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Cliche time.

 

One game at a time. 8 cup finals left. We’ve already started discussing the Villa game. But first a very tough game at Stoke.

 

Stoke appointed Nathan Jones in January.  He started very badly. LWLL.

 

However, they have since tightened up at the back and gone on a healthy unbeaten run (sound familiar?). Starting with the most recent game:-

 

Reading H 0-0

Derby A 0-0

QPR A 0-0

Forest H 2-0

Villa H 1-1

Ipswich A 1-1

Wigan A 0-0

 

P8. W1. D7. L0. GF4. GA2

 

Its not going to be 4-2 !

 

Its the sort of game you would ordinarily be happy to pocket a draw and move on. I’m sure Bruce is full of admiration for what Jones has done so quickly, but he will be looking at how we can nick this one. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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This is our biggest game of the season so far. Plenty of people looking beyond this one though which is dangerous. I was thinking the other day they seem to draw a lot, seeing it confirmed doesn't surprise me. Other than the fact I was right that is, not used to that in our house. They're on a good unbeaten run though so it won't be easy. If we win this one then it will build more confidence. Lose it and we lose a bit of momentum. A draw means relying on other results going our way. 

 

Hopefully we go there with the attitude to hit them hard from the off then see what happens. Nick an early goal then get tight and work hard. Perfect away performance required here. Nowt fancy, just win any way we can. 

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Stoke are one of those sides where you see their line up or squad names and start to worry. But they are in the bottom half for a reason, and wins haven’t exactly flooded in since changing their manager. 

 

Its likely to be a similar game to the recent one at Derby, where 1-1 would be the predicted score, but it will depend on what players we have available. It’s a winnable game if some of the 10+ who missed the end of the Blackburn game can be fit. 

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13 minutes ago, twolaptops said:

If they are battlers we need to find a replacement for Reach..................last few games he has been gash........."get stuck in man"

Pretty sure Bruce's last words to Reach as he enters the field of play aren't "get stuck in man".

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1 hour ago, waddleisgod said:

A draw simply won’t be good enough, this is a must win game to have any sort of chance of play offs,

 

 

It is unlikely we will win all remaining games, if we are to draw one or two  Stoke, Leeds or Norwich are the games to do it in.

Not all over with a point at Stoke.

Borough have Norwich next, Bristol have the grunters...1pt at Stoke could quite easily put us a point nearer.

 

Though tbh would prefer 3pts:biggrin:

 

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2 hours ago, Owl999 said:

They aren’t scoring much though and we’ve tightened up a lot under Bruce, we are scoring more freely so it’s not beyond the realms of possibilities that we can nick this 1-0 

 

This.

 

If there has ever been a game there for nicking a 0-1 win then this one is it. It won't be pretty, but I'd start with Fletcher and Nuhiu up top and play for set pieces. If that isn't working, Winnall's fresh legs and movement for Nuhiu around 55/60 mins.

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I went to the Derby Stoke match, and Stoke offered very little going forwards but they were organised and hard to break down at the back. In fairness to Derby, they worked hard and moved the ball around quick enough, they just couldn't consistently open Stoke up and never got the rub of the green you sometimes need to get the first goal. Typically Stoke nearly nicked it with a header against the post late on, but if the Stoke fans weren't such yellow teethed urine smelling scrubbers, I would have felt slightly sorry for them having to watch that week in week out. But essentially they got a point which is what they set themselves up to get.

 

I think what we do have is an aerial threat and a directness Derby don't have, and I think that will be enough to get us over the line against Stoke.

 

UTO's

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3 hours ago, waddleisgod said:

A draw simply won’t be good enough, this is a must win game to have any sort of chance of play offs,

 

 

 

Someone will post something like this before and after every game until our fate one way or the other is sealed. I don’t think a draw would be the worst result in the world and I guess there will be a lot of draws involving the other play-off contenders between now and the end of the season. Staying unbeaten is key rather than winning every game though that would be nice :biggrin:

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I’d be extremely happy with a draw against Stoke.

 

I actually think this is our toughest remaining game. We’ve done extremely well of late, but had a good amount of luck. I feel this could be the game our run ends. I hope I’m wrong.

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32 minutes ago, BingleyOwl said:

I’d be extremely happy with a draw against Stoke.

 

I actually think this is our toughest remaining game. We’ve done extremely well of late, but had a good amount of luck. I feel this could be the game our run ends. I hope I’m wrong.

 

So the team in 17th with 2 wins in 15 league games is our toughest remaining game? 

 

 

Edited by TheEnchanter
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