Monroe Transfer

But we all know Shola isn't great.

Agree with all of this. I think that's why the result irritates a little - both sides offered very little going forward. A draw would have been a fair result but if any side was to win it would have down to a bit of luck (Remy's block going in) or a rare moment of 'relaxed' defending (their goal). If Arsenal had peppered our goal with shot after shot it'd have been different. As is it they didn't make Krul do too much. It's a great result for them - nowhere near their best but grinding out a result against a good side, and about as decent a loss as it can get for a losing side; one that shows we can compete with better sides, and even earn their respect (they parked the bus against us towards the end).

The chances Ben Arfa took were in the dying minutes when he had other options. Gouffran and Remy were so anonymous that they didn't even have such chances really. I don't see why Ben Arfa is exempt from criticism. People get so wound up because they know how good he can be, but occasionally he isn't enough of a team player.

Agreed, he didn't even look up.

So toothless.

Clueless by Ben Arfa.

Fuck off Ben Arfa

Shola way too static.

Would love a point.

Got to do better here.

Oh come on

Nor had they.

Why shoot from there?

Awful.

Ben Arfa is his surname mate.

I'll donate a few quid mate.

No guarantee his presence in the touchline would have secured the three points is all. Tan is an idiot, but I think Mackay's actual ability as a Premier League manager hasn't been called into question enough.

But they were the better side throughout and Sunderland have managed to get a jammy point out of it somehow. Don't see how it's Tan's fault.

Dismal day for my FF team. Thought I was at least going to get a clean sheet off Caulker.

To be fair they've got Marcos Alonso (and noone else) to look forward to in Jan.

"Gael Cliché"

Huge match. Win and we'll be 3 points behind them. The very same Arsenal the media are having another love-in about. We'd also be level on points with the mighty Liverpool for a couple of hours at least. Not that we'll get any credit from anyone outside the club and its fanbase.

:lol: Ashley, reading your post ^

Fish being outwitted by 'sportsman' at the moment tbf.

Are some Stoke fans really suggesting the team should have walked off? Did I actually just read that? I haven't seen the actions that led to the ref's decisions, but none of them sound like absolutely stonewall NOT penalties/yellows. If they're not categorically inexcusable decisions the ref has made, then just face up to the fact that you might have been hard done by, it was possibly a little harsh but these things happen in football. Reading their forum, it's like there is no debate - the decisions were totally wrong, their players were totally innocent and if the shoes were on the other foot they'd expect us to react in exactly the same way (I'd like to think some of us at least wouldn't).