Stoke 1 V Saints 1 reaction thread

[adrian lord]

Lets hope Everton and Spurs play out a draw tomorrow.

[Glasgow_Saint]

Its an odd one but we just dont deliver consistantly against the bottom clubs..... Norwich, sunderland, Whu and stoke this season and Sunderland, norwich, qpr, newcastle, wigan ect ect last season under mopo

[View From The Top]

Its an odd one but we just dont deliver consistantly against the bottom clubs..... Norwich, sunderland, Whu and stoke this season and Sunderland, norwich, qpr, newcastle, wigan ect ect last season under mopo

 

 

We've always been like that.

[John Boy Saint]

Don't, apparently he was joking.

So glad I punctuated my similar post with

[OldNick]

Its an odd one but we just dont deliver consistantly against the bottom clubs..... Norwich, sunderland, Whu and stoke this season and Sunderland, norwich, qpr, newcastle, wigan ect ect last season under mopo

 

If Mopo is the problem in your eyes why don't you get a 'let's get NA back' campaign going, I'm sure you might get someone to follow it.

[Glasgow_Saint]

If Mopo is the problem in your eyes why don't you get a 'let's get NA back' campaign going, I'm sure you might get someone to follow it.

 

Thats lazy mate come on... Play the post not the poster

[OldNick]

Thats lazy mate come on... Play the post not the poster

i never have an issue with the poster. I took it that you think it is a MP thing why we did not get results in those games. I wonder if you still have an agenda against MP and are lurking waiting to pounce...I hope. Iam wrong

[Glasgow_Saint]

i never have an issue with the poster. I took it that you think it is a MP thing why we did not get results in those games. I wonder if you still have an agenda against MP and are lurking waiting to pounce...I hope. Iam wrong

 

You are wrong mate, never had an issue with mopo. Couple of tweaks maybe (English n tie lol) but on the whole think hes done a grand job.

 

Like the style of football we are playing and think he has 5-6 players playing a level above.

 

Just interesting that we have failed against 8-9 of the bottom 6/7 teams over 7 months. Perhaps this has always happened (as VFTT says)

[Leicestersaint]

Disappointed we didn't get three points! We played well but we ought to score more goals given the possession and chances. The defeat by Norwich starts to look ever more disappointing given our rivals Man City put 7 past them!

[CanadaSaint]

Its an odd one but we just dont deliver consistantly against the bottom clubs..... Norwich, sunderland, Whu and stoke this season and Sunderland, norwich, qpr, newcastle, wigan ect ect last season under mopo

 

My hunch FWIW is that we don't play the "full press" against them the way we do against the leading teams, and that may well be because MP knows that it's unsustainable over a 38-game schedule (plus cups). We just don't have the depth-in-quality to do it (witness how we lost some steam when Ramirez came on), so we reserve it for the top sides and use it more selectively against the lower teams.

 

I could rationalize that last year because MP was working with fitness levels inherited from NA, which were well below what his high-pressing style requires and almost impossible to change in mid-season. This year we've been better against the lower teams - should have beaten Sunderland (but we were still developing team chemistry), whacked West Ham around (but only drew because of Juskalainen), and demolished Fulham. We pressed more selectively again today because I think we were wary of their long ball tendency and ability to bypass the press. The good thing is that parking the press hasn't caused us to lose our passing game.

 

I actually think we've made a lot of progress on this front, but - as I said earlier - I'd give my left nut to get some goals from our midfielders because that would make a huge difference to us.

[Glasgow_Saint]

My hunch FWIW is that we don't play the "full press" against them the way we do against the leading teams, and that may well be because MP knows that it's unsustainable over a 38-game schedule (plus cups). We just don't have the depth-in-quality to do it (witness how we lost some steam when Ramirez came on), so we reserve it for the top sides and use it more selectively against the lower teams.

 

I could rationalize that last year because MP was working with fitness levels inherited from NA, which were well below what his high-pressing style requires and almost impossible to change in mid-season. This year we've been better against the lower teams - should have beaten Sunderland (but we were still developing team chemistry), whacked West Ham around (but only drew because of Juskalainen), and demolished Fulham. We pressed more selectively again today because I think we were wary of their long ball tendency and ability to bypass the press. The good thing is that parking the press hasn't caused us to lose our passing game.

 

I actually think we've made a lot of progress on this front, but - as I said earlier - I'd give my left nut to get some goals from our midfielders because that would make a huge difference to us.

 

Think you might be right mate, we did press less today.

 

Good post

[Roger]

Just got back in. Interesting comments about JWP - I thought his passing in the first half hour was poor. Freak goal, shocking conditions, decent point.

Couldn't tell if either were pens, but Saints players were absolutely convinced.

Gaston very poor when he came on.

MOM for me was Lallana.

 

Lallana wasn't great second half. Losing the ball in own area trying a cryff turn and poor final ball. Big Vic mom.

[Shroppie]

How can you say it was a nailed on pen? No one around me appealed as you simply couldn't see from the away end.

 

Looked that way to me. Took his legs with the ball. Must have been a clearer view from where I was as everyone went up for it.

[Roger]

I don't think Ramirez was that bad. Won us a free kick outside box and was in a good run until huth put in an horrendous tackle on him. I think it's harsh to judge him in today. J rod looked a bit tired to me and shows what a great manager we have by the fact it showed he wanted to win game. We were unlucky and are a very good side. Proud of us and I have to say potch is a massive upgrade in Nigel. Despite Nigel being a hero to me.

[Roger]

Was a penalty for me!

[Northernsaint]

I enjoyed the game. It had a bit if everything a freak goal penalty shouts some seriously cringing tackles in centre mid. Wanyama and Nzonzi putting it about all game. Stoke were time wasting from the goal in 1st minute.

 

Good performances from Fonte, Wanyama, Rodriguez and Ward-Prowse but I would have to give mom to Wanyama with Fonte a close second. A couple of last ditch tackles from both were top drawer. Wanyamas maradona turn a particular highlight.

 

On the down side Lovren was a bit sloppy distribution wise and occasionally tried to be over elaborate still no worse than a 6/10.

 

Lambert was a bit jaded I thought, not his usual movement off the ball for some reason. Think putting Rodriguez up top and bringing Davis in for lambert would be my choice v hull and bring lambert on around 65 mins.

 

Very happy with a point to maintain our unbeaten run. On another day we would have snook it but after the first minute a useful point.

 

Need to create a bit more in the final third but more direct running at central defenders with pace by jrod would cause problems.

 

Strange sub by poch. Jrod was having an effective game and when he was swapped the shape suffered.

 

Gaston has to buck his ideas up. He needs to quicken his feet and his brain sharpish as he is playing through treacle. Too many times he is indecisive with passes and then not grafting to win it back. It looked like he had been on for 75 mins not 5 when compared with WP and lallana who worked tirelessly all game.

 

Worried that once Gaston came on lallana was not as influential. This was caused by gastons lack of positional discipline. He was 50/50 between lm and amc but also dropped way too deep occasionally.

 

Here's to a good performance and a win at hull and the possibility if getting back into the champions league places.

 

I had a bet when in league of £500 each with a Liverpool and united fan from work when we were in league one in 2010. The deal was for us to be in Europe by the time I'm 35.

 

This craziness was the result of an all night **** up at a boxing do and I'm now grinning like a Cheshire cat!

 

 

 

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2

[Glasgow_Saint]

I enjoyed the game. It had a bit if everything a freak goal penalty shouts some seriously cringing tackles in centre mid. Wanyama and Nzonzi putting it about all game. Stoke were time wasting from the goal in 1st minute.

 

Good performances from Fonte, Wanyama, Rodriguez and Ward-Prowse but I would have to give mom to Wanyama with Fonte a close second. A couple of last ditch tackles from both were top drawer. Wanyamas maradona turn a particular highlight.

 

On the down side Lovren was a bit sloppy distribution wise and occasionally tried to be over elaborate still no worse than a 6/10.

 

Lambert was a bit jaded I thought, not his usual movement off the ball for some reason. Think putting Rodriguez up top and bringing Davis in for lambert would be my choice v hull and bring lambert on around 65 mins.

 

Very happy with a point to maintain our unbeaten run. On another day we would have snook it but after the first minute a useful point.

 

Need to create a bit more in the final third but more direct running at central defenders with pace by jrod would cause problems.

 

Strange sub by poch. Jrod was having an effective game and when he was swapped the shape suffered.

 

Gaston has to buck his ideas up. He needs to quicken his feet and his brain sharpish as he is playing through treacle. Too many times he is indecisive with passes and then not grafting to win it back. It looked like he had been on for 75 mins not 5 when compared with WP and lallana who worked tirelessly all game.

 

Worried that once Gaston came on lallana was not as influential. This was caused by gastons lack of positional discipline. He was 50/50 between lm and amc but also dropped way too deep occasionally.

 

Here's to a good performance and a win at hull and the possibility if getting back into the champions league places.

 

I had a bet when in league of £500 each with a Liverpool and united fan from work when we were in league one in 2010. The deal was for us to be in Europe by the time I'm 35.

 

This craziness was the result of an all night **** up at a boxing do and I'm now grinning like a Cheshire cat!

 

 

 

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2

 

Good summary mate! Were the stoke fans as good as last season?

[Northernsaint]

No it was strange they made a lot of ooooh noise when Boruc was given pass backs after the boob. 70-80 mins were noisy but overall the early goal flattened the whole ground it was that weird

 

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[pingwing]

Not a bad result overall, linesman to our side was watching a different game (again ) but we were fine outside of that freak goal,

They were ****. Walters should have been off for diving and nzonzi was no better

 

Jrod out side of his goal was terrible s Davis should have been on at 55 mins...

 

On the on had glad its a point gained on the other it's 2 badly dropped...

 

Motm is up between llana and lambert who wanted each other to score so much but couldn't sort it them selves...:

[View From The Top]

Good summary mate! Were the stoke fans as good as last season?

 

They were shockingly poor.

[Saint_clark]

Yes it was a freak goal, but I thought that Boruc should have still done better. No need for him to be out that far for starters and you should take the conditions into account - better to play it safe than sorry.

[SO16_Saint]

It's still fu**ing bizarre thinking that our rivals are Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool et al.

 

Guess I'm so used to battling it out at the bottom that this (top 8 contenders) doesn't feel real yet

[stknowle]

Yes it was a freak goal, but I thought that Boruc should have still done better. No need for him to be out that far for starters and you should take the conditions into account - better to play it safe than sorry.

 

Do you think Big Arthur thinks he should have done better or do you think he thinks he played things perfectly and was just unfortunate to be caught out by the conditions?

[Saint_clark]

Do you think Big Arthur thinks he should have done better or do you think he thinks he played things perfectly and was just unfortunate to be caught out by the conditions?

 

He thinks he should have done better, hence the "I will get those two points back" comment.

Everyone in the stands before the game was saying that the wind would carry the ball a lot further than usual, so the players would have been aware of it beforehand. The situation we conceded from could have been dealt with by Lovren or Fonte with Boruc not even leaving his 6 yard area, let alone coming out to the penalty spot.

[stknowle]

He thinks he should have done better, hence the "I will get those two points back" comment.

Everyone in the stands before the game was saying that the wind would carry the ball a lot further than usual, so the players would have been aware of it beforehand. The situation we conceded from could have been dealt with by Lovren or Fonte with Boruc not even leaving his 6 yard area, let alone coming out to the penalty spot.

 

Please expand on the "I will get those two points back" comment. I like that attitude but have not heard him say it - post match interview? Seriously Clarky I'm not trying to be argumentative, just interested and would love him to get them points back.

[Saint_clark]

Please expand on the "I will get those two points back" comment. I like that attitude but have not heard him say it - post match interview? Seriously Clarky I'm not trying to be argumentative, just interested and would love him to get them points back.

 

He came out to face the media after the game and promised to get the two points back. Video here;

[mcbendy]

My worry after that is teams will now have worked out how to breach our defence.

 

[stknowle]

He came out to face the media after the game and promised to get the two points back. Video here;

 

Thanks Clark-one saw that and you are right he did front up and take it on the chin, and I think that means me him and you all agree (?). Anyway nice to have a talking point like this but still would have preferred a straightforward 0 1 win!!!

[Sour Mash]

We were ok, the better team all told, but not outstanding and little cutting edge. Probably just about a fair result all told.

[Sour Mash]

Who thought the Ramirez substitution improved us?

[ExSt Peter Saint]

I really don't get the people saying it's a good result. We were so much better and but for a freak goal, it would have been a routine win.

I can't really criticise any of the starting 11 today, as they all dealt with the conditions pretty well overall. Ward-Prowse was my MOTM, but Wanyama was close behind and I was really impressed how Shaw dealt with the physical side of things.

I love the way the players all seem comfortable swapping positions and covering for each other - nearly total football at times. I think that for all the possession and great build up play, we do need to create a few more chances, though.

Stoke are a horrendous side to watch and I feel sorry for my in-laws who support them. Even the fans seem to be fed up with watching the crud served up as football there every week and the atmosphere there is no longer anything special. I think they could be in trouble this year.

[Saint_clark]

Who thought the Ramirez substitution improved us?

 

Not me. I'm a big fan but starting to think he doesn't suit our team.

Was definitely onside for that chance near the end (what the f*ck was the commo on about) and with that in mind should have buried it...but having said that, Lambert should have just smashed it anyway.

[Sour Mash]

We've always been like that.

So that is that and we shouldn't comment on it?

[View From The Top]

So that is that and we shouldn't comment on it?

 

I couldn't give a flying f**k if you comment on it or not. Doesn't alter the fact that we have always been that way.

Edited 2 November, 2013 by View From The Top

[View From The Top]

Who thought the Ramirez substitution improved us?

 

It didn't; seemed to corrupt our shape.

[stknowle]

So that is that and we shouldn't comment on it?

 

Aye, that is that and you shouldn't comment on it,

[Sour Mash]

Not me. I'm a big fan but starting to think he doesn't suit our team.

Was definitely onside for that chance near the end (what the f*ck was the commo on about) and with that in mind should have buried it...but having said that, Lambert should have just smashed it anyway.

what did the commentator say? Couldn't really tell on that one from where we were stood.

[Sour Mash]

I couldn't give a flying f**k if you comment on it or not. Doesn't alter the fact that we have always been that way.

Shut up you melt. Edited 3 November, 2013 by Sour Mash

[Saint_clark]

what did the commentator say? Couldn't really tell on that one from where we were stood.

 

"Definitely offside" or something to that effect, whilst the still shot on the screen showed Ramirez to be directly in line with the defender. I couldn't tell either at the time and was going mental at Ramirez for not paying attention to the defensive line, turns out he timed his run to perfection.

[Lighthouse]

So that is that and we shouldn't comment on it?

 

If we beat all the teams in the bottom half we'd have 60 points before we'd even played the top teams. Everyone drops points against teams beneath them in the table. We beat Swansea, Palace, West Brom and Fulham, all teams typically around or below us so it's not like we alway cock it up.

 

A draw at Stoke is neither here nor there, Champions League teams will go to the Britannia and draw this season.

[Lighthouse]

So that is that and we shouldn't comment on it?

 

If we beat all the teams in the bottom half we'd have 60 points before we'd even played the top teams. Everyone drops points against teams beneath them in the table. We beat Swansea, Palace, West Brom and Fulham, all teams typically around or below us so it's not like we alway cock it up.

 

A draw at Stoke is neither here nor there, Champions League teams will go to the Britannia and draw this season.

[Saint_clark]

MOTD not showing the second definite penalty!?

[Glasgow_Saint]

Champions League teams will go to the Britannia and draw this season.

 

Dont think anyone is doubting that buddy, but we have 3 points from 12 vs norwich, whu, stoke n sunderland. Thats not champions league form mate

[Sheaf Saint]

Oh FFS MOTD! Didn't even show the much more obvious penalty appeal.

[Saint_clark]

Dont think anyone is doubting that buddy, but we have 3 points from 12 vs norwich, whu, stoke n sunderland. Thats not champions league form mate

 

Good job the league table takes all results into account then, doesn't it.

Chelsea finished in the CL spots last season, they got 2 points from Fulham, QPR and Saints at home.

[Saint_clark]

Oh FFS MOTD! Didn't even show the much more obvious penalty appeal.

 

The whole BBC bias thing is obviously bullsh*t, but that was very strange editing from them there. Cut out the Saints free-kicks as well.

[sandwichsaint]

Oh FFS MOTD! Didn't even show the much more obvious penalty appeal.

 

'Interesting', I saw it on a stream and it looked stonewall.

[John Boy Saint]

Dont think anyone is doubting that buddy, but we have 3 points from 12 vs norwich, whu, stoke n sunderland. Thats not champions league form mate

I thought losing more than 6 games precludes you from the Champions league or a shout at the title.

 

i think it's pretty impressive, end of chat, that so far we have lost just one game this season, if someone had suggested that on the eve of the season the majority on here would have sent for the men in white coats to cart the nutter off!!

[dubai_phil]

No MOTM poll?

 

Wanyama kept us in the game then went on to boss it. His best game yet.

[Jonnyboy]

I like Boruc, he's a twitching grinning mentalist and a genius.