wedge Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 Like most people, I hate Stoke and I hate playing them, can see us really struggling defensively, especially if Vlaar's not back. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CI Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 Not looking forward to this, I think we'll scrape a point and will be last on MOTD again . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coda Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 I hate their playing 'style'. Fair enough you play to your strengths but their anti-football team of cloggers are horrendous. I can see another draw although there's always the hope that we nick it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted December 3, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted December 3, 2012 Worried that we'll be too lightweight for this lot. Positives are Baker is nice and big so will be an asset if he has a good game (assuming Vlaar is out). Could be key. Guzan is the best keeper we've had for a while at commanding his area. I'd expect to see Benteke defending set pieces a lot and be effective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 Think we'll win this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SikhInTrinity Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 Good news for us is theres no Charlie Adam for them, his set-pieces would have concerned me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimzk5 Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 Stoke rfc beat the baggies with a try from whitehead but reckon we can win this 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrenm Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 Think we'll win this Me too. It could go either way but I have a feeling we'll sneak it. 1-0 maybe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shillzz Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 If Vlaar's back it wouldn't be such a bad idea to move Baker out to left back. I know it's not his best position but Jason Roberts caused our defense enough issues on his own last week to suggest that we might need some added height in the defense. Beyond that, we need to try and beat them at our game, rather than theirs. So long balls to Benteke isn't going to cut it, I also fear a little for our lightweight midfield. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omariqy Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 Stoke are usually (i say usually) poor away from home. If we win this then it will be a good run of results and will give us the confidence to push on and look up towards mid table. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CI Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 Christ the long throws from the halfway line into our box **** horrid team, Pulis has a lot to answer for crimes against football Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLax Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 Three points would be very welcome from this game, I have no idea how it will go though. We have looked a bit dodgy last couple of games and Stoke seem to be in form so that is not a good sign. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimzk5 Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 the following was taken off a different forum after stoke beat wba on saturday, but an excellent post "The Potters frustrated their hosts with an impressive defensive display in an uneventful and uninspiring game" The above is taken from the BBC website report on todays game. In truth if you read any weekends newspapers, online reports, or listen to radio reports etc, you always get something highly similar describing Stokes games, win lose or draw. Normally commentators/pundits will throw in a standard "they are good at what they do" or "they play to their strenghts" phrase instead of stating clearly that what they actually do is stifle, suffocate, hoof the life out of a game! Its boring and for 90% of fans countrywide its simply not worthy of paying an entrance fee (or a tv subscription) to watch. That Stoke fans continually turn up to watch and apparently enjoy it suggests they are indeed a breed apart! Personally I find it really sad that not one pundit will go out on a limb and openly condemn it for what it is and I dont like the fact that their manager was recently allowed to attempt to pick up the baton of fair play by calling for action on diving and cheating (which we all would like to see) without someone actually challenging him as to why he spends his week "coaching" his team to cheat - practicing holding, blocking, pulling shirts etc to reduce a game to a scrap, devoid of skill and creative play. I heard tonight the people in the studio on BBC 606 defending Stokes style (or lack off) but when will they realise that its not sour grape from a handful of fans of teams beaten by them - its the vast majority of football fans around the country who just do not want to watch Wrestling! Its awful rubbish and football would die a quick death if every team adopted their methods. http://boards.footymad.net/forum.php?tno=550&fid=255&sty=2&act=1&mid=2113696550 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coda Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 ^ I agree with most of that but I still find it hilarious when Stoke beat Arsenal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leevilla Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 Can only see us getting a draw out of this 1-1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BleedClaretAndBlue Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 If Vlaar is fit id go with him and Baker as the two centre backs. Otherwise we'll get totally bullied and dicked. Theyve hit form too. Can only see the game being a classic case of men vs. boys unfortunately.. Villa 1 - 2 Stoke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CI Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 Id play Vlaar Clark & Baker plus Lowton This is not a game for Lichaj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodders Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 Me too. It could go either way but I have a feeling we'll sneak it. 1-0 maybe. +1. Tempted to play all 3 of Clark Vlaar and Baker for this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnkarl Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 We need to get the ball down and play it, get some bookings for a couple of their midfielders and try to get one sent off. Carew played really well against stoke a few years back, so they actually usually have more trouble defending against big targets rather than small ones. 2-1 villa. Scrappy goal from Stoke - Benteke and Westwood for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CI Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 Benteke will be key in roughing up Huth and Shawcross Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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