v Stoke City (H) - Matchday Thread

[Anag Ram]

I’d just like you to know that I watched the game today and have absolutely nothing to say.

Good night to you.

[GrimsbyRam]

8 minutes ago, Dcfcsr92 said:

Awful sub decisions again! Wrong sub in the first half has lost us 2 points, it should of been ibe and then if he needed to sub because of fitness then fair enough! Whittaker isn't anywhere near good enough he needs a loan to league 1 

Really? Ibe? he still looks like he’s carrying two stone too much! We need a goal scorer. Sadly things won’t change until January at the earliest. We are a playing a lot more on the front foot and we are no longer the soft touch we were under Cocu

[sage]

27 minutes ago, hintonsboots said:

Surely as a back of a fag packet self styled forum philosopher, you do. ?

I take it you don't remember Mel Sage.

[RoyMac5]

1 hour ago, Nuwtfly said:

They are so poor. Can't believe they are where they are in the table if they play like that every week. We've dominated this half, but they haven't been up to much.

We made them look poor. Struggled to adjust after Lawrence went off. They came back into it 2nd half and we started to run out of steam. With a goal-scorer up front and a ref that was even-handed so we had our share of free-kicks, plus a bit better luck when nearly getting to the 2nd ball in the box...

A good, solid performance. They were no pushovers.

#COYR

[Ruud Aralliss]

9 minutes ago, Xlor said:

I've the same view. We could have ronaldo up front and still not score. We just dont create anything and for all his efforts, I hate to see jason knight at 10. The starting 11 is just too defensive/safe.

I reckon, if we had Ronaldo up front we would score.  That’s just me though.

[Ramarena]

12 minutes ago, Ellafella said:

2 surely? ?

Yes complete brain failure 

[Gee SCREAMER !!]

12 minutes ago, brady1993 said:

Its just a really bad message to send to a squad with fragile confidence And using an academy player to make that example with is atrocious management.

I don't think so- if you don't do the job designated you don't play . Seems fair enough .  Whittaker replaced Lawrence because the full back was actually a centre half playing out of position.  He had no pace at all and the idea must have been to keep occupying him with more pace than Waghorn has. He kept coming inside and didn't put in a cross. After 35 minutes of doing this and continually being out of position and offering no width  he was taken off.  He's not playing in the academy today.

[RoyMac5]

10 minutes ago, LeedsCityRam said:

Another 2 points thrown away. Stoke were poor but are also injury-hit.

So injury hit ... they've a squad of a couple of hundred players!

[Philmycock]

6 minutes ago, B4ev6is said:

It was a clear pently

 

Dived like a fish

[Carl Sagan]

34 minutes ago, Ramarena said:

How'd he look in his brief cameo Carl? My internet started playing up just before he came on so didn't really see it.

Didn't see the game. Only occasional "highlights" on Sky Sports News. None of which featured our Jordon.

24 minutes ago, NottsRam77 said:

U mean the kid that missed that free hit from 6 yards out the other day ?

no knocking him ... but natural born finisher ?? Not sure about that so early in his career with nothing at first team level to suggest he is 

For comparison , whitiker who looks the bomb in the u23 as we all know got hauled off today from being subbed on ... 

let’s just remember what a big step up it is from u23 football before we start heaping our hopes on another unproven kid 

not having a pop just think it’s reaching for the stars a bit 

Free hit? Stretton was the kid who actually charged into the box, was running at pace, hit the ball as it came across him and beat the keeper all ends up, with the shot rebounding off the bar. Not a bad effort when you have a handful of minutes. Stretton lives to score goals. His record in the U18s and now the U23s shows that. Whittaker is a talented, skillful player and a good striker and I like him a lot, but he's not a "goalscorer" in the same way. 

[strawhillram]

3 minutes ago, Ruud Aralliss said:

I reckon, if we had Ronaldo up front we would score.  That’s just me though.

Ronaldo scores when he wants anytime and anywhere

[Spanish]

8 minutes ago, B4ev6is said:

It was a clear pently

 

Nope

[ramsbottom]

28 minutes ago, jono said:

But you have to admire him making what must have been a hard decision. It was doing something and when it didn’t work, admitting your mistake, taking action to correct it.

it’s really tough on Morgan but he needs to learn from it. The team is bigger than a player or the manager. 

Admittedly it shows balls to admit your mistake and correcting it. But on the flip side, with more experienced players on the bench, why put him on in the first place?? Whittaker was that slack in parts that we were pretty much playing with 10 men...

[Mucker1884]

5 minutes ago, brady1993 said:

It'd be bad if it was a senior player never mind an academy, in fact I doubt it would have happened to a senior player. 

He needs results but 1) it didn't change the result today and 2) right now the way to get results heading the wrong direction is building confidence in the squad, dragging off an academy player after 20 mins is basically saying "1 mistake and you're off " it gets players playing with fear and is completely the wrong thing to do.

I understand and respect your sentiment, but firstly, you now have hindsight in your armour (It didn't change the result, on this occasion).
Secondly, it wasn't 20 mins, it was 36 plus 1st half added time, so let's round that up to twice what you state!  (On at 33 mins, off at 66mins, according to BBC).  That's more than enough time to assess any first team professional footballer, and decide whether they are making a positive impact or not. 

Thirdly, he isn't an academy player any more.  This is a man's world, now!  He's on a wage, and must be seen to be earning it (Figuratively speaking of course, seeing as we are talking footballer's wages!)

Fourthly, I lost count of how many on here were calling for Whittaker to be taken off.  Maybe we should all be held accountable for Whittaker's confidence, should it prove to take a battering?  (I hasten to add, I wasn't one of them, but that's because I know nowt about football, not because I feared upsetting anyone!)
I did however, predict that Rooney may well have the testicles to make such a (admittedly difficult) decision, only to be proven right a couple of pages later.  I thank him, and applaud him, in equal measure, for that!

Rooney will retain or lose his job due to his decisions, and his decisions alone.
If we get relegated by 2 points, will it be because he failed to beat Stoke at home, or because he brought a sub on, then off again?  

 

[Marriot Ram99]

I think a points fair, could have won. Unlucky move to the next. We dont have much quality and the ref didn't help but as long as we keep grinding out some results even if they are draws it could certainly be worse. 

[Comrade 86]

31 minutes ago, Mucker1884 said:

What do we want?
More edging.

[hintonsboots]

12 minutes ago, sage said:

I take it you don't remember Mel Sage.

Sorry mate , I just presumed you were a virtuous person, apologies for my misinterpretation. Yes Mel and Bruce were two of my favourite full backs.

[Gone]

31 minutes ago, Chris_Martin said:

honestly don't think a goalscorer will change that much as we just aren't creating enough. We desperately need creativity. 

I look back at Lampards season and he played Dave Nugent up front for the first 6 months of the season. We didn't struggle scoring goals because we had the creativity. 

Don't think the 4-2-3-1 helps as it's quite defensive but on the other hand it's important we don't lose anymore games. 

Yeah maybe and I agree 4-2-3-1 is and awfully dull formation. I don’t think CKR will score anywhere near the goals Nudged did however. We need a goalscorer or two 

[Mick Brolly]

14 minutes ago, B4ev6is said:

It was a clear pently

 

Nope ref got it right. 

[BIllyD]

2 minutes ago, Carl Sagan said:

Didn't see the game. Only occasional "highlights" on Sky Sports News. None of which featured our Jordon.

Free hit? Stretton was the kid who actually charged into the box, was running at pace, hit the ball as it came across him and beat the keeper all ends up, with the shot rebounding off the bar. Not a bad effort when you have a handful of minutes. Stretton lives to score goals. His record in the U18s and now the U23s shows that. Whittaker is a talented, skillful player and a good striker and I like him a lot, but he's not a "goalscorer" in the same way. 

I have played many many football matches, and missed a lot easier opportunities than that one, however you dress it up though, it was a very bad miss.
 

Not saying he is or isn't a natural goal scorer, not seen enough of him, but if he has to be on the pitch a certain amount of time to score chances like that, he is going to face a problem in his career and I'm sure not an excuse he would use. Hopefully he can make that step up when his time comes, but it is a big step.