Team for Stoke (and maybe Leeds) | Page 3 | Vital Football

Team for Stoke (and maybe Leeds)

jeffs right said:
Now Will, we now have two banks of players or basically on paper a supposedly strong squad. Throwing games away by continuously playing players out of position is not right. Win and progress and it gives all players a chance to slot in and out of a system and get match practice. It seems like Cook thinks the way you do by his continued ideas that square pegs fit in round holes to win games. They don't as demonstrated on Saturday and again tonight.
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I agree with most of what you've said, Jeff. I wanted us to win that game, and I certainly didn't want Cook to throw it away. I think it's a very good point you make about how an extended run in the cup would allow players to slot in and out of the system, and I do think that the number of changes made by Cook tonight was excessive. Like you say, square pegs don't fit in round holes and I don't agree with Cook's team selection in that respect, either.

The only point I was making is that it isn't the end of the world that we lost tonight. That's not to say that Cook should've made 10 changes. Neither is it to say that the players shouldn't have given it their all. You play for the badge and for the fans that have travelled, and try to get the best result possible in any game. All I was saying is that our early exit from this competition may not be such a bad thing, in the sense that it may enable us to focus more on the league, be that in a relegation dogfight or a playoff push... who knows? Like I say, I took your point about giving game time to a larger number of players, but I do think that progression in this competition could be to the detriment of our league form, and, in my opinion, that is too great a risk to take for the mere sake of giving players a run out.
 
Thing was we never went for it ,,,, Never been a cook fan and that is one of the reasons Roberts this season should be no were near the pitch with these signings we have made
 
jeffs right said:
My God! That's what he is. Wide player winger on the left. It's where he actually isn't too bad. Full back/ centre half is where he shouldn't be playing when we have two left backs and ample centre backs. Lowe or Massey are right sided midfielders or wingers and should be playing there. Why complicate the simple?
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If you had seen Massey tonight you would have seen why he isn't playing in the league this season so far! Naismith and Roberts ut in a way better shift than he did, Cook sees Naismith as a left back so he wasn't played out of position! You may think he was, Cook doesn't and I think he knows better!
 
walgarthjohn said:
Thing was we never went for it ,,,, Never been a cook fan and that is one of the reasons Roberts this season should be no were near the pitch with these signings we have made
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Sorry John but there were have a dozen had worse games than Roberts tonight!
 
Stormin' Norman said:
A few thousand tonight were bothered thats why they forked out £15, you seem to have the same attitude as a good few of our players.
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I agree that the players should give their all for the badge and the fans that have travelled. The main point that I was making though was that, although it would've been nice for us to win, our loss in this game may not be such a bad thing.
 
jocklatic said:
Made Sjoke look like world beaters with acres of space & time on the ball.
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Yet they only scored the once. That an early soft goal when perhaps the new defence hadn’t sorted themselves out yet?

Once again, folk need to calm down. Let’s get it right, this competition is 3rd on the list of 3 priorities, we all knew that beforehand, and as it happens the reward is an away trip to Leeds. Anybody bothered?

The game was used to give all the new players game time, it was used to give the younger players some more experience, including the substitutions. We might not appreciate it as supporters, but it is the way of this particular competition.
Remember half of the starting XI had never started a game against a Championship side before, and in this case it was a bloody big physical Championship side. It was a game that looked like big uns against little uns. So how do they find out how to play against these sort of sides? How do we learn about their weaknesses? How do we find out if they are ready or not?
I think we learned a lot tonight. We learned that those who had not yet started against a side like this before are not yet ready to do so. We learned that Lowe and Bright eno.... have a trick or two but are they starters yet? I thought that Sterling disappointingly will keep Byrne in the side for now. Williams was impressive I’d be OK with him starting but I don’t think he will yet. The no brainier tonight was Dunkley has to start on Saturday. It’s probably too early to discount Marshall but if he does lose his place, Jones deserves a chance after tonight’s performance.

So stop the Cook bashing. He’s said it’s a work in progress and it’s pretty clear it is. It is better to think long term than all reactionary short termism nonsense every time we lose.
 
exiled tic said:
If you had seen Massey tonight you would have seen why he isn't playing in the league this season so far! Naismith and Roberts ut in a way better shift than he did, Cook sees Naismith as a left back so he wasn't played out of position! You may think he was, Cook doesn't and I think he knows better!
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Well then Massey shouldn't be playing and Lowe should be on the right. Naismith is third choice left back so shouldn't be playing. Roberts is down the midfield pecking order so shouldn't be playing. Cook does know better obviously. He will continue knowing better and lose his job by not using the resources he has been given by his paymasters.
 
jocklatic said:
'They had a go'...not sure what game u watched formby....the one I watched was dreadful, like a team that had neither seen or trained with each other....awful, disjointed & way off the play. Made Sjoke look like world beaters with acres of space & time on the ball.
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Well maybe now he knows who are team players and who can come in and do a job when the first choices need replacing. There's still a way to go yet, though. So don't expect miracles all at once. This is not football manager. ?
 
jeffs right said:
I'll give you a clue Antony. Two right wingers so one was out of position. Is Roberts not a winger? Is Naismith not a winger? How do we get four wingers onto two wings?
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Roberts a winger? Don't be daft. Just because he's occasionally played wide midfield doesn't make him a winger.

Lowe was on the left to cut in...... a legitimate ploy....... like we use Jacobs.

So, Naismith covered as left back, like last season. Big deal.
 
I couldn’t care less about this pointless cup so I’m glad we’re out. Paul Cook doesn’t either and he made that clear in his post match PNE interview where he all but said, don’t bother coming tonight if you’re expecting us to take it seriously. So for those who did show up and are moaning, tough luck you were warned.

Bring on Saturday.
 
jocklatic said:
'They had a go'...not sure what game u watched formby....the one I watched was dreadful, like a team that had neither seen or trained with each other....awful, disjointed & way off the play. Made Sjoke look like world beaters with acres of space & time on the ball.
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Agree with both actually, they did have a go but only in the same way that my Sunday league side would have.

Disjointed is exactly the word I would use, hopefully just need time to gel but they’re not even close to looking a team yet.

My big criticism of Cook last season that he changed too much too often. I know this doesn’t really apply tonight but there were times last season that we were playing a different back 4 every week. Injuries aside, how is a back 4 meant to work as a unit when they’re lining up differently every week? The best teams last season had pretty predictable starting 11’s week in week out.
 
henski said:
Yet they only scored the once. That an early soft goal when perhaps the new defence hadn’t sorted themselves out yet?

Once again, folk need to calm down. Let’s get it right, this competition is 3rd on the list of 3 priorities, we all knew that beforehand, and as it happens the reward is an away trip to Leeds. Anybody bothered?
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'Yet only scored the once'....maybe so but could have had 3/4 had it not been for poor finishing n JJ saves. Stoke lost 2 on the bounce, deciding to come with a strong team, play some decent football n progress - did all 3 well while PC pisses about...can't really see that he's learnt alot n as for the rewards being an away trip to leeds - jeez imagine in Paul Jewell took that attitude in our 1st year in prem!!!
 
walgarthjohn said:
Your missing the point with is signings he should be in the dressing room making tea .We all know what roberts can do But he as signed a lot off players and we keep getting Naismith as well
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So you think he should pick six players that are worse than him?
 
exiled tic said:
..... Cook sees Naismith as a left back so he wasn't played out of position! You may think he was, Cook doesn't and I think he knows better!
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To be fair Exiled, I think he sees him as cover for LB, that's all. Pearce came with an injury, so wasn't available, hence Kal taking one for the team and getting shite from all and sundry. (Not you)
 
jeffs right said:
Well then Massey shouldn't be playing and Lowe should be on the right. Naismith is third choice left back so shouldn't be playing. Roberts is down the midfield pecking order so shouldn't be playing. Cook does know better obviously. He will continue knowing better and lose his job by not using the resources he has been given by his paymasters.
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Naismith was only other left back that was fit,so not much choice there! Roberts always comes in and does a fair shift and never lets the team down!As i said to John picking on Roberts and Naismith is ridiculous as there were half a dozen worse than them tonight!
 
moonay said:
To be fair Exiled, I think he sees him as cover for LB, that's all. Pearce came with an injury, so wasn't available, hence Kal taking one for the team and getting shite from all and sundry. (Not you)
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Yes i agree but he has played the majority of his games for us at left back yet some on here seem to think the position is foreign to him! And certainly does not deserve the flak aimed at him once again!
 
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