I’ve just been looking at the Championship table and it makes for interesting viewing.
Only Bristol City have won their last five games and there’s only one club, Brentford, who have won four out of the five.
So it’s definitely a very topsy-turvy league, as many have said, where anyone can beat anyone.
Which is a good thing and exactly how it should be, in my opinion.
The reason I was looking, was to give me some basis on my total guess of how the game might go.
And before I looked, I was working on the assumption that we’d lost before we kicked off.
So imagine my surprise when I found that Stoke’s record is actually worse than ours. At least we managed to beat Ipswich, while Stoke were held to a draw, albeit away.
And then, after reading that Saido Berahino has been arrested for drink-driving, I read today that Liam Lawrence, the Stoke legend(?) has said that he’s hearing some horror stories about Stoke’s players.
There’s no doubting that Lawrence wants Berahino sacked and I saw their manager suggesting that the player is a bad ‘un and he only wants “good people” at the club.
Which all suggests that Stoke are in quite a bit of turmoil, which sounds a bit familiar, doesn’t it?
So maybe things are looking up for us when it comes to this game?
On Stokes’s side, Berahino will surely not be available, but defender Tom Edwards may be, after a head injury.
As for us, we’re still without James Chester and Jack Grealish, but that’s no real surprise.
Kalinic is also doubtful after his head injury, but the main news is that John McGinn serves the first of his two match ban.
And it’s that latter part that concerns me.
What’s a midfield without McGinn going to look like?
If Dean Smith goes with Jedinak, Whelan and Hourihane, well, you just can’t see any pace or inventiveness at all, can you?
Maybe El Ghazi will come in and play a number 10 role?
I’d say he has the tools in his locker to do the job and it might even suit him, as he is skilful. But he hasn’t really looked the part lately, along with many of our players.
Maybe Smith will go with a couple of kids to up our energy levels, but I’m not convinced, as he might see this as a game which we’d be looking to win, to get our season rolling again. And experience is the way to go.
I’m afraid I think that any team that is going to lose to us will have to be incredibly poor.
And if they can put even half a decent game together, I’d expect us to be beaten.
With that, I’m going to predict a 1-1 draw, but it’s more in hope than expectation.
Yes, I think we’re really that poor a team at the moment.
I strongly suspect we’ll lose, I’m afraid.
What the hell was that cross from Hause then.
I think he looks ok today, but bloody hell, that was shocking.
Bruce’s Sheffield Wednesday are winning 3-0.
el ghazi best chance blazed high and wide / bruce doing well at sheff wed
Think Bents granny would have scored there…..
HT.
What a relief.
Only another 45 mins of that crap to watch.
Have you got game via a stream or AVTV? I used to be able to watch on kodi but it doesn’t work anymore. Probably for the best! 🤔
AVTV via a VPN, Holte.
Not the cheapest, but I can get every game, reliably.
No shots on target.
I propose we now play a 5-3-1-1 formation for the rest of the season and play for 0-0 whilst trying to sneak a goal with long balls to Abraham. The one in the hole is merely a decoy and will sit in front of the back 9 to protect the defence. 🙂
Nine or eight – I assume there is a gk in there somewhere 🙂
On a less silly note – Badger, who has taken over from Hutton as captain – Mings?
much better start of the second half
Not sure, Hitch.
You don’t really think I can watch this too closely, do you?
Yet another ball massively over-hit.
We continuously shoot ourselves in the foot, because of this.
It’s almost like we’re playing against ourselves and it’s horrendous to watch.
Absolutely nothing is working for us.
And Adomah scores after excellent work from El Ghazi out on the left.
A bit of a pacey run and a properly weighted ball.
Hoo bloody ray!!!
we scored made by el ghazi and adomah finished it off. we will win this game
Butland saves a header from Abraham!
Come on lads!
Stoke player slides in on Adomah and does himself. Groin, I think.
Stoke looking dodgy. and we’re dominating atm.
I’ve never understood why you have 3 of our players around the ball for a free kick.
Surely that’s two players taken out of a scoring opportunity?
Elmohamady gives the ball away far, far too easily then.
Why do we keep doing this?
It’s bryond me.
Green on for Adomah.
green for another late goal ??
You never know, but I doubt it.
Butland saves from a Mings header!
FT.
1-1
I’d probably have accepted that before the match especially after going behind.
I didn’t see the match and I only want to know if we showed some fight.