I think Gus got it spot on this weekend

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

On what PLANET did any of you actually fancy our chances against Stoke? Seriously?

This is a team who compete (and beat) teams like Man City, Arsenal etc etc and play against them week in week out. We play Hartlepool and Carlisle. Notice the difference anyone? Anyone?

Add to the fact that the FA Cup IS Stokes season. Lets face it they aint gonna get in Europe any other way.

f*** sake. GET REAL.

 

[Finchley Seagull]

It's not meant to sound like that, if you see my last sentence it does say we would have got beat however we played..

I just get the hump that so many fans on here can't believe that just maybe Gus is not God and that occasionally it's ok question whether he has got it wrong. I am apparently somewhere between ridiculous and mental for daring to disagree and suggesting that playing tippy tappy football was not the best way to play against a team like Stoke. Oh well mentally ridiculous it is then, possibly better than being a sheep

I am sorry but can't you see that your comments are ridiculous. As has been said, we simply don't have the players to compete with Stoke at their own game so to suggest that we were wrong not to do that is ridiculous. It is not that I think Gus is perfect, it is just I can't believe somebody would think that we should actually have tried to beat Stoke at their own game, considering the two teams. What should Gus have done? Gone and got 5 loan players who are all 6 foot 5 for this one match?

 

[Bwian]

Disagree, I think to a large extent we were beaten before we got onto the pitch. Leaving aside the team selection everybody knew what Poyet's view on the Cup was and consequently the players knew that this wasn't a game where they were expected to lay down their lives for the cause. With a different (i.e. 'better') attitude from the management that was a match where we could have got at least a draw. Orient did it, and they were playing a better side, even f***ing CRAWLEY nearly did it.

The big difference between us, Crawley and Orient is next season we have a £93,000,000 stadium to fill on a regular basis and we're sitting on top of the league and bang on target to pretty well fill the place. A couple of injuries to key people and all of the club's plans could go tits up. I was at the game on Saturday and have no issues with the team that Gus put out. It was clear that Stoke had another gear to shift to if needed whereas we at our limits. A cup run can be fun but as Leeds found out, it can almost derail a promotion push. Bring on the title this season, we'll have more cup runs.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Excellent.
Long may this myth persist about Gus being naive, as he naively guides us into the Championship, with his naive tactics.

I am perfectly comfortable with this perception.

Oh and this. Someone like Allardyce plan B would be aimless hoofs get it to the big man, pick up the knock downs etc etc.

 

[Marc]

On what PLANET did any of you actually fancy our chances against Stoke? Seriously?

This is a team who compete (and beat) teams like Man City, Arsenal etc etc and play against them week in week out. We play Hartlepool and Carlisle. Notice the difference anyone? Anyone?

Add to the fact that the FA Cup IS Stokes season. Lets face it they aint gonna get in Europe any other way.

f*** sake. GET REAL.

I thought we'd WIN and I had us to win 2-0 at Bet365





purely because thats the score I got in FIFA11 on friday

 

[Finchley Seagull]

Big Sam certainly felt Gus was naive and another "expert" said that we don't seem to have a Plan B
back to this week 4 points from 2 games keeps us on track

Big Sam is a long ball manager who said one line about our play on the ITV highlights show. Hardly the most insightful pundit, is he? Also, we do have an option for going a bit more direct in Chris Wood now but he was injured along with a number of other players. I think it is fair to say Gus didn't take the first two rounds seriously and question him for that but I don't see any reason to criticise him for the last 3 games. Stoke were just better than us and, as has been said elsewhere, were probably the worst team for us to draw due to their style of play and the fact that they played their strongest team.

 

[Icy Gull]

I am sorry but can't you see that your comments are ridiculous. As has been said, we simply don't have the players to compete with Stoke at their own game so to suggest that we were wrong not to do that is ridiculous. It is not that I think Gus is perfect, it is just I can't believe somebody would think that we should actually have tried to beat Stoke at their own game, considering the two teams. What should Gus have done? Gone and got 5 loan players who are all 6 foot 5 for this one match?

We got thumped, we hardly even competed. But we did look pretty after we were blown away by three goals. Fair enough sorry for even bringing up that just maybe it wasn't the way to play. One eyed NSC gotta love it

 

[Finchley Seagull]

From reading this and the other threads I think I'm the only person to be REALLY gutted and pissed off today. Most people, as expected, are saying "ah well, mustn't grumble, worse things happen at sea, every cloud has a silver lining, Cup wasn't a priority" etc etc etc. But I think we've blown a real and genuine opportunity to make a bit of history, something this club has never really done before. Bollocks. Bollocks. Bollocks.

Ah well, I'm sure if I try I'll enjoy yet another 'vital' third division game against Plymouth f***ing Argyle where it will be 'really important' that we get three points.

So if I gave you two options, an FA Cup semi final and not going up or getting knocked out by Stoke and going up, what would you go for? Yes, the two aren't mutually exclusive and there is no guarantee we will go up now but winning against Stoke would have meant yet another game in our packed schedule. Anyone who thinks we would have won the cup this season with Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City, Everton, Villa etc still in it is seriously deluded.

 

[Finchley Seagull]

We got thumped, we hardly even competed. But we did look pretty after we were blown away by three goals. Fair enough sorry for even bringing up that just maybe it wasn't the way to play. One eyed NSC gotta love it

How is it one eyed. You have yet to explain how our team could have competed on a physical level with Stoke. The first goal was a careless one to concede and that pretty much won them the game. That wasn't down to tactics, it was down to poor decision making.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

How is it one eyed. You have yet to explain how our team could have competed on a physical level with Stoke. The first goal was a careless one to concede and that pretty much won them the game. That wasn't down to tactics, it was down to poor decision making.

Even Gus said you can prepare and practice etc and the players knew and felt they could deal with it. Then the reality happens and its just completely different.

Men AGAINST boys. All Stokes players were 6ft 1 or MORE. Even Pennant has a massive afro to get a few inches. f*** sake we are a THIRD DIVISION team and Stoke are sitting in the top half of the Prem.

 

[Finchley Seagull]

Even Gus said you can prepare and practice etc and the players knew and felt they could deal with it. Then the reality happens and its just completely different.

Men AGAINST boys. All Stokes players were 6ft 1 or MORE. Even Pennant has a massive afro to get a few inches. f*** sake we are a THIRD DIVISION team and Stoke are sitting in the top half of the Prem.

Exactly. When teams like Arsenal go there and struggle (even lose some games) we were never in with a chance, especially given that they played almost their full team and we had a number of players out injured/cup tied. I really don't understand how anyone could say we missed our chance either as it was a really tough draw.

 

[Brovion]

So if I gave you two options, an FA Cup semi final and not going up or getting knocked out by Stoke and going up, what would you go for? Yes, the two aren't mutually exclusive and there is no guarantee we will go up now but winning against Stoke would have meant yet another game in our packed schedule. Anyone who thinks we would have won the cup this season with Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City, Everton, Villa etc still in it is seriously deluded.

As you say they're not exclusive but if I have to choose - Cup semi-final. With the new ground on the horizon this is the only season in history where it doesn't matter where we finish in the league, everyone wants to go to the Amex. Witness all the binfest ticket threads with people moaning about the +3s, and the fact that no one has said that the club are 'stupid' in holding STH presentations now "as we don't know what division we'll be in."

And I don't think I'm 'deluded' in thinking we could have WON the sodding thing. Yes it's a long shot but with top clubs playing weaker sides the prospect of going away to somewhere like Man U isn't as scary as it sounds, look how well Crawley did and I think we're better than them. A couple of wins over 'distracted' and/or weakened premiership sides and then a final against a team with half an eye on the Champions' League .... DON'T tell me it couldn't happen. (I must admit now I know how sheebo feels when everybody slags of England's chances of winning a major competition!)

Anyway, it's all academic now, but I'll be interested to see what all the people who've been saying "forget the Cup this year, promotion's the main thing" will be saying next year if we do get the consolation prize of promotion out of the 3rd division. My guess is that most of them will still be saying "Forget the FA Cup, it's vital we don't get relegated." or even maybe, "Forget the FA Cup it's vital we get promoted to the Premiership."

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Promotion from this division as a consolation prize ?

Ah well.

 

[Brovion]

Promotion from this division as a consolation prize ?

Ah well.

Compared with winning the FA Cup - yes. It's funny, I remember during the 2006 World Cup you thought England had a real chance of winning and I thought you were a bit deluded. The boot's on the other foot now a bit!

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

So not only did you think we could beat Stoke but that we could WIN the FA Cup if Poyet took it "seriously"!!!!

Can I have what you are taking. Its sounds GREAT!!!

 

[pasty]

On what PLANET did any of you actually fancy our chances against Stoke? Seriously?

This is a team who compete (and beat) teams like Man City, Arsenal etc etc and play against them week in week out. We play Hartlepool and Carlisle. Notice the difference anyone? Anyone?

Add to the fact that the FA Cup IS Stokes season. Lets face it they aint gonna get in Europe any other way.

f*** sake. GET REAL.

Most sensible post on this thread.

 

[Icy Gull]

You have yet to explain how our team could have competed on a physical level with Stoke.

Being in their faces rather than trying to "football" them off the field when the passing game patently wasn't working because we were being chased down ourselves. To use an old cliche - to have any chance of beating a bully you have to fight him, a bit of ballet dancing isn't gonna do it

I'm not saying we should have won, or that we should have played differently but dissing any opinion other than your own is a bit dull imo and that happens too much on this site these days.

 

[Icy Gull]

Compared with winning the FA Cup - yes. It's funny, I remember during the 2006 World Cup you thought England had a real chance of winning and I thought you were a bit deluded. The boot's on the other foot now a bit!

I think you could be as out on a limb with that one on here as I am with suggesting Gus might have been a bit naive on Saturday

 

[Thunder Bolt]

So not only did you think we could beat Stoke but that we could WIN the FA Cup if Poyet took it "seriously"!!!!

Can I have what you are taking. Its sounds GREAT!!!

Agreed.

 

[Brovion]

So not only did you think we could beat Stoke but that we could WIN the FA Cup if Poyet took it "seriously"!!!!

Can I have what you are taking. Its sounds GREAT!!!

It is! It's called 'Dreaming the impossible dream', sometimes goes under the trade name of 'The Magic Of The Cup' or 'Romance'. Some call it 'wildly and stupidly optimistic". But no, I don't think we could have won the Cup "if Poyet had taken it seriously", but certainly his negative attitude didn't help.