Stoke (A): Post Match

[Zapater]

I love wins like these. They're terrible to watch, but the satisfaction is great. The goal was a great strike but I'd have praised a scrappy one, sloppily bundled over the line just as much. Performance does indeed need work, but it's the first week, with a lot of new players in the match day squad. I'd take this every week, no doubt.

[destinydude]

Screamed my lungs out. After a long long time a win felt so ****ing good. Coutinho

[brightred]

****e match, great win.

I wish the Bournemouth game was sooner!

[Frenchie]

Never understood this..

But totally agree this win is massive, lifts a weight off our shoulders and with only United winning its been a good weekend. Keep the ball rolling against Bournemouth and we can have a lot of momentum going into these tough fixtures.

(Punch)a grotesque, hook-nosed humpbacked buffoon, the chief male character of the Punch and Judy puppet show. Punch is the English variant of a stock character derived ultimately from Italian commedia dell'arte. Also called Punchinello.

[Robbie-9-Fowler]

(Punch)a grotesque, hook-nosed humpbacked buffoon, the chief male character of the Punch and Judy puppet show. Punch is the English variant of a stock character derived ultimately from Italian commedia dell'arte. Also called Punchinello.

Thanks

Something I've always heard and never bothered asking about, I've used it myself too just blindly hoping it fit Everyone has odd blindspots.

[Norbs]

I always thought it was the fruit based drink consumed at parties

[Fan65]

Dare I say it, Lovren played well...

[calvoboy]

A few thoughts:

- anyone not happy with 3 points away at Stoke is crazy. It's a tough place to go, we have a terrible record there, and they battered us 2 months ago. A win's a win there.
- I actually think we did OK too. We looked more solid at the back, though that obviously meant we traded attacking threat (Rafa's famous tablecloth). I much preferred the balance when Can was on though, and worry if we're going to start with 4-2-3-1 too often as it just doesn't seem to suit us.
- Clyne looked very good, Lovren looked better than he did last season, Gomez got "old-manned" a couple of times, but really impressed me as he learnt from it in the game - conceded two fouls when he was backed into, then third time he stepped away and let the stoke player fall on his arse - Milner looked good too.
- Firminho wasn't on for long, but looked surprised a bit by the intensity and physicality. Hope he adapts quickly.

Got to win against Bournemouth now to take a little bit of pressure off the Arsenal game. Today was workmanlike but encouraging after the 6-1. Something to build on, as they say.

[TheElephantMan]

Yes, he was okay. Skrtel didn't have his best game, but we kept a clean sheet.

[kingfunk]

We played rubbish until the last 10 minutes. So many faults to point out but its the first game and away to Stoke. A wins a win so will leave it at that.

[captainfog]

Same as last season - ponderous going forward, created little and rarely troubled the keeper, but a moment of genius from Phil won us the game. At the beginning of last season we kept saying that all we needed was a few games and then everything would click. It never clicked. I didn't see anything in pre season or in today's game to suggest this time round will be any different.

Having Milner and Henderson in central midfield is plodding. And I really hope we don't have a season of Mig punting the ball forward to Bentekkers because it's painful to watch.

[Robbie-9-Fowler]

A few thoughts:

- anyone not happy with 3 points away at Stoke is crazy. It's a tough place to go, we have a terrible record there, and they battered us 2 months ago. A win's a win there.
- I actually think we did OK too. We looked more solid at the back, though that obviously meant we traded attacking threat (Rafa's famous tablecloth). I much preferred the balance when Can was on though, and worry if we're going to start with 4-2-3-1 too often as it just doesn't seem to suit us.
- Clyne looked very good, Lovren looked better than he did last season, Gomez got "old-manned" a couple of times, but really impressed me as he learnt from it in the game - conceded two fouls when he was backed into, then third time he stepped away and let the stoke player fall on his arse - Milner looked good too.
- Firminho wasn't on for long, but looked surprised a bit by the intensity and physicality. Hope he adapts quickly.

Got to win against Bournemouth now to take a little bit of pressure off the Arsenal game. Today was workmanlike but encouraging after the 6-1. Something to build on, as they say.

Spot on mate

Bournemouth on paper looks about as easy a game you'll get this year, we need to be professional and do the job. Arsenal are away to Palace they could very easily drop points there and the pressure could really be on them by the time we face them.

[DannyMan2006]

If we play like this at home 8 games in I'd be a bit more cutting, we didn't create much and didn't get in behind Stoke bar the odd time, Think Benteke nearly got put in a couple of times and Hendo one occasion should have done better with the ball in, maybe Chris should've attacked the ball better though.

But it's first game of the season and people don't generally come back sharp and start fizzing passes about immidiately. All about showing strength, being solid and grinding wins out.

All that said, it's a fine line. Type of game you could easily lose as much as you could win. Follow it up with a win v Bournemouth please and it's all good.

[DannyMan2006]

Same as last season - ponderous going forward, created little and rarely troubled the keeper, but a moment of genius from Phil won us the game. At the beginning of last season we kept saying that all we needed was a few games and then everything would click. It never clicked. I didn't see anything in pre season or in today's game to suggest this time round will be any different.

Having Milner and Henderson in central midfield is plodding. And I really hope we don't have a season of Mig punting the ball forward to Bentekkers because it's painful to watch.

Phil was winning us games when things were clicking in the 3421, he was poor at the start. Last season we were a bit poor, but performed brilliantly at Spurs then lost Danny.

[DannyMan2006]

Spot on mate

Bournemouth on paper looks about as easy a game you'll get this year, we need to be professional and do the job. Arsenal are away to Palace they could very easily drop points there and the pressure could really be on them by the time we face them.

Bournemouth are good in possession and will create chances. Different to Stoke and they'll be desperate to get a result after losing to Villa. We need to be right on it for sure.