The Britannia: Where Football Goes to Die

Stoke are a "big" side and the snippets I've seen since promotion show a side with wingers who are direct, take no shit give it out and get it back without moaning and play to their strengths. Barca they're not but the Britannia has seen more excitement than GP during their time in the Prem.

Bolton got this under Allardyce even though he played the sublime Okocha among others. Don Revie's Leeds will forever be labelled "dirty Leeds" despite being one of the finest sides ever.

Too simplistic for me.

But this Stoke City side has no redeeming features whatsoever, I don't see a Giles or a Cooper a Bremner or a Clarke or indeed anybody in their side which would make me pay to watch them.

Now I've got that off my chest , I do hope all these constant references to Stoke City end here until the next time we play them.

Effective it may be in keeping the team in the Premier League and on the fringes of Europe but it's not the beautiful game and I'd hate to have to watch that week in, week out. (We had enough of that while we were struggling pre-Moyes.) This is a club with a bigger transfer budget than Everton's at the moment, let's not forget, and though they've signed a supposed playmaker in Charlie Adam, he made virtually no impact in Saturday's game.

We know how quiet GP has become under Moyes but once a bit of "up and at 'em" pokes it's head above the parapet the place wakes up.

The beautiful game has it's place but as admirable as Barca are it's easy to fall asleep when they're on. Effective footie needs a bit of both (as we have had from Swansea of last season) and while they have tall forwards Kenwyn Jones and Crouch can play (that half volley last year!) as can Etherington.

I just think people see a bandwagon and hop on too quickly.

I suspect you were binned by a girl from stoke in the past and can't let it go - c'mon man get some magazines, videos, anything - just move on!

Mirallas is a huge miss because he is so different to the rest of the squad and I believe he would have caused Stoke problems with his pace and unpredictability. No point crying over spilled milk, I suppose, but it's cruel luck that we lose our most dangerous player for so long to injury and on the heels of Gibson's lay-off to boot.

One of my work colleagues is a season ticket holder there. His opinion is that Everton are the best team to have visited the Brittania this season. He also suggested that we made Stoke raise their game because we got at them.

Which paints a slightly different picture to the view that we did badly and should have battered them. Rather, I think we have to acknowledge Stoke are good at what they do, no-one goes there and bosses them, and a (albeit frustrating draw) is nothing to be ashamed of.

We were proud of our dogs of war because we'd been shit and nearly got relegated and they gave us a chance of beating good teams and even win a trophy. They seem to be proud of theirs because they don't care that their team cheats all day every day. As for the wingers, they don't picked any more. Are you telling me John Walters and Ryan Shotton are wingers in the sense of being good, creative footballers who you'd want to watch?

The title of this piece is awesome and very apt. Stoke are a disgrace to the league and it's about time referees wised up to their thuggish brand of anti-football.

James Stewart, you wanna ease up on the "thuggish" stuff - pot calling the kettle after your caper with Liberty Valance. Not in the least bit "awesome".

I saw someone mention somewhere that the only team that will stop Everton finishing top four this season is Everton. That's it right there for me — we need to prove we're good enough (as much to ourselves as anyone else) or add a couple of key signings in January to become good enough.

Where I do agree is the predictability of the result. I had it down as 1 - 1 before the game. I hate watching Stoke. Crouch and Owen were obviously desperate when they signed there.

Nevertheless, we shoulda won. Osman shoulda been on target at least. It was the one genuine bit of emotion I felt the entire game. "How the Hell did you miss that?" I screamed out. The rest of the game was more or less what I expected.

And as for Fellaini. A bloody idiot as he did it – hitting out – at least twice. But I could not believe the amount of times Shawcross simply wrapped his arms round Fellaini and locked his fingers in a complete embrace. "How the Hell is that allowed?"

And I don't care if there are five pens a game. Each time, make it a pen. Or at least make some rule. You can hold a shirt, but not wrap your arms around. Make a rule – even if ridiculous – and stick to it, because it's become a sham.

Hopefully without Fellaini it will give Jelavic the opportunity to enjoy the area to himself like the end of last season when he was deadly. Here's hoping!!

I know we are playing very good football, and I know previously under Moyes, we haven't... but I have never known any football fan in the past 10 or so years have that sinking feeling of anti-football when you go to Goodison, just like you do in the Britannia.

You can't knock Stoke with success, it's led them to be an established Premier League club, and they do have some decent players. But it is horrible to watch, it really is.

It is a great movie! We could have used a John Wayne as well against Stoke!

With respect to the game, the result itself was very good, just not the loss/embarrassment of Fellaini. Over the past couple of seasons, top-four sides have consistently failed to take points at the Britannia. We also again had a great shout for a pen ignored; we were superb in the first half again. If we could only replicate first half performances over 90 minutes, we would comfortably be in the Champions League positions!

Honest teams? Blue tints aside, I think we're one on the few left and that's why we are perpetually 'hard done by'. Can't think of another team that's had a penalty given against for shirt pulling (Man City), given a straight ban for reacting against player holding (Stoke) - an offence much more severe I think, in terms of stopping the player.

NO (pause) YOU (pause) CAN'T.

Does the phrase ' Thin end of the wedge' ring any bells. This is precisely why we have this WWF carry on

Shirt holding is a foul...in the box it is a Penalty

A foul is a foul and in the box it is a Penalty

Why is it always Us might be the cry. But if the Reffs start handing out Pens left right and centre this weekend then some good will have come out of it.

But don't hold your breath

Think that may be worth a flutter!

Although, they do excel in one area - they're brilliant at stopping the opposition played. Unfortunately, it can be too easy to stop Everton playing at times. A bit of pressure and a number seem to lose their heads.

Also, Stoke are anything but exciting. They've scored exactly 169 goals in their 169 Premier League games. That's not exciting, that's woeful.

They are direct and physical and all we can do is take it and hope the ref doesn't go blind but we cannot blame Stoke for their tactics. Just sounds like sour grapes - we haven't exactly been whiter than white in the past ourselves.

If the refs clamped down more on their holding, the'd be forced to play a different style. However, until that happens we can't blame them for their style of football.

Despite the shite football, I still liked the wimbledon crazy gang for upsetting the 'bigger' sides back in the '80s (as long as it wasn't us obviously!).

Take it on the chin an move on.