Not preaching, please add your own opinions.

- That's what Boyd does, gets the winning goal, wins back possession, breaks up play, takes the yellow card.
- Rusty or out of position, Defour is not the one-stop answer to all our questions.
- Our back line is immense (but we knew that)
- We need to practice corners.
- If you don't need a goal Barnes's antics work, shame he's a striker on a CM.
- Long ball to Vokes should be retired.
- We are close, very close.
- Trust in Dyche.

- Arfield should never start, be it Defour or Brady on the left wing.

The end justifies the means for now

Boyd's best asset is his unpredictability. Some matches runs round like a headless chicken but so hard for defenders to mark. Then scores in the most unexpected of games.

play the ball on the ground, let Hendrick push forward
First half we lumped it as usual and we were dog shite, second half we played more on the floor and created much more

Plan for next season.

Not the slightest chance we'll be relegated now.

Vegas Claret wrote:play the ball on the ground, let Hendrick push forward
First half we lumped it as usual and we were dog shite, second half we played more on the floor and created much more

This ^^^

Be brave; have belief and anticipate potential moments as Boyd and Hendrick did; that moment of quality we havent executed recently but did tonight; there wasn't much else from either side but, as we've done over the years, we found a way and took our chance.

Given our defence SD should be able to play a better side, more variety, and more possession.
A little more adventurous tonight but there is a much better side to be had.

Still a win is a win amd once again we can think of moving up the league rather than surviving.

Once we finally get the survival monkey off our backs (and we very nearly have) it will ease the pressure the players must be feeling. I have every confidence our overall performances will improve as a direct result and the run-in will be much enjoyable than it could have been.

We've looked better playing the ball on the deck for the last 3 years, yet somehow still continue to lump it.
The biggest problem is the whole team seem to struggle to control a bouncing ball, our first touch is so poor.
By now you'd think someone would have told the players......

Put round pegs in round holes
Defour can't play on the wing
Route 1 is not the answer every time
Keep the ball for longer
Stoke are a repulsive side

We need to sign two quality forwards in the summer.

Biggest bunch of cheats by some distance. A team in the image of the manager.

We were pretty terrible tonight, let's be honest. Probably worse than we were on Saturday. But Stoke aren't as good as Spurs and we took our only chance of the night.

Brady adds impetus
Defour is the only one looking to play an incisive ball despite being obviously unfit
Hendrick needs to push forward
Barton is everywhere and plays at such an intensity he is bound to give the ball away a few times
Mee the Magnificent
Never pay money to watch Stoke

Winning 1 and losing 1 gives you 3 points. Drawing 2 games, might feel ok after the first game, but you end up with just 2 points after the second.

We lack pace. (address in summer)

Sean Dyche has got us promoted to the premier league twice and this time, he'll keep us up.

As a Claret, the future is promising.

Blackburn Rovers are in a right old pickle!

Defour always starts limping in physical games!

The result tonight puts pressure on teams playing tomorrow. It also lifts pressure for Saturday, first away win of season?

Tall Paul wrote:We were pretty terrible tonight, let's be honest. Probably worse than we were on Saturday. But Stoke aren't as good as Spurs and we took our only chance of the night.

U gotta be joking right ?

Tall Paul wrote:We were pretty terrible tonight, let's be honest. Probably worse than we were on Saturday. But Stoke aren't as good as Spurs and we took our only chance of the night.

I agree, a must win game that we won but the football was still dire.

Tinribs wrote:U gotta be joking right ?

No.

Just because we won, doesn't mean we played well, we didn't, but all the people that have been criticising since Saturday will no doubt shut up now because of the result. Which is good, they should shut up, but they shouldn't have been criticising in the first place.

Hendrick needs to play farther forward. He's not a water carrier, so don't turn him into one.

Defour is wasted out wide

When he came inside he looked a class above anyone else on the pitch and clearly has an eye for some subtle passes, never looks hurried or uncomfortable on the ball

We have to play to his strengths

Ashley's knack of winning free kicks is underrated. Sam and Andre were battered all night yet won less than him.

Stick to the rituals

Every half time I have a sip of my mates missus' cider.

On Saturday one of the lads got me a pint .... We lost..... Today he offered and I said "not a chance" and went off to hunt down my sip of cider

dont look too soon at the league table, just realised we have played about ten games more than the chasing pack !

"Every half time I have a sip of my mates missus' cider."

There's a euphemism if I ever saw one.

Wile E Coyote wrote:dont look too soon at the league table, just realised we have played about ten games more than the chasing pack !

With a few of them to play each other yet such as Hull vs Boro tomorrow.

Which means one side if not both will drop points.

addisclaret wrote:"Every half time I have a sip of my mates missus' cider."

There's a euphemism if I ever saw one.

Barton shouldn't play every match.
Brady plays better on the left.
Hendricks can run with the ball.
Boyd still needs a haircut, nice goal though.
KRBFC can make a comment I agree with "A must win game which we won but the football was dire"

Brady looks quick and needs to start.
Really welcome win.

Tall Paul wrote:We were pretty terrible tonight, let's be honest. Probably worse than we were on Saturday. But Stoke aren't as good as Spurs and we took our only chance of the night.

Utter ********. We looked miles better tonight than in comparison to Saturday. We struggled considering some of the officiating tonight, but we went at Stoke and got what we deserved. Anything other than 3 points tonight would have been a travesty

SparkyClaret wrote:Utter ********. We looked miles better tonight than in comparison to Saturday. We struggled considering some of the officiating tonight, but we went at Stoke and got what we deserved. Anything other than 3 points tonight would have been a travesty

How many saves did Grant make? How many shots did Gray or Vokes have? We got at them with desire and a will to win there was zero quality from us offensively apart from the goal.

Everyone talks like they know what theyre on about.

SparkyClaret wrote:Utter ********. We looked miles better tonight than in comparison to Saturday. We struggled considering some of the officiating tonight, but we went at Stoke and got what we deserved. Anything other than 3 points tonight would have been a travesty

Utter ******** yourself.

People are so result orientated. We were as bad last night as we were on Saturday, probably worse. The only differences are that Stoke aren't as good as Tottenham and one of our very few chances went in. Stoke missed two or three very good chances. We actually had twice as many shots against Spurs as we did last night.

I'm not being negative, the point I'm trying to make is that the criticism when we lose is excessive and results orientated, because it's all down to the fine margins that the manager keeps talking about.

What Spurs were a very good side we definitely looked more purposeful last night. We lack quality up front though and it is easy to se why we don't score many.

Brady needs to start, stop asking Hendrick to defend so much and let him do what he's good at, & Defour is not suited to the English game...as much as I rate him he's a fish out of water.

Biggest lesson: It isn't ALWAYS essential to attack the CFS in the first half!

Season's biggest disappointment - Andre Gray - it pains me to say. If someone comes along with £15m bite their hand off.

We need a couple of forwards if we remain in the PL. In addition, as well as Ward has done, Robertson at Hull should still be on the summer shopping list.

claretman1 wrote:Season's biggest disappointment - Andre Gray - it pains me to say. If someone comes along with £15m bite their hand off.

Nobody would give you that much for a player who can't control a simple pass! (And it pains me to say it too.) Redknapp's retired unfortunately!

Tall Paul wrote:People are so result orientated.

I'm not being negative, the point I'm trying to make is that the criticism when we lose is excessive and results orientated, because it's all down to the fine margins that the manager keeps talking about.

Of course people are result oriented when it comes to sport.

I'll agree that some people get a bit ott when we lose, but there was a clear difference in performance between the spurs game and last night

don't join the Park View Chippy queue 35 mins before kick-off!

Tall Paul wrote:
"We were pretty terrible tonight, let's be honest. Probably worse than we were on Saturday. But Stoke aren't as good as Spurs and we took our only chance of the night."

"I agree, a must win game that we won but the football was still dire."

I also agree. That was an extremely important win, but it was bloody ugly. Not a single attempt at goal in the first half! Game won by a moment of brilliance from Hendrick and some good defending/poor finishing from them.

SparkyClaret wrote:Of course people are result oriented when it comes to sport.

I'll agree that some people get a bit ott when we lose, but there was a clear difference in performance between the spurs game and last night

Yes there was a clear difference in performance- by the away side, not us.

We didn't play well last night but the intensity and effort was much higher than on Saturday.

Tall Paul wrote:No.

Just because we won, doesn't mean we played well, we didn't, but all the people that have been criticising since Saturday will no doubt shut up now because of the result. Which is good, they should shut up, but they shouldn't have been criticising in the first place.

I dont criticise at all.in fact tend to stay off this board after defeats because i cant be bothered reading through all the tripe.
But ive been going Turf Moor for 40 years and ive seen terrible and that was nowhere near last night

Agree with Tall Paul. I don't think we looked any better last night than we did on Saturday. We did a good job of protecting the lead, certainly once Tarks came on, but that of course isn't a skill we needed on Saturday so we can't compare it, and we did have 5-10 minutes after we scored when we had more momentum than we ever had on Saturday. But fundamentally it was the same performance, just against a weaker team and on a night when we managed one moment of quality that we didn't have on Saturday.

Interestingly, I don't know that that means we were terrible - either tonight or on Saturday. I think what Tall Paul means is that we weren't at our best, and we certainly weren't. But plenty thought we were terrible on Saturday, and whilst I thought they were a little harsh given how good Spurs were, anyone who thought we were terrible on Saturday ought to think the same of last night. But realistically, we all have to accept there will be days in this league when we look crap by comparison to our opponents - because they are particularly good and we, for whatever reason (confidence and belief being the main two) are slightly below our best. Hopefully the win last night will give us the belief and conviction to produce a better performance at Boro than we managed at Sunderland.

claretman1 wrote:Season's biggest disappointment - Andre Gray - it pains me to say. If someone comes along with £15m bite their hand off.

9 goals in 25 appearances. That's worth £15m of anyone's money in this day and age.