The Aztexan

Today was a Stoke City kind of day: the first team played their first game in the Premiership against Bolton Wanderers at The Reebok in Horwich, and their U18 Academy team played a friendly against the Rayados youth team at Town & Country here in Austin.

If you had to pick one squad to win and one to lose, you'd probably have reversed the results: the U18s won 2-1, and the first team lost 3-1. Of course the table is next to meaningless after only one game, but we now have Bolton at the top and Stoke at the bottom, thanks to the goal differential of 2 from this game. I'm sure the Potters won't stay at the bottom any longer than the Trotters will stay at the top.

The fine Stoke blog on BlogsFC has a good recap & player ratings.

The problems in the team are clear though. Griffin is just not good enough fo the Premier League any more, and is also too small and slow. Bolton had a lot of joy attacking down that side through their pacy wide players. Contrast that to Stoke’s lack of width. A new full back (Andrew Davies looks very likely to join from Southampton) a new winger are a must.

As for the new signings, Olofinjana impressed me, Kitson worked hard and tried to be creative but had little success and Sorensen could possibly have claimed a few more crosses that he left, once at our great cost but apart from that had a reasonably solid debut despite conceding three.

The sooner Abdoulaye Faye comes into the side the better and I hope the Davies signing is completed, as the defence looks very weak for a Premier league side, which is what we gladly now are. Investment is a must if we wish to remain that way.

If you haven't caught any of the Stoke City Academy games this weekend, you have one more chance tomorrow at noon. There's very limited bleacher seating, and absolutely no shade for 200 miles in any direction, so take a chair and an umbrella if you go. You'll thank me.

Labels: Stoke City