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Will Sorenson be Sorry Again? Stoke Cup Preview
Blues take on Premier League opposition tonight in the fourth round of the Capital One Cup with Lee Clark looking for his charges to cause an upset against the Potters.
Stoke City
Mark Hughes has promised to put out a strong side as Stoke bid to push on into the last eight of the competition having set a goal of reaching the final back at the start of the season.
Robert Huth, Glenn Whelan and Andy Wilkinson will all miss out with injury but one player who is likely to start is Thomas Sorenson, who will not have fond memories of playing at St Andrews after letting a Emile Heskey shot squirm under his body to give Blues the lead in the March 2005 second city derby. Marko Arnautovic could play after coming off with sickness early in the second half at the weekend.
Blues
Blues have a couple of injury worries with Chris Burke not being fit to play after picking up a calf strain at the weekend whilst Jesse Lingard remains injured – although he wouldn’t have been allowed to play under the terms of his loan agreement anyway. Colin Doyle is likely to return in goal for Darren Randolph whilst Mitch Hancox could get the nod over David Murphy.
With Blues lacking Burke I can see the side going 3-5-2 or 3-4-3 with Caddis slotting in on the right side of midfield and Hancox on the left; however should Clark choose to go with three up front it could be interested to see who is selected. Clark could well give a run to other players who haven’t featured of late such as Matt Green, Scott Allan and Hayden Mullins.
Normally, I’d want to say that Blues should concentrate on the league but right now I think Blues need every bit of morale boost they can get and having seen what they could do to Swansea I think Blues need to pump themselves up again and see if they can shoot Stoke City down. Whether they will be able to do so is another matter.
Tags: Capital One Cup, Hayden Mullins, Matt Green, Mitchell Hancox, Paul Caddis, Scott Allan, Stoke City
76 Responses to “Will Sorenson be Sorry Again? Stoke Cup Preview”
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Come on you Blues, get yourselves up for this, no matter what is going on around you, you have the chance tonight for glory and onward success.
It will be a late night hopefully listening or catching the Blog here in Kazakhstan, but you know that in numerous countries around the world we will be listening or watching, we never lose faith.
KRO
well said we will all be shouting for the boys in blue KRO from Thailand
whats your team staffs is it the same as mine Doyle
Caddis Burn Robo Hancox
Alan Adeyemi Reilly Elliot
Zigic Green
blues to win 2-1
It’s not going to be easy tonight. I’m tempted to say use 3 at the back, but I don’t think Bartley and Burn are a strong enough partnership. If Spector had been fit, it would have been different. I still think Clark might go with 3 at the back, to combat the height and power of Crouch and Walters. Whoever plays, they’ll know they’ve been in a game with those two.
I’m not sure about up front. No one has clicked 100%. I was tempted to put Zigic and Novak together, but why not take a fresh approach?
Doyle
Bartley Burn Robinson
Caddis Adeyemi Reilly Hancox
Arthur Zigic Gray
That would be koby arthur who played ninety minutes yesterday? No chance
Silly me, spelled it wrong… should have been Shinnie. :-)
Maurice these are real boys , not the lady boys you are used to shouting in Thailand lol
looking forward to tonight – blues to win on penalties in a nailbiter !!
give the young boy gray a run out valuable experience to be had.
This would be a morale boosting to see off another premiership side……..hopefully another turnout of the noses we will see………certainly would like to see this young gray continue his progress. As we done previously get in their faces…….blues to win……
*progression
I have posted recently that Scot Allan never gets a look in. More disturbingly Matt Green hasn’t featured in the last two squads, but Lovenkrands has. No word on Green being injured, so is there something we need to know?
I think he’s still making the step up at the moment. I’m sure he’ll be used more as the season goes on and he gets used to the change. Maybe even a month out on loan would help.
Staffs imo clark will probably have him on the bench maybe. Again imo he does need as much game time as possible at this level……..
I agree. But I think Lee Clark is still easing him in. His has probably been the biggest step up in level. Don’t want to wreck the guy’s confidence. But, this is the kind of match to give him some game time.
Burke is a big miss. I’d like to see young Koby get a run out on the right in his absence.
I have a feeling Stoke will be too strong tonight and individual errors will cost us (again) but you never know with the magic of the cup. If the crowd can support the team as we did against Swansea then strange things could happen.
Fingers crossed there will be a good turnout. Looking forward to it as you can’t beat the excitement of a game under the lights at Stans.
KRO!
Please, no Mullins. Doyle will be big in goal again, and providing we can neutralise Crouch at dead balls, like the Swansea game, we might ride the storm and then go on the attack. With stoke a strong possibility for relegation, Hughes will need success tonight.
We’ll just have to sing that bit harder!
Crouch didn’t play in Swansea game
But, having us watched for a few games… wouldn’t you fancy Crouch’s chances against Burn if you were Mark Hughes? From Burn’s point of view, it would be a good test against a player like Crouch, who’s not only good in the air.
A tough match, Blues need to be in their faces from the off as we were against Swansea.
To be honest I thought Swansea would be to good for us with their flowing football, Stoke are a more physical side and I wonder if this group of players are strong enough for that, we were muscled off the ball against Derby far too easily at times, Ziggy to start even if it is just to track Crouch.
It would be nice to see the youngsters get a run out, the experience will be invaluable.
Tough call, but if we can stay firm and leave, errors in the dressing room and play though them on the ground we should be 1-0 win, if they score first I think we will be overawed.
11 battlers on the pitch and a crowd in full voice to carry us on the road to Wembley.
KRO+DNM
9 of the team against Swansea are available for selection I think. Will Clark go with that team, with maybe Bartley in for Spector and Gray for Burke?
whatever 11 he puts out tonight were be up against it but we were under the cosh first half
with swansea and played great second half so same again and lets see if we can reach the
quater- finals, a wins a win and after derby saturday and a good point we need to keep it
going even though the league is way more inportant.KRO.
doyle
bartley burn robinson
caddis adeyemi rilley hancox
shinnie zigic green.
this wont be the team or maybe it will but thats what i would play tonight.KRO.
It’s REILLY!
Sorry guys this will be a 1-3 defeat.
A defeat against a prem side wouldn’t be the end of the world, but a narrow defeat, having given them a good game, might be another confidence boost.
trust the doctor to unleash more pain and sorrow on all us optemistic bluenoses, but ime
going 2- 1 blues simply because these cup results weve had this saeson are parralel to
2010/11 and in this round then it was 2- 1 and the rest his history as they say so sticking
with that though i wouldnt be totally supprised if the doctor gets it right.( ime not contredicting
myself ime just covering myself) KRO.
According to Lee Clark, Burke’s injury isn’t too bad, just a twinge. He should be back for the Charlton game.
Novaks 2nd of the season tonight maybe 3rd , when he starts scoring you’ll not stop him!
I know most wouldn’t agree… but I’d like to see Ziggy and Novak given a game or two. They’ve only played together twice (Shamrock Rovers and Derby) and have scored 4 between them (Novak 3 Zigic 1.) You never know, they could hit it off.
Though Novak has done nothing for me so far but maybe they are good together, tonight would be a good game to start them both and who knows, another Latchford /Hatton partnership might just game to fruitation and give us all some cheer.
KRO+DNM
Christ Chris I nearly chocked on my wine gums Latchford / Hatton partnership have you had a funny turn? .
Zigic and Novak it is.
Absolute proof that Lee Clark listens to me. ;-)
Hard Luck Lads.. Great fight-back .
Good fighting spirit. Two youngsters missed penalties, not a bad thing, valuable experience that will aid their football growth.
KRO & DNM
Absolutely proud of every one of them. Let’s take it out on Charlton this Saturday.
Proud, proud PROUD!!! Stoke knew they were in a game tonight – what a performance, I’m convinced without the red card we would have beaten Stoke tonight inside normal time
Doesn’t matter though – stunning performance – what a boost this will be for camp morale, let’s just hope the legs aren’t too tired for Saturday.
Well done Blues, well done Lee Clark!
ten heroes tonight – just got in, fantastic effort – wade elliot you let us down
Fantastic effort and performance from the lads always going to be hard with ten men If we play like that in the league we will be alright, thought the ref was shocking giving everything shawcross’s way and a little moan thought zigic, was shocking tonight no effort or pride, he needed to put a shift in once we went down to ten men but his effort was pathetic.
‘Credit to Birmingham, I thought they were magnificent.’ Mark Hughes sums it up. KRO
fantastic fight back! cant help but feel that a full and rockin st andrews would have seen us home and hosed! the lads in the shirt showed great spirit. top drawer. football is all about the moments for me…. times like this, thats all you can take, equalisers from shabbaman and olly lee right up there for me! KRO
Just got in. Happy and proud. Let’s hope we can keep it going on Sat.
Kro.
In other news, sat next to an old boy of 78 tonight who saw his first game in 1947 and who said that the great Gil Merrick had “superb anticipation”. A history lesson as well as a great display.
Just got in, what a performance, well done to all for such an heroic effort.
Thought we was going to win it on pens but sadly not to be.
Didn’t think it was a red, their player made a meal in my opinion, didn’t get much again from the ref, and why was penalties taken in front of the Stoke supporters, should be an unwritten rule, penalties always with the home supporters.
We definitely missed Burke, or someone willing to take the full backs on, things changed when Gray came on as I feel we were lacking some bite up front.
But can’t fault anyone tonight, 10 hero’s.
Much of the same Saturday and in the league matches will see us stay safe.
KRO+DNM
awesome display – proud of my team last night. Well done lee clark and the boys
Fantastic battling performance against all the odds. 10 against 12 with yet another shocking refereeing performance from our old-time adversary D’urso who did everything in his power to ensure Stoke would win this tie. It wasn’t just the controversial red card as he also let a string of fouls by Stoke players go unpunished whilst awarding the slightest infringement Stoke’s way. Just after we equalised to make it 3-3 there was a stonewall foul on the edge of the Stoke box on a Blues player that he didn’t award. Who knows what may have become of that. Then in the dying minutes of 1st half extra time a similar incident at the Railway end also went unpunished. Their defenders constantly got away with fouls and pushes on our forwards and yet he gave fouls against Blues for merely making legitimate challenges. Let’s hope we don’t have to endure his incompetence again this season.
It’s funny how some Refs seem to have a down on certain Clubs. The worse one I can remember was John Gow from Swansea. Never saw Blues win a game when he was in charge and used to give some terrible decisions against us.. Look him up to see the most important match he Reffed with us.
My personal favourite was Uriah Rennie – that bloke really did marched to his own beat and really enjoyed the “celebrity referee” tag. I would have kicked his arse at kick boxing (hoot)
There are certainly no Jack Taylors or Roger Kirkpatricks around anymore. They would have been ‘superstars’ today. Firm, but very fair refs.
Staffs, did you see the game when Kirkpatrick held on to Kevin Francis Shirt front and jumped up to pretend to drop the nut him. ? It was very funny , considering he was a short arse and fat with it.
Yeah, it was so funny. That was it with Kirkpatrick… he never took himself seriously (unlike most refs today) and players had enormous respect for him. Most times, a player would get a smack on the bottom (literally) instead of a booking. Great ref.
That is the trouble with the modern game, no characters left.
You get booked for some stupid things, where a ref would just tell you to behave and as you say a friendly slap of the butt and kept the game flowing.
Even players can’t have the banter, I remember Bertie Auld sticking the ball up his jersey and running into the net… Charlton Keeper Charlie Wright, nipping behind the goal for a quick slurp of Bovril on a cold night, and during a very foggy game Bill Brown asking us to let him know when we could see the ball coming… Characters
Ahhhh… and all for £200 a week. For all the money that’s in the game today, you can’t buy that kind of character.
Rennie didn’t make the list for his Reffing Talents , that’s for sure, but in fairness to him, he did improve when he came back from suspension or whatever name they called his ‘absence’
A truly stunning performance, i was gobsmacked this match was worth every penny……. you stay away fans really dont know what you missed last night……………………….agreed D’urso had pathetic performance imo…………………played as team nearly won as a team………..proud of bcfc and well done to individual players who some fans think you are shite if you deserve your place in the first team because you have worked hard go for it………………………………..you have given us a magnificent run in the cup………… now.lads show us this same fight , and start to climb up the table, and you never know you might surprise yourselves………………..have belief in yourselves you are connected to us fans………we bloody love ya………………………… kro
agreed mark a wonderful evening, you are right with your comments. time to turn to the league form, and see where we go.
agreed mark a wonderful evening, you are right with your comments. time to turn to the league form, and see where we go.
if the belief is there trust me you can beat anyone, and in the championship there no stand out team……we have held our own just been unlucky, and again s**t refs, standard of refereeing is absolutely terrible………….great experience and growth for our younger players, gray only 17 years some fans need to put this into perspective, he more than held is own showed no fear what so ever………
a unsung hero in doyleeeeeeee regardless not been able to save any penalties…….. he pull off some magnificent saves………imo the three goals that stoke scores in normal time imo i dont think he could do nothing about really they were just good goals……………..
fantastic performance, great effort from the lads, gave it everything, elliott you let us down
and your manager down, i hope your suffering this morning with guilt because your team
mates were outstanding, bring on charlton because if we show that much quality like last
night then its onwards and upwards and no thought of relegation.KRO.
Good showing last night. It might be a good thing in the end that we lost. If we had won and drew a big club next we would most likely been on tv That would mean another load of cash going to
C.Y andP.P.
The most important aspect of a penalty shootout is to score the first goal, why then were the two kids given the responsibilites of the first two attempts?. Big mistake by Clark it should have been lovenkrands taking the first one, get the first one on the board otherwise you are always playing catch up.
Apart from the it was a spirited performance although the defending at times was suicidal should never concede four goals at home in any match.
To be fair, with ten men we were chasing the game and to score 4 goals with only ten men speaks volumes on the spirit at the club, just a pity some of the so called supporters are not getting behind them.
If we had lost 3-1 after normal time no one could have complained, they kept on plugging away against some top player and more than held their own, credit where credit is due.
KRO+DNM
it shows character that those too young bluenoses put themselves forward dont you think Tony…..
the first two penalties were shocking but how can we as supporters knock them after
that display,it was just so sad that the team in blue were beaten on penalties but on the
plus side we did not loose the game over 90 mins so thats two games unbeaten and now
on to charlton saturday and a vital 3 points, proud to be a blue nose and those of you who
did not go cuz of carson yeung then shame on you, these players deserve better anyway.
KRO.
Lee Clark, when asked about the sending off and the officials, “They’re sponsored by Specsavers aren’t they?” Classic :-)
I saw the incident on BBC Midlands today, Staffs. as much as it hurts to say, it was a definite sending off.
Then he deserves his suspension chas. I see it as a chance for someone else to stake a claim for his place.
a premier league referee favouring a premiership team…..whats new there?
respect from mark hughes for saying they road there look and the blues fans
should be proud of there team and there manager……here, here……those that
missed one of the great games at st andrews………tough!!!!!!!!.KRO.
He isn’t a P.L. Ref any more is he ?
It was a blatant an elbow as I have ever seen, waste of time appealing that one
All in all the lads done us proud, kro, djue lay ore
无罪抗辩(無罪抗辯)………………………..
Mark, you do know that that translates to ‘Up the Villa, Balls to Small Heath’ don’t you ? I have had my doubts about you ..;-)
(I dont rally know what it says ,Mark, but can guess )
Chas my dear bluenose it stands for not guilty, please dont have doubts about me, because if you cut me my blood is blue mate……………………. :-0
I know Mark , I was joshing you, that is why I put the Smilie.. XX