Is this really how bad it was?

Huckerby off as agony goes on

Richard Rae at the Britannia Stadium
Tuesday August 30, 2005
The Guardian

Johan Boskamp has only been in place for a couple of months, but the transformation he has wrought at Stoke City has to be seen to be believed.
His hastily built team, which last night included four loan players and another on the bench, is playing a brand of fast, attacking, passing football in which certain players readily swap positions. It is a pleasure to watch, and after years of grim defensive football, the Stoke fans cannot quite believe it.

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It was far too good for Norwich last night, albeit that the visitors were hobbled by the sending-off of Darren Huckerby for foul and abusive language early in the second half. They were already behind at that point, and Stoke's superiority in the final half-hour was embarrassing. That means six games without a win for the Canaries, and though their manager Nigel Worthington's faith in his players was apparent in his naming of the same 11 beaten at home to Leeds on Saturday, it must be very close to time for a change.
But this was a match all about Stoke. Although playing with three interchangeable midfielders supporting Mamedy Sidibe up front might be interpreted as negative, it was anything but. The 21-year-old forward Paul Gallagher, signed from Blackburn Rovers on a season-long loan earlier in the day and named among the Stoke substitutes, must have enjoyed what he was watching.

Stoke were ahead after eight minutes after Dave Brammer, superb throughout, hit a long diagonal ball over Simon Charlton into the right hand corner and the chasing Kevin Harper flicked it back over Charlton into the feet of Sidibe. The striker turned and got in a shot, and though the Norwich goalkeeper Robert Green blocked, the ball rebounded for Martin Kolar to sweep into an empty net.

Soon afterwards Sidibe almost glanced a Harper cross beyond Green, and from the same source Kolar also tested the goalkeeper with a solid header.

Norwich were confused, their midfielders not sure whom to pick up. Their own attacks were being dealt with by Michael Duberry and the Belgian international Carl Hoefkens, who looks a useful acquisition. But their wide men gave them an outlet, and after the half-hour, a determined run by Jim Brennan saw him chase down a ball that looked to be going out and cross first-time from the left for Dean Ashton, who had stolen a yard on his startled markers, to sidefoot past Steve Simonsen.

For a few minutes Stoke looked rattled, but just before half-time they deservedly retook the lead. Kolar crossed from the left, the ball eventually reached Harper, and the midfielder curled it sweetly beyond Green.

When Huckerby saw red - and Worthington had no complaints - Boskamp switched to three at the back, and Sidibe, with a powerful drive, rammed the advantage home. "I think the crowd like the way we play now," said the assistant manager Jan De Koning.

"We've got to keep plugging away," said Worthington.

Posted By: PlacidCasual, Aug 30, 11:13:11