Down 1-0 to a Fuller goal off a Delap throw into the box. We look like shit in the early going. Traore and Coquelin at FB looking shaky and so does Campbell.

Sylvestre almost give away a PK.
Our passing is not sharp.
Shawcross should have a gotten card for the challenge on Fabregas.

Okay. Now that we are warmed up, taken our knocks, taken their best shot, let’s come out in the 2nd half and get more passes into our ‘strikers’.

Now it appears the halftime announcers are pissed about the handball call that lead to our goal. Give it a rest.

Morning there. What was that 1st half? I think Denilson’s goal was our 1st shoot to goal, at 42′!! only 2 shoots total. I like coquelin. He’s playing out of position but seems pacy and with lots of stamina. Dunno if Sylvestre’s foul was inside the box. Not much from our front 3, except vela maybe. Arent funny those Delap assistants?

3 subs. AW must be pissed off.

Sylvestre down in a heap after having to make run to stop onside Delap from breaking in alone. Now we could be down 10 men.

10″ to go.

Well, Arsene got what he paid for today. Glaring holes in the lineup. Traore should not be let play left-back again.

Arsenal should pay for the traveling fans travel costs after this.

Oh dear. I wasnt expecting this… But with that back 4, and no real RB that 3rd was coming. plus for their 2nd, rambo instead of passing safe lost the ball

Cut the kids some slack guys. Even our 1st teamers would have had a hard time at Britannia today.

An inept display; bereft of basic skills and positional awareness, compounded by a total lack of spirit. We can all argue that we are short of fit players; we need to conserve our strengths, etc. etc. However, you know what you are going to get at Stoke, passion, blatant fouls, physical challenges, and the Delap throw-in, and you plan accordingly.

If you give everything, challenge for every ball, ensure you are tidy with the basic skills, then there can be no complaints. But pulling up short on challenges for 50 – 50 balls, ball watching in the penalty area, receiving the ball and allowing it to bounce away out of control, these things are unforgiveable. There can be no excuse that many of the team are second string players, juniors or whatever. In fact, in the context of this game, they were expendable, and should have put in a 110% shift.

Cesc and Sol were the only ones concentrating. Denilson gets caught in possession, and was half a yard off the pace. JET is a biggish lad, and should have been putting it about particularly in the Stoke penalty area. Through balls and high ball are there to be challenged, as are defenders and the goalkeeper. (See Stoke’s first goal). Theo is plain hopeless, which not helped by the way he is used, playing too deep. Traore is quick, and is a good crosser of the ball, but has terrible positional sense, which negates his other skills. Vela was non-existant, as were pretty much everybody else.

Yes we did have periods of possession, but possession without purpose is the same as time wasting. Talking of time wasting, Mr Delap should be penalized for his time wasting with the towel routine, I reckon ten to fifteen minutes a game. Perhaps we can make an argument for wiping the ball before every free-kick, goal kick, corner, penalty and what have you.

It is not the loss but the manner of the loss that is important. We have four very important matches ahead. To lose before that sequence, is not psychologically sound. Although we may argue that it only reflects on the players involved, I say it reflects on the whole team, and their future performances. We shall see; I hope I am wrong!

Viva!