we can still go up but changes must be made now

[ted1965]

Well that is so gutting, we saw the highs and lows of a season in one game. We almost scored, looked like it was going in yet somehow it stayed out and then moments later we are caught cold at the other end. It’s really frustrating, the defence seems to be all over the place, we need to get a leader in there and now, it’s no good waiting, Cort looks less and less a leader with each passing game and Shawcross is young and when things are going wrong, he needs someone like an Overson or a Taggart alongside him, someone who can kick you up the ass when needed and put an arm around you when you do well, it’s a fine balancing act and it needs to be sorted out. At this moment he looks very short on confidence, he needs a rest to recharge his batteries and the more mistakes he makes, surely it’s not helping his long term development into the player we all believe he will become.

It’s too early to start writing obituaries on automatic promotion but anymore defensive errors like over the last few weeks and we may be settling for a play off place, that for me would be a tragedy considering we have been so consistent all season. The manager now has some difficult decisions to make, rearrange the middle of our defence before we lose all the momentum that has been so deservedly gained. It’s when things are going against you that a good manager will circle the wagons and make the tough decisions. We were sitting in a position where it was in our hands few games ago, now with this weeks midweek fixtures we could be the ones left banking on other teams doing us a favour. Though we do have a home game next to try and get back to winning ways.

It’s also surely time to drop Mamma to the bench, strikers who don’t score goals are a liability, not getting at Mamma he is what he is, we need to make changes and show we can adapt when plan B isn’t working. Gallagher is here till the end of the season, we need to use him or bring someone in who can do what Mamma does but actually score goals as well. I am also sorry but Salif needs to be left out, he has been so far off the pace it’s time to consign him to the bench till he is match fit, that from what I have seen wont be this season or certainly not in the next 10 games.

Okay today we can point to the appalling decision by Andy D’urso, a so called top referee well my god if he’s one of the better ones what the hell is a bad one like. I have never seen a more innocuous challenge receive a red card, it wasn’t even a foul for Christ’s sake, a booking would have been ridiculous but sending off a player for winning the ball fairly is almost criminal. I hope he has the balls to come out and admit he got it wrong, more likely he will scuttle back to the Premiership and hide behind the football authorities. I know we were losing, it doesn’t make that decision any better or worse, it was a ridiculous decision whether we were 2-0 up or 5-0 down.

Though we were two goals down at that point, we looked shaky before that. The times the ball was hit beyond the far post and we had no players there, the result they were able to move forward at pace with nobody in front of them competing for the ball. We had been outplayed by a side who passed and moved, they don’t have big name players either but they were allowed to express themselves and they had pace, something we lack in many areas and pace hurts teams, specially ones who lack it.

As I said it’s nowhere near terminal as far as automatic promotion goes but we really have to address certain issues now before we really start to lose momentum, the wheels are starting to rattle and if we don’t change things fast they will come off and then it will be the lottery of the play offs, that would be really difficult when you’ve lost momentum, confidence in football is a huge part of the game, the defence seem to have lost theirs.

After all the excitement it’s a real reality check, while we still have plenty to play for we need to tighten up without actually losing something going forward, that is a fine balancing act and will be a true test of the players and management.

I think we can still go up, though there needs to be a marked improvement defensively.

Be proud be Stoke, time to stand firmly behind the team.

[apb1979]

Cant argue with that. We need changes.

[CalgaryPotter]

Ted, you are bang on yet again

I'm hoping this Riggot is the answer to the defence's problems. For me Wilko has to be in the back four as well. He's Stoke through and through and he goes in hard.

The situation with Nash is a joke and it can only have upset Simonsen which must be a nightmare for the defence too.

It's not over yet, but we have to start controlling more games and not relying on the alamo coming off. I think if we lose any more than one other game than we will be in the play offs. If we beat Watford and Bristol then we could still be in the mix for the top two.

One of the biggest fears for me will be last match when we need a win and Hendrie turns up

[luke45]

Absolutely Spot on Ted.

[mikeyb99]

Agree Ted.

Really a period when we will know if Pulis is up to it.

I think it's too late to change the style of play that requires Sidibe TBH, so we have to seriously look at getting in a player to take the pressure off/force better performances from Fuller.

Added to that the serious defensive re-jigging that is required, which must crucially centre around an organiser as you mention, whether that be a centre-half or goalkeeper. We must also see both Wilko and Dicko in the side away from home because they are so clearly head-and-shoulders better defenders than Pugh or Griffin.

[kidsgrovepotter]

total agree ted great post as always.

[westlandsstokie]

Ted...spot on mate in every respect.A leader is required now,not in a few weeks time.Mama has to be dropped....he can't score to save his life...Fuller needs some support.Cresswell should play as a striker or not at all...Pugh aint a full back,Dicko is far better.Cort needs to impose himself in the defence (doubt it tho'....hence the lack of yellow cards).I aint being negative as it's being coming for a few weeks now....we ship too many goals and this makes it so difficult.Come on TP give us the leader and a striker we urgently need !

[jezzascfc]

Agree with all that Ted.

Let's get back to basics, put players in positions to which they are best suited and get going again.

Ergo, Cresswell is a centre forward, Griff is (for some strange reason) a better left back than right back, Pugh is a central midfielder, both Leon and Ryan are right-sided centre halves and are not a good combo and, whilst we are at it, Gallagher is one of the most, if not THE most, naturallly gifted footballer we have in the squad and simply has to play in a roaming attacking role from wide left.

If we get Nash in (finally!), I'd start like this next week (shame Whelan is suspended):

Nash

Wilkinson
Shawcross
Riggott
Griffin

Lawrence
Pugh (Whelan to come in when available again)
Delap
Gallagher

Cresswell
Fuller