Tooj Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 So in a nutshell, yesterday was the most positive event since the result of Mark Fowler's HIV test? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shak Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 The positive is that we got a point and looked like we were up for it. Don't really think we deserved a point though, even if they did give a better effort than some of the gutless efforts we've seen this year. We scored with what was basically one of two or three half chances we created in the entire 90 minutes, and Stoke really should have killed the game off two or three times early in the second half. My concern is that yesterday Shearer basically shit the bed with the formation he sent them out in. If you're gonna go 5-3-2 then you'd better have a lot of mobility in the 3 midfielders and two strikers, or else you're gonna end up being very narrow and easy to deal with. We sent out Butt, Guthrie, Nolan, Owen and Ameobi and the inevitable result wasn't pretty when we were in possession. It was only when we moved Duff up field and brought Jonas on that we started to look in some way capable of mounting an attack. I'm no fan of Duff but I'd have had him up front yesterday with Shola and played Owen just off. Shearer needs to learn from this, and fast. If he doesn't by the time Portsmouth come to SJP, we're fucked. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teasy Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 If anyone had offered me a point before the game I'd have happily taken it, we got the point which is a positive. If we'd played well yesterday but lost the same people whinging here would say "We don't need performances, we need results". But we got a result and played poorly so instead its "We didn't deserve the result, where's the performance?". You're only going to keep getting disappointed if you can't see a positive in getting a draw against Stoke away in our situation.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 The game was a must-win in my opinion. We didn't win. 'Whinging'. We're joint 19th. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Logic Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 We don't need positives at this stage, we need results. A result would be a positive, no? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wullie Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 We don't need positives at this stage, we need results. A result would be a positive, no? We didn't get one though, not the one we needed anyway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teasy Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 The game was a must-win in my opinion. We didn't win. 'Whinging'. We're joint 19th. How can you look at a game against a team who have only lost 3 times all season as a must win? Like I said if you keep being this unrealistic you're going to keep being disappointed. Did I say don't whinge about being 19th?, no so don't be silly ok? I said don't whinge when we get a good result, and no amount of unrealistic expectations will change a good result into a bad one. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 The game was a must-win in my opinion. We didn't win. 'Whinging'. We're joint 19th. How can you look at a game against a team who have only lost 3 times all season as a must win? Like I said if you keep being so unrealistic you're going to keep being disappointed. Considering we've won six games all year then yes, I guess expecting a win against the team in 13th was unrealistic. Then again you're expecting us to win 50% more games this season, so is it just me being unrealistic? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wullie Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 If the players have the same attitude as some of the supporters it's no the wonder we're in the shit. "Oh it's Man Utd, I didn't expect us to win, it's fine" "Oh it's Everton, I didn't expect us to win, it's fine" "Oh it's Stoke, I didn't expect us to win, it's fine" We are where we are because we've not won too many of these games that we had a fair chance of winning (i.e. most games). If winning at Stoke City is "unrealistic" then frankly we deserve to go down anyway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 If the players have the same attitude as some of the supporters it's no the wonder we're in the shit. "Oh it's Man Utd, I didn't expect us to win, it's fine" "Oh it's Everton, I didn't expect us to win, it's fine" "Oh it's Stoke, I didn't expect us to win, it's fine" We are where we are because we've not won too many of these games that we had a fair chance of winning (i.e. most games). If winning at Stoke City is "unrealistic" then frankly we deserve to go down anyway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teasy Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 Its not just expecting a win against a team in 13th though, its expecting an away win against a team with the 7th best home record in the league. If we were playing them at home I'd agree with it being a poor result, in fact I did earlier in the season I'm not expecting us to win 3 more games by the way, I'm hoping we can. I expect us to beat all those teams we have left at home as individual results, but winning all three is going to be more hope then expectation to me. I'm not sure what I expect realistically from the rest of the season. But I think we need at least 8 more points. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teasy Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 If winning at Stoke City is "unrealistic" then frankly we deserve to go down anyway. Expecting to beat Stoke at the Brittania stadium has turned out to be unrealistic for 13 teams out of 16 so far this season! Why on earth should we expect to do it? Obviously we should go there and try and believe we have a chance, but that's a far cry from expecting to win and calling a draw there a poor result. I've heard not one person saying they expect us to beat Villa on the last day of the season, yet there home record is nowhere near as good as Stoke's! On another note, looking at Villa's home record that's a game we should really look at get something out of. There home record isn't good at all (only 4 points better off then ours). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayson Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 Agree that we should have expected more. Dont go for this a point is a good result nonsense. Its not disasterous....its not good either. As much as you want to say about their record at home. Our players should be better than theirs, simple as that. They should be up for it more than even now with Al behind them. Carroll clearly is. The goal we conceded was crap. Our general play was crap for much of the game. This wasnt down to stoke being brilliant at home ffs, it was down to our lack of ability. The fact that we had to change our entire formation because of martins. Our defending was abysmal, we cleared off the line so many times it was ridiculous. This again wasnt because of stokes brilliant home record. Its because we're absolutely sh.te at defending set pieces. Same way liverpool exposed us & so many other sides. The only moment we looked strong was when carroll came on. He cleared about 4 in a row at the end. But we should have gotten a lot more. Once again though, Martins going out has recked it for me. I cant base the rest of the season on yesterdays game, no way to apply it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Heneage Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 If the players have the same attitude as some of the supporters it's no the wonder we're in the s***. "Oh it's Man Utd, I didn't expect us to win, it's fine" "Oh it's Everton, I didn't expect us to win, it's fine" "Oh it's Stoke, I didn't expect us to win, it's fine" We are where we are because we've not won too many of these games that we had a fair chance of winning (i.e. most games). If winning at Stoke City is "unrealistic" then frankly we deserve to go down anyway. They have one of the best home records in the league. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Alan Shearer 9 Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 The only thing I'm positive about is that HTT talks out of his rear end Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmymag Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 The game was a must-win in my opinion. We didn't win. 'Whinging'. We're joint 19th. How can you look at a game against a team who have only lost 3 times all season as a must win? Like I said if you keep being so unrealistic you're going to keep being disappointed. Considering we've won six games all year then yes, I guess expecting a win against the team in 13th was unrealistic. Then again you're expecting us to win 50% more games this season, so is it just me being unrealistic? The thread title is about taking some positives from yesterday, and the biggest positive is that we are 1 point closer to the Mackems and Hull. Yesterday could also be the catalyst we need to turn our season around in the same way the Birmingham game was last season. I'm more confident of survival now than I was before the Stoke game to be honest. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 there's absolutely no question of us deserving to go down, of course we do. We don't threaten in attack, especially when Martins is absent. The midfield is at best the second worst in the premiership, at top form Nolan, Butt, Duff all deserve to playing for a team in the championship. The defence is decent, looking at the personnel, but it means very little when they've been coached by idiots all season. Along with abother 5 teams in the league, we really shouldn't be playing premiership football next season, staying up would feel like a gift tbh Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cronky Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 There was only one positive that I could see from the game - Andy Carroll. It looks like he's arrived. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brummie Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 Stoke have taken four points against us this season, including beating us at their place. They're the anti-football, but they've a tremendous spirit and that alone makes them hard to beat. I know it is obviously easier as a neutral, of course it is, but watching your game yesterday, towards the end I was thinking "that's it, they're fucked" then when you got the equaliser, I was thinking "that's possibly such an important goal". Going there and getting beaten would have taken the wind, what wind there is, firmly out of your sails and with precious few games left. Going there, playing poorly but showing enough spirit to battle for a point is at least something to build on. Sometimes the importance of a point gained / lost is greater than it seems at first. We drew 2-2 at home to Stoke with two goals for them in the last four minutes. The ramifications of that were far greater for us than one point instead of three, it had a longer lasting negative impact on the team. Shearer, if he has anything about him as a manager, will be exploiting that hard fought point for all it is worth this week. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChezGiven Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 We won half a match but only picked up a point when we needed 3. I'd say the probability of us going down just rose to its highest level. Hard to be positive but you have to be to cheer on a losing team. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wullie Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 If the players have the same attitude as some of the supporters it's no the wonder we're in the s***. "Oh it's Man Utd, I didn't expect us to win, it's fine" "Oh it's Everton, I didn't expect us to win, it's fine" "Oh it's Stoke, I didn't expect us to win, it's fine" We are where we are because we've not won too many of these games that we had a fair chance of winning (i.e. most games). If winning at Stoke City is "unrealistic" then frankly we deserve to go down anyway. They have one of the best home records in the league. I couldn't give two fucks, football isn't played on paper and their players are, by and large, a tatty collection of mackem rejects. We've got one of the worst home records too so I assume we're just to write off Pompey, Boro and Fulham as well? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Heneage Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 If the players have the same attitude as some of the supporters it's no the wonder we're in the s***. "Oh it's Man Utd, I didn't expect us to win, it's fine" "Oh it's Everton, I didn't expect us to win, it's fine" "Oh it's Stoke, I didn't expect us to win, it's fine" We are where we are because we've not won too many of these games that we had a fair chance of winning (i.e. most games). If winning at Stoke City is "unrealistic" then frankly we deserve to go down anyway. They have one of the best home records in the league. I couldn't give two f***s, football isn't played on paper and their players are, by and large, a tatty collection of mackem rejects. We've got one of the worst home records too so I assume we're just to write off Pompey, Boro and Fulham as well? Surely your arguement only works if I said they had better players on paper? Its a difficult place to go and play, they gear the play to suit themselves, get physical. You can write off what you want it seems a fair few of this forum already have. Fulham have a shocking away record having scored 6 of their 9 goals in 2 games. You have to look at each game and be relative. Alot of games away from home teams will try and pass Stokes tactics are very unique in the sense that they are the only team that really just attempts to bully teams. I think its sensible to say it would be a tight game. Plus do you not go into home games with assumed confidence ignoring form? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 3 at the back could just be the tactic to get us a few points. Another body in midfield where we are weakest. Jonas for R.Taylor though please next time so we can have proper creative wingbacks in him and Duff. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 3 at the back could just be the tactic to get us a few points. Another body in midfield where we are weakest. Jonas for R.Taylor though please next time so we can have proper creative wingbacks in him and Duff. And one less body at the back where you're...strong? I think having anything other than 4 in defence will just screw up your chances, tbh. It's the players themselves IMO that need to prove their worth. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubaricho Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 God forbid HTT try and be positive. Shows what's wrong with a lot of football supporters. Nothing is ever good enough. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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