Phil Brown, Diao, Division 4 and their number 4

[Olgrligm]

It's hard to really pick a man of the match today. I wouldn't have given it to Diao and on reflection, probably the best Stoke player on the pitch was, yet again, Abdoulaye Faye. As for the best player on the pitch, Myhill had a good game but gave away a penalty and their number 4 had a decent stab at stopping Sidibe.

Sorensen - 6 What was going on with him and crosses today?
Griffin - 6
Cort - 5 Weak
Faye - 8
Higginbotham - 7
Soares - 5.5
Diao - 7
Faye - 7
Delap - 7
Sidibe - 7
Fuller - 7

Tonge - 7

I know there's not a lot of variety in those ratings but there wasn't particularly a standout performance today. Soares seems to be suffering a bad case of the Dadasons and Cort was just too weak all day. Having said that, we dominated the game, Hull couldn't really get into the game and we did have good chances. Fuller missed one in the first half, Myhill pulled off a top-draw save off a Fuller header from a long throw in the second half and there was that chance where Fuller played through Tonge, who played the ball across the goal for Delap to miss.

Think the Orange Man (Congratulations to whoever made the 'fake tan' sign behind the away dugout) got his tactics right today. By putting a defensive midfielder on Sidibe, all four defenders were able to crowd out Fuller. He didn't find it easy. I don't actually mind Brown, his touchline antics are pretty funny and it's a funny bit of banter. Not sure what that business of stamping out imaginary ants on the running track is though.

I have to question his decision to carry so much 4th division baggage, though. Brian Horton, Nicky Barmby and Dean Windass have no place anywhere near the Premiership. I may have said that the banter with Brown was funny, but what a bunch of humourless gits Horton and Windass are. After the obstruction incident, for which Windass should have been sent off having continued to obstruct after the booking, Lard-arse waddled back to the dugout, turned around and told everyone to 'fuck off'. How pleasant. When they scored in the following minutes, Brian Horton gave a lesson in how to be utterly undignified in success. "Hurrah, we've scored, my first priority must be to turn around to the Stoke fans in order to mask my own incompetence as a football manager".

I don't think we'll score from central midfield this season. Diao and Faye are good midfield 'enforcers', but neither really do anything going forward. Diao's been pretty good this season, I think a lot of people are put off by last season's awful displays, and I think he's well worth a place in the side. He needs a better partner though. I say better, I mean somebody who'll run box to box and has a bit of attacking ability. Whelan isn't the answer, he doesn't like tackling and only passes sideways. I don't see what that's going to add. I think it's a project for the transfer window. Olofinjana just isn't good enough, either. I've had a bizarre vision of what's going to happen to our midfield though. Kitson is going to play on the left. It's going to happen, I know it. It'll happen out of the blue one day. That's not a very nice note to end this post on, is it?

[MrMagic]

I would have had Griff as my MOM to be honest. Defensively we were sound today. Just gave the ball away in the middle too much. We created some decent chances and bar a very good save from Myhill early in the second have could well have taken all of the points in a game where we were well below par.

[Miniman]

Sorensen was incredible as usual!

Their goal was hard to save and beat their players in the air whenever they had possession and was excellent at clearing the ball when Griff struggled...

[Olgrligm]

Nov 29, 2008 20:46:15 GMT MrMagic said:

I would have had Griff as my MOM to be honest. Defensively we were sound today. Just gave the ball away in the middle too much. We created some decent chances and bar a very good save from Myhill early in the second have could well have taken all of the points in a game where we were well below par.

Didn't Griffin make the mistake for their goal? Could be wrong?

[MrMagic]

I couldn't comment on that one as I missed their goal

The allure of overpriced lager had taken it's toll

[XLITTLEMISSSTOKEX]

soro good again but do think griffin was really good again too

[garyhackett]

Funny you should mention it but i also think Kitson will be played down the left when he returns from injury, i have had the same funny feeling about it for a while too.