Stoke City vs. Manchester United

[Annihilate Now!]

We haven't really actually played well since Real though have we..

Nope, I'm not claiming we have either. Which is why you have to be happy with todays performance. We've not been playing well, we're up against a physical side in some terrible conditions... and we've gone out there, got the basics right, been extremely solid and built a win up from there. We have done well today, for the first time since Madrid, and have totally controlled this game of football... and restricted Stoke to shooting from distance.

If people are seriously expecting us to produce some free-flowing amazing football today, they need to rethink they're expectations. It was a very good, and important win.

 

[Nick 0208 Ldn]

Last season and the one before there were a few signings which suggested Pulis was going to liven their football up a bit, this season he not only ceased to do that but can't even get them to do them long ball game effectively.

Were they to be relegated i wouldn't fancy their chances of promotion back to the Prem without a chance in manager.

 

[Cevno]

We haven't really actually played well since Real though have we..

Yep, but we certainly haven't been shite today. Professional performance.

 

[kouroux]

Today we have finally found out why Buttner was signed.To be RVP's best mate

 

[pauldyson1uk]

decent enough game, a good away win , no injuries and 3 pts closer to the PL , Happy Days

 

[Quinton Fortune]

Encouraging today, we actually played alright football and Valencia continued to look better than previous weeks. Rooney in the middle looked good too.

 

[Earthquake]

Solid 2 goal win, RvP scored, a clean sheet, and 7 points to go.

Not a great game but we totally controlled it, happy with that.

 

[JonDahl]

feck Stoke. Hope they go down the thuggish cnuts.

 

[Dargonk]

3 more points. IN the end this game seemed rather easy. Stoke never really threatened with Vidic killing anything in the air. Even with the bad weather and conditions perfeect for stoke they couldn't do anything.

Watching that team would be painful each week. Just lump it forward and hope for the best, I'd be happy to see them get relegated and replaced by a team that actually trys to play football.

 

[SteveJ]

Great stuff. Getting close.

 

[NoLogo]

The lads did what was required to win the game nothing more and nothing less, I'm just happy we got the 3 points. 7 points to go for the title.

 

[Shane88]

Great result, decent performance, clean sheet and Van Persie scored.

Good stuff.

 

[ha_rooney]

Good win.

Important Robin finally scored. I thought Rooney was excellent. Kagawa, Carrick and Jones did very well too. DDG made a couple of smart saves.

I hope the Stoke cnuts get relegated.

 

[Olly Gunnar Solskjær]

feck off Stoke.

 

[Ish]

It's the title sealed for us.

I've heard this for the past 2 odd months

 

[Adam-Utd]

Stoke never troubled us, we didnt play great but we didnt need to. Never got out of first gear.

 

[Siorac]

Nope, I'm not claiming we have either. Which is why you have to be happy with todays performance. We've not been playing well, we're up against a physical side in some terrible conditions... and we've gone out there, got the basics right, been extremely solid and built a win up from there. We have done well today, for the first time since Madrid, and have totally controlled this game of football... and restricted Stoke to shooting from distance.

If people are seriously expecting us to produce some free-flowing amazing football today, they need to rethink they're expectations. It was a very good, and important win.

See, this is the difference.

You don't expect good football from United, you're happy if we get the basics right and win. I'd like to see more than that.

 

[Godfather]

Good result for us.
Although you have to say that Stoke are god awful. Any other top league and they wouldn't surive a single season in the top division.

 

[togg]

very satisfying win.....will do the team a lot of good...striking another game off, clean sheet....two goals....RVP obviously hugely relieved and will do him good....Windy conditions...and awful team to play against....but we've done the job. It's never pretty at this end of the season, Fergie's said that so often..it's about results now...

 

[iguanamanc]

Good win - stopped any rot, calmed any nerves. Go win now at West Ham.

 

[ell]

Just what the doctor ordered. That was the perfect type of performance for the position we are in, strong, collected, calm, assured, and professional.

Got the job done, were strong defensively, got the three points and kept a clean sheet. You can't really ask for much more when going to a place like stoke.

Delighted with the result, and we move one step closer to the title.

 

[JakeC]

Good result for us.
Although you have to say that Stoke are god awful. Any other top league and they wouldn't surive a single season in the top division.

Are you sating the prem isn't a top league?

 

[Red Dreams]

Van Persie hugging Fergie...

the delight of that goal.

great to see.

 

[Phil]

See, this is the difference.

You don't expect good football from United, you're happy if we get the basics right and win. I'd like to see more than that.

This, I think people are all too quick to get self jump down people's throats.

Likewise too quick to say things like we've been shit, which we haven't, just not very good.

 

[Shark]

How happy is RVP? Lovely result, even if we didn't create much. Two wins away lads!

 

[Danny1982]

Great result... Rubbing my hands for #20 now..

Don't want to get ahead of myself here (or jinx it) but the prospect of us winning the title (RVP's first) at the Emirates is almost too good to be true..

 

[Cevno]

Good job. Decent performance in tough conditions with the wind and a referee who wasn't giving any cards. Professional performance and better than some past seasons at Stoke.

Vidic back and another clean sheet too. Sweet.

 

[Sarni]

Stoke can only hope that Wigan struggle because Sunderland and the rest are going to finish ahead of them. Awful side. Brilliant job by Pulis with limited funds though, no one could do better with £15m transfer budget a year.

 

[paceme]

This, I think people are all too quick to get self jump down people's throats.

Likewise too quick to say things like we've been shit, which we haven't, just not very good.

But we were very good. Did stoke even have a single chance while we scored two goals?

 

[Dargonk]

See, this is the difference.

You don't expect good football from United, you're happy if we get the basics right and win. I'd like to see more than that.

In today's conditions I'm happy with how we performed. If we played like that in normal conditions I would likely agree with you, but when the ball won't even stay still for free kicks and corners I think we can give the players some slack

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

Decent win. Not easy on the eye, but the conditions looked to make things difficult for both sides. Stoke defended well mostly, and pressed hard in the midfield. I thought we defended incredibly well too, and I didn't predict we'd keep a clean sheet today, but other than that free kick which floated through, De Gea didn't look troubled at all.

Thought Rooney did well in midfield. Played alot like Anderson usually does, just driving the ball forwards. Can't really fault any of the players. It was always going to be a tough game at their place, but we looked comfortable, without really going at it.

 

[wr8_utd]

Brilliant brilliant result this. Performance doesn't really matter. Our performances at the back with and without Vidic just highlight how integral he is to us. Sign him up for life!

 

[togg]

now..off to watch Chelsea beat city....I'm presuming that is what people want?

 

[acnumber9]

Anyone who hated watching that game today should make other plans for Wednesday. It's going to be eerily familiar.

 

[VanNistelrater]

Buzzing after that Van Persie goal! We were so much better than we have been in the last month or so. Big result that.

 

[hp88]

See, this is the difference.

You don't expect good football from United, you're happy if we get the basics right and win. I'd like to see more than that.

Your not going to get fancy football when you play Stoke, the aim for today was go out and win.

 

[togg]

Vidic really really does make a huge difference to the confidence of the defense...he really is immense for us. Also, I do think we will soon have the best goal keeper in the world. DDG has come on leaps and bounds this season and is really really looking the part.

 

[shaggy]

We were practically handed that victory, stoke were poor beyond belief. Still job done and 4 points in the next two fixtures puts us pretty much there.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

See, this is the difference.

You don't expect good football from United, you're happy if we get the basics right and win. I'd like to see more than that.

You're either deliberately being an idiot, or simply just being an idiot. I'm yet to decide...

I've never not said that I don't expect good football from United, for the second time in this thread you've just made up some random shit about me. I am however a realist and don't expect us to go out there, in awful conditions against a physical team, and play some incredibly brand of exciting football.

To expect us to just do some marvelous 180 degree turn, considering the performances that we've been having since the Madrid game is ridiculous. Totally ridiculous. We've just lost to City, so for your next game, it's incredibly important to be solid, put in a good shift, and get a good win. We can then build from there on the next game and so forth.

There was clearly a rot that has set in after the Madrid game... today was the first day we actually looked like a top of the table side for 90 minute since then. Were we amazing? No, of course not? Were we shit? Not on your life... we simply played well, in terrible conditions, and got a good win. Exactly what we needed really.

 

[VanNistelrater]

We were practically handed that victory, stoke were poor beyond belief. Still job done and 4 points in the next two fixtures puts us pretty much there.

Isnt it seven points we need? Assuming City win the rest of their fixtures.