Team for Stoke (and maybe Leeds) | Page 4 | Vital Football

Team for Stoke (and maybe Leeds)

So Robinson should have played.
Cook said quite clearly yesterday that he would be making 10 changes from Saturday annd that they were all playing for places for the Leds game,i would say after tonight none of those tonight will have forced there way in!!That is why Robinson did not play tonight!
 
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.

Substitutions showed how serious he was taking it, all about giving the youngsters the opportunity rather than throwing Moore and Jacobs onto try and get the equaliser.
 
No matter how how many times you play naismith at left back he will never be one ..... Up the pitch he is a bit better Didnt COOK try and get Lopez to play as a full back as well and we all know how well that went
 
Substitutions showed how serious he was taking it, all about giving the youngsters the opportunity rather than throwing Moore and Jacobs onto try and get the equaliser.
So if we got to the 3rd round a got utd or liverpool away would IEC not be happy
 
We would not have got past Leeds away in the next round!
Might not have but we would have a better chance than we have now If he wins the next two or three games he will be correct and i will be wrong ...... But leeds Boro and QPR IF i was him i think i would be looking over my shoulder as that would be 5 on the trot
 
Might not have but we would have a better chance than we have now If he wins the next two or three games he will be correct and i will be wrong ...... But leeds Boro and QPR IF i was him i think i would be looking over my shoulder as that would be 5 on the trot
Boro and QPR and certainly no better than Cardiff and those folk pinning their hopes for Cook to be sacked after losing those games may be disappointed!
 
Boro and QPR and certainly no better than Cardiff and those folk pinning their hopes for Cook to be sacked after losing those games may be disappointed!

I'm certainly not one of those folk pinning for PC to be sacked but a good cup run can mask a few dodgy league games u might have. Big example - Fergie on the brink of the sack going into a must win cup game - turns said match into a win n the rest as they say is......
 

For anyone that went was Dunkley as bad as the highlight's shown? First goal he run's into Sterling, whilst pushing him and effectively stopping him from challenging for the ball. Later he has a free header which for some reason he decides to dive at and knock's it straight down into a crowded box for a free shot on goal. Then near the end he has several yards on Campbell yet he gets in front of him for a free shot inside the six yard box. The reason i ask is because on Saturday that was one of the least competitive games of football i've ever seen, Preston had 16 shots and tonight Stoke had 24. What's worse though is that we only had 9 shots today and 12 on Saturday. Didn't go so can't comment but from the sound's of it, was another one sided game.

By the way i'm not trying to have a pop at Dunk's as i've said before he has all the tool's, he just doesn't use them effectively.
 
Bright Enobakhare looks reasonable and showed some skill - very quickly tired in the second half and should have been substitued earlier.
Dujon Sterling seems a little light weight.
Charlie Mulgrew , I can see why Blackburn let him go.
Jamal Lowe was only only one who looked likely to score for us
Joe Williams worked hard and I was impressed with him.

The youngsters (incl Lang) ran round quickly closing down but created nothing when they had the ball.
Jones, Dunkley. Roberts and Naismith all did okay but Massey was quiet.
 
Bright Enobakhare looks reasonable and showed some skill - very quickly tired in the second half and should have been substitued earlier.
Dujon Sterling seems a little light weight.
Charlie Mulgrew , I can see why Blackburn let him go.
Jamal Lowe was only only one who looked likely to score for us
Joe Williams worked hard and I was impressed with him.

The youngsters (incl Lang) ran round quickly closing down but created nothing when they had the ball.
Jones, Dunkley. Roberts and Naismith all did okay but Massey was quiet.

:agree:

Have to bear in mind Stoke put a strong (both on paper and physically), hardworking team out whereas a lot of our lads had not had much of a pre-season, had not played together before and a few of the younger lads looked like featherweight boxers up against heavyweights.

All in all it was a good, if not very entertaining, workout.

Can't agree with the comments we played players out of position. We played our second choice player in every position with the exception of Naismith, who had to step in as 3rd choice left back due to injury, and Roberts who played as what you might call 6th choice centre midfielder after Morsy, Evans, Macleod, Williams and Weir.
 
:agree:

Have to bear in mind Stoke put a strong (both on paper and physically), hardworking team out whereas a lot of our lads had not had much of a pre-season, had not played together before and a few of the younger lads looked like featherweight boxers up against heavyweights.

All in all it was a good, if not very entertaining, workout.

Can't agree with the comments we played players out of position. We played our second choice player in every position with the exception of Naismith, who had to step in as 3rd choice left back due to injury, and Roberts who played as what you might call 6th choice centre midfielder after Morsy, Evans, Macleod, Williams and Weir.
And of course that is what pre season was all about once, gelling as a team and getting match fit. How did we manage to fit two right sided midfielders in there then without playing one of them out of position?
But yes our dragging our feet and not putting a side together earlier enough will show on fitness and not knowing team mates. What's the reason for having such a big injury list already?
 
It was frustrating to watch because you could see that their wingbacks (particularly the one on the right) had so much space but it was allowed to happen all game. Our striker was also so isolated against 3 big centre backs that he stood no chance, I don’t think we won a header all night. I think we need to be able to adapt tactically during a game.

Williams played well and Bright was lively until he tired. Lowe was good going forward but didn’t track his man at all, perhaps he isn’t fully fit. I agree about Mulgrew, he looked pedestrian and doesn’t seem as though he’s the imposing centre half we’re crying out for.
 
:agree:

Have to bear in mind Stoke put a strong (both on paper and physically), hardworking team out whereas a lot of our lads had not had much of a pre-season, had not played together before and a few of the younger lads looked like featherweight boxers up against heavyweights.

All in all it was a good, if not very entertaining, workout.

Can't agree with the comments we played players out of position. We played our second choice player in every position with the exception of Naismith, who had to step in as 3rd choice left back due to injury, and Roberts who played as what you might call 6th choice centre midfielder after Morsy, Evans, Macleod, Williams and Weir.


Jamal Lowe is a predominately a right sided winger and has played out left twice now.

Agree with other comments re Stirling very lightweight and got brushed aside, I think Lang only touched the ball 3 times in total. It really was men against boys
 
Jamal out left last night and Jacobs on the right Saturday. For no reason whatsoever. Mad.
Two shots on target last night at home isn't a good stat either.
 
It was frustrating to watch because you could see that their wingbacks (particularly the one on the right) had so much space but it was allowed to happen all game. Our striker was also so isolated against 3 big centre backs that he stood no chance, I don’t think we won a header all night. I think we need to be able to adapt tactically during a game.

Williams played well and Bright was lively until he tired. Lowe was good going forward but didn’t track his man at all, perhaps he isn’t fully fit. I agree about Mulgrew, he looked pedestrian and doesn’t seem as though he’s the imposing centre half we’re crying out for.
That's why Blackburn got shut.
 
To be fair those moaning about us not looking a team and being disjointed what are you expecting? We haven't been a squad for long enough. So for those ridiculing others worrying about business being done late in the day this can be a knock on effect at times.

The business was great business we've been well backed by IEC but let's be real we've had next to no pre season. So if this is a way of lengthening pre season by starting new lads and having a look then so be it.

It was a glorified friendly for both clubs, don't crucify cook for taking a look at fringe players the game meant nothing to us or stoke, it was merely looking at the squad and seeing what's what.

But this happens if your slow to assemble a squad. Whether that's our fault or not nobody truthfully knows but I have suspicions we left it too late with hugil and then ran out of time. The recruitment team rescued the problem of their own making remarkably well.