FA Cup Semi Final - Wembley

[seanworth]

Stoke midfield >>>>>> West Ham midfield

I don't think it does personally.

Stoke's midfield yesterday consisted of Delap and Whelan. Parker, Noble and Hitzlesperger are infinitely more talented.

Stoke's strength is their size and strength both at the back and up front allied with Delap's throw ins and set pieces. I think our midfield will be fine no matter who plays. The key will be whether we can take our chances up front. Davies and Elmander score one for every ten misses.

The crucial difference between Stoke and West Ham's midfield is not ability (West Ham are better by a fair margin) it's the will to win. In fact, that difference goes right through both sides.

We're still better than the pair of them, by the way.

Stoke are much better managed and more organized that West Ham and thus will be much tougher to beat.

[Zulus Thousand of em]

Agreed.

[Prufrock]

There'll also be four in Stoke's midfield as opposed to West Ham's bizarre three, with three out and out strikers just stuck up front. Central midfield ain't the key next week, Muamba and MD or Muamba and Elmo is better than Delap or Whelan, the key is the wide boys. Both in an attacking sense, getting in behind them, as whilst their big lads are strong units who will eat up straight long balls, they aren't the quickest or most agile, and defensively as an outlet stopping Stoke doing what we used to do under Allardyce, and pinning teams in their own box. Hopefully the big pitch will help with that. Thankfully Chungy looks fresh and Petrov seems to be hitting form at the right time. Jones, the useless lump, looks dangerous for them atm though.

Worth noting Stoke have only won twice away from the Britannia this calendar year, albeit both in the FA cup. A bout of early week optimism means I've got us down for being the favourites, just. Later in the week it will be nervous doom and gloom!

[Lord Kangana]

An interesting parallel to the West Ham game is that Stoke play 4 centre halves across the back. WHU played Tomkins at fullback to counter Davies. They found Petrov. It might be worth encouraging him and Lee to run with it a bit.

[William the White]

There'll also be four in Stoke's midfield as opposed to West Ham's bizarre three, with three out and out strikers just stuck up front. Central midfield ain't the key next week, Muamba and MD or Muamba and Elmo is better than Delap or Whelan, the key is the wide boys. Both in an attacking sense, getting in behind them, as whilst their big lads are strong units who will eat up straight long balls, they aren't the quickest or most agile, and defensively as an outlet stopping Stoke doing what we used to do under Allardyce, and pinning teams in their own box. Hopefully the big pitch will help with that. Thankfully Chungy looks fresh and Petrov seems to be hitting form at the right time. Jones, the useless lump, looks dangerous for them atm though.

Worth noting Stoke have only won twice away from the Britannia this calendar year, albeit both in the FA cup. A bout of early week optimism means I've got us down for being the favourites, just. Later in the week it will be nervous doom and gloom!

Aye - and Pennant and Etherington both capable of giving us a feckin hard time - as they did at the reebok...

[Tombwfc]

There'll also be four in Stoke's midfield as opposed to West Ham's bizarre three, with three out and out strikers just stuck up front. Central midfield ain't the key next week, Muamba and MD or Muamba and Elmo is better than Delap or Whelan, the key is the wide boys. Both in an attacking sense, getting in behind them, as whilst their big lads are strong units who will eat up straight long balls, they aren't the quickest or most agile, and defensively as an outlet stopping Stoke doing what we used to do under Allardyce, and pinning teams in their own box. Hopefully the big pitch will help with that. Thankfully Chungy looks fresh and Petrov seems to be hitting form at the right time. Jones, the useless lump, looks dangerous for them atm though.

Worth noting Stoke have only won twice away from the Britannia this calendar year, albeit both in the FA cup. A bout of early week optimism means I've got us down for being the favourites, just. Later in the week it will be nervous doom and gloom!

I've heard a few times about Stoke being poor away from the Britannia, but we're deceptively shit on the road too (to be fair, the fact that we're something of an unstoppable juggernaut at home doesn't get mentioned much either - we've managed one point less than Arsenal in home games). We've two away wins in the league to go with our three in the cup, making it six for the season, same as Stoke. We've taken 11 points away overall to their 10. Last season they took five points more than us from away games.

It really is toss a coin time.

[Montreal Wanderer]

The frightening thing is we will probably go in as favourites (better league position, score more goals, etc.) which is on the road to being domed. I'm not sure who the bigger playing surface will favour - Lee/Petrov should love it, and I suspect overall we may have more team speed. Yet they have some useful forwards too. Perhaps those long throws won't reach the box... It should be a great day and we'll see who are destiny's darlings.

[TANGODANCER]

The frightening thing is we will probably go in as favourites (better league position, score more goals, etc.) which is on the road to being domed. I'm not sure who the bigger playing surface will favour - Lee/Petrov should love it, and I suspect overall we may have more team speed. Yet they have some useful forwards too. Perhaps those long throws won't reach the box... It should be a great day and we'll see who are destiny's darlings.

They will. Wembley pitch is only a metre or so wider than ours and three metres longer. Won't affect much. Might even fly faster in all that pure southern air.

[TKIZ!]

Let's hope not

[William the White]

We've two away wins in the league to go with our three in the cup, making it six for the season, same as Stoke. We've taken 11 points away overall to their 10. Last season they took five points more than us from away games.

It really is toss a coin time.

Sorry - can you add that up for me again?

[Lord Kangana]

1 against Southampton int'other cup.

[Tombwfc]

We've two away wins in the league to go with our three in the cup, making it six for the season, same as Stoke. We've taken 11 points away overall to their 10. Last season they took five points more than us from away games.

It really is toss a coin time.

Sorry - can you add that up for me again?

Yeah, it's five-a-piece.

Unless you count us winning at Southampton (and why wouldn't you, it was an away win) which I'd forgotten about.

So to conclude, we've won six away games this season, and they've won five. May 14th beckons.

[Armchair Wanderer]

We've two away wins in the league to go with our three in the cup, making it six for the season, same as Stoke. We've taken 11 points away overall to their 10. Last season they took five points more than us from away games.

It really is toss a coin time.

Sorry - can you add that up for me again?

Yeah, it's five-a-piece.

Unless you count us winning at Southampton (and why wouldn't you, it was an away win) which I'd forgotten about.

So to conclude, we've won six away games this season, and they've won five. May 14th beckons.

I'm sure it's the same for Stoke, but for us despite injuries we seem to be firing on all cylinders. The whole club is all geared up for Wembley. A nice win at the weekend then heading down to Wembley. If ever there was one game where we'd put on a performance it'll be this game.

I think the expression is "domed"!

[LiOC]

I think this match will be proper close. I don't think it matters about playing style, pitch size, crowd size or form it just genuinely goes down to who wants it more on the day.
After watching Davo at Brum and at Wet Spam I think as long as he's as up for it again (and lets face it, he should be, he's captain in an FA cup semi for God's sake) he could win it for us. But then again, this is through rose tinted specs...and they have a decent team too.
Either way, lets hope this year is truly the year of the underdogs and make sure those mancs don't get this cup!

[HMX]

Some rate cocks http://oatcakefanzine.proboards.com/ind ... ead=157169" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Lord Kangana]

To be fair, theres plenty on there who have nowt against us and recognise us as similar clubs.

You're always gonna get some Premier League JCL's that think ticket sales are important. We even had a balloon of our own going on about it.

[HMX]

I just get sick of hearing it. Newcastle and WHU fans I can deal with - I expect no better

[Lord Kangana]

You're going, aren't you?

[HMX]

Sure am. Just the dick measuring gets annoying.

[Lord Kangana]

We had less against Reading. If my memory serves correct, we had more against Liverpool. Shit happens. But I'd prefer a repeat of the former to the latter.