Stoke Build-up

[SB]

I think players need to prove themselves at training before displacing a legend like Carra Arn.

[Kenneth]

Carroll doesn't offer much else at the moment though. He'll be easy for them to cope with and it'll be detrimental to our play imo.

Fine, but that's a risk we have to take when we have a £35 million striker (who Kenny clearly sees as an integral player) who needs to find his fitness and his stride. We're playing Stoke, not Man Utd so we should have enough quality in the team to win, and Luis would still be there as a back up. I feel Carroll badly needs a run of games and some goals. His season could take off from there.

[Chris]

Coates been here for three days on saturday.....

Yep, drop the best organiser and still a good defender for a 20 year old who's been here a few days and no doubt doesnt speak a word of the language. Genius!

[Rich]

Are all the players back now after international duty? Imagine we'll get to see some pics of Coates and Bellamy at training soon.

I was expecting them today

[Kenneth]

It is somewhat.

[Mattshark]

Fine, but that's a risk we have to take when we have a £35 million striker (who Kenny clearly sees as an integral player) who needs to find his fitness and his stride. We're playing Stoke, not Man Utd so we should have enough quality in the team to win, and Luis would still be there as a back up. I feel Carroll badly needs a run of games and some goals. His season could take off from there.

I really don't think he does, he has nothing in his game that I have seen so far that would make him a good option to start with or that would would give Stoke's players something that would worry them.

[Norbs]

You need to throw him in at some point so why not do it against a team that suit his strengths?

Carra will get big problems in the air as usual. That is his weakness.

I bet he's never come across a team who have a long throw 'specialist' and this could unsettle him massively. A cameo against Brighton would be my guess, then perhaps 10/15 mins against someone when we're 2 goals ahead. Centre backs don't often get substituted during a game unless injured or there's a sending off. I can't honestly imagine that he'll get any time soon unless two out of Skrtel, Agger or Carra are injured.

[Rich]

I'd be amazed to see Coates start at the weekend.

You don't drop Carra or Agger for a 20 year old with a couple of days training at the club.

[kingfunk]

Anyone hear Stevie could be on the bench?

[yamiedo]

Nice to see people arguing about who should start upfront. Not had that headache in a long time.

[yamiedo]

Also I don't understand why we can't just play it along the ground with Carroll on. See how that work's, it's not like we just bought a head. He has feet too!

[Norbs]

Also I don't understand why we can't just play it along the ground with Carroll on. See how that work's, it's not like we just bought a head. He has feet too!

He's never going to score when receiving the ball in the D with his back to goal, just not that sort of player. The only time we should play it to him at head height is when it's being crossed or at set pieces.

[Mostar]

I would start Coates instead of Carra.

Stoke will play many high balls into our box and that is his strength to deal with balls like that. They will use Delap and his long throws to cause even more havoc in our box.

Carra isn't great dealing with tactics with that. Coates won't have a problem doing that.

It would be different if we played against a team that played the ball on the ground.

This is exactly the type of game will can use Coates in and get him some playing time.

He hasn't played a single minute on English soil and you would put him against Stoke...

Neh, he needs to be slowly eased in rotation and imo the start against Brighton is more sensible approach.

[Corndog]

Carroll would an utter waste, that is just giving Stoke exactly what they would want. Suarez is exactly what we need in this type of game, something they cannot cope with, intelligent movement.

why do so many people think Carroll doesnt possess the ability for intelligent movement? i've said it before and ill say it again hes far more than a one-dimensional player! do you think Capello and Dalglish and all the other coaches thus far who have recognised his ability would rate him so highly if he was just your average english target man who is good for bringing the ball down? because if that were the case he would currently be playing league one football.

obviously his size and aerial ability is his strength and its true he has looked sluggish this season, possibly capello was hinting at the reason for this, but its still early days, he needs games to get back to where he was at newcastle and go beyond that to unlock the potential he has.

i reckon alot of people are also over-analysing things, what stoke are under tony pulis is an extremly well-disciplined team in defense, ever since they came up into the premierleague they have finished mid table every year and again they showed against chelsea why that is the case. they proved again against Chelsea that they are just as disciplined and capable of getting stuck in and defending passing football as they are aerial long-balls.

We should go to stoke and play largely the same style of football that has worked well with the team early on this season, that is of course pass and move football with crosses coming in from the wide men, its worked so far and there is no reason why it won't work against stoke and with carroll in or out of the side it shouldn't be any different.

whatever happens i guarentee you the likes of shawcross and co. will not see carroll on the team sheet (if he starts) and think great! easy day at the office boys, this is what we like!

[Beastie]