[COC] Stoke (A): Build Up

[Nicey]

Stoke will tear us a new ****ing Areshole ... did not see there game at the weekend but watch both of ther last two games and **** me they are dangerous going forward with all of the ****ing players we should have signed in the summer

[Fosterbloke]

Stoke will tear us a new ****ing Areshole ... did not see there game at the weekend but watch both of ther last two games and **** me they are dangerous going forward with all of the ****ing players we should have signed in the summer

I'm sure they'll view our game against Southampton.

[Nicey]

Different team literally .. in the middle of a different moment ...

That said .. these players need to respond ... half of them will be run out he door by sheer fan power at this rate

[Fosterbloke]

Two up top needed. Diamond formation. 1-0.

[G]

Stoke will tear us a new ****ing Areshole ... did not see there game at the weekend but watch both of ther last two games and **** me they are dangerous going forward with all of the ****ing players we should have signed in the summer

Glass half full didn't last long

Needless to say I'm not confident about this one but I think we'll beat Arsenal and United cos thats the kind of **** we do.

[danperkins]

Two up top needed. Diamond formation. 1-0.

been hoping we'd play the diamond with Benteke & Sturridge with maybe Coutinho in behind.

IMO Benteke can't play as a lone striker & Coutinho is so much better central behind strikers or central dropping deeper into the midfield to pull things strings. Also if Sturridge starts, i would much rather him having some support up top, so he doesn't have to do all the leg work of a lone striker.

[Exiled_red]

I don't see the sense in rushing Sturridge back for either of the cup games. I'd give him at least another week of 'pre-season' training and look to have him come off the bench in either the Arsenal or Man Utd games in 10 days / 2 weeks time

[danperkins]

Would be nice to get some mins before those big games though. It's just so hard to know what to do with Sturridge body wise. IMO playing him up top with a partner will lessen the work load & just let him focus on scoring us some goals... which is a wee bit of a chore this season.

[redmike65]

I don't see the sense in rushing Sturridge back for either of the cup games. I'd give him at least another week of 'pre-season' training and look to have him come off the bench in either the Arsenal or Man Utd games in 10 days / 2 weeks time

Really, suppose he comes back and then breaks down again and the transfer window nearly dead? Find out now. Actually forget that - just buy a striker!

[Exiled_red]

Really, suppose he comes back and then breaks down again and the transfer window nearly dead? Find out now. Actually forget that - just buy a striker!

I think we have to bring someone in this window at least a loan, given his recent injury record as he could break down again at any point, it could be one game, it could be 10 games but until he gets it sorted properly I think there is always going to be something

[Exiled_red]

Would be nice to get some mins before those big games though. It's just so hard to know what to do with Sturridge body wise. IMO playing him up top with a partner will lessen the work load & just let him focus on scoring us some goals... which is a wee bit of a chore this season.

It doesn't really matter the chances of us getting top 4 now seem to be gone anyway with the way we are playing, I would rather we spend the extra time trying to get him right because he is a top player when fit, we need to find a way of getting him onto the pitch as much as possible. When the time comes a partner may be the way to go, but for this season it is probably going to have to be Benteke unless we bring someone else in.

[danperkins]

It doesn't really matter the chances of us getting top 4 now seem to be gone anyway with the way we are playing, I would rather we spend the extra time trying to get him right because he is a top player when fit, we need to find a way of getting him onto the pitch as much as possible. When the time comes a partner may be the way to go, but for this season it is probably going to have to be Benteke unless we bring someone else in.

Ah he's absolutely brilliant when fit but start him, sub on, cups or league ... the way he keeps breaking down **** knows what is the best course. Much of a muchness IMO, play him and pray he doesn't get injured.

[Exiled_red]

Ah he's absolutely brilliant when fit but start him, sub on, cups or league ... the way he keeps breaking down **** knows what is the best course. Much of a muchness IMO, play him and pray he doesn't get injured.

To be honest I would be happy if we could just not play him for the rest of the season if that meant that we could get his injury problems solved (this season is a write off for us anyway) but doing that there is no guarentee that he wouldn't break down in the first game of next season. If the medical guys think that a break or this 'pre-season' training would do him lessen the likelihood of these injuries in future I am happy to gamble on that as we have very little to lose this year.

[danperkins]

Yeah it's just one of those things, hard to know. I know we all bitch and moan but I'd say the fella is absolutely devastated himself.

[redmike65]

I'm sure he is but that's of little concern to the business of winning games. The idea that he comes back next season all shiny and fixed is laughable I fear. He is fundamentally "unsound". Liverpool got lucky in that we got 16 good months out of him. The rest of his history is just peppered with time out.