Rival Watch

[Hound]

I look at Stoke’s side and do wonder where it’s all gone wrong. It’s a top 10 squad at absolute minimum

It's not that good. I guess Baker is a decent player but Powell is always injured, Gayle's getting no service, their centre back pairing has a combined age of 73 and their squad is bulked out with young loan signings.

I'm being slightly facetious but how many of their players would say you'd definitely wanting our team?

Their back 3 were aged 29, 24 and 23?

Souttar is very good, I’d still have Laurent, Baker, Campbell and Brown should be a decent strike force. Powell is quality but as you say forever injured. Delap supposedly rated though very young still

They should be doing better than they are. Wouldn’t say play offs but shouldn’t be down the bottom. Maybe had more injuries than I’d noticed

[Franchise FC]

I look at Stoke’s side and do wonder where it’s all gone wrong. It’s a top 10 squad at absolute minimum

It's not that good. I guess Baker is a decent player but Powell is always injured, Gayle's getting no service, their centre back pairing has a combined age of 73 and their squad is bulked out with young loan signings.

I'm being slightly facetious but how many of their players would say you'd definitely wanting our team?

Baker and Tymon, but that’s probably about it. Maybe Powell as well.

Have they got Pumba and Simba ?

[Hound]

I look at Stoke’s side and do wonder where it’s all gone wrong. It’s a top 10 squad at absolute minimum

It's not that good. I guess Baker is a decent player but Powell is always injured, Gayle's getting no service, their centre back pairing has a combined age of 73 and their squad is bulked out with young loan signings.

I'm being slightly facetious but how many of their players would say you'd definitely wanting our team?

Baker and Tymon, but that’s probably about it. Maybe Powell as well.

Guess they probably wouldn’t be looking at our side and wishing they had the likes of Baba and Hendrick either

[YorkshireRoyal99]

It's not that good. I guess Baker is a decent player but Powell is always injured, Gayle's getting no service, their centre back pairing has a combined age of 73 and their squad is bulked out with young loan signings.

I'm being slightly facetious but how many of their players would say you'd definitely wanting our team?

Baker and Tymon, but that’s probably about it. Maybe Powell as well.

Guess they probably wouldn’t be looking at our side and wishing they had the likes of Baba and Hendrick either

No, but they have a recent history of looking/wanting to take players off us. Besides, they shouldn't really be looking at players like ours if it's deemed their side is top 10 minimum.

I'd probably only take Souttar, Tymon and Campbell from their side. Of course many other players they have would make good options for us to compete for a place, but in terms of players you'd expect to start for our side, those are really the only 3 I'd have.

[Hound]

I’d definitely take Laurent or Baker over Hendrick without a second thought.

[Zip]

I’d definitely take Laurent or Baker over Hendrick without a second thought.

Baker > Laurent > Hendrick.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Baker probably, I wouldn't have Laurent over him personally. Opinions differ I suppose. Either way, 4 players from their squad that I'd say get into our side and Souttar is probably better than both clubs right now as well.

[Hound]

Baker probably, I wouldn't have Laurent over him personally. Opinions differ I suppose. Either way, 4 players from their squad that I'd say get into our side and Souttar is probably better than both clubs right now as well.

4 players min who improve our side = a team who should be top 10 really. Not sure they’d take any of ours over theirs - maybe Loum/Carroll at a push

[From Despair To Where?]

Baker probably, I wouldn't have Laurent over him personally. Opinions differ I suppose. Either way, 4 players from their squad that I'd say get into our side and Souttar is probably better than both clubs right now as well.

4 players min who improve our side = a team who should be top 10 really. Not sure they’d take any of ours over theirs - maybe Loum/Carroll at a push

Ince?

Seriously, though Joao when he's on his game is as good as anything they've got, arguable Meite as well. Obviously we're not seeing it from either this season. Gayle has pedigree at this level but has the princely total of 0 goals from 20 appearances. Joao has more goals than Campbell from fewer appearances.

Stoke have scored fewer goals than us. That suggests a serious lack of creativity in midfield.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Baker probably, I wouldn't have Laurent over him personally. Opinions differ I suppose. Either way, 4 players from their squad that I'd say get into our side and Souttar is probably better than both clubs right now as well.

4 players min who improve our side = a team who should be top 10 really. Not sure they’d take any of ours over theirs - maybe Loum/Carroll at a push

Would probably say Holmes, Joao, Meite, Ince and Loum get into their side at the moment. I'd probably argue Yiadom, Carroll and even Lumley as well to be honest as I don't think their goalkeeping situation is especially good.

Again, as mentioned, Joao and Meite haven't been firing to the levels we know they are capable of, but can do more than what their forwards can on their day in a suited system.

[Stranded]

Stoke could well end up in big trouble - 1 win in 8 at home including defeats to Rotherham and failing to beat Cardiff. Of course, we head there as their next opponent.

[Hendo]

Charity FC will no doubt strike again

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Stoke could well end up in big trouble - 1 win in 8 at home including defeats to Rotherham and failing to beat Cardiff. Of course, we head there as their next opponent.

Birmingham are quietly sliding down the table as well. 6 points isn't a massive gap, but still comfortable for now particularly with there still being plenty of teams sitting below them.

Don't think either them or Stoke will be in massive trouble, but could just use a couple of wins to bolster their points tally and steer clear.

[Hound]

Just spotted Wigan have lost their last 3 matches 4-1. Not great

[Stranded]

Just spotted Wigan have lost their last 3 matches 4-1. Not great

New manager bounce.

[tidus_mi2]

Not overly surprised at Kolo Toure not doing well, overall a bizarre appointment, surely you need someone with experience when you're battling at the bottom?

[URZZZZ]

I’d definitely take Laurent or Baker over Hendrick without a second thought.

Don’t quite agree with that, Laurent is a headless chicken with very little discipline and was part of an appalling midfield that was cut open time and time again last season. He started very well here but he was a passenger last season, one of those who looked busy without doing anything

Overall the midfield could still be doing a lot better but there’s much more of a structure, balance and discipline to it this season and I do think Hendrick does a lot of work that gets unnoticed. He does spend too many games on the periphery however and on occasions has made an unacceptable amount of passes for a central midfielder but he’s doing fine overall

Said in the summer that Laurent, Rinomhota and Swift wouldn’t be missed too much and its looking likes it’s standing true. One is struggling to break into a pretty awful Cardiff team, another one a pretty poor Stoke team and the other has had a pretty poor time at West Brom, although it sounds like he’s improving since the change in manager

[URZZZZ]

Not overly surprised at Kolo Toure not doing well, overall a bizarre appointment, surely you need someone with experience when you're battling at the bottom?

Why do people assume that’s the only way forward? For contrast, look at Rosenior at Hull, doing a fine job there

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Not overly surprised at Kolo Toure not doing well, overall a bizarre appointment, surely you need someone with experience when you're battling at the bottom?

Why do people assume that’s the only way forward? For contrast, look at Rosenior at Hull, doing a fine job there

Yeah, easy to say in hindsight, but I actually thought it was a decent appointment for them really and there are plenty of examples of inexperienced Championship managers who have resurrected clubs from relegation, Jose Gomes with ourselves for example (could even include Bowen). I know they are a bit different as they are more experienced managers/coaches in general but, the point still stands.

Obviously it doesn't look as if it's going to plan but he will need time and has a window now to try and get in players of quality, ultimately, I'd hardly put it down to just poor management, but also it's just a squad lacking quality in general really. Who knows, they might make a U-turn and survive yet, they are hardly cut adrift.

[Mr Angry]

Not overly surprised at Kolo Toure not doing well, overall a bizarre appointment, surely you need someone with experience when you're battling at the bottom?

Why do people assume that’s the only way forward? For contrast, look at Rosenior at Hull, doing a fine job there

One could argue that, with Derby last season, Rosenior HAS the experience of fighting in a relegation battle, a battle they very nearly won.

Personally, although I never warmed to him as a player when he was with us, he has begun his Managerial career pretty well given the clubs he has been involved with, and its good to see younger English/British managers getting a chance rather than the recruitment of yet another journeyman European that nobody has heard of (for which I would argue there are far more failures than successes).