Sounds like another game in which we wasted chances. If Richarlison could finish how different the last two games would have been. Stoke are poor. We desperatley need a striker
Ergh. Unbelievably frustrating to watch. So many crosses, it doesn't work for us especially against a team like Stoke. We were carving them up at times, just lacking that final ball
Nihilistic negative football by Stoke but we expected it. Their game plan no ambition, negative niggly horrible ugly time wasting. The Stoke way. The crime from our viewpoint apart from a lack if creativity was conceding early so they double parked the bus. Why did we concede? Silvas zonal marking with no one on the edge of the area. Ffs They knew Silva set up corners like this and took full advantage. Ffs.
Stoke would be more fun to watch with Mazzarri as manager. Came to spoil the game, nick a goal from a set piece, and they did it. But my word aren't they just horrible. Got to get used to playing against buses, Stoke are one of about 10 anti-football teams in the league this year.
I’m effing disgusted with that result and of Deeney’s behaviour of a professional footballer. Having his fingers around Joe Allen’s face... We were not awful second half but my god that’s the worst we have been in a while. Rich did have a poor one and hit the side netting when well placed and Grey headed just wide so there was effort but the general atmosphere was very very flat. Despite a win over Arsenal and an exciting opening day draw with Liverpool our overall home performance s have been below last season. Silva needs to pick this team up because despite the odd purple patches that was not good enough and Stoke fully deserved the win. At this rate our away form is going to keep us up.
I've got nothing against Stoke. They had a plan and got 3 points. If we'd won ugly nobody would be complaining. Up to us to find a solution. And Silva couldn't today.
Worst result of the season so far. At home to Stoke. Pathetic! Nothing good to say. Conceded yet again from a set piece! It's how we are undone nearly every game, so poor and predictable. We all knew how Stoke would come to plan and we fell right into their trap. They didn't want a game of football, they wanted a wrestling match and to slow everything down. Our players took the bait every time. So frustrating. I was ticked off last week but at least we put in a performance. This week we were truly awful. Had the Billy big time attitude. Not that Gomes was bad today but what was the point in bringing Karnezis who has been ranked inside the top 5 GK's of the Serie A for the past 3 years and never play him.
Frustrating is the word to describe that. It was attack versus defence as soon as they scored. The lack of movement, tempo and quality with the final ball was what cost us. Stoke came for a 1-0 win and they got it, fair f**ks to them, but my God, I couldn't stomach that every week. They make WBA look like Real Madrid. Troy just isn't good enough at this level and he's declining year on year. He will end up in the Championship next season, no doubt about it for me. He's an impact sub at best now. Gray is also not good enough for a club that's looking to break into the top half of the Premier League. He didn't do much wrong when he came on, but that was my opinion before the game even started. Again, probably a decent impact player at best. Okaka, for me, is our best striker and he can't even get on the bench! So he won't be here come January, which means we MUST invest in a striker with pace and a goal threat. I thought Gray would provide that but he's showing no traits of being this. We also missed Pereyra a lot today, that was made for him today, just to find some space in behind their midfield and turn and run at their defence. I like Carrillo but today he was utter garbage. You can't fault the attitude of the players or the desire to win, but the lack of quality was alarming to break down a side that are average at best and out of form - as we progress as a club on the field this will happen more often, we need a plan to combat it! Richarlison (love him to death) was our worst player out there today. He's fallen apart since those misses last weekend and he missed another two easy chances second half today. Needs to pick himself back up and start taking players on again. Zouma was the best player on the pitch by a mile.
People say we need a striker but Gray scored then was benched. Surely he needs a run of games. If I'd scored my first goal for a new club then got benched I'd be like 'what on earth is going on' and that's put it politely. Yes he might turn out rubbish in the end but we don't know yet coz he scored. Deeney just don't do it for me. Getting physical in the box but with no end product these days.
Has Gray started a game with Pereyra? Think people are writing him off before he's had chance to play with someone capable of a half decent through ball, rather than Cleverly's pointless lobs.
It’s like Groundhog Day with us playing Stoke and we seem to fall for the same **** every season. Mark Hughes will be gone by the new year though. Only so many times you can pull that **** with the god awful players they have.
That was bloody awful. The corner situation has become an epidemic. I dread to see the numbers. First half we dominated the ball for five minutes I thought we had it in the bag. Then a pattern emerged, ball goes to Deeney and he loses it. Thought Kabasele done well. Holebas done well lost his temper a few times. Kiko was excellent for me, great link up with Carillo. Capoue is the most gutless footballer I have ever seen in my life, I never want to see him play for Watford again. Doccoure's worst game for us so far. Gave the ball away on countless occasions. So sloppy. Cleverley did his usual off the ball stuff well but was awful with the ball. Every cross he put in was dog **** too. Carrillo our MOTM for me. Should've had the assist for Richarlison's header. Richie needs to chill a little bit and take his chances again. Two absolute sitters. Anonymous other than that, maybe he needs a rest which we can't really afford to give him. Deeney I don't know what's happened but he's clearly frustrated with himself. I personally think he's missing that 10% extra effort he used to put in. Touch awful, didn't win a header, hasn't had a clear cut chance to score in what feels like forever. Maybe time for me to reluctantly accept he's never going to be a Premier League goalscorer. I'd take that £25 million today. Funny how little he made Allen seem though. Gray is an absolute write-off. No way anyone can now convince me any different. £10-12 million I might say hmm yeah forgiven, useful but for £18 god damn million you need more. No first touch, no awareness of where the ball will land, skied his one chance he had. His body shape and posture all wrong as well, he plays like a 12 year old, ball constantly getting away from him. Confirmed dud but what do we do with him now? Unless he's murdered someone I really think it's time Silva swallows his pride and recalls Okaka back to the team. Striker position is a huge huge problem. I thought Michael Oliver was excellent. And finally, Stoke are god damn awful. Hughes is a ****, Shaqiri is a ****, Shawcross is a ****. Zouma was excellent I thought.
No wonder they did not sell out their allocation who wants to pay week in week out to watch that ***** We was mugged today a weak ref who allowed them to get away with murder the elbow in the 2nd half under the linesman nose a prim example
Says something about our 'super coach' if he can't see what your magnificent eyes can. Maybe he's not as good as he's made out to be.
So frustrating to watch. They were time wasting before the goal, it was obvious that their plan was to stop there being any momentum in the game. Couldn't understand why Carrillo was so tucked in for the whole of the first half, he offered nothing. We were 100% right not to give them the ball back late on, Fletcher came up to one of their players and told him to go down when he wasn't injured. Michael Oliver was terrible throughout, gave some awful decisions in our favour and then lost control second half. Thought Richarlison was lucky not to get a second yellow in one of the melees. And why warn their keeper and Captain twice about time wasting but not book him? Capoue and Gray stunk, Cleverley outstanding. Finally, why did we bring Hughes on out wide? We needed a clever player in the centre to try to break down their back six. His touch to set up Gray's blocked shot at the end was class. Edit: I've never seen a team deliberately aim all their free kicks and goal kicks at the touchline like that, it was like watching rugby. It was part of their gameplan to get the ball off the pitch as much as possible. Incredible.
Credit to Stoke - their goal was good, their defending was excellent and they nearly made it 2-0. Zouma shut Richarlison out of the game altogether - a top class defender. They also somehow managed to get away in eating up the last 10 minutes in administration. We were absolute mugs to get drawn into that. They set up and said let's see you play through us then and we couldn't. We're not quite good enough to do that yet. That's the long and short of it. You could tell it was going to be one of those games that we've all seen countless times. Go one down early on. Plug away gamely. Purple patch for 15 or 20 mins around the 60 minute mark, but nothing. You couldn't even pick anyone out who had a particularly bad game. Everyone tried hard, but we weren't good enough.
I’m going to Goodison park and against another out of form side I’m really worried they will watch stoke’s goal and replicate it from every corner kick...
Agree with most of that except the bit about Carrillo, my word he was shocking! Looked like he didn't want to be out there!
Personally think that Deeney and Gray could play together, physicality and pace. I like Gray's movement in the box and he was unlucky with the pull back from Hughes. Britt is still banging them in. Could he have done something for us, never know. But possibly we need someone a little tricky and skillful to break sh*tty teams like Stoke down.
Yep, people are stating 'bad day at the office, move on', yet with our fixtures, it could be 7 defeats in a row.
No he won't. The ref saw the incident and booked him. So no retrospective action can be taken. I think.
It's more a tactical thing. Deeney with Ighalo in his first season used to drop a bit shorter, collect the ball like a number 10. I don't know what changed in Troy's head but he's lost ALL of that, the harrying down. Every game in The Championship I used to come away and say yep Troy gave EVERYTHING in that game. Now he barely gives 50%. Just sits on the defenders waiting for a header to win. It's plain and utter laziness. He hasn't lost the ability, he's just long the hunger.
Everton, Newcastle and Wet Spam who have hit a bit of form... I really REALLY hope we are up for three really tough games.
That was a Mazzarri game! We were at 6s and 7s all day. No movement, no pace, no idea. Carrillo was the worst player on the pitch. Everytime we were on the ball he hugged the touchline 5 yards in front of feminia. There is no point having 2 men on the line, it's like he was shying out the game at times like Niang. We had so much time on the ball we didn't know what to do with it, Kabasele is just an idiot - he hasn't got he intelligence for this level. Never really rated him and today explemlified it. Aimless long balls, no urgency. Britos is past it, too slow with everything he does. Gray did **** all when he came on, waste of money. Special reservation for Stoke though. Can they actually be called a football team or...? Jesus Christ. Parked the bus after 20 minutes, wasted time from the first whistle. I literally can't get the images out my head of one of their 27stone defenders bulldozing through everyone to win the header. Never seen such disgraceful time wasting. I'm genuinely shocked their players were surprised Deeney didn't give the ball back to them at the end, their player told his teammate to sit back down with 'cramp' then their fat goalie threw the ball out. Would have loved it if we equalised. I feel sorry for their fans that this is how they get their entertainment for the week. I couldn't imagine paying to watch that. Then again, I suppose it doesn't take much to please their Neanderthal fans. They could be entertained for hours with a bouncy ball if you gave it to them.
Me too Sydney. I would be topping myself if I was from Stoke or West Bromwich. Let's face it...we've only ourselves to blame..even if it was attack against defence. Defensive teams like Stoke and WBA will win points if more positive teams like us don't plan accordingly.
Deeney's head grab Stoke's football Their time wasting Our lack in the final third But, but, but .... Silva will sort it. I do not see a losing streak coming. Crucially, he must man manage Richarlison and help him stay positive, it's important he scores soon so we can take the pressure off him.
Oh well. They got a well worked goal and we never really very had the answers to get back into the game. Very slow first half and despite the odd chance or did not test Butland at all. Hopefully a minor set back! Deeney hardly won anything and they marked Ricky well.
Wooah Abdoulaye Doucoure, Wooah Abdoulaye Doucoure woaah he always gave the ball away.... Absolutely woeful today. Even though we had 70% possession, we'd play up to their box and then slow down the play as if we hit a brick wall. This same tactic was played over and over again and as someone earlier put it, it was like 'groundhog day' 70% possession with 0 shots on target says it all! We desperately need someone like Pereyra and Chalobah (or an equivalent) every single game. When Pereyra gets injured (which is common), we need someone other than Capoue to take over. Hopefully Hughes is that player... Capoue and Deeney were absolutely awful. Watching them play is just depressing to be honest and I wouldn't be stupid to argue that them being slow and lethargic is also impacting the atmosphere as well as the game.
