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Post by TheWiseMaster on Mar 3, 2004 9:02:57 GMT
TP finds a new way to win! He has now extended his 11 man defence for corners to 11 men back for the last half hour. Dire stuff to watch and I believe, very risky. Ipswich had hardly created a chance until we game them licence to roam outside the box - they were then very unlucky not to score TP will say that the result speaks for itself but I believe we are a better team than we looked in the second half last night  BTW great result! ;D ;D ;D |
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Post by slangking on Mar 3, 2004 9:07:14 GMT
The ends justify the means. We've been blighted over the years with conceding late goals through stupidity. I hope that at last we have a plan to make sure when we have a lead we do our best to hold on to it.
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Post by Trouserdog on Mar 3, 2004 9:27:12 GMT
As I have said in another thread...the "Taggart Effect" (formerly known as "the Crossley effect") means that defending a lead is now a viable option rather than another name for "suicide".
The only downside of switching to a 4-5-1 is that Gifton looks lost when he's moved out wide. I noticed a few times last night, when Gifton is required to track a man running from a wide area, he'll let him go and assume that Halls will deal with him, sometimes leaving the muletted one with two men to mark.
This ain't really Gifton's fault...he's a centre forward not a midfileder.
I would say that if switching to 4-5-1 looks like the best way to get a result then we should only do it by sacrificing Gifton, bringing on a midfielder and playing round pegs in round holes!
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Post by OldStokie on Mar 3, 2004 9:45:35 GMT
Ah but did anyone notice that he didn't repeat his errors of the Wiagn game where he made too many substitutions too early and which broke up the rhythym of the team so that they equalized.
I think he was caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. I agree that GNW should have been substituted far earlier but in hindsight [isn't that a wonderful thing] TP was correct - or was he? I thought Wilson was excellent for the few minutes he was on the pitch. Another positive in a growing number of positives. Maybe even TP will begin to believe that we DO have some youngsters who can be given their head a bit more now that we have the neucleus in Taggart - the old head who's presence is so vital. Thommo was superb alongside him last night too and much of that is down to the 'confidence factor' which a good experienced player engenders througout the side. I don't think it was a coincidence that we won our first game since he went back to Leicester.
OS.
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Post by lurcherthelurker on Mar 3, 2004 9:45:55 GMT
TD, Dont be so fucking daft  |
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Post by TheWiseMaster on Mar 3, 2004 10:00:18 GMT
I don't want to sound too negative - beating Ipswich, who had lost just one of their last eleven away games, is a great result.
I just feel that we defend too deeply in that situation and ensure that the ball comes back at us too easily. Even the best defenders will make a mistake if the ball hovers around the box too long
TP - great result - just push the midfield closer to the half way line. And don't use Gifton in that role. As has been said - he wasn't covering his fullback at all late on
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Post by adesgonnagetyer on Mar 3, 2004 10:39:31 GMT
I know exactly waht you mean, Wisey.
I remember walking out of the Derby match with exactly the same feeling.
The last half an hour was excruciating watching in both games.
He actually said in his post-match interview that we wanted to play far deeper in the 2nd half to draw them onto us and use Ade's pace on the break.
Can't say it was an overwhelming success - but all's well that ends well - and how can you criticise TP at the moment?. ;D
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Post by apb1979 on Mar 3, 2004 11:26:24 GMT
I hate when we go defensively too early last night was just ridiculous wanting us to defend for the last half an hour. I was just glad we got the 2nd goal which knocked the stuffing out of Ipswich because i wouldnt like to think what would of happened if we didnt get the 2nd goal.
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Post by romfordstokie on Mar 3, 2004 11:44:01 GMT
I know, lets go all gung ho at that stage of the match, watch a cracking game and get a point! Genius  |
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Post by Lakeland Potter on Mar 3, 2004 11:48:22 GMT
It was pertty obvious with GNW not fully fit that the plan last night was to be a counter attacking team. Its don't come off as well as we hoped largely due to that assistant ref whose interpretation of the offside rule didn't match mine. I am still not 100% convinced of the legality of Ade's goal - it looked a tight decision at the time and the TV doesn't help that much. I am pretty certain that two of the three similar breaks in the second half which he WAS pulled up for, were not offside so we could have won by more than we did on another day because Ade is pretty good at long runs onto goal - his first for Stoke last season was just such a goal.
My main worry last night was not the formation or the tactics but the sloppy way we gave away the ball at times. No particular culprits stand out - several players did it including Halls and Svard who otherwise both had excellent games.
The other thing that worries me is that with GNW not fit there seems to be no plan B. TP hasn't yet managed to have confidence in an Ade/Sarbs pairing - this may be due to a missing piece in the midfield jigsaw. I hope we may see some experiments on this side of things with two obvious options both involving Wilson.
1. Play Wilson at right back with Halls in central midfield - Halls has the look of a midfielder when he has the ball at his feet.
2. Keep Halls at right back and play Wilson on the wing. Wilson in my opinion is the best right footed crosser of a ball we have at the club.
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Post by stonetezza on Mar 3, 2004 12:13:50 GMT
Agree with that fornside.
I thought our main problems were caused by us giving the ball away in totally the wrong areas of the pitch (Taggert, Clarke, Halls, Russell, Svard to name a few. Can't seem to remember them cutting through us with precise passing.
Also thought the last half hour after our second goal TP fannied (fannyed) ... fuck it ... messed about with the formation which left big gaps on our left where formally Hooky had been.
Other than that, well played Stoke, well done ref, pity about Messrs Blunkett and Wonder as linesmen
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Post by TheWiseMaster on Mar 3, 2004 13:18:41 GMT
Fornside
Giving the ball away
It will be a problem when you have 11 men behind the ball - much more difficult to break out of defence
Commons would have been useful in that situation as he carries the ball so well
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Post by Lakeland Potter on Mar 3, 2004 13:22:32 GMT
Agreed, WM. I said to the bloke next door to me as soon as Ade scored, that I'd have brought Commons on. As well as being an attacking option he gives the opposition something new to think about and often relieves pressure by getting a couple of free kicks with his first few times on the ball.
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Post by dude on Mar 3, 2004 13:30:42 GMT
Yep, after Ade scored, Fabien Wilnis was practically furniture on the edge of our box right hand side. Would have been the ideal time to throw on Commons and attack down that flank. They practically went 2 at the back last 15 minutes,
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Post by stonetezza on Mar 3, 2004 13:55:08 GMT
Thank fuck a piece of furniture can cross a ball better than he can. A couple of really really crap crosses lightened up my evening
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Post by Lakeland Potter on Mar 3, 2004 14:44:07 GMT
Tezza, who are you on about - Commons?
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Post by dude on Mar 3, 2004 14:55:28 GMT
Mr PP ....he's referring to Wilnis for Ipswich dude
Correct what he said, wasted some great openings
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Post by Lakeland Potter on Mar 3, 2004 15:21:37 GMT
Thank God for that. I know not everyone is a fan of Commons but that would have been too much if applied to him. ;D
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