The Independent Liverpool FC Website, Red and White Kop


Title: Spyin' Kop. Liverpool v Stoke City.
Post by: Hinesy on September 17, 2008, 07:42:10 pm
Blimey, maybe we should let all the teams beginning with M score first against us, Middlesboro, Manc Utd and Marseille losing 2-1 after going ahead.. (never mind Milan - 2005 and Maccesfield -1952)

Anyway Rafa's finally got the manc monkey off his beardy back ( Hey Alex.. £30m for a player who wears an alice band and looks like Count Dukula?) and beaten Marseille with a quite wonderful goal from Gerrard. I was gobsmacked when it went in. Not as much as their goalie who looked like he'd just ordered steak and instead got a big shit on his plate.

Anyway Torres is slowly getting back to fitness, Gerrard too, Robbie Keane's middle name is David and we've got the rare visit of the Potters to us...

Not that Stoke will want to be reminded but a Robbie Fowler hattrick, an 8-0 scoreline and the year was 2000. That was the last time we played Stoke City, and it was at theirs, not Anfield. Stoke are a team formed in the mists of time when Liverpool had a proper owner, when Rafa hadn't shaved due to puberty not vanity, and managers managed. Yes, THAT long ago.


Stoke City are visting Anfield after a 2-3 defeat to the other smaller team in Liverpool but did manage to get gollum David Moyes sent off so its not all bad.

How would they survive another Merseyside onslaught? How are they finding the Premier League? What's the deal with Delilah? How do they feel at Sunderland nicking their strip? Will the Potters have feet of clay? Will Liverpool be spinning on their wheel? Will the kiln of fortune bake us a (that's plenty).

Well, change into your smoking jacket, rustle up a gimlet and settle down and discover all this and more below as we proudly present another Spyin' Kop...

Liverpool F.C. v Stoke City



Major Honours

League Cup:
Winners: 1972
Championship:
Runners-up: 2007/2008
Division Two:
Winners: 1932/33, 1962/63, 1992/93
Play-off winners: 2001/02
Division Three (North):
Winners: 1926/27
Auto Windscreens Shield:
Winners: 1999/2000
Autoglass Trophy:
Winners: 1991/1992
Watney Cup:
Winners: 1973/1974
Football Alliance League:
Winners: 1890/91
Birmingham and District League:
Winners: 1910/11
Southern League Division Two:
Winners: 1914/15
Staffordshire FA Senior Cup:
Winners: 1877/78, 1878/79, 1903/04(shared), 1913/14, 1968/69(shared), 1992/93, 1994/1995, 1998/99
Isle of Man Trophy:(wtf? Hinesy)
Winners: 1987/88, 1991/92, 1992/93
Bass Charity Vase:
Winners: 1997/98
Pontin's League Premier Division:
Winners: 1927/28, 1991/92, 2003/04
oh and one of the first 12 clubs in the Football League, Stoke were founded in 1863. That's before tv never mind fucking SKY.


Big thanks to Whiley Boos Knees, a mod from www.delilahs.co.uk for all his help. (He has signed up as 'Delilah' on here and would love anyone to answer their equivalent which will be posted on RAWK: http://www.redandwhitekop.com/forum/index.php?topic=228800.0 and the article which can be found here: http://delilahs.co.uk/wordpress/?cat=4 ).

Also thanks to the others on there who answered, I’ve used answers from Hulton, and Twisty – thanks to all.

1.How's the season going so far - are you where you expected to be right now and are you still rubbing your eyes at making it into the Premier League?

WBK: Even though we have only got three points, in terms of our position I'm more than happy at being 15th, even after three games it is still taking some getting used to being in the Premier League

Hulton: Not as bad as it could be, but would like more points on the board, but performances have been very positive - still very excited at being in the Prem.

Twisty: Yep still over the moon to be even in the prem but having been all 4 games so far i've seen no one out play us and we like last season just look like we dont know when we're beaten.



2.Who do you think has been your most important player(s) this season so far?

WBK: Liam and Ricci, as both players can turn a game in an instant as shown with Ricci's goal against Villa, and the impact they both had when they came on in our first game against Bolton. Considering that both are among our cheaper signings it was a triffic bit of business by TP

Hulton: Rory Delap for his free-kick throw ins, and Thomas Sorensen.

Twisty: Tough one but i'd go for Super Rory Delap slightly shading it from Riccy Fuller, long way to go though.



3.And your worst player(s)?

WBK: Griffin, as the player who is consistently among our starting eleven and who possibly has the most experience at this level, he's having a mare so far.

Hulton: Each player has had good and bad games, but it would be Andy Griffin, although against Everton he was one of the best on the pitch.

Twisty: Dont like to verbal bash the players but would have to say Griff, although he had a decent game against the toffees.



4. Beating Villa must have been brilliant (more than we could do) how far do you think Stoke can make it realistically this season?

WBK: I'm more than happy with the 15th place we are in now, if we stay in this position all season, then I'd be over the moon, if we can get points against teams who are potentially top six material as Villa are aiming to be, then who knows where we could end up?

Hulton: I think we can stay up, anything more than this would be a bonus and fantasy thinking.

Twisty: Beating villa was outstanding, Honestly, we're still learning and more importantly in this league scoring goals, a typical Pulis team is a solid defence which we have seen the last few years as soon as thats sorted i HONESTLY think we'll survive all be it by a narrow margin



5. How's Tony (Pulis) doing as manager, are you a fan of him?

WBK: I am a fan of his, but I think that even the Stoke fans who are not particularly fond of the geezer must even appreciate the job he is doing now. He's doing a grand job, let's hope he can continue like it for the rest of the season.

Hulton: Tony is great, done a very good, steady job. He takes his time over things like transfers, but usually delivers!

Twisty: Best manager i've seen in my lifetime, He's managed to do what no other manager in the last 20 odd years ago, he has his floors,, one of them is that he can be a stubborn git in regards to subs and playing his favorites.


6.What sort of line-up do you expect he will set up against us?

WBK: Don't assume this is gospel, because we don't yet have a settled line-up, but expect something like:
Sorenson

Griffin or Davies..Sonko..Ab Faye..Higginbotham

Liam.. Tonge...Seyi..Soares

Ricci .. Kitson

Hulton: Your guess is as good as mine – I bet it isn’t, I’d say I’ve no fucking idea – Hinesy not sure how he will line up for the first game against a 'big four' side, especially away.

Twisty: Honestly not a flipping clue anymore we've got that many choices which we've lacked in recent years.



7. We had two midfielders who's names ended with o and now play for you. Baldy Matteo take a bow, Sally Diao dinnae bother. How have they performed for you so far?

WBK: Matteo is purely going to be a bit part player if anything at all this season, Salif will make more appearances and so far has come on for the last 20 minutes or so in games this season and is the better player out of the two so far.

Hulton: Matteo was a great player, and important part of our team -Salif Diao i need to see more from him, but doubt he'll get a chance now.

Twisty: Matteo - nuff said 
Diao - when he first came to us on loan he was brilliant, he was what we were missing but that was in the fizzy pop league, since he was injured we've seen hardly anything of him.



8.How do you rate Anfield as an away venue? You've not been much but what are your expectations?

Hulton: Very excited to be coming to Anfield with Stoke, been as and England fan and expecting a great atmosphere as usual from the fans.

Twisty: Being engaged to a flipping scouser  i'd probably say i look out for your results a bit more than anyone elses but i'm looking forward to our visit, 3000 noisy stokies will make it a good day too.

WBK: I expect it to be noisy, and it's going to be the day where we find out who has the loudest anthem, even with just 3000 of us coming up to your place, I would expect us to be heard



9..Do you have any favourite chants and perhaps any that require an explanation? btw what's with the Delilah name for the website?

WBK: Our anthems are 'We'll be with you' and as mentioned by yourself, 'Delilah' which is our main anthem which you will hear on Saturday week. This is the name we chose for the site because it is our main song which when sung right often causes our opposition fans to applaud in appreciation.

Hulton: Its Delilah all the way -hopefully we'll give the Kop a run for its money.

Twisty: Wait till you here delilah just after kick off failing that we tend to sing about that tin pot club down the road all to often, no one gives a fuck about vale anymore.

Tom Jones I fancy the lass from the Cardigans still.


10.Where do you expect yourselves and Liverpool to finish come the end of the season?

WBK: I'd be happy with survival, while I'd expect Liverpool to be in the top four.

Hulton: I would like to see us in 16th but I'll be happy with 17th!! I have to say I actually see Liverpool challenging this year, if you play the way you did against Utd in the 2nd half then you could be a good shout for the title.

Twisty: I would love to see liverpool beat the Mancs and Chelsea and take the title,, if we finish 17th we've beat every critic out there and i'll be over the moon.



11.Which Liverpool player(s) do you fear the most?

WBK: Gerrard, who can produce goals at any given time, if we stop him and to an extent Torres, then we have a chance of getting a point.

Hulton: Gerrard obviously, but also Ryan Babel - not sure we could cope with his pace.

Twisty: Torres- world class striker simple as that



12. Do you think there are mini leagues within this division? Surely your main objective must be to survive the season and stay up?

Twisty: Yep #1 is to stay up absolutely anything else (cup run, beating utd boxing day whatever) are just bonus'

WBK: As above, I'd be happy with survival, Mini leagues? three sections, Liverpool,The Arse, Chelsea and the shit are on their own, then you have the next ten teams who are happy with mid table, at the moment, we are in the bottom third, hopefully we will survive this season then see where we go from there.

Hulton: There is still going to be the top four, then i actually think the rest of the league is wide open, until Xmas at least, when it might start to narrow down.
I think staying up will always be out priority, anything more is a bonus.



13. Stoke are one of the original teams in the footy league. Do they have a particular way of playing? Is there a Stoke way or is it hurrah chaps oop the pitch and in the ol onion bag?

WBK: Many teams and clubs, and especially the media have the impression we are a hoof it team. Maybe this is why Villa came a cropper, yes we are big, we are strong and we will fight for every ball. we mix it up, we play football, and we play it long. If Liverpool think it's going to be easy then they will lose. We have more than enough on current showings to take a point at your place.

Hulton: We don't always play pretty football, but its hard-working and gets results. Listening to fans rubbish out tactics is just more incentive to stay up. Bolton played 'hard' tactics under Big Sam and did wonders, so why can't we.

Twisty: We've been slammed from all over the world for this bully type lump it up field play,, its sometimes not pretty but we have players who can play just as much as some of the big boys.



14. Stoke's hooligan firms have long been known, but where did the names the Under 5's and the Naughty Forty's come from ? Are they still active?

WBK: This side of football holds no interest for me, so I don't know and I don't care.

Hulton: Don't know, not interested.

Twisty: Dont know dont care if i'm honest


Hinesy: bang goes my insight into the tricky world of hooliganism. I asked an urchin but he had to be bed by 8.




15.And to finish, what's the score? Care to risk a guess?

WBK: My head says a Liverpool win by 2 or 3 1.
My heart says we could get a draw.


Hulton: A score draw would be a massive feat, anything other than a battering i would be happy with. As long as we score!


Twisty: 1-2 stoke (dreamland)
2-0 Liverpool (more likely)



Cheers again gents.


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