Stottie

Center midfield battle with our two vs. Dan Gosling. Greatest league in the world etc. etc. I remember the bugger getting into lots of great positions and fluffing the chances, so I hope he's still got the same shooting boots.

First of all, glad we didn't concede one to Jonathan Walters, who for some reason I cannot stand. He's more meh rather than inept, so I can't explain it. Other than that, we managed the average number of shots Stoke concede, so no big achievement there. Mitro unlucky with the header, and Sissoko very close to squeezing it under the keeper, but the rest were wide or saves you'd expect Butland to make. More urgency would have been nice as Ronaldo suggested. Some wayward passing throughout the game too. I thought de Jong was poor and moving Ayoze made it a lose-lose substitution. Thauvin would have been more of a plan B. Gini cleaned up nicely after a terrible ball out of defence by Anita or Dummett (both made howlers so don't remember which), so a glimmer of him doing something we'd need from a CM if he is to play there sometime. All in all, two points dropped. Not terrible, but we've had a terrible start to the season and need to get better soon because the pressure will mount.

Clattenberg bottles second yellow for Lucas.

I must say I never expected the FA to rescind last week's red, so I hope that's some credit in the bank against knee-jerk refereeing for a few games. Stoke have somehow got good away results this year, much better than their home form, so a bit wary going into this. Maybe they're better with the opposition coming onto them. They concede lots of shots though, like us, so they might just be riding their luck. Their keeper does look good though. Anyway, another match we need to be doing well in. I feel we got hit with some derby voodoo last week, so this is more of a game we can use as a benchmark. Fail this week and next and serious questions will need to be asked.

They've won their last two away games at Villa and Swansea, but in total have scored fewer goals than us. They've conceded half as many goals off nearly as many shots allowed as us. I've only seen them in highlights, but their keeper looked very useful. On the whole, their stats make them sound pretty bad, so we should be looking to win this. In addition to needing to, that is.

The big Norwich win came after the big City defeat, so I think we'll be okay in terms of not changing the set up. Of our results so far, the Watford and mackems ones are the standout bad ones. The first was without Mitro and the second was referee powered. With 13 shots a game in our last five, we've clearly got a functioning attack now, but we still concede far too many and need new personnel. Just a hope but Mbabu back at LB and Dummett for Colo at CB might be worth a go next time.

Based on the last four-five games, our attack looks mid-table, which it didn't in the first five games. That's not just off the Norwich game btw. However, I'm only talking about the first team, and the backups go from poor to very poor. Our defence is still bottom three, going back to the Pardew era, and now has Rob Eliot in it. So, it's going to be a rough season. I think our attack has the required 9 wins in it easily, but our defence and midfield cover are still capable of effing things up for them.

Mostly blameless for yesterday, especially since he didn't want Colo. I'm not sure if we managed 20 attempts total in the first six games. That was our worst result of the season, but maybe best just to forget about it. Stick the ref's face on a dartboard, give all the lads a turn, and move on. (pink is the goals. The bigger the box, the better the chance)

A competent ref would have stopped the game after the Fletcher barge on Ayoze about four minutes in. It was late and a borderline yellow but more importantly, already their third foul. It was clearly the way they were set up to play. In that situation, the referee has to stop it. I don't particularly like rugby the sport, and effing hate rugger buggers and all their "drink a bucket of puke" public school type initiations, but that sport is so much more better run than football. Their review system for big incidents is brilliant.

If the ref is going to gift the game to the opposition every week, we are genuinely ferked. If not, our attacking players at least are looking okay.

It can go on forever if we keep getting bent refs. Colo is shit but that wasn't a red card. With the Manchester derby and a Liverpool game to come, don't expect any serious debate about it.

I expected some grade A trolling from Fatso in their dugout and the usual clowns on Sky but for the referee to join in as well truly takes the piss. It's only one game, so ferk it, forget about it. At least they've tried about five times more than they ever did under Pardew.

11 - 5 on fouls to them but we're winning on cards

All too predictable goal from a corner, admittedly after multiple injustices.

Unlucky Mitro on that chance, btw. Fantastic turn and great composure given the situation. Keep doing that and he'll score loads.

10 vs. 15 if you count Sky coverage.

Easily still in this. Even at 10 vs. 12.

That might be a penalty but it is definitely not a red card. It's going through to the keeper.

Disappointed to see Tiote in there, but pleased it's Dummett to counter the expected FSA aerial threat. Overall, just happy to see what they can do without the self-imposed shackles we've seen in recent years. A lot can happen, but our attacking players are easily good enough to cause them problems.

With the injuries to City, Arsenal are increasingly looking a good shout. They're managing without the top-level striker it looked like they needed. They're doing really well defensively, and though the common narrative may give the credit to Coquelin, it might be the confidence of having Cech behind that is key. For what Arsenal have gained, and Chelsea have ended up with, it's looking like transfer of the summer.

None of their 5 strikers have scored a goal. Front. Foot. Football. His fantastic tactics have just given Leicester their first clean sheet of the season in a game decided by an error by a big man at the back. It's starting to look oh so familiar.

Ha ha! Hangeland channeling his inner Willo. Vardy scores again!

They'll give us Niall Quinn commentating, with Kevin Phillips and Souness (supposedly on our side) in the studio. Waddle on Five Live as the "alternative" commentary.

Dummett over Haidara for me for aerial ability. It's Sunderland's best hope. That and turning into a kicking fest. I think our attacking players have enough to score against them without help from LB. Janmaat can do his usual thing from RB because his end product is far better than what we'll get from LB.

It was Papiss off the bench last year! I can see Cattermole, Larsson, Fletcher, etc. being majorly on the wind up, so our players need to be thoroughly warned and keep their heads. I definitely wouldn't play Tiote because he's an easy target for any "stamp my authority on this" refereeing. Some calculated pre-match comments about how difficult it is for the officials in derbies and how we want to go out and play open football mightn't go a miss. A comment about their goalscorers always running into the crowd and never getting punished as about ten of them run on the pitch wouldn't be a bad idea either.