The 2011/12 Gary Speed Memorial Thread

[Gazz]

Looks like Best may have been a yard or two offside for that goal but to be honest, Stoke deserve to be down if that's how they're going to defend. Also did I hear the commentator say "Ryan Taylor has an effort with his unfavoured right foot" - surely Taylor is right footed?

And I bet Sky are hating the mic'd up Stoke fans at the minute with the Demba Ba abused being dished out at the minute.

Raylor is two footed.

Ba 2-0!

[Summers]

Steven Taylor channels Cody Rhodes.

[TCO]

Sensational performance so far. Barring a major fuck up we're going 3rd, ahead of Chelsea after 10 games, that's insane.

I did laugh at Ryan Taylor's "unfavoured right foot" comment. The lad has one of the best right feet in the league and the commentator knew fuck all and just went left back = left foot!

[IAceI]

Can definitely see why that penalty was given, but it was a typical strikers tackle in the box really. A defender like Collocini probably would have made it seem a bit more inconspicuous and got away with it, but a great conversion from Walters from the spot.

Time for my favourite part of a match. James Perch time! What wonders await?

[Crybaby Bunting]

Ba Ba, black sheep, have you any goals? Yes sir, yes sir, three nets full!

[Summers]

Ref couldn't wait to even up the pens.

Stoke weren't good enough to deserve anything though. A central midfield of Delap and Whelan isn't good enough at this level to be honest.

[Cymbols]

Remember when the Geordies said they were gonna struggle without a big name striker?

[Dont Fear The Reaper]

Tony is going to have to make some much needed signings in January. We have to beef up our attacking options in the form of a creative midfielder to play alongside Palacios when he returns and also a new Winger who can aim the ball at our target men

[Colly]

Well that was comfortable.

[Lineker]

Delap must be approaching 47 by now, no? He's been playing forever.

[MDK]

35, so Wiki says.

[Adam]

I don't watch many Stoke games so it's a genuine question, is Delap just in the team for throw-ins now?

Well I was well off the mark, but I'm actually really looking forward to going to the game on Saturday now, absolutely cannot wait.

[Colly]

Have to stick the old forum filters on, but from what I've read from Stoke fans that's all he offers, and many seem to be sick of an immobile and unused central midfield that Danny Guthrie managed to contain.

Have to say I was highly amused at Pulis getting annoyed at the wait for Ryan Taylor to jog across the pitch, get a towel, then throw in the ball that led to the penalty. Silly towels.

[Matt]

I wouldn't say Delap's awful or anything but if he didn't have such a long throw, he wouldn't be in the team.

[IAceI]

The good thing about Newcastle's display was that they pretty much contained Stoke's only gameplan. While I don't think much of Steven Taylor as a player or a human being, his set piece defending is pretty solid so he was invaluable in the match - plus anyone who plays in fancy dress is just hilarious.

Coloccini is basically two defenders anyways, so any short comings Taylor may have, Coloccini just sweeps them up and Stoke's long ball game is his bread and butter. Crouch was never going to get the best of Coloccini on an account of Coloccini actually being good and Crouch differing between brilliant first touches and the ball bouncing off his head in seventeen different directions for the most part. Not to mention Crouch can't actually jump.

Gutierrez dropped deep on the left so he and Ryan Taylor were essentially doubling up Pennant, Stoke's best attacking option in terms of crossing the ball and taking players on. With Pennant out the game and Etherington wasn't up to a great deal either, Stoke were pretty toothless in attack.

Then Newcastle would just rob Pennant of the ball/intercept the pass to Crouch or Walters/or allow Krul to collect from throw-ins and corners - and then just smash Stoke on the break. Best may not be brilliant but he's still ten times faster than any Stoke defender, Obertan has pace to burn and looks like a player now that he's getting regular games and Ba has always been a supremely talented player (he was fantastic for Hoffenheim when there with Obasi, Ibisevic but West Ham pretty much dragged his name through the mud).

For players with the mobility of Wilson, Wilkinson, Huth, Woodgate, Upson, Shawcross - seeing players of that pace charging are you must be pretty worrisome, especially when Delap and Whelan are your covering players. Stoke just didn't stand a chance.

Credit to Pardew, he said he was coming with a gameplan and it worked to a tee; and he exposed Stoke's shortcomings and Pulis' lack of a second plan and got the job done. I still think Newcastle's penalty was a bit odd, Best seemed as confused as anyone else, but on the whole 1-3 was probably about the right result so it didn't really do any harm.

Stoke must be hating the North East teams right now. 7-1 on aggregate so far.

Edited November 1, 2011 by IAceI

[Colly]

Absolutely right. A combination of good centre halfs and intelligently closing out Pennant meant that the only way Stoke were getting anything was through a percentage hoof or set piece dropping luckily. Allardyce football...

Best part is a lot of our fans have been clamouring for Obertan to be dropped in favour of Marveaux, but as the ultra pacy outlet to leave up when Stoke have a corner or throw in he was superb.

Seen some criticism of the ref elsewhere regards the penalties, no idea why as they were both nailed on for me, blatant pushes. I'd say they were stonewall, but I actually know what the word means.

[IAceI]

Newcastle's penalty wouldn't have seemed so clear had Best jumped, as Huth was expecting and probably just trying to get leverage. Which, while not exactly legal is the norm in the game (although that's a different debate to have really.)

It speaks more about Best that he felt someone behind touch him and instantly decided to bend over.

[Colly]

I'd say it says more that Best tried to stay up and play while Crouchy ended up on his face as he seems to be after most crosses these days.

[HailtotheYo]

Cena plays for Stoke ?

[Plubby]

He does not (if image lets me direct link it)