is Benitez going to be dropping Gerrard this weekend, or Ferguson dropping Rooney or Hiddink dropping Lampard etc. etc. etc?

I agree that TP will use it as an excuse - and also because Whelan has had to travel and probably won't be back til tomorrow- whereas Gerrard & co have been playing in the UK.

[stokielaura]

i reckon whelan may be on the bench, but he shouldn't be because he is a quality player, btw anyone know how to get a picture on your oatcake profile thing?

[Paul Spencer]

Apr 2, 2009 14:41:30 GMT jen said:

and also because Whelan has had to travel and probably won't be back til tomorrow- whereas Gerrard & co have been playing in the UK.

I bet Abdoulaye starts!

[jen]

Apr 2, 2009 14:44:10 GMT Paul Spencer said:

Apr 2, 2009 14:41:30 GMT jen said:

and also because Whelan has had to travel and probably won't be back til tomorrow- whereas Gerrard & co have been playing in the UK.

I bet Abdoulaye starts!

Yes, but he'll just stride across the sea to get back - won't bother with mere formalities like planes and airports. ;D

I'm also hoping that Tommy will start and keep in the groove of his 2 clean sheets with Denmark.

[RAF]

Diao has never been and never will be a Prem Player.
Why do you think Liverpool fucked him off so sharpish and why he didn't even have any club when he came to us?

He was excellent in the championship and I thank him for it , but he shouldn't be starting IMHO.

H

[Deleted]

RAF i agree hes been poor recently but you know and i know its a dont lose first mentality we take away so if hes breathing he will start no matter who has to be dropped. Daft in my view but its what will happen fancy it will be the bench for Etherington myself so Delap out of position on the left when he looked comfortable in the middle agains boro .

[fradleyhomes]

If Diao does start, then it is Ethers every time over Lawrence, Ethers is more of a threat with a damn sight more pace.

[Deleted]

Fradley dont disagree but it will be team picked about not losing first which is why i think Ethers will be benched , hope im wrong for the record my 4 would be

Lawrence Delap Whelan Ethers

But i dont think thats ehat he wil do unless Diao is woefully unfit

[thepremierbanksy]

Apr 2, 2009 15:00:01 GMT RAF said:

Diao has never been and never will be a Prem Player.
Why do you think Liverpool fucked him off so sharpish and why he didn't even have any club when he came to us?

He was excellent in the championship and I thank him for it , but he shouldn't be starting IMHO.

H

Was Diao not technically at Liverpool for best part of half a decade? Not being able to break into the liverpool side does not necessarily make him not prem quality in his younger days. I think it's only his fitness that has made him poor for us this season, but he has had a few decent games in spite of that.

I agree that he is obviously never going to be at the required level of fitness this season or ever again though.

[march4]

I think TP's comments about players being 'tired' after international games was a message to his squad that he wants them training at Stoke and not globe trotting.

As soon as he made these comments, I felt Whelan would lose his place. I wonder if Abdy and/or Tommy will also miss out?

[RAF]

Was Diao not technically at Liverpool for best part of half a decade?

Yep you are absolutely correct, 37 games for Liverpool and the rest on loan.
I don't think they wanted to pay up his contract.

H

[fradleyhomes]

Apr 2, 2009 15:21:34 GMT @quasimodo said:

Fradley dont disagree but it will be team picked about not losing first which is why i think Ethers will be benched , hope im wrong for the record my 4 would be

Lawrence Delap Whelan Ethers

But i dont think thats ehat he wil do unless Diao is woefully unfit

Agreed

[th05]

Diao shouldn't start if he has got a minor issue, he seems to only perform when he is right on top of his game.

[danmase]

delap whelan faye etherington

simples

[barmystokie1]

really hope wilko is fit to get stuck in....

please tony for once go against your feelings that "Diao is the best midfielders at what he does " and drop him!!! he has not been up to scratch for weeks now and we have been clearly carrying him with all to see , even you have now takin him off 2x early at home now.

i would play Lawrence-whelan-delap-ethers

midfield by "Danmase" looks a more realistic midfield tony would play though which I wouldnt mind either

[Deleted]

Diao is no where near fit or good enough. Delap is a much better central midfielder, he showed that against Boro. If Pulis plays Diao and we lose he will desrve all the stick he will undoubtedly get. A win against Brazil would be a massive step towards keeping us in The Prem. Hes got to put out his strongest team and that does not include Salif Diao or Amdy Faye.

[fradleyhomes]

Apr 2, 2009 17:07:32 GMT greenhoff said:

Diao is no where near fit or good enough. Delap is a much better central midfielder, he showed that against Boro. If Pulis plays Diao and we lose he will desrve all the stick he will undoubtedly get. A win against Brazil would be a massive step towards keeping us in The Prem. Hes got to put out his strongest team and that does not include Salif Diao or Amdy Faye.

Amdy Faye has been impressive this season, for me he deserves to play especially away from home, like it or not we need a player who will be defensive minded in the middle.