Anyone still harboring hopes of top 4?

Never had them.

A draw is probably a fair result, although it's frustrating knowing that we were denied a blatant penalty.

We did not play our strongest team so I'm not going to worry too much about the performance. The manager has sent out a clear message that our priorities lay elsewhere.

Our charge up the table grinds to a halt. Willian loses the ball then Courtois doesn't clear the cross setting up an easy header.

 

Subs were ineffective. Remy ambled about to no effect. Loftus-Cheek proves he's got a long way to go.

 

Imbula is what we miss in midfield. 

 

At least Costa and Fabregas will be fresh for Wednesday.

It's a pity we didn't give Pato some game time over Remy.

Why not give Pato a run out, Remy contributed absolutely 1000 X 0 % in the game!!!

Can't really argue the result. It was a very even game.

 

But today I learnt that we were not playing Stoke, but rather one man, Imbula. The commentators let me know that conclusively.

 

He was the man of the match for Stoke by far, But i think you are being a bit unfair on the rest of the team. Shakiri, Arnautovich et all are dangerous and had a decent game against us. Ofvourse it does not help that Willian wants to donate possession to them and Matic can not seem to concentrate and RLC can not be bothered to defend. Stoke have the pace, physical prowess and technicality to trouble us and we let them with our own sloppy play. 

Anyone still harboring hopes of top 4?

Yes

also credit to Stoke. Good attacking line up as expected.

Edited March 5, 201610 yr by Nevamind

You just knew it would be one of 'those games' from the kick off.  The result in the end was about right.....I wouldn't bother playing Remy any further this season, he looks disinterested and will be off in the summer.  Just as well give Pato a run out just to see what he offers.  Matic I think will be gone, he was awful, Oscar shows flashes and then disappears.  We need a LB in the summer and a strong defensive midfielder who has a brain and can contribute.    

Courtois needs to work on those clearances, he also punched the ball straight at a Stoke head when Arnatuvic fired of a shot outside the corner of the box earlier in the game.

Our charge up the table grinds to a halt. Willian loses the ball then Courtois doesn't clear the cross setting up an easy header.

Subs were ineffective. Remy ambled about to no effect. Loftus-Cheek proves he's got a long way to go.

Imbula is what we miss in midfield.

At least Costa and Fabregas will be fresh for Wednesday.

If anything watching Stoke tear through us and waste several good chances leave more concerned for PSG than I was before. They won't miss the chances Stoke missed imo.

Outplayed by Stoke so content with a draw, but I think any outside chance we had of making top 4 is long gone now. Hate to agree with the broken record that is Tony Gale, but Imbula was on a different level today.

Fair result overall in the match. Clattenburg again manages to miss the two big calls, nothing new. Traore isn't a central striker but can hit a nice shot from the right. Why bring on Cesc for the last 10 mins and if anyone required a rest for that substitution surely it was Willian.

Edited March 5, 201610 yr by charierre

Courtois needs to work on those clearances, he also punched the ball straight at a Stoke head when Arnatuvic fired of a shot outside the corner of the box earlier in the game.

Yeah is all a bit too flashy. Needs to just turn those efforts away for corners.

Thought Stoke outplayed us.

We are the 4th best team in London, so there is that.

Better be the performance of the season waiting for us this week vs PSG...

Fair result overall in the match. Clattenburg again manages to miss the two big calls, nothing new. Traore isn't a central striker but can hit a nice shot from the right. Why bring on Cesc for the last 10 mins and if anyone required a rest for that substitution surely it was Willian.

Agreed. Willian or oscar was the obvious sub.

Had the game already gone to 1-1 it would have been the right call to try and win.

Never seen Azpi get done so many times in a match come to think of it, Baba was his usual 5/10 defensively, if Cahill and Ivan didn't make those good blocks we would have certainly lost.

I'm sorry, but with each passing week Tibo makes me miss Cech even more, he has to get his act together, with Begovic in goal it's likely 1-0, Guus is afraid to drop him. Anyway, just can't wait till next season, with a fresh manger in, hopefully better players come in, the league has been a write off for a while, top 4 id more than gone, because let's face it, we can't get there if we can't beat the likes of Stoke at home.

Edited March 5, 201610 yr by Floyd25

Bollocks that was disappointing, such a poor goal to give away all round. Remy did absolutely nothing and didn't even look interested, rlc was poor too when he came on. Strange subs really. Oh and clattenburg us a cheating c**t, no surprise he f**ked us over again, prick.

disappointed, stoke are a good side but they should of been killed off. just looked where we could of been in the table, two points dropped!!

TBF I thought before the match that 2 goals would be needed for the win - the match had the feel of a intra-squad affair - ok maybe Stoke didn't see it that way, but it seemed our players already had PSG on the mind - mentality needs to sharpen up a bit if CFC wants to beat PSG

Edited March 5, 201610 yr by robdog

We started the game with 2 DM's (pointless) to give protection in the midfield, then at the 80th minute when we need to defend he takes one of them off for a player that can't defend? Absolute insanity on Guus' part.

Nobody said yet, so here goes we're staying up 40pts

Edited March 5, 201610 yr by charierre

Courtois needs to work on those clearances, he also punched the ball straight at a Stoke head when Arnatuvic fired of a shot outside the corner of the box earlier in the game.

 

Courtois has been doing this his whole career so far, pushing the ball back into the danger zone. Every keeper is told to push the ball to safety when they are making a save, it seem's like Courtois skipped that lesson.

RLC fan club will be calmer now then.  Guy is bang average, work rate is utter dross too. Believing his own hype