Stoke away

How many times have we heard the saying - 'The true test of foreign players coming to the Premiership is a midweek away game at Stoke in the winter?' Well tonight will provide this kind of challenge for this new look NUFC.

This is another test for NUFC and we will really find out how good these players, this team is. How will Cabella or Riviere fancy it tonight against the likes of Shawcross? How will Janmaat hold up against Crouch?

Tonight's trip to the Britannia is a game NUFC traditionally lose - usually as a result of being bullied out of the game. Although Mark Hughes is aiming to shed Stoke of this reputation they remain a physically imposing team who first and foremost are hard to beat.

Pardew knows his neck is still on the chopping block so he needs a performance and a positive result. We all saw the comments made by Mike Ashley this week regarding AP's position and while a denial was issued I personally believe there was some truth to his comments. I feel Ashley was using this 'on the spot' interview to shift some of the fans hatred off him and onto Pardew by indirectly letting the fans know he understand our frustrations and is running out of patience with AP.

Either way this will heap more pressure on AP and elevated the importance of a positive result tonight. To achieve this I feel AP must send out a positive team who can take the game to Stoke. Use our pace and passing ability to hit Stoke on the counter attack. IF we play the long ball game and try to make this a physical battle then we might as well turn the team bus around now as Stoke will eat us alive.

Lets set up with a fluid 4-4-2. With the midfield 4 interchangeable. Tiote sits, Colback, Cabella and Sissoko carrying the attacking threat behind Cisse and Rivierre. Playing the 2 forwards together will bring the best out of both of them. 

Unfortunately I see us losing 2-0 tonight..