Stoke City - Nottingham Forest

[Username]

It's going to be OK. Tough game tonight, but I believe we will match them. Result will be tight. Get the clean sheet lads, the rest will look after itself then. COYRs.

But for Grabs weird decision we would gave got the clean sheet. I watched the game and then when my daughter returned at 10pm ended up watching it again (I know I should get a medal).. 

What struck me was that watching it in real time I was worried every time Stoke came forward, but their defence all looked like giant Des Walker Kenny Burns composites when we went forward. Then when I sat through the repeat I could see that we were much better than7th placed Stoke across 90 minutes.

Even in the 1st half we were actually the better side, putting in dangerous crosses, forcing their huge centre backs into errors and desperate clearances. Also, there was a handball that would have been given by VAR no doubt. Another stupid goal undid all the good work and got us all fuming about what was actually a solid 1st half (check the comments if you can be ar$ed.)

Second half was one way traffic basically. This brings  me to Knockeart. I am his biggest critic, but for all his ball greedy sh1t lazy play and poor decisions,(and the fact he should have been sent off again) he does also conjure up moments of sheer quality. The goal being an obvious one, plus deadball delivery was on the money too. He attracts defenders (at which point I wish he would pass..) and can smash it with that left foot. Never motm but maybe if he gets into a rhythm he may be useful...

A mention for Worrall who on second viewing looked a class above. Any neutral scout not biting finger nails every time the opposition attack Forest  (as we supporters tend to especially this season) can not have failed to be impressed. In the current climate it will be tough to hang onto him. Compared to the "highly rated" young Stoke CB (Collins?), their Aussie and Chester, Worrall was head and shoulders above them (at times literally). To think they had Shawcross on the bench too!  

Early days, but that's 2 solid games from Figuerado, maybe he has come out of his slump in form too.

We could / should? have won against a side in 7th spot. 4 games unbeaten. I'm feeling more positive than for a while. Hughton is slowly turning this oil tanker around...

Now if only Grabban had headed the f@cker....

How many times will we get conned by these players starting to play toward the end of their loan / contract?

As a club we’re absolute suckers

[zicorice]

It's going to be OK. Tough game tonight, but I believe we will match them. Result will be tight. Get the clean sheet lads, the rest will look after itself then. COYRs.

But for Grabs weird decision we would gave got the clean sheet. I watched the game and then when my daughter returned at 10pm ended up watching it again (I know I should get a medal).. 

What struck me was that watching it in real time I was worried every time Stoke came forward, but their defence all looked like giant Des Walker Kenny Burns composites when we went forward. Then when I sat through the repeat I could see that we were much better than7th placed Stoke across 90 minutes.

Even in the 1st half we were actually the better side, putting in dangerous crosses, forcing their huge centre backs into errors and desperate clearances. Also, there was a handball that would have been given by VAR no doubt. Another stupid goal undid all the good work and got us all fuming about what was actually a solid 1st half (check the comments if you can be ar$ed.)

Second half was one way traffic basically. This brings  me to Knockeart. I am his biggest critic, but for all his ball greedy sh1t lazy play and poor decisions,(and the fact he should have been sent off again) he does also conjure up moments of sheer quality. The goal being an obvious one, plus deadball delivery was on the money too. He attracts defenders (at which point I wish he would pass..) and can smash it with that left foot. Never motm but maybe if he gets into a rhythm he may be useful...

A mention for Worrall who on second viewing looked a class above. Any neutral scout not biting finger nails every time the opposition attack Forest  (as we supporters tend to especially this season) can not have failed to be impressed. In the current climate it will be tough to hang onto him. Compared to the "highly rated" young Stoke CB (Collins?), their Aussie and Chester, Worrall was head and shoulders above them (at times literally). To think they had Shawcross on the bench too!  

Early days, but that's 2 solid games from Figuerado, maybe he has come out of his slump in form too.

We could / should? have won against a side in 7th spot. 4 games unbeaten. I'm feeling more positive than for a while. Hughton is slowly turning this oil tanker around...

Now if only Grabban had headed the f@cker....

How many times will we get conned by these players starting to play toward the end of their loan / contract?

As a club we’re absolute suckers

True. In Knockearts case though (and I cant believe I am sort of defending him) he is still in his prime physically and was the best player in the Championship a few seasons ago. If he can get close to being that player (and  there were signs last night-alongdie what Hughton said in his interview about him) then he can help get us up the table before the loan expires.

Wouldn't keep him though unless he truly rips it up consistently by end of Jan. (Or did I read 16th Jan somewhere? ).
You are right though about loans. Funny how Christie has looked like a footballer too recently...

[wassy04]

It's going to be OK. Tough game tonight, but I believe we will match them. Result will be tight. Get the clean sheet lads, the rest will look after itself then. COYRs.

But for Grabs weird decision we would gave got the clean sheet. I watched the game and then when my daughter returned at 10pm ended up watching it again (I know I should get a medal).. 

What struck me was that watching it in real time I was worried every time Stoke came forward, but their defence all looked like giant Des Walker Kenny Burns composites when we went forward. Then when I sat through the repeat I could see that we were much better than7th placed Stoke across 90 minutes.

Even in the 1st half we were actually the better side, putting in dangerous crosses, forcing their huge centre backs into errors and desperate clearances. Also, there was a handball that would have been given by VAR no doubt. Another stupid goal undid all the good work and got us all fuming about what was actually a solid 1st half (check the comments if you can be ar$ed.)

Second half was one way traffic basically. This brings  me to Knockeart. I am his biggest critic, but for all his ball greedy sh1t lazy play and poor decisions,(and the fact he should have been sent off again) he does also conjure up moments of sheer quality. The goal being an obvious one, plus deadball delivery was on the money too. He attracts defenders (at which point I wish he would pass..) and can smash it with that left foot. Never motm but maybe if he gets into a rhythm he may be useful...

A mention for Worrall who on second viewing looked a class above. Any neutral scout not biting finger nails every time the opposition attack Forest  (as we supporters tend to especially this season) can not have failed to be impressed. In the current climate it will be tough to hang onto him. Compared to the "highly rated" young Stoke CB (Collins?), their Aussie and Chester, Worrall was head and shoulders above them (at times literally). To think they had Shawcross on the bench too!  

Early days, but that's 2 solid games from Figuerado, maybe he has come out of his slump in form too.

We could / should? have won against a side in 7th spot. 4 games unbeaten. I'm feeling more positive than for a while. Hughton is slowly turning this oil tanker around...

Now if only Grabban had headed the f@cker....

How many times will we get conned by these players starting to play toward the end of their loan / contract?

As a club we’re absolute suckers

True. In Knockearts case though (and I cant believe I am sort of defending him) he is still in his prime physically and was the best player in the Championship a few seasons ago. If he can get close to being that player (and  there were signs last night-alongdie what Hughton said in his interview about him) then he can help get us up the table before the loan expires.

Wouldn't keep him though unless he truly rips it up consistently by end of Jan. (Or did I read 16th Jan somewhere? ).
You are right though about loans. Funny how Christie has looked like a footballer too recently...

Shows how bad our previous loans were as I don't remember any of them doing this!  :D

[ThePromisedLand]

Knockaert has 1 game left before his loan ends.

[zicorice]

Ha maybe everyone should watch the games twice. I said at HT that I fancied us for something out of the game and we'd played fine. I think everyone's emotions are running high but we're playing OK. That said the league table does still look quite intimidating, we do really need to start turning this draws into a few wins.

We seem to have settled on a shape/starting 11 too which is good. Get Mckenna back in, mighten in for Ameobi and thats probably our best team. 

Anyway we'd have won if Cafu had just scored that sitter in the last minute. 

Worrall is a class above though agreed, maybe we should start criticising him aggressively to put opposition scouts off

Its been hard enough watching most of the games once this season!!!

[Joe Baker Legend]

true.