Stoke City vs Manchester City - Post Match Thoughts

Charlie Adam impressed, willing to take shots on goal from distance

On the surface of the game, any neutral football supporter, peering at the results and seeing a 0-0 scoreline between Stoke City and Manchester City, would assume a dominant performance from the title challengers, and Stoke to be hanging on for dear life. Whilst it was not to this extreme for either team, Stoke City certainly put in a performance that merited praise from pundits across the country. Manchester City had made several changes from their last league game against Hull, most likely with their midweek game against Viktoria Plzen. Joleon Lescott, Fernandinho, Jesus Navas, Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Edin Dzeko were all dropped from the team in favour of Javi Garcia, Jack Rodwell, James Milner, Stevan Jovetic, Samir Nasri and Alvaro Negredo. On paper, it could be considered that City replaced great players with great players. However, the sheer number of changes seemed to disrupt the Citizens as despite keeping nearly 58% possession in the game, there were few penetrating passes for Stoke's defence to deal with. Ryan Shawcross and Robert Huth, despite the latter being knocked unconscious towards the end of the game, marshalled the defence manfully, tackling when required, yet doing the simple things the right way as well. Early in the first half, Shawcross, one-on-one with Negredo had the choice to close his man down, or to stand off him and invite a shot. He chose the latter, knowing his goalkeeper would be able to save any shot from that distance, and positioned his body correctly so that it would fail to cause Begovic any trouble. In the second half, with the ball at his feet and Manchester City forwards closing him down, he managed to play the ball out and the resulting forward moves created a chance for Stoke. Huth on the other side of the pitch proved why he is considered an unstoppable force, throwing himself into a clearing header moments after recovering consciousness after two or three minutes out cold on the pitch. This defensive solidity allowed Stoke to threaten more than their Manchester counterparts, the Potter's troubles coming from a lack of clinical finishing. Jon Walters was culpable of missing the best chance of the game, although Kenwyne Jones and Steven Nzonzi may look away from any television set when showing highlights of the chances they had to grab a goal in the game.

Shooting practice is in order for the midfield passing maestro

The introduction of Marko Arnautovic, as well as Stephen Ireland, promised much in the remaining 20 minutes of the game, yet an injury to Kenwyne Jones seemed to force Mark Hughes's hand when perhaps he had other ideas in mind regarding his final substitution. Arnautovic showed glimpses of his ability, being confident enough on his debut to take a free kick (sending it into row Z though) and forcing a good save from a surging cross into the box which deflected goal-wards off Matija Nastasic. He could have even stole the game for Stoke in the final touch of the game with a late effort that rippled the top of the net and had supporters of the Potters dreaming of a famous Britannia Stadium victory. Stephen Ireland had less impact in the game than what I had hoped for, but he did show how he is willing to prove his critics wrong, running into tackles and showing a good work ethic when trying to recover possession, even if his creative output was ultimately limited. I feel that for now, the bench is the best place for Ireland to start his Stoke City career, but in the months ahead, I believe he will prove to be a valuable starting player, once his fitness and form have improved. He linked up well with Kenwyne Jones, and later Peter Crouch, performing the role of a number 10 efficiently, if not effectively.

Has promise, but don't expect too much too soon from him

After four games, it is worthwhile to look at how Stoke have set up at this early stage in the season. The shape that the team takes is fairly similar to that was employed by Tony Pulis, with a man in the hole supporting a lone striker. However, Mark Hughes has adapted his tactics to suit this system, employing Jon Walters to play this role, despite being positioned on the right of the three man forward line. Walters has a free role when attacking, getting as close as possible to Jones or Crouch to react to their flick ons, whilst Geoff Cameron is given license to bomb forward and offer himself on the right wing. When this happens, this is where Marc Wilson's role in the team becomes evident, offering cover for any attacking full-backs, shifting to auxiliary right or left back if the space is left bare when the opposition counter attack. This change in tactic allows Stoke to carry as many players forward as possible when attacking, whilst not risking defensive solidity at the back. Ireland's introduction yesterday though showed that whilst we have a plan A, we also have a plan B, with Ireland taking over Walters's free role in the hole, and allowing the team more solidity by not breaking shape when attacking. With next Sunday's game with Arsenal in mind, I would not be surprised to see this plan B being utilised at some point during the ninety minutes, with Arsenal's threat on the counterattack greater with the introduction of Mesut Ozil.

Away from the Brit - Fight for Seventh:

After four games, the decision on who to back for the top of the pile, outside of the traditional top six, is getting harder to decide. Here is a list of those, excluding Stoke City, who I think have a chance of being the top of the rest of the league.

Newcastle:

Despite only making one signing, on loan, this summer, they have a fairly good squad and a good fan base. Their final league position will come from how Alan Pardew uses his resources. Whilst they are not my favourites to be the top of the pile, they are a team that should not be underestimated.

Norwich:

Norwich have made quite a few signings this summer and so far they have had a few disappointing results, but after the Stoke City game in a fortnight's time - my bias showing here sadly - I believe they will be a really tough team to play against, that no team will fancy playing. A top ten finish should be a priority for the club in my opinion considering the money they have spent this summer.

Southampton:

Despite there only being considerable outlay on four outfield players, Southampton have strengthened their team by bringing younger players James Ward-Prowse and Callum Chambers into the first team, whilst the additions of Victor Wanyama and Pablo Osvaldo, to name two, add experience to the squad. The Saints supporters will be hoping for a top ten finish, although after recent results, they may be willing to settle at the moment to just get around the top ten.

Everton:

The clear favourites for the fight for seventh, yet will they do it? The only doubt that they will do it comes from the change in management, as the signings that the club has made can only strengthen the group they already had. As long as the passing style of football that Roberto Martinez is trying to implement does not destabilise the group, they could even go beyond the top seven, if any of the predicted top six slip up.

Swansea:

Another of the clear favourites for the top seven spot, after finishing in the top ten last season. The doubt that they have over whether they will achieve this target is whether they can combine playing in the Europa League and compete in the Premier League. If they can, they have a team and style of play that is hard to beat, whether you are a top of the table team or relegation contender.

Aston Villa:

Like Newcastle, they had a rough season last season, but unlike their North East counterparts, they have strengthened their team significantly, although the majority of players are unproven in the Premier League. If their defence, which at times last season was a leaky as a tap, can be more solid, they have a chance of causing a surprise or two this season with a star striker like Christian Benteke up front.

Away from England - Belgium:

Courtois, Witsel, Benteke, Dembele, Kompany, Vertonghen,
Alderweireld, De Bruyne, Hazard, Mertens, Vermaelen
Belgium's Bright Future

It won't have escaped everyone's attention, but Belgium should be considered one of the favourites for the World Cup in 2014. Despite having players such as Kompany, Benteke and Hazard as regular starters, there are some who can't even get into the starting eleven on a regular basis, such as Romelu Lukaku, Simon Mignolet, Kevin Mirallas and Tottenham new boy Nacer Chadli. They have a wealth of talent in their squad and in their squad to play Scotland, only four players still plied their trade in their homeland. Kevin Kilbane wrote recently about how Ireland should follow Belgium's example and try to hone Irish player's talents before they depart for foreign shores and get lost in a Premier League team's U21 squad. If only England could do this. Ireland and Belgium are aware that their native leagues are not the strongest, but the English Premier League cannot use this as an excuse. We have to not just create good English players, but play them. Perhaps we could follow this blueprint of developing our younger players and sending them out on loan to foreign shores, getting them used to continental football, with less pressure to win and succeed, preparing them for playing without inhibitions in future years.

Quick Snippet:

Pulis and Reid, Stoke's best league finish when both worked in tandem

From the two snippets I have seen of Tony Pulis and Peter Reid on 'Goals on Sunday', I can see why they made such a good partnership in the 2009/10 season. What I noticed was that whilst Pulis would offer his opinions quite freely on Stoke or England, when Reid jumped in, it was with a worthwhile point. This also worked the other way round as well with Pulis challenging Reid's opinions. The general consensus from Stoke supporters is that Dave Kemp, Stoke Assistant Manager for the majority of our Premier League stay until May 2013, he was unwilling to challenge Pulis in the dressing room. Based on how Pulis and Reid interacted with one another, you can see that Reid was unlikely to be a yes man, but more so if he had a point, Pulis listened. It makes you wonder what could have happened if Reid had not gone on to manage Plymouth. Could the two have made greater history for the club than what Pulis achieved on his own?

God Save Our Team?

Rightfully annoyed, Danny Welbeck

It was not a yellow card, he should not be suspended for England's next game against Ukraine, but the reaction to Danny Welbeck's booking has been over the top to say the least. I like Welbeck as a player, and he will be missed like any player in the England squad. However, in that left-sided forward position, we have James Milner, Raheem Sterling, Ashley Young and potentially Andros Townsend if we were desperate. This is not the crisis that the media would have us believe.

Two goals, two caps, what more can he do?

One of the reasons I believe this is because of the early season form that Rickie Lambert is showing. In an ideal world, we would not want to be playing a two cap player in a crucial qualifying match. However, with two goals from those two caps, I feel optimistic that Lambert will do a job for England, and hopefully help the team to the win. Although they are different in many ways, Lambert and usual England number ten, Wayne Rooney share a common asset: strength on the ball. Supporters crave pace in their team, but strength is something that should never be underestimated as a player who can hold onto the ball can compensate for a group of players who aren't as zippy as we would like. However, with a speedster like Theo Walcott alongside him in attack, Lambert can be a crucial player in any England counter-attacks on Tuesday night.

My England XI

Moving away from the game against Ukraine, and the following two against Montenegro and Poland, what is the best team England can field at the moment? After Greg Dyke's recent comments, it got me wondering about whether England do have a team capable of winning, or at least progressing in a tournament. Based on the team last night, I'd argue that the weakest area of the side is defence, with Phil Jagielka being the weakest link. Whilst a dependable player for Everton, I do not think he can handle the best that the world can offer. I argue this by saying that Manchester City were in need of a centre-back this summer, yet instead of looking towards Jagielka, a player who has previously formed a great partnership with Joleon Lescott, they went for unproven Premier League player Martin Demichelis. Whilst he has experience in Europe with Bayern Munich and Malaga, the fact that City targeted him over an English player such as Jagielka suggests that the club do not believe he can cut it with the best in the world, which is where they are aiming to be. For this reason, in my England XI, I have not included Jagielka. I would include him in my 23 man squad for a tournament, but he would not be a starter. I include Phil Jones based on his physical presence on the field, reminding me at times of Robert Huth in that he can become an imposing defender, leaving a mark or two on a forward by the end of the ninety minutes. Whether he gets to this standard by the end of the 2013/14 season is another question, but he has the potential to be great. Also in my XI, I have also placed Leighton Baines as the left-back over Ashley Cole, largely due to this younger age plus his attacking qualities from open and set play are far greater than the Chelsea star. If we were 119 minutes into a game, veering on penalties, and we had a set-piece, there is no one I would trust more to take it than Baines, which is impressive for a left-back! Cole is certainly not a wasted player, but I would prefer to choose youth and attacking options from defence, rather than reliability and security from Cole in this team.

Oxlade-Chamberlain, England's hope, not Jack Wilshere

One of the inclusions I have imposed on this XI is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, a player who I believe can add great versatility to England's starting XI, when fit again. Whilst known as a winger, he has also played well as a central attacking midfielder, and also as part of a midfield three for Arsenal in the Champions League. This means that in any given game, Chamberlain can be moved to allow versatility amongst the other three forward players. If Chamberlain wants to play central, Danny Welbeck can drift out wide, or Wayne Rooney, to pull players out of position and allow Chamberlain space. Theo Walcott has stated that he wants to play as a striker more often than a winger, so in games if he wants to play closer to the forward, Chamberlain or Welbeck can cover his position on the right and maintain the team's width, without any loss of quality. These four forward thinking players can inter-change with ease, creating unpredictability which could challenge world class defences on their day. With two quality midfielders of Gerrard and Wilshire's quality, the supply would be there for the forwards, and defensively, the team would not suffer with having all of these players in the same team. Whilst Roy Hodgson will most likely have all of these eleven players available to select at some point in the next few months, I will be surprised if this team gets selected at any point as he may veer away from having so many attack-minded players in his XI for the World Cup and beyond.

Deadline Day Done!

Shaky ball skills already!

One of the most tedious transfer sagas came to a close on Monday, 2nd September, 2013: Gareth Bale to Real Madrid was completed. Another 'dream move' was finalised, out of the pockets out the English tax-payers it should be noted. Fantasy Football moves like this aren't nice when facts like this come to light, that's for certain. Did Real Madrid need Bale? Did Arsenal need Mesut Ozil? Or did Manchester United need Marouane Fellaini? All three are probably no. Prior to Madrid's purchase of Bale, they had one of the most lethal front lines in world football in Di Maria, Ozil, Ronaldo and Benzema. With new signing Isco and young talent Alvaro Morata waiting in the wings, did they really need to buy Bale? No. It is true that Kaka leaving did complicate team planning, in that they were about to lose a once world player of the year. However, as Kaka's reason for leaving was a lack of playing time, it begs the question again: why sign Bale? The answer is simple. An egotistic owner wanting to puff out his chest and claim to the world his team is the greatest, whilst borrowing money to do this.

The signing they wanted, but needed?

The signing of Bale appears to have been the last straw for Mesut Ozil who left for Arsenal in a fairly bizarre transfer. I can understand why Ozil would want to leave. In fact I think most of world football can understand this. But two things are incomprehensible. First of all, why did Real Madrid sanction the sale of the player who their star, Cristiano Ronaldo describes as "the player who best knew my moves in front of goal," for any price, let alone the £42.5 million quoted. The other question is why would he go to Arsenal when they were not in need of midfield playmakers, or number 10s. As allured to, the transfer of Marouane Fellaini was confusing for the same reason. Whilst Fellaini does possess attributes that the current midfield players at United do not, he does not possess the qualities they were desperate for, notably creativity. Manchester United will benefit from having Fellaini, just as Arsenal will benefit from having Ozil, but why they went to their respective clubs is baffling.

Quick Stoke Snippets:

Stoke's new number 10. As unpredictable as Ricardo Fuller?

Stoke have signed a maverick player, but without seeing him yet, the way he uses his talent will be interesting to see. Marko Arnautovic, a player who José Mourinho described as having the attitude of a small child, will offer Stoke more attacking options, but his off-field issues concern me. Whilst I hope they are in the past now as he appears to be settled with his family, and they are all moving to England with him, I hope during the duration of his four-year contract I see him more on the back pages than the front of the local newspaper.

Ireland, part of Villa's 'Bomb Squad'.

The player I am more excited to see is Stephen Ireland. I feel that the position Charlie Adam has held in the team for the opening two or three games is not competitive enough and the signing of Ireland will either bring the best out of Adam, or it will allow us to play a better player in the position, in Ireland. I will admit that I am already fed up of hearing in the media of how excited Ireland is to be at Stoke, ready to stick "two fingers up" to his critics and show the supporters what he is capable of. I'm glad that he is ready and willing to play and fight for a position in the team, but until next Saturday, I want him to just buckle down, stay away from reporters, and crack down in the hope of getting in the matchday squad to play Manchester City. For me, this is an important game. At the moment, there is no team I dislike more than Manchester City, and this also coincides with my first appearance at the Britannia this season. Singing "We'll be with you" in front of a television set doesn't feel the same as belting it out alongside 27,000 other supporters, and for this reason I cannot wait. Bring on Manchester City, and to my fellow Potters, let's grab another unfancied three points.

West Ham United vs Stoke City - Post Match Thoughts

Played three, won two, lost one. Considering the loss was against a Liverpool side that today beat last season's champions, I don't think Mark Hughes will be losing sleep over those three points lost. Especially when we have gained six after crucial wins from Crystal Palace and West Ham United.

The winning goal, what a beauty!

In the five years Stoke City have been a Premier League Football Club, we have not been adventurous away from home, notable for sending a reserve team to play at the Mestalla in our most prestigious Europa League game in 2012 against Valencia. This lack adventure by our previous manager was also compounded by heavy losses on the road in our first four seasons in the top division, including a 4-0 loss to Sunderland, two 5-0 losses, one each to Bolton Wanderers and Manchester United, plus a 8-0 loss to Chelsea that will haunt Asmir Begovic still when thinking of his Stoke City debut. It is fair to say that those supporters who I admire the most, the away supporters, have had a fair share of bad games to endure across the last five years. Whilst this is not an article aimed at criticizing Tony Pulis's record at Stoke City, the change of style that Mark Hughes has implemented since taking over at the Britannia Stadium was clear to see in this dominant away performance.

Jones taking a shot against West Ham

Stats found via BBC Sport at http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23822679

Where we have failed in the first two games, we shone against the Hammers, dropping Peter Crouch for Kenwyne Jones being a decisive factor. Whilst he did not get on the score-sheet, his presence up front allowed the side to impose themselves onto West Ham, compared to Crouch whose preferred method of playing involves bringing the ball down and spraying it around. Jones compared to Crouch is harder to bully on the field, hard for experienced defenders such as James Collins to shake off the ball, yet he still has a good knack for moving the ball into open space at the right time to offer players an opportunity to score. This shows in the improved number of shots we took during the game, based on the two games we have played at West Ham since they gained promotion. Last season, we had 12 shots compared to the 15 we had in yesterday's encounter. Crucially though, we restricted West Ham yesterday to 9 shots, none of them on target. Considering last season 'The Hammers' had 16 shots and 11 of them were on target, I believe Stoke's defensive unit deserve credit for keeping West Ham so quiet. What Kenwyne excels at as well, although it is disputed by some supporters, is his ability to hold onto the ball and win the ball back. Crouch lacks mobility on the ground, looking isolated up front and does little to involve himself in play when the ball is not in his team's possession. Jones on the other hand chases the ball - crucially, more frequently than Crouch does - to the extent that at one point in yesterday's game he chased a ball back to the full back position and won a throw-in for Stoke. Little things such as this helped Stoke to dominate the game, explaining our advantage in possession (54%) compared to last season (46%).

Whelan in action against Walsall

As a team we improved when the two substitutions were made. Glenn Whelan impressed in midweek against Walsall and was unlucky to be dropped for the game, but his presence calmed the team down when West Ham were just starting to try and put a bit of pressure on the Stoke defence. At the same time, Jermaine Pennant came on, and the two of them were involved in the goal. Whelan, fouled by Mohamed Diame, won the free kick from with Pennant dispatched with aplomb, curling it over the wall and into the top right corner. Arguably one of the best free kicks you will see this season with the short distance from the point of kick and the goal line.

Pace, but threat?

The only change I would have liked Mark Hughes to make would have been to bring Oussama Assaidi on for his league debut after playing 45 minutes against Walsall. Like a few Stoke supporters, I am still iffy about what Assaidi can offer the team, but what is undeniable is that he has tricky footwork that can beat a man, and he has raw pace. If he can shoot and score is a question left to another day, but at the end of the game, a goal up against a team pushing for an equaliser, I would have liked Assaidi come on just to pressure Guy Demel and/or Joey O'Brien for the remaining minutes of the game. After a two week break from league football, perhaps we will have a new chance to see what Assaidi has to offer against Manchester City.

Away from the Brit - Rule Britannia?

One goal wonder? Or could it be two in two?

Watching England play has become a bit more of a chore than a way of enjoying football. I do love my country and I love the idea that a player such as Ryan Shawcross, or Rickie Lambert even can play for their country after impressive league performances. The standard of some of the performances in recent internationals though have been poor. Sloppy goals have been conceded, Big-Time Charlies playing instead of Reliable Robins, they're just a bunch of common reasons why people don't tune in to watch England play anymore.

From Everton to England in three games

Besides my love of football and that I watch it whenever I can, the main reason I watch the internationals is to see how the team is shaping up. I like it when younger players such as Danny Welbeck, Daniel Sturridge, Phil Jones and in the case of this call-up, Ross Barkley and Andros Townsend get a call-up. Players such as Jermain Defoe are clinical finishers but can't play forever, whilst Frank Lampard and Steven Gerard can't cling onto the world-class midfield tag they were dubbed with for much longer. Games like this will give players hungry for international caps a chance to impress and perhaps stake a claim to be on the plane for Brazil, that is assuming we progress through the qualifiers. That is the optimist in me anyway saying this. For example, if Andy Carroll goes to Brazil over Rickie Lambert, just because he is a bigger name, then I think that would devalue the national team's reputation further than it already has been. Granted, both Lambert and Carroll have another 8-9 months to prove who is the better target man, but considering his rags to riches story, I do hope Lambert gets a shot at firing England to glory, now, and hopefully in several months time in Rio de Janeiro.

Quick Snippets:

He got his 'dream move', lucky for the rest of us.

At last he has gone! Gareth Bale to Real Madrid has been one of the longest sagas since Fabregas to Barcelona, and to be honest, my relief comes out of boredom. After reading about it every day for weeks and weeks, I'm just glad that perhaps the media will change the track a bit now and let us enjoy some football rather than pestering managers about specific players and their futures. It is where I agree with Roberto Martinez that the transfer window should close before the start of the season as it bothers me that with 26 hours until the British transfer window shuts, Stoke could still lose Asmir Begovic to potential bidders.

Another dream move?

There is one thing though: at least players who move are getting their dream move. In Bale's statement after moving he uses the words: "I can honestly say, this is my dream come true." These words follow on from Willian's transfer to Chelsea where he said that "it's been a dream of mine to come and play here." I wonder if I go and wish for a surprise call-up for Stoke City, I might get it? That'd be a dream come true. These dreams are just ambitions realised, plus pockets lined with money.

Stoke City vs Crystal Palace - Post Match Thoughts

As eye-opening home games go, this was certainly one. The performance was not one to wow, especially in the first half, but overall we are left with food for thought. Defensively, we are more open than we have been in recent years, Shawcross and Huth the main culprits in adjusting to the 'play out from the back' style we're enforcing. While Ryan's character is not under question after recovering in the second half to keep a clean sheet and score a goal, the indecisiveness regarding what to do with a ball in play needs to rectified fast. Any more lapses from the spine of our team and we could start shipping goals when the likes of Manchester City role into town with multi-million pound strike forces.

What also caught my attention, which is not hard to notice, is that the formation we are playing at present does not suit a team lacking pace or clinical finishers. In our first game, we played on the break for large parts and tried to build attacks on the break when winning possession from Liverpool. This was understandable as Brendan Rodgers's side are pass masters in this league and to try to take them on and play them off the park would have been foolish. Against Palace though, elements of breaking when winning possession remained. As a tactic, it's worthwhile to implement, but unless we have pace in the forward lines, we can't exploit the space we create on the break. It's like knowing you need a brick to break a window and using a rolled up piece of paper because its the only thing you've got. Don't use it, try and find a brick! In our squad, we have got pacey players in Jermaine Pennant, Michael Kightly and Cameron Jerome, whilst Brek Shea is known to be an explosive player. When all players are fit, and assuming that we do not sign a new forward this summer, then I'd start Walters through the centre, and have Pennant/Kightly and Shea/Etherington flanking him. Jerome would be on the bench, but across the last two seasons we have seen how good he is from the bench when we need a goal. 

As for Jones and Crouch, as I said last week, we need a player that combines their strengths and doesn't have their weaknesses in play. It's disheartening to all of us to see no solid links to new players, bar a reported sighting of Oussama Assaidi at the Brit yesterday ahead of a move from Liverpool. Forgive me if this move does not fill me with confidence if we are considering this move, as he only made four league appearances last season and twelve in all competitions, scoring no goals. John Guidetti is the latest forward to be linked with a move and the only thing against him is a lack of experience in the Premier League. However, if one man is in a position to know if he could make it in our league, then it's Mark Hughes. After so many false dawns, I don't think I'm wrong in looking at what we have, rather than imagining a squad influxes with potential new signings. We might have four months with the squad we've got, so the management, and fans alike, would be wise to getting to grips with this fact and getting the best out of them. 

Whilst the few boos at half time did the job yesterday to motivate the players to perform better, if the fans have one job in the opening weeks, it's to encourage the players and reinforce the belief they need to play the ball around. Booing too often will place more pressure on the players and result in mistakes, ones that we cannot afford to make. It is why I implore the fans who attend the matches this season to employ patience in their method of supporting the team, and not rip into poor performances without positively reinforcing what they are trying to do.

Capital One Cup Preview:

If ever there is a chance to give a few players a run out, this is the game. All players are fit from pre season and it will give a few players who haven't been in the first two starting 18s a chance to impress. The one who I leave out is Andy Wilkinson, although that is for the one simple reason that he has been on the bench, and closer to the team as a result than Ryan Shotton. The rest of the team brings players in who have not had a chance yet, whilst resting those who may need a game off. The inclusion of Brek Shea is dependant on if he is available after coming through the U21s game tomorrow, or if Mark Hughes decides to save him for West Ham at the weekend. If Shea is unavailable, I would start Jermaine Pennant, thus giving as many players as possible in our squad some game time in the early weeks of the season.

Whilst looking at the starting eleven, it would be worth looking at the youth/development squad and seeing if there are any players who could make an impression against Walsall. Alex Grant was signed this summer after most recently being contracted to Portsmouth and could be an option if we wish to rest a defender at any point, the same could be said for Jordan Keane who travelled with the squad on the US tour. If we wish to look at players who have been impressing however, Derice Richards would be worth considering for a spot on the bench after performing well to earn a place in the U21 squad for the early parts of this season. Then there are the likes of Michael Clarkson and Lucas Dawson who have been close to the squad under Tony Pulis, close enough to travel to Valencia as part of a weakened side, yet not enough to earn their first competitive action for the Potters. All are options for the bench, yet it all depends on how serious we are taking the cup competition. Do we use it as an opportunity to bleed through youth, or do we go strong and take no chances of slipping up so early in the competition? It's an interesting dilemma for Mark Hughes, especially considering the large emphasis supporters have made on pushing youth through from the academy.

Away from the Brit - Dinamo who?

Waiting to be served at a bar on Thursday night, I turned my head and saw a football match on, Tottenham Hotspur played first, then Swansea. Only by looking up the match result would I know that Tottenham had played Dinamo Tbilisi and Swansea played Petrolul Ploiești. These two matches reminded me of two years ago when Stoke City went and played the 'mighty' FC Thun of Switzerland, with Danny Pugh being the only scorer in a 1-0 win. In hindsight, it showed that we had problems at the time that a Swiss team held us back that it took a 4-1 win at the Brit to secure the tie.

It's worth looking at the other matches in this early play-off round, which included teams such as Apollon Limassol, Qarabağ, Chornomorets Odesa and Žalgiris Vilnius, whilst FC Thun lost away 1-0 to an FK Partizan side of Serbia, whose squad contains one Eric Djemba-Djemba. I know football is a world-wide sport and that no team should be denied access to play at the top tables of the game, but I do think that seeding teams would make the competitions slightly more competitive. For example, if teams who play in the top five or six leagues in Europe only join the competition in the group stage, it would be more worthwhile than a one-off game that for the players might be no more than a competitive friendly. Instead of FIFA (and in this case UEFA) wasting time on moving World Cups that shouldn't be moved or planning continent-wide tournaments, perhaps they should be trying to make the competitions they endorse more competitive.

Quick Snippets:

If they had not being playing Stoke, I would feel sorry for Crystal Palace for being the only promoted team not to win yet. Although I was unable to attend the game, I hear credit is due to the Crystal Palace fans who applauded on the 14th minute for Greg Bradshaw. Being respectful to the home support is never easy so full praise is due to those who respected a fellow Potter's passing.

Also, as I would like to congratulate Cardiff City for making the Premier League more competitive than ever. A team, who I will admit I backed to be thrashed by four or five before kick-off stunned football by beating last season's runners-up Manchester City 3-2. Watching the game, I felt it should have been a 3-1 result though because seeing six minutes of added time must've sent the Cardiff defence into shock! Where did that much added time come from?!

Liverpool vs Stoke - Post Match Thoughts

When Jon Walters stepped up to take the point-saving penalty in the 89th minute, for the first time since I began watching football, I had to turn my head. Whilst he had got back onto the scoring streak from the spot towards the end of last season, those important misses against Chelsea and Fulham still lurked at the back of my mind. Like it would have been to a lot of Stoke supporters, it came as no surprise when Liverpool debutant Simon Mignolet stole Asmir Begovic's thunder and made a double save from the spot, and Kenwyne Jones's follow-up to keep the three points at Anfield. Did we deserve a point though? I think the difficulty in answering this comes from what we have become used to and what we have just seen. Under Tony Pulis, if we had performed as we did today and come away with nothing, the loss would have been raw and painful as we would have believed that we played well enough away from home to warrant something. So does the change in manager mean we should feel any less disappointed not to grab a point? I don't think so. I felt that we showed attacking intent during the whole 90 minutes, although Liverpool did an excellent job of quelling our short passing moves and forcing us to pass at a tempo that some of our players don't look ready for just yet. Such instances of over-playing in the first half concerned me as we were attempting it in our own half, trying to play our way out of the half and force our way forward. Whilst admirable, I do believe that it is a risky way to play when the style of play is so new. Despite the plaudits that Liverpool have received in the last few hours for getting the three points, I do believe they will struggle during the season with the same problem that has plagued them in recent times: a lack of ruthlessness. Whilst Asmir Begovic did brilliant to keep Stoke in the game, after watching an equally capable goalkeeper in Michel Vorm concede four against third-favourites Manchester United, the two performances show where Liverpool lack, and where Stoke benefited today.

The one goal of the game came from a bit of slack defending from the usually dependable Robert Huth. When the ball arrived at Sturridge's feet, Huth was left isolated and appeared stuck in two minds over whether to rush the ball or try and block a shot on goal. By doing neither, even allowing the ball through his legs, Begovic had no chance to save the shot. Shawcross perhaps could have helped his team-mate a bit by being closer to the ball, but fair credit to Liverpool in crafting a good move and taking advantage of the space we left them.

So what can we take out of the game for next week against Crystal Palace? First of all, our midfield will be able to cope with a shorter passing game against lesser opposition than Liverpool. I think next Saturday will be a good chance for our players to flex their muscles and show the league that they can play on the ground and pass it around. What also became clear is that we need pace more than ever if we are to play against teams who are superior to us on the ball. When we did have a chance to break and give ourselves a breather from defending wave after wave of Liverpool attacks, the forward outlets of Walters, Crouch and Etherington were not quick enough by a long mile. Both Mame Biram Diouf and Junior Hoilett, players we have been linked with in the past few weeks, would offer us pace up front, although perhaps looking at what we already have would be a better option.

Jermaine Pennant looked okay when he came on, but a lack of opportunities meant that he didn't have a chance to make a big impact on the game. However, he would offer more going forward than Walters selfless efforts on the wing. I'm also a big fan of Michael Kightly, so to see him not involved in the match-day eighteen disappointed me as he seems a capable player, although he needs his manager to back him. I hope that being dropped for the first game doesn't knock his confidence too hard as I do believe he could score some vital goals for Stoke if given the opportunity. Once back from injury, I believe Brek Shea could also be a vital player for us with him being able to offer strength and pace down both wings and once again, score a few goals. As for the central strikers, I'm not sure Jones or Crouch suit our current style of play. Crouch has always thrived off partnerships, his most famous - and the fantasy of a lot of Stoke supporters - being with Jermain Defoe. When isolated up front though, he struggles to hold the ball on his own until reinforcements arrive. Kenwyne Jones on the other hand has the strength to hold on to the ball and occasionally has a good flick-on in him, but his link play on the ground is unimpressive. In Mame Biram Diouf, I think the management, and supporters alike, are hoping that they have a merger of Crouch and Jones, a player who can flick the ball on and pass it off, compete in the air and not be knocked off the ball after only taking a few touches. If we fail to reinforce the front-line, we are going to have to tailor our play to one of the two current forwards, or perhaps risk playing Cameron Jerome or Jon Walters as lone front-men, and hope that the little bit of pace they both have over Crouch and Jones would be enough to threaten opposition back-lines more regularly.

Away from the Brit - First Impressions:

As much as I would have preferred a rough start to the season for Aston Villa, just to keep them in check with us after our opening loss, I have to praise them for their opening win against Arsenal. I'd predicted before the match that it would be a 2-1 win for the Gunners and when Olivier Giroud scored I thought the game was going to plan. It was only after a Benteke double and a third by Luna that I reevaluated how this result would play out, positioning a better team than us, in Arsenal, now below us in the table after the opening fixtures. Although the table does not reveal much after just one game, and with some teams having not kicked off yet, little glories like having conceded fewer goals than the once-invincibles do make a supporter feel good at the end of Match of the Day. It also highlights the problems that some teams have, with Arsenal's failure to strengthen coming to the fore after only signing Yaya Sanogo this summer for no fee. Ideally, they could do with strengthening the defence and the front-line, and as much as I would dislike it, I wouldn't rule out a bid for our own Asmir Begovic after Wojciech Szczesny did not inspire confidence in his team once again. If they do not buy at least one player before the televised match against Fulham, you cannot rule out a repeat of this result.

David Moyes's first two competitive results will inspire confidence amongst Manchester United fans, with two and three goals victories not to be sniffed at. However, their forthcoming run of fixtures which includes Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City is not to be envied. Whilst it was an emphatic win, I think everyone is agreed that the true tests lie in these fixtures, and if they come through them with a respectable number of points, the third favourites to win the league will have set quite a marker for other title rivals to match. Whilst the lack of celebrations from Wayne Rooney for the third and fourth goals were entertaining, what interested me most was that Adnan Januzaj failed to make the bench for this game, as well as Jesse Lingard, both who had impressed during pre-season. If they fail to make the bench for the upcoming games, I would like to think Mark Hughes would consider using his connections at Old Trafford to bring one in on loan, considering creativity is desperately needed out wide, yet both can play centrally.

Quick Snippet:

Wilson Palacios must be thinking that he is the unluckiest footballer around at the moment. After two seasons of sitting on the bench, or in the stands, he was selected to start against Liverpool and had to pull out feeling stomach cramps. After further examination, he has had surgery to rectify the problem, reported to have been appendicitis. Here's hoping that he gets fit again soon and becomes the midfield enforcer we've been wanting since he joined us in 2011.

The Countdown Begins

So preseason is over and it's only a week to go before the big kick-off. As a supporter, I go into the season with mixed feelings both on and off the pitch. Results appear to be good since Mark Hughes arrived at the Britannia, with a record of three wins (Dallas, Philadelphia and Wrexham), one draw (Genoa) and a loss in his first game (Houston). Compare this to our last preseason and the results have markedly improved, despite playing less games. However, as we all know the proof in the pudding is in the eating. Whilst we have played more attractive football in the warm-up games, the final scores have not altered drastically with two 1-0s and a 2-0, as well as a 0-0 in today's final game against Genoa. Whilst in all of these matches we seem to have been in the game, the failure to be ruthless in front of goal will cost us if we fail to improve once the season starts. I do believe though that now that preseason is over, the players will be inclined to risk everything to touch a ball into the net, compared to in the last few weeks when a bad landing could curtail their entire season. Time will tell if Sparky can get our forwards firing, and there's no tougher place than Anfield. More on that though in a moment.

Off the field, whilst I have been highly appreciative of our club offering free travel to all away games in the league this season, my pleasure came at a cost. Having sat in The Seddon Stand for past two seasons, enjoying the ride however bumpy it was, I've had to take a break from my season ticket. Whilst it will give me the opportunity to travel to away games and odd Premier League home games, I will miss going to 'Fortress Britannia' and feeling a part of it. If you've got a season ticket and you're reading this, enjoy the ride! In the meantime, I'll be waiting for my first away game in the coming weeks/months.

Formation Focus:

Like every supporter, I have players I like, and players that I don't. I think we all agree that the entire squad is made up of a great bunch of lads that create an unrivalled team spirit, but it doesn't mean we want to see some of them playing every week. One name that I've selected in my team for Liverpool will most likely cause controversy: Ryan Shotton. I felt sorry for him during his initial inclusion in the team as he was forced to play as a striker until reinforcements came in during the Summer 2011 window. After that, he was largely played out of position on the right wing, and despite putting in some good performances initially, we all knew he wasn't a winger. As it was often referred to, 'Shotton Roulette' wasn't reliable when trying to whip a cross into the box. At the end of last season, at times I felt that when the performances were at their worst, Shotton appeared to be the only player trying to dig the team out of the rut that they were in. By the final game of last season, he appeared to have beaten Wilko to the right back spot and made it his own. For the majority of preseason though, Geoff Cameron has been played there, which most likely will leave Shotton settling for a place on the bench against Liverpool. If he were to be included though, I believe he would be a better attacking outlet than either Geoff or Andy due to his pace and that he his fairly effective when making overlapping runs past his winger. That same pace will also give him a greater chance of recovering defensively if caught on the break against the likes of Raheem Sterling whose pace and dribbling skills could cause our team a bag full of problems.

The fact that whoever plays at fullback will be able to make overlapping runs is a sign that 'the cage' has been well and truly unlocked and the 4-3-3 shape we are playing in the warm-up games appears promising. I do believe if we are set on this shape, we need goalscorers on the flanks who can float out wide and deliver in or cut inside and score if the opportunity presents itself. I leave out Etherington and Pennant for this very reason. Whilst Etherington can cross a ball in, his pace and dribbling skills are diminishing fast and if he starts next week it will be something that concerns me. Pennant on the other hand, whilst offering a good delivery from out wide, is less of a goalscorer than Kightly. In 58 league games for the club, he has scored the same number of goals (three) as Kightly who has played 36 less times for Stoke. If you believe in statistics, Kightly is the better in a head-to-head on this basis. Regarding the selection of Jon Walters, I believe he could be given a free role to run channels on the left or right, effectively partnering Crouch (or Jones, if he is selected) up front.If Walters runs channels down the right wing to try and better himself against Enrique, Kightly will be on the left wing to receive the ball and he can cut inside to take a shot. On the other hand, if Walters runs down the left channel, that would leave Kightly on the right where he can cross the ball into the box. The two wide forwards would effectively be covering for each other. The key to this would be the full backs attacking displays. We know that Walters has not got the best cross in him - to say the least - so if he has the ball on the right wing, Shotton/Cameron/Wilkinson will need to be up with him to support him and let him make runs into the box. Unlike under Tony Pulis's stewardship of the club, Walters will have to work with the defenders to score goals, rather than preventing them if his role in the team is to be successful.

Away from the Brit - Injury Time:

All three of these players have come under scrutiny in the short time I've been writing this blog, yet no transfer has materialised for any of them as of yet. Strangely enough though, all three have picked up injuries since interest in them picked up, preventing them from playing in their respective tour games. The farce expanded in the last few days when Rooney and Bale were officially called up for friendly games against Scotland and the Republic of Ireland for their respective nations. Whilst I understand that a buying club would not want to purchase a player who may fail a medical, especially with the fees being mentioned, I feel that somewhere this has to stop. Despite the comedy surrounding his latest attempts to engineer a move away from Anfield, it should be said that at least Luis Suarez has been open enough with the supporters to explain why he wants to leave. With Rooney and Bale, we have quotes from 'sources close to the player' who mitigate that they want a move. The media love little tidbit quotes which say a lot with no actual facts contained within them.

An example in point is reports that Ryan Shotton is 'attracting interest' from a 'host of clubs' after Beswick Sports made a statement about his position yesterday. Does this mean Shotton wants to move? Who knows? The player himself hasn't said anything. It's unlikely considering he's playing for his boyhood club and did well at the end of last season. Yet the media pick up on the quotes and make a story out of it. Whilst the convenient injuries Suarez, Bale and Rooney have picked up, I still cannot see them making a move away from their respective clubs. If they stay, at least the league will remain strong and exciting.

Quick Snippet:

The Football League has started and I'm actually excited to see how each league finishes up. Without going into great detail, I'm tipping QPR to finish champions in the SkyBet Championship, largely due to wheeler-dealer Harry Redknapp. He does spend a lot of money wherever he goes, but his transfer track record and his man management style should help QPR stay at the top end of the league throughout the season.

If I were to pick a surprise package in the same league, Yeovil would have to be awarded that. Despite losing their first home game today, Gary Johnson has been an impressive Championship manager, pushing Stoke all the way to promotion not so long ago with Bristol City. To keep a club like Yeovil in the 2nd tier of English football would be a monumental achievement, but I would not be surprised if he did better. Another trip to Wembley for a play-off final could be possible!