Stoke game build up

[-V-]

If we play 451 and try to 'control' the game then we will be beaten by set-peices and high balls lumped into the box.

We need to attack from the start and outscore them. I would play 433, Lucas, Mascher and Aqualani in midfield. Babel, Ngog and Maxi upfront.

But Rafa will play probably play his 451 with Kuyt as a lone striker........

[Matt]

Is Mascherano even fit to play? I know his suspension is up but he did get injured.

Would kind of force Rafa to play Aquilani unless of course he goes with Damien Plessis which would really, really make my weekend.

[Matt]

So:

Reina
Deggen, Carragher, Agger, Aurelio
Maxi, Mascherano, Aquilani, Babel
Kuyt, Ngog

Go the Red men!!

That's what I'd like to see. Insua badly needs a 'rest'. As does Kuyt but you can't get everything you ask for I suppose.

[the rev leeroy brown]

reina

degen / carra / agger / aurelio

lucas / aqua / mash

babel / ngog / maxi

we're in need of a morale boosting win, we're in need of 3 points desperately, we're in need of a good solid performance, we need to ditch the 4-5-1 and go for it. seeing as we are strapped for personnel i've gone 4-3-3 with lucas and mash doing the dirty work and aqua to make runs forward with real width in babel and maxi ( prob too early for him but we've no-one else ) and ngog as a target man.

[Pablo]

I know we all want him to, but is Maxi fully cleared and likely to start this one?

[Icon]

Guaranteed win...

-------------Reina -Cavalieri-------------------
Darby - Carra - Agger - Skittles - Aurelio - Insua
-----Maxi - Masher - Lucas - Benny - Babel-----
------------Kuyt -Ngog-Pacheco--------------

[badpiggy]

half of me believes that our injury ****storm, defeat by reading, aquilani being freed up to have to play and the arrival of maxi might just give us enough to get past these ****ers. a win away to stoke would be massive right now. sweet jesus

the other half thinks that pulis' horrible pack of ******s are the worst imaginable opposition for us, that rafa won't play aquilani or maxi deeming neither of them to be "at their level" to have lumps kicked out of them and we will go into our home game against spurs utterly demoralised and down at least 2 more players. sweet jesus

[badpiggy]

That's a fair point. I guess it's a percentages thing, and the notion that our chances of getting a result are slightly improved with a player who's playing fairly well, as opposed to one who still looks to be struggling to come to terms with the tempo and physicality of the game. Most worryingly of all with Aquilani, was the frequency with which he was giving the ball away the other night.

for 15-20 mins of the second half, aquilani ran the ****in show. for the last 35-45 he was visibly exhausted. i'm very hopeful he'll be an excellent player.

[Shaggy]

the other half thinks that pulis' horrible pack of ******s are the worst imaginable opposition for us, that rafa won't play aquilani or maxi deeming neither of them to be "at their level" to have lumps kicked out of them and we will go into our home game against spurs utterly demoralised and down at least 2 more players. sweet jesus

Yep. Dreading this. ****ing Stoke away and I'm dreading it.

Welcome back Craig

[tiktu]

Babel's tweet minute ago

Hey people, I got some disappointing news, I m not travelling 2 Stoke.. The Boss left me out the squad. No explanation..

So, he's either out or bull****ting?

[Icon]

Babel's tweet minute ago

Hey people, I got some disappointing news, I m not travelling 2 Stoke.. The Boss left me out the squad. No explanation..

So, he's either out or bull****ting?

That is Rafa's facebook status!

[BobTheCharmer]

Yep. Dreading this. ****ing Stoke away and I'm dreading it.

Welcome back Craig

I'm not dreading this game at all. I don't expect us to win. The Reading game was more important to me and we ****ed that up. If we lose nothing much changes in life. If we win nothing much changes, no corner will have been turned. By beating Stoke it means we're no more or less likely to beat Spurs. We don't get confidence from results as this season has shown.

[Shaggy]

Babel's tweet minute ago

Hey people, I got some disappointing news, I m not travelling 2 Stoke.. The Boss left me out the squad. No explanation..

So, he's either out or bull****ting?

I'm not surprised after that ****house performance the other night, but we're so short up front you wonder WTF we're going to do.

[Kenneth]

Babel's tweet minute ago

Hey people, I got some disappointing news, I m not travelling 2 Stoke.. The Boss left me out the squad. No explanation..

So, he's either out or bull****ting?

Bye bye Babel.

[BobTheCharmer]

I'm not surprised after that ****house performance the other night, but we're so short up front you wonder WTF we're going to do.

do you wonder? Kuyt on his own, its bloody obvious isn't it?