Lighthouse

I wouldn't say Stoke were all that much better second half we were just worse. We gave the ball away needlessly on several occasions and Pelle missed two decent headed chances which were both easier than the one Diouf missed at the far post.

Yep. Supposing our next game was someone like Chelsea away and we lost. We'd still be averaging 1.9 points per game, which would have put us 5th last year. More to the point it would still leave us 2nd or 3rd in this years table depending on what City get up to.

Don't see any reason why we can't beat Spuds and both Merseyside clubs. I think Arsenal and Man Utd will get us eventually but we can run the latter close for 4th place. Who would rather have Balotelli than Pelle? Johnson than Clyne? Gerrard than Morgan? Lallana than Tadic? Henderson than Wanyama?

How are Leicester doing these days Brett? Still putting our start 2 years ago to shame?

We're next. Liverpool are last.

That's one West Ham who for some reason is posting on a Stoke message board after beating Man City. Not that bothered about West Ham personally, unless we're playing them. A lot of water under the bridge since the days of Billy Sharp and Matty Taylor.

Just watching MOTD and oh dear Sunderland...

The goal posts seem to have moved a bit here, as if a win on Wednesday would give us a Wembley Cup final. I'd take that over win today of course but even if we win the cup game we will have to get past a couple of decent aides to get to the final. On a side note, Birmingham won the LC fairly recently. I wonder what their grandchildren are talking about tonight.

Liverpool away on the first day, with a new team, was always going to be a tough ask. We made a decent enough fist of it and deserved a point. Spurs we were poor but again there was only one goal in it and on another day Mane scores and we get a decent point away from home. We may have had easy fixtures but but we've been winning them. Grinding out results against teams like Swansea and QPR and spanking West Ham, Newcastle and Sunderland. Meanwhile Man Utd have shipped 5 goals at Leicester and couldn't beat Burnley. Liverpool needed an injury time og. to beat QPR and Arsenal likewise to get a draw at home to Hull. So now it's the race for 8th? 3rd in the League and we've already given up all hope of beating teams like Everton, Liverpool and Spurs. I don't remember too many apologists from last season either TBH. Almost everyone on here was p*ssed off at that Sunderland game and Poch's apparent apathy towards the competition.

Who has suddenly decided 7th is the best we can hope for. Liverpool without Suarez look a lot more like the 6th/7th placed also rans they were before last season. Man Utd look decided dodgy at the moment and Arsenal needed a last minute equaliser at home to Hull. Everton under Martinez don't look as solid as they did under Moyes. Spurs and Poch... who knows. I'm not saying we're going to finish top 4 but Everton weren't saying that in 2004 either, when they were a midtable team and had just sold Rooney.

Pelle's first goal has also been given as an own goal. The initial rebound off the defender's arse was clearly going in, without the minor deflections off Steven Davis and Pelle.

What if they haven't 'clicked' yet and this is us playing sh*t

Not in his opinion. He is playing for the team he supported as a boy, even if he isn't playing all that regularly. I doubt he would change anything given choice.

P*ss off Mauricio.

Mathematically yes but realistically we aren't competing with the likes of Man City, Chelsea, Burnley or QPR so I'm quite happy to see them win a few games.

I'd agree that we need Chelsea and Man City to spank everyone they play as we wont be anywhere near them come the end of the season. Everyone else is looking decidedly dodgy at the moment so the likes of Spuds, Everton and Liverpool dropping points can only be good.

Strong shouts for a handball by Sunderland when they won the ball in the build up to that penalty claim. Haven't seen a close enough replay to give a definitive view but swings and roundabouts etc. On another day it could have been a penalty or a Saints free kick on halfway.

By the letter of the law it should have been a penalty and a yellow. He didn't prevent an obvious goal scoring opportunity as the ball was already well out of control and heading out of play.

Its got to be Pelle up front with Aguero. To all in tents and porpoises he scored a hat trick, so how Sterling gets into his team I don't know. Maybe Garth thinks he's got to play 4-2-3-1 because that's the cool formation for the last couple of seasons. He should be England manager.

Our song made 2good 2bad

Bloody typical. Own goal scores twice for Southampton and before you know it he is playing for Liverpool

Oh dear 'Arry

I still maintain that's Pelle's goal. Maybe one of the defenders touches did take it away from the goal for a fraction of a second but that shot was sneaking inside of the post even after Mannone's 'save'.

MK Dons in the JPT Southern final. I forget who but one CB smacked it against the arse of the other and it bounced back into the net.

Robben?