MATCHWATCH : Stoke City (a)

[Bristol Paul]

Pretty poor, didn’t physically compete and just too many players having an off day. Still, point away at Stoke isn’t bad.

[Sutekh]

Now 270 minutes of utter cr@p at Stoke. Worth going up just to avoid the league games there.

[CountryRoyal]

Frustrating performance, not much in it but second best and never really turned up. Still, a clean sheet and point away at Stoke isn’t a bad result but performance left a bit to be desired.

Will need to up it massively on Wednesday.

[tidus_mi2]

Would take an away point against Stoke and they are one of the draw specialists of the division. Big big game on Wednesday, it's both our game in hand and against Brentford in ridiculous form. If we can win that we're well in the hunt for an automatic spot.

[Snowflake Royal]

They're a decent spoiling team.

Playing exactly the right defensive line against us. Organised. Big, quick and physical, giving us no time or space on the ball.

They're the archetypal mid-table side. Horrible to play against, a couple of dangerous players, but rather one dimensional and blunt.

Think a point away is a perfectly decent result.

Sorry lads I think they're one dimensional shit.

10th. P27, F32, A29. Was anyone really expecting a much different game?

[Royal Ginger]

Bleugh game. Stoke shaded it but 0-0 is probably still right.

[alfie9]

oxf*rd embarrassing performance and a lucky point. Everyone ahead of the back line should be oxf*rd ashamed.

[Zip]

We did improve in the final fifteen but didn’t do enough to win the game. We were poor for most of the game. It’s a decent point and with all the teams outside the top six failing to put any kind of run together we look rock solid for top six.

Brentford is going to be very tough. They are absolutely flying.

[Zip]

I thought both TMac, Morrison and Holmes did very well today. Not too many others can be happy with how they performed.

[Hound]

I thought we were quite good last 20. Definitely the better side second half, though we were rubbish first

Frustrating as if we’d started like we ended we’d have won, but despite their form Stoke obvs a tough nut to crack

Interesting day in that all the PO chasers lost - could have put a huge gap between us and 7th, but a point still helps

Brentford clearly going to be one hell of a hard game though

[bcubed]

I thought both TMac, Morrison and Holmes did very well today. Not too many others can be happy with how they performed.

Agreed
TMac especially - he's looking more and more confident and composed each game he plays

[leon]

Playing exactly the right defensive line against us. Organised. Big, quick and physical, giving us no time or space on the ball.

They're the archetypal mid-table side. Horrible to play against, a couple of dangerous players, but rather one dimensional and blunt.

Think a point away is a perfectly decent result.

Sorry lads I think they're one dimensional shit.

10th. P27, F32, A29. Was anyone really expecting a much different game?

Not from them no. They’re shit as I keep telling you.

[TiagoIlori]

That was a good 90 minutes sleep.

[Hound]

I thought both TMac, Morrison and Holmes did very well today. Not too many others can be happy with how they performed.

Agreed
TMac especially - he's looking more and more confident and composed each game he plays

Yep him, Morro and Holmes had good games. Rafa tidy and calm with the ball

Rino and Laurent had poor first halves and good second

Not too much else to get excited about. Meite looked lively

[hughsies no.1]

Take a point, far from our free flowing attacking best but a clean sheet at Stoke in tough conditions with a number of teams around us dropping points - that’ll do. Meite caused problems when he came on.

The kids on Twitter calling the performance a disgrace need to get in the bin and remember how far we’ve come in the last 5 months, every game isn’t going to be like last Friday vs Bournemouth.

Big game Wednesday - still think Brentford will win league at canter but will great to see what Pauno has in store for the game.

Up the Royals

[Hound]

0-0 away to Stoke in the snow and rain isn’t bad all in tbh. Will take the positives - another game unbeaten and 3 goals now conceded in 7

[Zip]

Brentford 13 goals in their last 3 games. Wednesday will be the acid test for us.

[yuomi]

Played much better than that against them when they beat us in November.
8 - Rafael, Holmes, Morrison, TMc
7 - Richards, Laurent,
6 - Olise, Ejaria, Rino, Yak
5- Swift, Joao
N/A - Aluko

Credit Stoke for keeping up the pressure, they clearly identified Richards and Ejaria linking up as a danger and piled in. Joao was exiled up top and that brought on a huff. Plenty of stuff he should have chased he didn't and vice versa.

Ref was predictably awful, but on the foul throw thing, is it me or have our throw ins been bad for a while? They're always a bit hit and hope and can't retain possession from them >50% of the time at most.

[loyalroyal4life]

Brentford 13 goals in their last 3 games. Wednesday will be the acid test for us.

Take a draw now!

[Hound]

Played much better than that against them when they beat us in November.
8 - Rafael, Holmes, Morrison, TMc
7 - Richards, Laurent,
6 - Olise, Ejaria, Rino, Yak
5- Swift, Joao
N/A - Aluko

Credit Stoke for keeping up the pressure, they clearly identified Richards and Ejaria linking up as a danger and piled in. Joao was exiled up top and that brought on a huff. Plenty of stuff he should have chased he didn't and vice versa.

Ref was predictably awful, but on the foul throw thing, is it me or have our throw ins been bad for a while? They're always a bit hit and hope and can't retain possession from them >50% of the time at most.

Thought Joao played ok actually. Almost got us something a couple of times up top against two big physical CBs

Would move him up to 6 and Rafa to 7 and otherwise same ratings