Stoke(A) Match Thread

[DanDanShaw]

Interesting, as the general consensus appears to be that Gerrard was very good, whilst Lucas wasn't.

 

I thought Lucas was probably our 4th best player after Sterling/Suarez/Sturridge. Putting out quite a lot of fires, many started by Gerrard passing the ball to the opposition.

 

Lucas was brilliant; he was the only midfielder who gave the ale house bullies a bit back.  It was brilliant when he left that lard piss head Walters in a heap in the first half.  I've only seen the game live, so I suppose I'm not the best to judge but Gerrard gave the ball away a lot.  I've recorded it on Sky so i'll give it a watch tonight.

 

Their 3rd came directly from him giving the ball away in a dangerous position and at times when we were winning, he'd go for his usual Captain Hollywood ball which rarely came off (I remember a perfect 40 yard ball to Johnson in the second half).

 

I just don't think you can have Lucas and Gerrard together, both aren't mobile enough to be a defensive cover.  I know Hendo has been better recently, but if Rodgers has to play both Gerrard and Lucas, maybe we should try Gerrard further forward and Hendo deeper - giving Gerrard's legs less running to do.

[Jairzinho]

Yeah, I'd like to see us switch to 4-2-3-1 and have Henderson next to Lucas. In fact, any two from Henderson/Allen/Lucas, dependant on the opposition. Decent balance of energy and nous. I just can't have the idea that Gerrard would be more suited to playing as a holding midfielder because of his age. He'd be more suited to playing as a number 10 and concentrating solely on playing incisive passes in the final third, and finishing off chances. Why we'd suddenly want a 33 year old attempting to cover the back four, or hitting risky passes from our own third, especially as I thought the plan was for patient short passing, certainly in our own half anyway, I simply can't understand.

 

I'd much rather we had less pressing from the front four, and then a solid base behind them, than play a 4-3-3 where if the two midfielders ahead of Gerrard haven't stopped the opposition getting through the middle we're left with just Gerrard trying to cover the back four. It makes no sense at all and it is a complete and utter waste of Gerrard's best abilities.

 

I'm not usually one for stats but I thought these were quite telling -

 

Pass completion - Gerrard 76%. Lucas 89%.

 

And Lucas made more passes in the opposition's half than anyone else.

[s(k)aturation]

yep I did Vlad.  What of it?

 

Nowt....

 

 

 

 

I SAID, NOWT!!!

[LFC64]

one back for the many pens. we should have got, but didn't, man city for instance.

True but it was a penalty. Sterling got in front with the first touch and the defender missed the ball and clumsily barged into his hip and prevented him from going through clean on goal. Not intentional but that's irrelevant. If I was Sterling I would be feeling a bit let down by the Spanish penalty comments as he's being encouraged to have the confidence to use his pace to be more direct when bearing down on goal and when he does that he gets patronised for 'going down easily'. Penalty every time for me.

 

More importantly in a tough physical game at one of the hardest grounds in the Premiership to get 3 points we stuck at our game and outscored them. Yes the game was strewn with individual errors (from both sides) and not the best defensive or midfield performance we've seen from us this season but I'm buzzing after that as the pressure was on us with the weekend's results and we delivered.

[Barney_Rubble]

Oh and when the 5th goal went in, while I was celebrating a shoe hit me in the face. Like, what kind of backwards supporter throws their own shoe, it was pissing it down and a Stoke fan had to walk home or back to his car with one shoe. I think that probably sums up their club.

Maybe the mutants come to their ground with a bag full of old dusty shoes - just in case. The bitters throw house keys, the mutants go with old shoes, each to their own I suppose.

[DanDanShaw]

I hate this "it was a soft penalty" - Wilson is 6'4 and probably a brick layer Monday - Friday, Sterling is 5'5 of raw pace.  Sterling knocked the ball around Wilson and Wilson would not have beaten Sterling to the ball, could Sterling have stayed on his feet - probably, but I can't imagine it would take much contact from a player as big as Wilson to knock a Sterling size player who's running at full speed over.

 

If Stoke's defenders weren't so big and clumsy, they wouldn't give away daft penalties like that.  Wilson stopped Sterling advancing with the ball, so it's a penalty.

[LFC64]

I hate this "it was a soft penalty" - Wilson is 6'4 and probably a brick layer Monday - Friday, Sterling is 5'5 of raw pace.  Sterling knocked the ball around Wilson and Wilson would not have beaten Sterling to the ball, could Sterling have stayed on his feet - probably, but I can't imagine it would take much contact from a player as big as Wilson to knock a Sterling size player who's running at full speed over.

 

If Stoke's defenders weren't so big and clumsy, they wouldn't give away daft penalties like that.  Wilson stopped Sterling advancing with the ball, so it's a penalty.

Yep

[Russ Atmosphere]

[J-V]

Lucas was brilliant; he was the only midfielder who gave the ale house bullies a bit back.  It was brilliant when he left that lard piss head Walters in a heap in the first half.  I've only seen the game live, so I suppose I'm not the best to judge but Gerrard gave the ball away a lot.  I've recorded it on Sky so i'll give it a watch tonight.

 

That was Gerrard.

[LFC64]

Sterling and Suarez were unbelieavble yesterday, Sterling has really come on in recent months.  I've never seen a player so small and skinny, use his body in such a way that he holds off the 6'4 ale house defenders that Stoke have.

 

Lucas was brilliant as well.

 

Gerrard and Johnson were fucking gash, Johnson hasn't been good since the first 2 games of the season, which is very worrying and I lost count of how many times Gerrard gave the ball away - I don't think people can deny any longer that we are a better team without Gerrard.

 

We also badly, badly miss Enrique and Sakho, Cissokho doesn't go forward (ever).  He didn't pass the ball forward or make a forward run to beat a man once and Skrtel, Toure and Agger can't head a ball for shit.

 

Oh and when the 5th goal went in, while I was celebrating a shoe hit me in the face.  Like, what kind of backwards supporter throws their own shoe, it was pissing it down and a Stoke fan had to walk home or back to his car with one shoe.  I think that probably sums up their club.

That means another trip to JJB for someone in Staffordhsire then

 

[DanDanShaw]

That was Gerrard.

 

Both wrong, just watched first half on my dinner - It was Skrtel.

[J-V]

Both wrong, just watched first half on my dinner - It was Skrtel.

 

You must be on about a different incident then as Gerrard certainly left him in a heap when Walters tried to jump on Lucas shoulders in the first half.  I even commented on it in here during the match.

 

Here it is https://vine.co/v/hL7bAEHEvAl

[ZonkoVille77]

You must be on about a different incident then as Gerrard certainly left him in a heap when Walters tried to jump on Lucas shoulders in the first half. I even commented on it in here during the match.

 

Here it is https://vine.co/v/hL7bAEHEvAl

https://vine.co/v/hL7bAEHEvAl

 

Correct, it was Gerrard although Lucas was present

[Captain]

I hate this "it was a soft penalty" - Wilson is 6'4 and probably a brick layer Monday - Friday, Sterling is 5'5 of raw pace.  Sterling knocked the ball around Wilson and Wilson would not have beaten Sterling to the ball, could Sterling have stayed on his feet - probably, but I can't imagine it would take much contact from a player as big as Wilson to knock a Sterling size player who's running at full speed over.

 

If Stoke's defenders weren't so big and clumsy, they wouldn't give away daft penalties like that.  Wilson stopped Sterling advancing with the ball, so it's a penalty.

 

I honestly think it was impossible for Sterling to stay on his feet. When you get body-checked like that going at full speed, it takes very little contact to knock you over.

[DanDanShaw]

Sorry, it's Skrtel on Crouch.  But that Stevie on Walters is much better.

[Major Tom]

I honestly think it was impossible for Sterling to stay on his feet. When you get body-checked like that going at full speed, it takes very little contact to knock you over.

 

Yep, this.

[spider-neil]

It's a penalty. It's a soft penalty but there is contact and it is inside the box, therefore it's a penalty. Hughes should be moaning at the defender for chopping down an attacker who is running away from goal.

[RobbieOR]

The Stoke chairman was on Sky there complaining that they get robbed every week.

 

That decision yesterday was the first 50/50 we've ever got against them. They (especially that Bluenose twat Walters) have spent the last few years diving and cheating their way in this fixture against us. That's not to mention their kicking us off the park every game too and that's not even mentioning the Huth stamp on Suarez last year either. 

 

Cheeky bastard. 

[MLB]

I agree that Lucas was better than Gerrard. Not sure what all the praise for Gerrard is about if I'm honest.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

I agree that Lucas was better than Gerrard. Not sure what all the praise for Gerrard is about if I'm honest.

I don't think there was much between them. Both off the pace, and unbelievably static. Watch them - Gerrard especially - when he passed. Pass and stand.

[MLB]

Yeah, it was pretty marginal to be fair. Henderson was poor too.

[niallers]

Anyone see crouch,when he hit post near the end, pull toures jersey downward to keep him from jumping properly and to give himself more leverage. I bet nothing would've been said had they scored.

[Paco]

Very important win but can we really win anything defending like this?

[TheHowieLama]

The Villa game probably.

[Paco]

The Villa game probably.

we ll win games sure but we cant win the league unless we seriously improve defensively. Gerrard lucas johnson skrtel toure cissokho mignolet all at fault for goals yesterday.

 

as long as suarez and now sturridge keep bailing us out we ll be fine but we need far better defenders and an animal of a dm to maintain our wonderful attacking football but not leaving ourselves so open at the back.

 

Their 3rd goal was a fucking embarrassment.