Stoke post match 1-1

[smudgerfox]

The game was lost in the first half - there was too much Hollywood play before the match was won. In the first ten minutes it was clear they were terrified of us but we wasted opportunities with glory hunting and feeble decision making  - had we got one we'd have got another and secured three points. That allowed Stoke a foothold which meant they grew more confident. Then of course we concede a sloppy goal just before half time and they get even more confident and have something to defend. Gray, Mahrez, Ndidid and Allbrighton all wasted good openings in the early part of the match. This Hollywood tendency has been there since we won the league - its a lack of ruthlessness during periods of domination - an assumption that dominance will continue for 90 minutes and eventually the goals will come. So the wasting of one single chance really doesn't matter. The last three home games have proved that it does. In each and every one we have failed to capitalise on pressure and ended up risking defeat. 

[Corky]

The amount of set-pieces we had should've led to more chances and we were wasteful in possession too which stopped any momentum. It was better to watch towards the end when we had some excitement but apart from that it was largely flat.

 

It is a shame that the entertaining football has changed but not having a settled team plus players who are slow on the ball doesn't help in that respect. Neither side were particularly great today but their greater need for points probably showed on the pitch.

 

Season is drifting now which is disappointing but we need a clear-out and overhaul in the summer.

[Col city fan]

3 minutes ago, Corky said:

The amount of set-pieces we had should've led to more chances and we were wasteful in possession too which stopped any momentum. It was better to watch towards the end when we had some excitement but apart from that it was largely flat.

 

It is a shame that the entertaining football has changed but not having a settled team plus players who are slow on the ball doesn't help in that respect. Neither side were particularly great today but their greater need for points probably showed on the pitch.

 

Season is drifting now which is disappointing but we need a clear-out and overhaul in the summer.

This is very true. 

We had something like twelve corners to their one or two, yet looked like doing nothing with them.

Offensively, set pieces for us seem to be no advantage? Which is ridiculous really.

[vanity]

5 minutes ago, Babylon said:

I agree 100% with what you say. I'm just baffled by those who talk like Iborra or Silva are absolute shoe ins.

 

Puel was cautious today, and should have rolled the dice for me second half. 

And it's baffling to many of us how Puel seems oblivious to the impact of playing two defensive MF in Ndidi and James. We need a MF who can attack by seeing the angles and getting our players the ball in dangerous areas. Keeping the ball is worthless if we haven't got players capable of figuring out how to attack the box. Puel's personnel choice, not formation, f'd us vs. Man City, and here he's gone and done it again against bloody Stoke. We played the majority of this game with nobody a threat to make a good decision with the ball at his feet except Mahrez, and their defense was wholly focused on him. FFS, if our strategy is going to be swinging in crosses now, why did we get rid of Slimani? Stoke were happy to focus on stopping Mahrez bc there was absolutely nobody else on the field capable of breaking down their defense, so we just stood around waiting for Mahrez to create for us. If we'd had Diabate and Silva in, we'd have scored 3-4 goals today, as much time as we spent in their side of the field. Yes, we'd be more defensively suspect, but Stoke aren't exactly Liverpool. If we played Dragovic, we wouldn't have had to deal with Morgan's slow reactions, Maguire and Chilwell wouldn't have needed to cover for him, and we'd likely have earned 3 points.

 

And why the actual fuchs is Puel playing so cautious at home against relegation fodder? That is the absolute opposite of what we should be doing. Puel needed to attack that hapless side instead of giving Morgan cover. I really like Puel, but he is starting to look a coward. Morgan was repeatedly slow to react, Gray should've been subbed off at the half, and our best team at the moment almost certainly includes Silva, Diabate, and Dragovic. Puel needs to stop being such a pusser and play to win. CLAUDE, WAKE THE F UP AND PLAY TO WIN THE DAMN GAME.

[Babylon]

45 minutes ago, iamafox said:

We really didn't deserve anything today but could so easily have won towards the end, only because we weren't against a better team than Stoke

 

 

 

On what basis didn't we reserve anything? We were some way off being great, but we were still better.

[goose2010]

Nothing like a foxes talk meltdown yes we were wasteful but did enough to win. 

 

That said Gray should be about 4 / 5th choice 

[Babylon]

7 minutes ago, Gerbold said:

 

Ha ha. Considering I thought they normally quoted dick heads, I'm not sure that's a good thing. 

[Bob Weasel Fox]

Poor result

 

Not having a pop but has the new manager bubble burst already

 

Has Puel lost his Mojo?

[AlloverthefloorYesNdidi]

1 minute ago, Bob Weasel Fox said:

Poor result

 

Not having a pop but has the new manager bubble burst already

 

Has Puel lost his Mojo?

I'm still happy to blame Mahrez for another game or two

[Babylon]

10 minutes ago, vanity said:

And it's baffling to many of us how Puel seems oblivious to the impact of playing two defensive MF in Ndidi and James. We need a MF who can attack by seeing the angles and getting our players the ball in dangerous areas. Keeping the ball is worthless if we haven't got players capable of figuring out how to attack the box. Puel's personnel choice, not formation, f'd us vs. Man City, and here he's gone and done it again against bloody Stoke. We played the majority of this game with nobody a threat to make a good decision with the ball at his feet except Mahrez, and their defense was wholly focused on him. FFS, if our strategy is going to be swinging in crosses now, why did we get rid of Slimani? Stoke were happy to focus on stopping Mahrez bc there was absolutely nobody else on the field capable of breaking down their defense, so we just stood around waiting for Mahrez to create for us. If we'd had Diabate and Silva in, we'd have scored 3-4 goals today, as much time as we spent in their side of the field. Yes, we'd be more defensively suspect, but Stoke aren't exactly Liverpool. If we played Dragovic, we wouldn't have had to deal with Morgan's slow reactions, Maguire and Chilwell wouldn't have needed to cover for him, and we'd likely have earned 3 points.

 

And why the actual fuchs is Puel playing so cautious at home against relegation fodder? That is the absolute opposite of what we should be doing. Puel needed to attack that hapless side instead of giving Morgan cover. I really like Puel, but he is starting to look a coward. Morgan was repeatedly slow to react, Gray should've been subbed off at the half, and our best team at the moment almost certainly includes Silva, Diabate, and Dragovic. Puel needs to stop being such a pusser and play to win. CLAUDE, WAKE THE F UP AND PLAY TO WIN THE DAMN GAME.

Sorry but your Morgan rant for me is total bollocks. Perhaps you forget the 1-1 with Swansea, the 2-1 with Everton or the 5-1 with Man City very recently without Wes.

[Clever Fox]

As a one off game it went pretty much the way I thought it might. Stoke to their credit worked their socks off. Chasing and harassing us throughout the game. I felt our best chance to win would come late in the game and so it worked out that way.

You could blame Puel for his selection. Gray continues to offer nothing despite getting several starts now. Morgan was terrible for the Goal .

The real problem is we have no midfield leader who can control the game by astute leadership. Maybe Silva might be that man but I said when he signed that I don't think he's up to the physical side of the Premiership.  Puel needs time to bring in his own players and I expect to see or four or five leave come the Summer. We're a work in progress but still capable of winning matches when we're on our game.

 

Today I give the credit to Stoke who are fighting for their life to stay in the Premiership. 

[Monsell1976]

1 hour ago, Babylon said:

Should have won? What we judging that from? We had more chances, more of the play.

 

We have issues, but we we are better than them.

Chances and possession didn’t create goals though did it, we created more and couldn’t score, they scored and gifted us a goal, so on the basis we couldn’t put the ball in the net, they should have won

[Deano79]

Missed Okazaki. Slimini is better than Nacho. Still 7th. Times have changed for us. Teams used to come and have a go at the kp. Now most teams try and get the draw, which means we are having to play a different way. Worrying thing is only marhez ever looks like unlocking the defence. And he will be gone in summer. 

[Monsell1976]

1 hour ago, ZeGuy said:

You're arguing with someone who outright hates dislikes Mahrez and is a Gray fanboy. It's a lost cause.

 

That said Mahrez while being the main threat, wasn't really on his usual level.

No he wasn’t at it but wasn’t terrible, but like you say he was the main threat, and like the rest had a below par game, 

[Babylon]

3 minutes ago, Monsell1976 said:

Chances and possession didn’t create goals though did it, we created more and couldn’t score, they scored and gifted us a goal, so on the basis we couldn’t put the ball in the net, they should have won

We did put the ball in the net. Hence us drawing. 

[Free Falling Foxes]

Result may be a blessing?  Despite that crap performance, we could have won 4 - 1. Puel would have had an excuse to stick with that selection a little longer.

[vanity]

Just now, Babylon said:

Sorry but your Morgan rant for me is total bollocks. Perhaps you forget the 1-1 with Swansea, the 2-1 with Everton or the 5-1 with Man City very recently without Wes.

Perhaps you forget today's match, where Morgan was BOTH unable to close out the man in front of him OR stay in front of the ball. He was timid when forced to make decisions, he lacked the speed to close out, and when he plays, the defenders bracketing him on the backline pull extra work shading towards him. I rather like Wes, and I don't blame him for the goal today, but Dragovic would've either closed out or stayed in front of Shaqiri. Perhaps he still scores, but it would've been less likely with Dragovic in. Wes simply doesn't have the mobility at this point. I am hopeful he shows some improvement, I recall his game at Arsenal was similarly poor, but he found his stride.

 

And my rant was about Puel's team selection. Wes is just incidental -- he hurt us bc a better CB was left off the pitch, but not as much as playing James with Ndidi in a two. If Puel is that worried about Stoke, go with a 3, Silva in a 3 would've given us far more up front than playing Gray, who seems absolutely lost at the moment.

 

 

[Babylon]

Just now, Free Falling Foxes said:

Result may be a blessing?  Despite that crap performance, we could have won 4 - 1. Puel would have had an excuse to stick with that selection a little longer.

4-1... don't be silly, apparently Stoke deserved to win, haven't you heard. Their one half chance, one 45 yarder is what we all strive for.

[Eezgorritonim]

Starting to wish we'd sold gray to Bournemouth, bet they think they've had a close call. 

[Monsell1976]

7 minutes ago, Babylon said:

We did put the ball in the net. Hence us drawing. 

 butland put in the net

[Jattdogg]

4 hours ago, TheUltimateWinner said:

Hope your finishing is better than ours today 

Bollocks,  she has the flu. 

 

Looks like i am going to have to finish myself off tonight lads. More effort, more passion and more joy will come from that 30 seconds of sheer concentration then in 90 minutes of stoke-lcfc footy. 

 

 

[Babylon]

Just now, vanity said:

Perhaps you forget today's match, where Morgan was BOTH unable to close out the man in front of him OR stay in front of the ball. He was timid when forced to make decisions, he lacked the speed to close out, and when he plays, the defenders bracketing him on the backline pull extra work shading towards him. I rather like Wes, and I don't blame him for the goal today, but Dragovic would've either closed out or stayed in front of Shaqiri. Perhaps he still scores, but it would've been less likely with Dragovic in. Wes simply doesn't have the mobility at this point. I am hopeful he shows some improvement, I recall his game at Arsenal was similarly poor, but he found his stride.

 

And my rant was about Puel's team selection. Wes is just incidental -- he hurt us bc a better CB was left off the pitch, but not as much as playing James with Ndidi in a two. If Puel is that worried about Stoke, go with a 3, Silva in a 3 would've given us far more up front than playing Gray, who seems absolutely lost at the moment.

 

 

Absolute poppycock.

 

The game they had like two half chances? Yeah he was awful 

 

If Wes was in against Everton he'd have closed their players down and they wouldn't have scored. And City wouldn't have walked through us and scored 5... something they've never done with Wes in the team. We can all spew bollocks.

[fleckneymike]

I said it earlier but Gray's completely ineffective display as a number 10 cost us today. 

 

I'm still underwhelmed by James but he was played next to Wilf with a clear instruction just to sit and sit he did. Gray was supposed to link play, move between the lines and generally give us overloads in a multitude of positions. He utterly failed (not for the first time) to do this. This left us constantly going wide and crossing to pretty much no one. This also left our very static central midfield completely overwhelmed by a bang average Stoke side and with no one central to pass to. Quite why we persevered with Gray and that system for as long as we did is an utter mystery.

Edited 24 February 2018 by fleckneymike

[Babylon]

9 minutes ago, Monsell1976 said:

 butland put in the net

Because we put the ball inthe right areas and forced mistakes thanks to the fact we were on top and exerted more pressure. 

 

It's not like they kicked it in the goal unpressured from 40 yards is it. 

Edited 24 February 2018 by Babylon

[Alf Bentley]

5 hours ago, Webbo said:

Albrighton worked his balls off today and it was only down to him we got a point. He is of no way to blame for today.

 

At last something we can agree on. 

 

I thought Albrighton was one of our few half-decent players today. With Maguire, Mahrez & the Diabaté cameo, one of the only ones worth a "6" rating today. 

He wasn't brilliant. Some rubbish crosses, but some decent ones, too. Worked his arse off, as always, combined well with others and regularly created positions for crosses.