MATCHWATCH : Stoke City (a)

[Snowflake Royal]

My 2 bugbears from last season....

How was Rafael’s kicking today?

How was Joao’s body language today?

Both shit.

[AthleticoSpizz]

@Countryroyal.

Could do with someone like him as a stop-gap...until we get ourselves sorted out

Weekly wages not withstanding of course.

As an aside, see Dickie’s upward trajectory included QPRs goal today

[CountryRoyal]

@Countryroyal.

Could do with someone like him as a stop-gap...until we get ourselves sorted out

Weekly wages not withstanding of course.

As an aside, see Dickie’s upward trajectory included QPRs goal today

Aside from the fact that if the answer is Chris Gunter I’d hate to think what the question is.

But I was playing on the fact that Charlton drew with Wednesday as Sheff U are in the league above

[Stranded]

My 2 bugbears from last season....

How was Rafael’s kicking today?

How was Joao’s body language today?

Both shit.

Unfair on the former today. Joao wanted off after a knock to his shoulder after 20mins and played like it.

[NathStPaul]

My 2 bugbears from last season....

How was Rafael’s kicking today?

How was Joao’s body language today?

Both shit.

Unfair on the former today. Joao wanted off after a knock to his shoulder after 20mins and played like it.

Eh? Rafael was really poor. Ian's assessment pretty spot on.

[Notts Royal]

So did we play a 3-4-3 formation instead then? From what I’d read, it was 3-5-2

[Jagermesiter1871]

My 2 bugbears from last season....

How was Rafael’s kicking today?

How was Joao’s body language today?

Shit and shit.
Also side note: anyone who saw him leaving the pitch at ft with no shirt on will have seen the massive shoulder sling he was wearing. How oxf*rd is his shoulder?

[Jagermesiter1871]

It’s placing a lot of faith in Bristow at left WB, with no one in front of him.

And why was Azeez picked over Puscas? That indicates that Puscas’ future at the club is not certain to me

Puscas just returning from lengthy injury?

[Royal Rother]

My 2 bugbears from last season....

How was Rafael’s kicking today?

How was Joao’s body language today?

Both shit.

Ah, that’s extremely disappointing.

[Westwood52]

Yeah the McNulty situation is strange,given our current predicament.Basically we have two available strikers;one of whom has a potential long term injury problem.Surely McNulty has to be an option off the bench.Maybe he is really,really bad in training.
Unless we can get another striker and an LB in;we will be down amongst the dead men all season.Josh or Swifty leaving would be the death rattle.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Haven't read this thread. Are we having a meltdown about relegation already?

[windermereROYAL]

Haven't read this thread. Are we having a meltdown about relegation already?

Yes, after losing the first game there is obviously no hope.

[Royal Rother]

Haven't read this thread. Are we having a meltdown about relegation already?

Just checked the odds - 11/2.

Don’t think I can bring myself to put a bet on it but that’s decent odds.

[genome]

Haven't read this thread. Are we having a meltdown about relegation already?

People were saying relegation is a certainty and the manager should be fired 30 minutes into the game.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Just seen the goals for the first time, how many goals does Rafael need to give away before we get the message that he really isn`t very good?

Which one was his fault today? Not sure youcan blame him on the first one so was it the deflection or the deflection?

The 2nd, straight at him but it went through his legs.

Agree -defs at fault for the second

[Hound]

Both shit.

Unfair on the former today. Joao wanted off after a knock to his shoulder after 20mins and played like it.

Eh? Rafael was really poor. Ian's assessment pretty spot on.

Strongly suspect Joao’s shoulder popped out again at 20m. No rep surprise he struggled from that point but in itself it’s a big concern that it keeps going

Rafael had a poor day. Lots of kicks into touch and that second really did trickle through him

[Zip]

Yep. We were found out last season playing just Joao upfront. Teams put two players into him and marked him out of games. We had no plan B.
If we are going to play two upfront though we need players that can send in decent crosses. Who are those players?

Yiadom can. He just doesn't very often. Swift should be able to. Bristow ought to be able to.

I’m struggling to remember any goals we have scored from a Yiadom cross. He keeps cutting inside to no great effect.

[Horsham Royal]

The ref missed Morrison being hauled down for the first.
He'd have been in the line of flight of the ball if not.

Second you may as well blame Moore for deflecting it as Rafael for missing it.

Third was poor from Rino (not) tracking back,

So one that should've been disallowed, one deflection and one from tiredness (?).
Maybe looks worse than it was.

[The Green Programme]

Yiadom was at fault with the first goal as it is his responsibility to be goal side of the two attacking Stoke players far post and he can see the ball arriving from the moment the free kick is taken. It’s basic defending and although he has many strengths, he is often out of position and tries to make up for it by holding and/or pulling at players in our penalty area (Barnsley away last season).

2nd and 3rd goals were deflections; the third was going straight to Rafael before it deflected into the opposite top corner. Stoke we’re lucky on both.

Also (yesterday was a good example) I think the new interpretation allowing more physical contact this season, will mean that Swift and Joao will get kicked and pushed and tripped all game and referees will not penalise the offenders.

The new interpretation is understandable in a way, as I think
It has been introduced as a method of stopping the endless free kicks and feigned injuries that were ‘created’ by teams with the advantage in the last 20 minutes of almost all Championship games throughout the second half of last season.

Refereeing in the Championship is generally very poor.

Pauno looked very pissed of in his post match interview. He has so little choice and too many players are ‘safe’ without realistic competition for places.

If we have a critical first ten games; judged game by game right now.

PL and EFL rules have combined to create a glaringly obvious three tier Championship. We have been in the top tier before and probably spend most of our time in the middle but could very easily slip into the bottom tier (as did Sunderland, Portsmouth and Ipswich Town for example)
And then we are in real trouble.

[Millsy]

Ok so a new season. Great.

No BFTGs These days?

Not trawling through pages to find ratings and can’t comment on the game didn’t watch it but from the highlights....

1) Swift looks good at last. I mean his hair cut. Fantastic goal though.

2) is it just me or did Rafael completely cock up for their second goal with the ball through his legs in what should have been an easy save? After last season’s cockups this really isn’t looking good so early in the season.

3) Great we started young ones. I can’t wait to endure a couple of seasons of deer in headlights performances to train them up for some other clubs to take them for free/peanuts.