Stoke City vs Valencia CF - Match Day Thread !!

[Shawn]

It's nearly here, the much anticipated visit of Valencia (Didn't think id be typing this a few years ago !)

Hopefully we as supporters can put the recent disappointment with performances and selections to one side and enjoy the occasion.

It's easily our biggest ever European game and as such I really hope we get a fantastic atmosphere down at the Brit.

Fortunately the Europa league has been the one competition that we have actually been prepared to have a go at teams in, hopefully TP will continue with this philosophy and we give the Spaniards a real run for there money.

There are a hell of a lot of Stoke fans travelling over to Spain for the return leg, hopefully we can take a 2 goal lead with us and give ourselves a fighting chance of returning from the Mestalla in the last 16 !

There are still around 2,000 tickets left for the game on Thursday night (20.05 K.O) so if you've been considering it, just do it !! It could be the last time we get a chance to watch us in Europe for a while !

Tickets can be purchased on-line here Welcome to the Official SCFC online megastore

Team selection

Bego

Wilko Shawcross Huth Wilson

Pennant Palacios Delap Etherington

Crouch Jerome

Stoke 2 Valencia 0

[Greenpotterer]

You Going Shawn?

[Shawn]

Well here we go, it's finally arrived ! Woke up this morning feeling very excited, the realisation has started to set in, we're playing one of the top teams in Europe in the knockout stages of a European competition !

I just hope we get at them and the crowd is bang up for it, I feel we need a two goal lead to take out to Spain next week.

If your still undecided on if to go or not, get yourself a ticket it's going to be a memorable night !!

[mattwm]

Fingers crossed we get a sell-out for this one.

It's scary to think that we used to get a sell out for a Friendly against teams like this... I'd be thrilled if we can get a two- or three-goal lead; anything less and I think we might struggle in the Mestalla - if you think the Britannia is intimidating, wait until we get there haha. Hopefully playing the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City - and their pre-madonnas - means we won't be starstruck when we take to the field against Valencia.

[mattwm]

Well, a game of great media interest and massive potential and excitement in the city ruined for me by theatrics and dirty tactics by the Valencia players - and it can be seen by looking at the bench where the theatrics were learnt.

No doubt the newspapers will be talking about a "classy" Valencia team in the morning - one which had a player who twice made leg-breaking tackles, who dived, clutched their heads when foot-foot contact was made, and whose one shot on target was from 30-yards out (and will, for me, be Goal of the Season at the Britannia Stadium this year).

What can we take out of this game?

- Palacios looked like he was a square peg in a round hole. More worryingly, he simply WALKED towards Topal when he struck the ball too slow to get there? Not motivated? Lazy?
- Walters wasn't sure where he was meant to play.
- Crouch needs to keep his hands to himself in European football, and stop climbing.
- Etherington and Pennant seemed like our two best outlets - but most of the play was down the left and kept away from Pennant.
- Begovic doesn't seem as vocal at the back, and at times when we needed to shepherd and command the defence, there was no leader.

For me, we were too slow and afraid of how fast Valencia were playing - their quick one-two-move passing game meant that we were always second to the ball, stood a further two yards away from them to give us more time to react to them (by which time the ball was thirty yards further forward), and we were constantly chasing shadows.

[Shawn]

Not a terrible result by any means and the goal was a wonder goal. We're still in it and have something to fight for next week.

They are a good team (shit tactics to one side) there passing and movement is some of the best I've seen. The ref lost the plot second half and completely destroyed any momentum in the game, he's not the reason we lost but he didn't help matters.

Looking forward to next week, we've got go out all guns blazing and really go for it !!

Gooooaarrrrnnnn Stoke !!

[mattwm]

That wasn't meant to sound like a doom-and-gloom post; was simply meant to be what I saw of the game, constructively.

I sincerely hope Pulis puts out an attacking midfield next week, and not Delap and Palacios in the middle of the park. Then I think we have a chance.

[Tim_SCFC]

Nothing to lose over there.

I'm going to enjoy it and should we progress FUCK ME WHAT A PARTY