Stoke (A): Build Up

[captainfog]

------------Mig---------------
Clyne Skittles Sakho Moreno
-----------Can----------------
------Hendo --Milner
----------Coutinho
-----Tekkers----Ings ------

That looks like such an uninspiring side. Bobby better be bloody good.

[SB]

That looks like such an uninspiring side. Bobby better be bloody good.

It's not what I'd expect once Firminho is up to speed & Lallana can come in at Can's expense if we need to really go for it at times. I think Ings has done quite well when given a chance in PS so I'd like to see him played with Benteke for a few matches to see how they go.

[Fosterbloke]

Milner can thread a good pass through defence and get things moving there. I reckon Lucas will start alongside Henderson and Milner. It will be Benteke and Ings up front with either Coutinho or Lallana as the go between.

[SB]

Milner can thread a good pass through defence and get things moving there. I reckon Lucas will start alongside Henderson and Milner. It will be Benteke and Ings up front with either Coutinho or Lallana as the go between.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Lucas start either. Lallana over Coutinho? That's possible too & we'd have a hell of a bench to come on when needed.

[Fosterbloke]

Yup, Ibe if we need power or Coutinho if we need guile. Firmino to ease his way in too.

[DannyMan2006]

Mignolet
Clyne
Skrtel
Lovren
Moreno
Lucas
Hendo
Milner
Coutinho
Benteke
Lallana

My tip to start in a 433. Might see Ibe in for Coutinho who we may ease in.

[DannyMan2006]

Btw, that's definitely not the side I want to see.

[Rich]

So you're saying that we can expect us to get a red card or two? Great!

[Muddled]

Jeez, it's just ten days until the season starts! This summer's break has flown by, especially without an international tournament to break things up.

[RedReet]

Jeez, it's just ten days until the season starts! This summer's break has flown by, especially without an international tournament to break things up.

Late finish, early start, plus it helped that we signed a load of players and then pre-season started.

All summers sould be like this.

[SB]

Late finish, early start, plus it helped that we signed a load of players and then pre-season started.

All summers sould be like this.

I'm looking forward to the season starting but it's started like that so many times before

[Irishnev]

Jeez, it's just ten days until the season starts! This summer's break has flown by, especially without an international tournament to break things up.

Copa America

[topscorer]

And Gold Cup and U21 World Cup & U21 Euros

[Norbs]

I don't think we'll beat Stoke but it won't be another 6-1 hammering like last time.

No offence to you Slinky, and you could easily be right, but that's ****ing depressing when you think about it

[Exiled_red]

Opening day fixtures are always tricky ones, as neither team wants to loose on the opening day, particularly in front of their home crowd, which makes away games even more difficult. Add to this the new players that haven't quite settled into both sides the games tend to be fairly cagey. Oddly I always feel in a way that it's best to have a fairly tricky tie like this - a game which you might drop points in at any time of the season than on that you would win most other times in the season. That way if you drop points as it seems like we often do - you can take some comfort in knowing that you might have dropped points in that game any way rather than you just did so because it was the first game and that made it a little more difficult.

Obviously we should aim to win the game and I hope we do but these are the crazy thoughts that I think about around the first game.