On the face of it a two-nil defeat to Chelsea might not seem a bad result, certainly no disgrace, or an embarrassment. But this was a very comfortable win for Chelsea achieved in second gear with the bare minimum of effort. There was a sense that if Stoke had somehow put the ball in the net, the Blues would have stepped up a gear, brushed the impudent newcomers aside and notched a few more themselves. 
The visitors were superior in every department, as one might expect, but the disappointing aspect is that Stoke’s cause was not helped by the team selection and the one dimensional approach of the manager.
Since the first couple of matches of the season I have opined that Stoke’s reliance on the Rory Delap throw, and the tactic of pressuring of opponents down the channels to obtain throw-ins was both limited and worrying. The lack of real creativity, pace, and the ability to supply other quality deliveries into the opponent’s penalty area leaves Stoke rather short of goal scoring opportunities. This was not addressed on transfer deadline day either. The only threat has come from the Delap exocet or the flash of brilliance from Fuller. It was therefore rather troubling to find that Delap was ruled out by a hamstring injury, and Fuller was on the bench. Dave Kitson and Mamady Sidibe were to start up front, while striker Richard Cresswell was asked to deputise in left midfield. This arrangement worked in the Championship, but it is highly questionable that Stoke will get away with this approach in the Premiership.
The atmosphere was magnificent again as the teams took to the pitch, the Stoke fans providing their part of the bargain when it came to making the Britannia Stadium an intimidating pace to visit. But as the game got under way the Stoke team seemed to give their visitors too much respect and Chelsea were soon comfortably into their stride. 
Michael Ballack was involved twice early on, sending a dipping shot from thirty yards that Thomas Sorensen tipped over, and the German international forced a Sorensen into a smart save with a header from the resulting corner. Stoke were in more trouble on 13 minutes after Seyi Olofinjana lost out in a midfield tussle allowing Frank Lampard the opportunity to send in a sublime chip through for the unmarked Didier Drogba. The striker controlled the ball beautifully and seemed certain to score, but his attempted prod to Sorensen’s left was blocked by the keeper’s outstretched leg. Chelsea maintained possession with ease during the first half, patiently building with sharp passing and movement, probing Stoke for weaknesses and a potential opening. It had all the characteristics of a training game for the visitors, with Stoke offering little in the way of a threat.
Indeed behind me in the stands Stoke fans were getting impatient with the efforts of Dave Kitson, questioning his work rate and desire. Up to press this season Kitson has been one of one Stoke’s most hard working players, unfortunately the system utilised by the manager had seen him out of position and contributing more in midfield and defence than in front of goal. Against Chelsea he was up front but deprived of anything resembling service, other than hopeful balls forward for him to chase or battle in vain against a strong top quality rearguard. There were signs that he was beginning to get disillusioned with his lot, not surprising to be fair, and until Stoke find a way of supplying quality balls into the box, they will not get the most from their £5.5m striker. Kitson did earn a corner on 34 minutes which Sidibe eventually got a head to at the near post, but his tame effort from a tight angle would not squeeze past Petr Cech in the Chelsea goal. Stoke were given a lesson in finishing moments later when Chelsea swept up the field with a string of intricate passes to open up Stoke’s defences down the home side’s left. 
Lampard played a delightful ball over the defence and Jose Bosingwa had kept pace with the attack to chest down the pass and fire home from an angle with Griffin helplessly getting the final touch. It was a deserved lead and was comfortably taken into half time with Stoke offering little other than eager chasing as Chelsea seemed to have plenty of time on the ball as they continued to move it around at will.
HT Stoke City 0 Chelsea 1 and Pulis left the field rightly scratching his head
The half time break saw Stoke and Chelsea legend Alan Hudson draw the lottery tickets, and Stoke also needed to pull something special out of the hat if they were to turn the game around. However the game was almost put beyond them in the 47th minute. 
A Lampard shot was steered wide by a Stoke foot and from the resulting corner the immense Abdoulaye Faye collected the ball safely and advanced seemingly untroubled out of the box. Unfortunately his sloppy pass was picked off by Florent Malouda and he fired in a shot from the edge of the area that Sorensen did well to tip on to the bar. Kitson was substituted on 53 minutes and replaced by Ricardo Fuller. Clearly this introduction sparked Stoke into life, giving them fresh impetus and more of threat. Stoke’s tempo had been increased and Chelsea started to look less comfortable and knew they were now in a battle. But for all of Stoke’s extra belief and the encouragement from the passionate crowd, the only real moment of note they produced was a powerful header from Leon Cort at a corner which Mikel nodded clear on the line. Fuller curled a shot high over the bar on 69 minutes, and while Stoke were enjoying a period of dominance the cutting edge was lacking, and they ultimately paid as Chelsea killed off the game with a second goal.
There appeared little menace on 75 minutes when Bosingwa swung in a routine ball from the right wing, but Cort slipped while attempting to chest down to Faye, who also slipped for good measure, teeing up the waiting substitute Nicolas Anelka to finish hard and low into the far corner from about 12 yards. 
This ended any Stoke hope, and the play swung back to a confident Chelsea. An Anelka run eventually set up Ballack for a shot just wide on 79 minutes, then an unmarked Lampard should have done better than softly shoot into Sorensen’s arms from 12 yards on 83 minutes while Stoke’s defence was dozing during another good move. Michael Tonge (who replaced a disappointing Liam Lawrence on 64 minutes) managed a shot from 20 yards in the last minute of normal time, but it flew well over the Chelsea bar.
The final whistle went to end what was in the main a comfortable victory for Chelsea who were in total control apart from a spell in the second half when Fuller’s introduction lifted Stoke and injected much need confidence and pace. However I got the impression that Chelsea could have easily stepped up a level if needed should Stoke have grabbed a goal. Typical spirit and hard work from Stoke, but an impotent as an attacking force without Delap and Fuller on the pitch. Stoke need to find alternative ways of creating scoring opportunities if their stay in the top flight is to last longer than this season.
FT Stoke City 0 Chelsea 2 – and Pulis has a bit of thinking to do.
The evening was spent in the company of Stoke fanzine message board legends at a curry house in Dresden. The post mortem of the game was carried out over a decent feed and with plenty of gallows humour.
A good summary, Andy. There is a massive gap between the best teams in this league and all the others. Our fate will depend on how we fare with ‘the others’ and whether we can get Delap and Fuller playing on a regular basis.
The post mortem was as long as the meal took to arrive. ;)]
M.
OS - my wait for my meal flew by, I was entertained by a footy discussion with the very knowledgeable (future pundit) Miximator, and the amusing tales of Winger. Alas when the food came it was undercooked, lukewarm and not that spicy. But I am spoilt, I live near curry capital Bradford after all.
You are right the important results will be against the “others” outside of the “Big Four”, but I still think our personnel and tactics will hold us back from the necessary wins should we have injuries to any one of Lawrence, Fuller, or Delap. All three out - gawd help us!
“with plenty of gallows humour”
So you hanged Pulis then?
Confirmed what I thought listening to the game on the radio. It sounded as if Chelsea coasted through the game in a lower gear. It doesn’t wash with me that they were playing Chelsea and because we didn’t get beaten 4-0, it was a great achievement by the Potters. We have a manager who hasn’t got a clue and will struggle throughout the season. Kitson is just the latest in a long line of square pegs in round holes. Is that management?
Pulis out!
Calvin. As I said to you in an email when we bought him, I have liked Kitson for a long while, I think he’s an intelligent skilful player, but other than his attribute of working hard I couldn’t see him as a “Pulis player” and wondered how he’d fit in. As the season goes along it becomes more evident that Kitson is not being used to his strengths and our style / approach does not suit him. Pulis clearly knew how he wanted to play from the outset, it is not based on the limitations of the personnel, because the sort of personnel brought in is quite deliberate. Hence the priority given to bringing in several centre halves with the “utility player” tag without addressing specific weaknesses in the side. To chose Cresswell over two players who were allegedly brought in to play on the left of midfield suggests they were last minute panic buys and clearly not serious targets. It’s early days but the transfer policy employed by Hull that so many Stoke fans poured scorn upon seems to bearing more fruit. I also think that the Hull manager, though despised by Stoke fans, has more idea about management than Pulis. Unless we can bring in some quality emergency loan players with pace and creativity, it might be a long painful period until the January transfer window.
If Chelsea had been sharper in front of goal it would have been 4 or 5 goals to nil even with our “plucky” display. Drogba and Lampard should have buried their chances.
I was being ironic with my attacks on Kitson. They were meant as a criticism of Pulis. I feel sorry for the lad and it looks like he is becoming disheartened. Pulis has worked his magic yet again. A blow-up similar to Shawcross is in the offing.
Isn’t it strange that players only have to make one mistake and they are out — Shawcross and Simonsen. And yet Pulis can make mistake after mistake, actually it is the same mistake repeated over and over again, and yet no one gets rid of him.
Isn’t he doing exactly the same thing that got him fired from Portsmouth — buying players without really knowing how he is going to use them? I see Whelan can’t get a game and yet he was bought when Stoke looked likely to get promotion, so he must have been bought with a view to him being able to perform in the Prem.
And the fact that Cresswell and Sidibe are becoming regular choices, just about sums it all up. Pulis hasn’t got a fucking clue. His tactics are the same as they have always been. Previously, his excuse was lack of quality. What’s the excuse now? He hasn’t got one. The way we play is the only way he knows. Keep it tight, don’t commit men forward and hope to sneak a goal from a set-piece. If we go a goal down, game over. Oh we will huff and puff for 20 minutes to try and get back into the game but we all know the game is lost as soon as we go a goal down. If Gerrard’s goal had stood at Anfield, I don’t think anyone would be talking about our greatest triumph of recent times.
I think Hull’s win at Arsenal has probably woken up a few Stoke fans from their euphoric stupor. Give it a month of similar results and ‘Pulis Out’ will once again become a regular cry on the Oatcake.
Calvin. I knew your comments about Kitson were a criticism of Pulis, just as is my reply. I think players like Tonge were targets in the Championship, someone Pulis has said he’s “admired for a long time”. When faced with a flat Transfer Deadline Day he’s brought Tonge in because he now could (bigger budget, the draw of being Premiership club), without really knowing where he’d be used and indeed if he is good enough for this level. For all his talk of dressing room spirit he has pet players. Hoefkens was singled out for any mistake he made while poor Griffin displays were described as “smashing”.
Much was made about how it would be different when he brought in quality players. Little has changed. He has his tried and trusted system and fears wavering from it. He has brought players to fit that system (except the Kitson signing which is mystifying), and has not strengthened the areas of weakness that do offer other creative outlets. A major criticism of mine is that in the two seasons prior to our promotion he should have been assembling a squad that had more Premiership quality about it, and establishing a scouting system abroad, something he now bemoans a lack of. Instead he went the loan route, leaving us with a thin squad of permanent players, and setting us back to square one at the start of each season. We should have entered the Premiership with about 7 or 8 Premiership quality players recruited over the previous seasons not just 3, and then wouldn’t have had to spend £20m and bring in 10 new faces just to have a basic squad that has some Premiership experience.
You are right. I think if Gerrard’s goal had stood Liverpool would have won, and by a hatful. The tactic of going and getting a draw would have been out of the window after 2 minutes. As OS said in the past Pulis is the only manager we’ve known that often plays for a 0-1 defeat, seeing a respectable loss as better than a larger one from risking getting back into the game. I also think that some of the “Johnny Come Lately” brigade who think the sun shines out of the Pulis posterior because he took us up but because they did not witness what went before, will change their tune if results continue in this way and Hull continue to surprise. I doubt it will happen but I’d like a manager with Premiership experience and respect in charge by Christmas so there’s more chance of signing the sort of players we need in the January window. I don’t trust Pulis to deliver for one reason or another. Whether Coates will be ruthless and say “thanks but goodbye” I don’t know. He’s done it in the past, but much is made of their “special relationship”. I look forward to a return to a balanced Oatcake messageboard, where valid criticism is allowed and not jumped upon by the Pulistas as some sort of treason. Slowly but surely I think those sorts of views are being expressed again. Maybe in a month “Pulis out” will be a popular cry!*
*You watch he’ll go and get a stuffy win at Pompey and all will be forgiven by the masses for a few more weeks!