Cisse up front and in the centre

[stainrodisalegend]

Has to be the priority for Sunday's game - the rest of the formation has got to work round that. We need goals and he is by far and away our most likely scorer. Personally I'd play him alongside Bobby, with Adel right and Traore left with Barton and Diakite centre. Hughes has tried to have his cake and eat it a few times this season with Cisse but if one positive came out of the Chelsea match I hope it is that Hughes was convinced that Cisse doesn't work out on the left. Hughes hoped that Cisse wd cut in and get into the box with each attack, but he doesn't, or not enough. For the first time since Clive Allen or Gary Bannister we have a real goal poacher and we should utilise that. Think we can play 4-4-2 in this game as the nearest Stoke get to go through the midfield is via air traffic control. But if Hughes thinks that is too attacking I wd rather sacrifice Bobby, Traore/ Mackie possibly even Adel if absolutely necessary just to get Cisse playing where he can do the damage. Thoughts?

[Stanley]

Agree. Drop Mackie for Traore and switch Adel to the right. Keep Mackie as impact sub if needed.

[Deadend_Friend]

Agreed, we shouldn't drop Mackie though. He's been great in recent home games.
Team should be
Kenny

Ounoha Hill Ferdinand Taiwo

Mackie Diakete Barton Traore

Taarabt

Cisse

Time for Bobby to drop to the bench, 2 goals and no assists in 12 games isn't good enough

[vblockranger]

reckon Stoke will score a couple (they gonna love our small pitch unlike the footballing teams we have beaten lately) so we gotta set up to score more than them

[Stanley]

Traore over Mackie for me - better at retaining possession and better at crossing into the danger men.

[vblockranger]

Traore over Mackie for me - better at retaining possession and better at crossing into the danger men.

[QPRDave]

Cisse either scores or gets sent off well he scored last week so this week
But seriously agree the fella is our best chance of finding the net, can't make my mind up as to whether we should go 442, or again try and choke the midfield

[Deadend_Friend]

Let's be honest, Stoke don't have too many threats from midfield. They'll try to win set pieces and long throws, they are where they are dangerous

[Del]

Traore over Mackie for me - better at retaining possession and better at crossing into the danger men.

100%. Mackie still offers little for me as a starter.

We cant play defensive against Stoke so has to be 442 as they bypass midfield anyway, so why pack it?

..............Kenny
Onouha....Ferdinand....Hill......Taiwo
Adel.....Barton....Diakite.....Traore
........Cisse.....Zamora

[Simonj10]

You CANNOT drop Zamora basically the best header in the team and we are playing against a team that live a set piece and cross. We need BZin there or HH

[Stanley]

100%. Mackie still offers little for me as a starter.

We cant play defensive against Stoke so has to be 442 as they bypass midfield anyway, so why pack it?

..............Kenny
Onouha....Ferdinand....Hill......Taiwo
Adel.....Barton....Diakite.....Traore
........Cisse.....Zamora

Agree. With this line up we are very strong on both flanks as well as through the spine. I think Hughes has under-used Traore, especially away.

Mackie, for all his positives, still makes too many unforced errors for PL standard. At this level the punishment for that is unforgiving and unrelenting.