Stoke Build Up

I feel dirty saying this but part of me would rather a loss than another effing draw.

 

Another drab draw would continue the sleep walking of the last 3 months, a loss might be the wake up call the whole club needs.

No chance.

A draw would at least keep Stoke around us. If we lose, we are as good as down.

I can't believe that the board don't see this as a must win.

On paper, i think the board would have taken a draw away to Burnley (obviously the performance was shocking), but If we fail to win Saturday and MP isn't sacked, then I officially give up (I'll refuse to put in anymore time or money) with the club until the 2 clowns (who clearly don't really give 2 sh!ts, especially about the fans) running our club are gone.

I feel dirty saying this but part of me would rather a loss than another effing draw.

 

Another drab draw would continue the sleep walking of the last 3 months, a loss might be the wake up call the whole club needs.

Too late for that, we just need points now.

Any decent manager will look at our remaining fixtures and run a mile. Fail to win Saturday and we are down regardless of what the board does afterwards.

unfortunately not sure how many of you did that relegation prediction thing a while back that was posted on here- but for anyone who thinks we will stay up i'm fairly certain we all would have had this Stoke game as a win!

and again, after the prediction thing was complete I am certain that for those who had Saints staying up- it was not comfortable and had us finishing maybe a point above 17th.

Therefore, if we do want to stay up, we will have to win this and if we don't, then I certainly would not bank on us beating a top 6 club! (as Heisenburg so aptly mentions- haven't beaten a top 6 team since Spurs in May 2016!

As per the whole season, think some of our fans are wetting the bed in excited anticipation of utter failure. The fact is we have 3 massive games coming up, not just one. None of Stoke, Newcastle and WHU are world beating teams and let’s not forget what a win in even one of those games is going to do for league position when the other 6 of the current bottom 7 are picking up very few points in the own right. We’ve been in a scrap before and will be again. Form since Jan hasn’t been as bad as end of last year.

Carrillo to grab a goal, Saints to take the points and a few of the boring boo boys to go home tail between legs with not enough to grumble about.

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As per the whole season, think some of our fans are wetting the bed in excited anticipation of utter failure. The fact is we have 3 massive games coming up, not just one. None of Stoke, Newcastle and WHU are world beating teams and let’s not forget what a win in even one of those games is going to do for league position when the other 6 of the current bottom 7 are picking up very few points in the own right. We’ve been in a scrap before and will be again. Form since Jan hasn’t been as bad as end of last year.

 

Carrillo to grab a goal, Saints to take the points and a few of the boring boo boys to go home tail between legs with not enough to grumble about.

 

 

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With City winning the League cup and nailed on Champions thats another Europa League spot up for grabs, come on Saints this league is so flakey this season lets go and get it.

As per the whole season, think some of our fans are wetting the bed in excited anticipation of utter failure. The fact is we have 3 massive games coming up, not just one. None of Stoke, Newcastle and WHU are world beating teams and let’s not forget what a win in even one of those games is going to do for league position when the other 6 of the current bottom 7 are picking up very few points in the own right. We’ve been in a scrap before and will be again. Form since Jan hasn’t been as bad as end of last year.

 

 

Carrillo to grab a goal, Saints to take the points and a few of the boring boo boys to go home tail between legs with not enough to grumble about.

 

 

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Trouble is Burnley, Watford, Swansea , Leicester, Huddersfield, and Brighton aren’t world beaters either and look how well we’ve done against them.

Trouble is Burnley, Watford, Swansea , Leicester, Huddersfield, and Brighton aren’t world beaters either and look how well we’ve done against them.

terrible to think we did not beat any of those teams at home. add palace and newcastle home games to the equation too.

Think Burnley was the absolute end for that way of thinking. Still has this lingering 'well maybe they'll sack him with a loss' feeling. Then I'd be confident of beating Stoke, Bournemouth and winning an away game. Could see us scraping 37/38 points and having a chance.

 

Not now. He'll be here for Stoke, we won't win, and that's basically that.

 

Honestly think getting this squad relegated, a squad this expensive, given the absolute dross in the league this year will be one of the poorest management displays in premier league history. This season was a great chance for Saints, Everton and Leicester to put pressure on Arsenal for 6th given their decline. We've all fcked it up, but we've REALLY fcked it up.

 

People are genuinely moaning about lack of signings while Burnley, Brighton, Watford and others grind out results to safety. If a manager can't have this squad comfortably clear or relegation then they have no business working in football.

Well said......

Think Burnley was the absolute end for that way of thinking. Still has this lingering 'well maybe they'll sack him with a loss' feeling. Then I'd be confident of beating Stoke, Bournemouth and winning an away game. Could see us scraping 37/38 points and having a chance.

 

Not now. He'll be here for Stoke, we won't win, and that's basically that.

 

Honestly think getting this squad relegated, a squad this expensive, given the absolute dross in the league this year will be one of the poorest management displays in premier league history. This season was a great chance for Saints, Everton and Leicester to put pressure on Arsenal for 6th given their decline. We've all fcked it up, but we've REALLY fcked it up.

 

People are genuinely moaning about lack of signings while Burnley, Brighton, Watford and others grind out results to safety. If a manager can't have this squad comfortably clear or relegation then they have no business working in football.

If this manager can't have this squad comfortably clear or relegation then they have no business working in football.

True, the clown doesn't. Wonder why there are no other circuses that'll take him apart from Gao Saints? Gaoing down, Gaoing down it looks like.

It'll be off because of snow. And we'll still draw.

It'll be off because of snow. And we'll still draw.

Remember Pellegrino thinks a point is as good as a win these days.

the back 5 or 6 pick themselves really:

McCarthy

Cedric Stephens Hoedt Bertrand

Lemina Hojberg

which is good and bad. Good because Pellegrino shouldn't really have a decision to make - but bad as we don't really have any strength in depth so there is no real choice there.

Upfront there are more decisions to make. Carillo obviously starts as the centre forward but after that its gets a bit more complicated as the squad is unbalanced.

Tadic is a left winger - not really a number 10 and not as good as a right winger. Yet we keep playing him on the right or in the hole. Redmond is a right winger - but we keep playing him on the left as an inside forward. Gabbiadini is a second striker or inside forward with a great left foot. JWP is a right sided central midfielder. Sims a right winger. Boufal probably an ACM but I don't think anyone's really sure. Long a second striker or wide forward but with no goal threat.

I'b be tempted to go 4-3-3 or 4-3-2-1 with JWP on the right of a midfield 3 and Tadic and Gabbi behind Carillo as inside forwards:

McCarthy

Cedric Stephens Hoedt Bertrand

JWP Hojberg Lemina

Gabbi Tadic

Carillo

Romeu?

We have a higher amount of draws(12) than any other PL club this season.We wont stay up having any more.Stoke is a must win if we are to stand any chance of beating relegation.Point the finger at the Board.THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE .

the back 5 or 6 pick themselves really:

 

McCarthy

 

Cedric Stephens Hoedt Bertrand

 

Lemina Hojberg

 

 

which is good and bad. Good because Pellegrino shouldn't really have a decision to make - but bad as we don't really have any strength in depth so there is no real choice there.

 

Upfront there are more decisions to make. Carillo obviously starts as the centre forward but after that its gets a bit more complicated as the squad is unbalanced.

 

Tadic is a left winger - not really a number 10 and not as good as a right winger. Yet we keep playing him on the right or in the hole. Redmond is a right winger - but we keep playing him on the left as an inside forward. Gabbiadini is a second striker or inside forward with a great left foot. JWP is a right sided central midfielder. Sims a right winger. Boufal probably an ACM but I don't think anyone's really sure. Long a second striker or wide forward but with no goal threat.

 

I'b be tempted to go 4-3-3 or 4-3-2-1 with JWP on the right of a midfield 3 and Tadic and Gabbi behind Carillo as inside forwards:

 

 

McCarthy

 

Cedric Stephens Hoedt Bertrand

 

JWP Hojberg Lemina

 

Gabbi Tadic

 

Carillo

I would swap Sims for JWP and go with the rest of your side.

FFS how many ****ing midfielders does the **** want to play. Five passing backwards and sideways is nonsense. I sense that Sims along with Gabbiadini are now considered impact subs. Both should start with Carillo up front and one of Redmond, Boufal or Tadic fill the left wing spot.

Remember Pellegrino thinks a point is as good as a win these days.

This principle, this lily-livered, risk-shy, tippy-tappy, possession-at-all-costs approach will be the one that takes us down. Sims, who hasn't yet caught the negative virus sweeping the club, might be our only hope.

You can guarantee it will be the same formation/line-up that started against Burnley. He doesn't seem to learn. Should start Sims, Gabbi, Carillo & Boufal and have a f**cking go at them!

Think stoke would struggle with gabbi more than carrillo, and I never went off gabbi. think we've had a good striker starved of service then ignored all season.

 

I'd go Tadic/Gabbi/Sims or Boufal in for one of them. Please no Redmond.

Would rather Forster AND McCarthy start and have two between the sticks.

We don't need to play 2 holding midfielders at home to Stoke.

We need to play Gabbi and Carrillo up front together.

Sims has to start.

We don't need to play 2 holding midfielders at home to Stoke.

 

We need to play Gabbi and Carrillo up front together.

 

Sims has to start.

Who would you play in central midfield then?

Remember Pellegrino thinks a point is as good as a win these days.

Out of the things he has said this season, that ranks as one of the more sensible things he said. Maybe it was a translation error on his part, but my interpretation of what he was saying is that a last-minute equaliser felt as good as a win on the day.

My only question is who will cope with Crouchie?

He'll set us up not to lose rather than try to get the 3 points. Some huffing and puffing for the first 15 minutes with maybe a couple of timid efforts at goal with Stoke sitting back. Second half will be worse and the frustration will go as Saints defence starts to get peppered with long balls into the box. Then a Stoke player gets left unmarked and manages to tuck away a late winner. There'll be late head-scratching substitutions to no avail and then we'll look forward to the next must-win game.

Goes without saying really.

Pellegrine insists only one striker, and he preferred Long than Austin, and now preferred Carrillo than Gabb. In my view, they can form formidable partnership, but Pellegrine ....

We have a higher amount of draws(12) than any other PL club this season.We wont stay up having any more.Stoke is a must win if we are to stand any chance of beating relegation.Point the finger at the Board.THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE .

The problem is that only West Brom have won less games than us this season..only 5 wins is appalling. When you take into account we beat West Brom twice then we have beaten just three other teams this season.

We haven't beat any of the teams who came up, of those around us we have only beaten Palace and West Ham...i struggle to see past a draw for this game too....

1-1 probably

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I think this will be another draw with neither side having enough to grab the win.

Projecting the form from the last 5 games to the next 10 the table would look like:

Everton 48

Bournemouth 48

Watford 47

Brighton 47

Swansea 47

Huddersfield 42

Newcastle 41

West Ham 40

Saints 39

Stoke 38

Palace 31

West Brom 22

Looking at that table we cannot afford to lose this game.

It's a toss of a coin this season, we'll be on the cusp of the relegation line but which side of that line will we end up on?

I think this will be another draw with neither side having enough to grab the win.

 

Projecting the form from the last 5 games to the next 10 the table would look like:

 

Everton 48

Bournemouth 48

Watford 47

Brighton 47

Swansea 47

Huddersfield 42

Newcastle 41

West Ham 40

Saints 39

Stoke 38

Palace 31

West Brom 22

 

Looking at that table we cannot afford to lose this game.

 

It's a toss of a coin this season, we'll be on the cusp of the relegation line but which side of that line will we end up on?

And this is the crux of it, but we actually really need to win this game, given the fixtures left. It's huge - and they've got the characteristics to really hurt us. We'll need Stephens not to hoof the ball every time he touches it, and we'll need to defend properly from set pieces. We'll also need to take our chances, but given that if we lose we're almost down, I can't see him setting up in an attacking way.

Would love to see...

McCarthy

Cedric

Stephens

Hoedt

Bertrand

Lemina

Hojbjerg

Redmond

Gabbiadini

Sims

Carrillo

We don't need to play 2 holding midfielders at home to Stoke.

 

We need to play Gabbi and Carrillo up front together.

 

Sims has to start.

100% this. He won't though. Bloke is obsessed with controlling the game with possession and defending through holding the ball. It's woeful and its cowardly.

Should be Tadic left, Sims right, Lemina and JWP central. Gabbi and Carillo up front. Four four bloody two.

It's Stoke at home.

We're too nice - they are too physical....and tall

100% this. He won't though. Bloke is obsessed with controlling the game with possession and defending through holding the ball. It's woeful and its cowardly.

 

Should be Tadic left, Sims right, Lemina and JWP central. Gabbi and Carillo up front. Four four bloody two.

 

It's Stoke at home.

Not for me.

When we beat Sunderland at home 8-0 what was the formation that day, bearing in mind we had Tadic and two holding midfielders if I am not mistaken? 442 or a very fluid 4231? Whatever it was replicate it and then pray for a ridiculous own goal….!

100% this. He won't though. Bloke is obsessed with controlling the game with possession and defending through holding the ball. It's woeful and its cowardly.

This is his fundamental problem. He doesn’t have a concept of all-out attack. Go for the throat, I call it.

TalkSPORT have two tickets to win for this weekends clash between Saints and Stoke.

Question: Saints used to play at Roker Park or The Dell?

So far nobody has got it right as everyone keeps saying roker park.

ha ha

Balls to the wall

McCarthy

Cedric Stephens Bertrand

Tadic Rom Lemina Boufal

Long Carrillo Gabbi

More worried about being able to beat the 'beast from the east' and actually get to the game. If we can't beat a poor Stoke side at home then we don't deserve to stay up.

Mccarthy,cedric, stephens, hoedt, bertrand,hoijberg,lemina,jwp,tadic, carillo, gabiadini

Think Burnley was the absolute end for that way of thinking. Still has this lingering 'well maybe they'll sack him with a loss' feeling. Then I'd be confident of beating Stoke, Bournemouth and winning an away game. Could see us scraping 37/38 points and having a chance.

 

Not now. He'll be here for Stoke, we won't win, and that's basically that.

 

Honestly think getting this squad relegated, a squad this expensive, given the absolute dross in the league this year will be one of the poorest management displays in premier league history. This season was a great chance for Saints, Everton and Leicester to put pressure on Arsenal for 6th given their decline. We've all fcked it up, but we've REALLY fcked it up.

 

People are genuinely moaning about lack of signings while Burnley, Brighton, Watford and others grind out results to safety. If a manager can't have this squad comfortably clear or relegation then they have no business working in football.

spot on.

100% this. He won't though. Bloke is obsessed with controlling the game with possession and defending through holding the ball. It's woeful and its cowardly.

 

Should be Tadic left, Sims right, Lemina and JWP central. Gabbi and Carillo up front. Four four bloody two.

 

It's Stoke at home.

What's worse, it's not working. We are scoring only one goal a game while conceding one and a half. We play only one striker, deprive him of support, no wonder we mostly score around set pieces. The three attacking midfielders lack pace and fail to make telling runs because they never have and have no idea as their whole emphasis is possessing the ball.

They make no runs without the ball. Boufal is the worst, goes nowhere unless he has the ball, the others are pretty much of a muchness, usually too little too late.

Sims attacks the defence and looks for space, Gabbiadini is alive in the box, Carillo is the big target man. We have nobody that can play unsupported which is why we can't score with the present setup. Austin will get goals against anybody if we put the ball into the box and don't expect him to pick up the full back.

Pelligrino may be a well qualified technical coach but he lacks common sense and the ability to picture a balanced and effective team. He is terribly timid in his philosophy. He is the reason we are where we are because he is incapable of seeing anything but the way he plays which falls well short of satisfactory.

We were going to spend £30m approx. on Promes. We have a similar player in Sims but this clown can't see that he can protect the right back by inhibiting the opponents left back because of the directness and pace of Sims. Instead we have the pedestrian JWP who because of his ball recycling allows the left back free to attack without worrying, besides he can pick JWP up most of the time in our half.

Carillo is a big striker, not the quickest but could cause mayhem with the right player, Gabbiadini/Austin to feed off his knockdowns/passes. We then only need one of many to play on the left. Redmond and Long are the best tracking back and Long has real pace. Boufal and Tadic are clever at mostly going round in circles and lack pace. Personally I'd go with Long as the third forward as he is the quickest, most direct, physically strong and good defending set pieces and often wins vital headers.

Agree with most of the people on here about the line-up - Lemina-Hoj midfield, Tadic-Gabbi-Carillo-Sims front line.

We need to out-score them, Shaqiri is on a good run of scoring-from-outside-the-box which we never close down properly, and Crouch will score if he plays.

Praying that Long is still injured. If somebody could hobble Redmond too that would be great.

2-2 prediction.

TalkSPORT have two tickets to win for this weekends clash between Saints and Stoke.

 

Question: Saints used to play at Roker Park or The Dell?

 

So far nobody has got it right as everyone keeps saying roker park.

 

ha ha

second prize, four tickets

second prize, four tickets

Ouch

That’s going to hurt!

As others have said already, Crouch will score if he plays. Is it just me, or does he always score against is?

As others have said already, Crouch will score if he plays. Is it just me, or does he always score against is?

He came on as sub and scored the winner against us at their place. As predicable as hell. Did give us all a bit of a smile, shrug and wave as he walked off down the tunnel though.

As others have said already, Crouch will score if he plays. Is it just me, or does he always score against is?

He didn't in the cup game a few years ago, got sent off and we went on to win 3-2.

Having watched Stoke at Leciester, they were very organised, held a deep defensive line to give Vardy no space behind them, and most of their threat came from Shaquiri.

Based on this, I would put Manny Andrewzewski on Shaquiri, but as we don't have anyone like that, decide whether Romeu's defensive positioning or PEH mobility is the best way to keep an eye on him.

Up front it a pairing of Carillo and Gabbi seems best. Carillo to challenge for crosses if they sit deep again, and Gabbi to try to get in behind if they push up. On the flanks I would go for Redmond on the right to sttart and Tadic left. JWP turns backwards too many times, which take Cedric out of the game and Redmond did well last week, but doesn't interact welll with Bertrand this year.

Sims to come on a sub as, if he starts, Stoke will go full Stoke on him and destroy him. Better to come on when they are a bit more leggy, and with a few yellow cards on board.

He didn't in the cup game a few years ago, got sent off and we went on to win 3-2.

Ahhh yeah, was at that game as well. Great goal from Pelle, god how we miss goals like that this season.

Stuff Crouch, we need to focus on our own game and make sure we dominate midfield and score enough goals to make their long ball game irrelevant. It's Shaqiri we need to watch most.

I'm going to go off piste and say it'll be an easy win !