Yes on setanta sports, just drop jonhson & gerrard for this game other than that same team, as last night.
It's been a difficult fixture for us over the years & you'd expect it to be difficult again on Saturday given our recent form. But at home to Stoke we must win. Last night has given us something to build on & we have to progress on Saturday.
Can't wait for the game at the weekend. What I seen from Sterling last night was the first hint of any attacking endevour from us in the past few weeks and hopefully we'll see more of it in the next few games. Two players in Henderson and Sterling really found some form last night and hopefully they can put that same effort in at the weekend. Johnson and Manquillo will certainly play at the weekend (Johnson for his defensive height over Moreno for Stokes inevitable gameplan). I'm at a loss on the Stevie Gerrard situation, I think limited game time in the role he played last night would be the best option for us (he was poor there last night but to be expected having filled a different role for the past 12 months), the defence looked much more secure with someone closing down the spaces in front of it, Lucas is far from the finished article but he has excellent defensive instincts and doesn't hamper those around him by getting caught out of position regularly.
I'm laughing here now but I've an awful feeling that come 5 O'Clock on Saturday it won't be quite so funny. All I need now is to hear that if we lose to them on Saturday that it will be some record broken stretching back about 100 years and I'll be certain!
Last night Rogers went back to the bulk of the team that worked well last season. Big money signings Lovren, Moreno, Lallana, Can and Markovic on the bench. About 90 odd million's worth. Would bring Jones in goal, Moreno in for Johnson and Can for Gerrard
I'd bring in Enrique ahead of Moreno, like lovren the mistakes are toting up , and we could destroy his confidence. £4m of the summers £115m started last night Origi obviously not at club yet, quite incredible when you think about it.
I really don't know about this. Part of me expects the players to want to stuff it to the critics and put in the best performance since Spurs. The other part of me expects Stoke to score 8 goals from corners.
You know....I had a little laugh when I read that part....until that voice of reason in the back of my head (yes I realise a voice of reason with a football supporter is a contradiction in terms) butted in and informed me that "you know that isnt as far fetched as it first sounds......" Now I'll be even MORE nervous than usual when we give away corners all day.
A win first & foremost. A win & a clean sheet would be even better. Listening to Carra talk last week and he was saying that when we'd lost a few games & confidence was low that a clean sheet was the most important thing & the rest would take care of itself. I'm not quite sure how this current team will keep a clean sheet but here's hoping. We were/are always a club that prided itself on clean sheets. I remember winning games 3-0 & conceding & Reina & Carra would be berating people. It's time we got back to that. We need to get back to that. How? Well I haven't a clue with the current set up. As someone a while back said "Every great team is built by being defensively solid." It's probably time for Brendan to start being more pragmatic in that sense.
I think the clean sheets are so difficult at the moment because we can't score goals. When the opposition are in a game for the entire 90 minutes you've no way to kill off their spirit and even strengthen their resolve as the game goes on. If you go 2 up in the first half the second half becomes a training exercise if you can dampen the game for 5/10 minutes. Get back to controlling games and scoring goals and the pressure on the defence will ease considerably.
Hard to know what to expect really. I can see Stoke having a field day from their set pieces, we can't defend corners and they will target that. I have zero confidence in us anymore. They are a team we should be beating but that's never the case anymore. It wouldn't shock me to see Lovern come back in. The undropables will all play, Mingolet, Skrtel, Lovern, Johnson, and Gerrard, and of course a lone striker up front. Hard not to be negative. Ill go for a 2-2 Draw.
Br press conference came on earlier and i switched it off i just cant listen to the man spouting the same shit day in day out, and doing fcuk all about it