Jon Walters

[tricky_colour]

I can't understand why Stoke don't sign Anthony Stokes, it is a transfer just begging to be made!!

[SolitudeRed]

Scored for Stoke tonight think thats him level with Long now in the goals stakes, not looking good for Sunderland at the moment they are a goal down and a man down at HT

[tricky_colour]

Yes this site says he is level with Long on 8 goals http://www.whoscored.com/Regions/252/Tournaments/2/Seasons/3389/Stages/6531/PlayerStatistics/England-Premier-League-2012-2013

They are also closely related on points 6.72 v 6.73, Long has more assists but Walters is better in the air.

[Grafter]

With Walters and Long against Austria you felt there were goals in the Irish team, we're fortunate to have two able strikers at the minute.

[tricky_colour]

Was amusing watching Stoke V Man U there was massive hail/rain storm and the players were taken off, apart form Walters who stayed on the pitch keen to
get on with it.
Really was a heavy fall really biblical stuff, match is back on now, 4 Irish on the pitch.

[DeLorean]

http://ballsdot.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/828299920.gif

http://ballsdot.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/828300018.gif

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Was amusing watching Stoke V Man U there was massive hail/rain storm and the players were taken off, apart form Walters who stayed on the pitch keen to
get on with it.
Really was a heavy fall really biblical stuff, match is back on now, 4 Irish on the pitch. There are going to be a lot of games postponed this weekend. :(

[DannyInvincible]

Walters puts Stoke 4-1 ahead against crumbling Fulham.

[tricky_colour]

Lets hope he can end Man City's title hopes too!!

[Crosby87]

Tricky throw a few buck on longshot #14 in the derby now.

[tricky_colour]

Tricky throw a few buck on longshot #14 in the derby now.

How?

It's seems to impossible to bet on it here in the UK.
When is the race?
It's like the race does not exist over here!!
I remember last year fining about it was like researching some obscure thing,
it's like it as secret and blocked by censors.

When does it run? Is it over?

[tricky_colour]

It's weird, I can bet on other US races but not the Kentucky Derby,
it's kind of surreal, like being trapped in a bad dream.

[tricky_colour]

Anyway seems the race is over, hard enough finding that out!!

My bets have been going pear shaped of late, does not look like
Giggs will get the Man U job now.

[Crosby87]

Preakness should be interesting. Let's find a long-ish shot (only 8 or so horses so odds wont be good) to beat Cally Chrome.

[Charlie Darwin]

Scored a header today to give Stoke the win over Swansea.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Hat-trick for Walters.

[DannyInvincible]

First: https://vine.co/v/OtH6WEUgB7i

OtH6WEUgB7i

Second: https://vine.co/v/OtHHWv6p1QP

OtHHWv6p1QP

Third: https://vine.co/v/OtHLT5jQaxr

OtHLT5jQaxr

Stephen Ireland assisted the second.

[tricky_colour]

I must say I was impressed by the assist more than by the goal and was thinking the assister is some player!!

[punkrocket]

He seemed to limping quite a bit as he came off.

[Stuttgart88]

If he was a more fashionable player among some of us that hat trick would earn more acclaim.

[Olé Olé]

The second goal is a great goal. In fairness, Ireland left him with a lot to do because Ireland was advanced ahead of most of the QPR defence but probably realised he was moving to an obtuse shooting angle. Slipped it back in deliciously and Walters coupled power and precision to find the back of the net with plenty to do.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

I believe Walters now has more Premier League goals than any other Irish player combined.

[seanfhear]

I believe Walters now has more Premier League goals than any other Irish player combined.Have you moved into the reals of quantum physics here ? !

[tricky_colour]

Just checked and it as Stephen Ireland who did a clever back heel to assist the first goal.

[DeLorean]

Only the third Republic of Ireland to score a Premier League hat-trick. Robbie Keane and Leon Best the others.

[geysir]

Not bad for a player "quadruped with hooves for feet" *


* a Charlie D quote, in a sarcastic jesting retort.

[tricky_colour]

I think he would have got more credit for his hat trick had it not been QPR who are useless away from home.

Having said that he took his goals very well.

Will be interesting to see how he does if he continues playing centrally, if he keep banging in the goals
he should be able to do the same job for us.

[Charlie Darwin]

If he was a more fashionable player among some of us that hat trick would earn more acclaim.
A perfect hat-trick no less. One with his head and one with each back hoof.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/Stoke-City-Mark-Hughes-bemoans-luck-Walters/story-26172688-detail/story.html

Stoke suspect that Walters has fractured his cheekbone. He could be a doubt for the Poland game.

If Walters, Brady, Pilkington and McGeady were all out of contention, that would leave McClean, Quinn & Long as realistic options for the wide positions.

[Olé Olé]

http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/Stoke-City-Mark-Hughes-bemoans-luck-Walters/story-26172688-detail/story.html

Stoke suspect that Walters has fractured his cheekbone. He could be a doubt for the Poland game.

If Walters, Brady, Pilkington and McGeady were all out of contention, that would leave McClean, Quinn & Long as realistic options for the wide positions.

I couldn't imagine that keeping Walters out of the game. He'll be doing all he can to nab this mask off his Scottish teammate Adam:
http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/images/localworld/ugc-images/276370/Article/images/21016848/6048315-large.jpg

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

JON Walters has tweeted the grim news that he sustained a fractured cheekbone - as feared - at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

Walters was forced to quit the game in the second half after being caught by an arm in the face when contesting a near-post corner.

He was due to undergo x-rays today amid fears he had suffered a fracture.

And he has confirmed as much with a cheeky Tweet this afternoon aimed jokingly at team-mate Robert Huth.

He wrote: "So in 10 yrs 2 fractured cheekbones A broken nose Eyebrows stitched bk on and Teeth knocked out. Yet I'm still better looking @robert_huth"

Walters now faces several weeks on the sidelines and that will disrupt his international commitments with Ireland at the end of the month.

Read more: http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/Stoke-City-Jon-Walters-reveals-fractured/story-26180980-detail/story.html#ixzz3UZL1XNHo

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Personally, I think we would be better off without Walters in the team if we are going to make a proper go of this. And we have enough players playing half-fit or lacking match fitness. We don't need another. It's not like he's that important.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/soccer/jon-walters-determined-to-face-poland-in-republic-of-irelands-euro-2016-qualifier-318932.html

As recently as his latest squad announcement last week, Martin O’ Neill underlined the importance of the player to the Irish cause when he said: “Jon is not only wholehearted, when he is wide on the right-hand side you know what you are going to get.

“Jon is not going to beat three or four players and put in a great cross. What he will do is work for you there and he will hold it in his position and he will get in at the far post when the play is being built up on the left hand side.

“He’s done remarkably well considering he has now become a mainstay of the Stoke side when at the start of the season he thought that his time was nearly up and he had to be convinced by the manager to stay around.”

This kind of sums up the mentality of our team and shows why it is so easy for teams to figure us out. Does O'Neill really think players like Brady & McClean are so lacking in the fundamentals of football such as holding their position, tracking back and getting stuck in that he thinks he has to play Walters?

If he actually watched Brady & McClean he would see that they are quite adept at it. Bruce has praised Brady's versatility and his defensive strengths have kept Robertson out of the team in matches against bigger sides.

I'm fed up of this TBH. Walters was good against Germany but he was awful against Scotland. We need to show some ambition here. He has no pace, can't head the ball, can't cross and his link up play is average. He shouldn't be an automatic starter.

[DeLorean]

I agree with that overall but I think he's still a big loss as an option, but I would prefer if he was an option from the bench than a starter myself.

[tricky_colour]

I couldn't imagine that keeping Walters out of the game. He'll be doing all he can to nab this mask off his Scottish teammate Adam:
http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/images/localworld/ugc-images/276370/Article/images/21016848/6048315-large.jpg


Yea it does not sound like the sort of injury that would prevent you playing with some sort of cheek protection.
Not unless it is really bad anyway, if it was really bad it would not have been a suspect injury.

[Dunners]

Not an auto starter for me. He should only play up top if needed , we should not be using him wide right

[Stuttgart88]

I thought Walters was better than Long in Glasgow though. If I was a defender I'd least like to face Long, just for the handful he represents. I think Walters' has more of a goal threat though I wouldn't want to be relying on either.

It's much of a muchness for me. I think Keane should start this game, a game I assume we'll be looking to be on the front foot in.

I think both Long and Walters could start as it's not looking certain Brady and McGeady will be fit. McClean didn't feature at all for Wigan last night. Injured, suspended or dropped?

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

McClean was suspended last night.

[Stuttgart88]

Thanks, I suspected as much.

I don't think O'Neill trusts Hoolahan and I think he'll be on the bench.

I think Whelan, McCarthy and Gibson might all start as a midfield 3, Gibson with license to probe forward. I think his recent Everton form proves his fitness and his ability. That means 3 of McClean, Long, Keane and Walters ought to start. My instinct is that McClean will keep his place for his pace, directness and ability to protect the left flank - maybe not as necessary if Ward doesn't start.

It's a tough one to call. If Walters misses out through injury (I doubt it) that'd make his decision easier.

I'd like to see a 433 with the above midfield, and probably McClean, Keane and Long upfront, with McClean and Long covering central, wide and wide defensive roles interchangeably.

I think lack of match fitness mitigates against McGeady, an O'Neill favourite, and he, Brady, Hoolahan and Walters represent good options from the bench.

Of course, injuries between now and then will dictate a lot.

My back 5 is Given, Coleman, O'Shea, Clark and Wilson.

Of the 15 players I mention above: it puts paid to the myth that we haven't got decent players. Most are EPL starters and the others have performed well at EPL and other levels. Can they be put together into a decent team?

[jbyrne]

Gibson with license to probe forward. I think his recent Everton form proves his fitness and his ability.

am only going by what I read rather than witnessed but I think gibsons best performances recently have come playing as a deep lying midfielder

[Stuttgart88]

Possibly. But that doesn't mean he is best suited to that role for us, especially with McCarthy and Whelan available. I really don't want McCarthy to be played more advanced after he looked lost in that role in Georgia. I think Gibson is easily the best placed to be creative and he'd likely to be more so if anchored by two deeper players.


Didn't Gibson run the show in a recent Europa League game?

[Charlie Darwin]

am only going by what I read rather than witnessed but I think gibsons best performances recently have come playing as a deep lying midfielder
He's been more advanced for Everton the last few games, first ahead of McCarthy/Barry and then McCarthy/Osman on Sunday. For our purposes, I think it suits us better as he's one of few players we have who can pick a lock (metaphorically, although he is from Derry).

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/Stoke-City-v-Crystal-Palace-Jon-Walters-ready/story-26206688-detail/story.html

Was kind of hoping he would be ruled out so we could try something a bit more progressive against Poland. Ah well.

[tetsujin1979]

Linked with a move to West Brom today, where he could link up with McClean.

[Desyf]

Tets, he was on our flight home after the game and as I live near him and had seen a For Sale sign outside his house I asked if he was leaving Stoke.

He said he's not leaving Stoke and the Estate Agents had stuck the sign up at the wrong house !! (and that's how rumours start....)

So at the moment, he reckons he's going nowhere.

Of course, tomorrow's paper will probably carry the back page headline, 'West Brom Walters'

[seanfhear]

He had a very good season for Stoke so why would they sell. But who knows its football.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/premier-league/jonathan-walters-facing-stoke-exit-as-contract-talks-hit-roadblock-31345750.html

Greater odds of Walters leaving than Walters staying; linked with West Brom and Hull.

[Kingdom]

He could probably commute from Stoke to West Brom?

[GypsyBlackCat]

He had a very good season for Stoke so why would they sell. But who knows its football.

He's in his 30's. He's getting a bit slower and not the type of player you need if you want to kick on. I notice Stoke have put a bid in for Xherdan Shaqiri. They might need to off load two or three top earners to bring in one or two top quality players. Plus Walters mightn't be the type to sit on the bench and pick up a wage.

But I hope WBA choose a player called Bridge instead of Walters. Just so I can use this: "WEST BROM CHOOSE BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WALTERS!"

[Desyf]

But I hope WBA choose a player called Bridge instead of Walters. Just so I can use this: "WEST BROM CHOOSE BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WALTERS!"

Excellent..copyright that.

And Kingdom, Jon Walters lives on Merseyside (Wirral to be specific) so wouldn't be commuting from Stoke.

[Kingdom]

Ah thanks Des, yeah that's a handy spin down to Stoke from the Wirral, I've done it a few times.