A frustrating game that never really got going ended in a far from unpredictable goalless draw.  Not one for fans of sexy, total football this one that’s for sure.  A point is a point and we’re unbeaten, but I was expecting a burst of energy and quality that would expose Stoke and in the final analysis it never really arrived.

There’s an important distinction between tiredness, at least in the physical sense, and fatigue.  I think we’re seeing a team struggling with a little fatigue right now.  James Milner in particular looked like he was a yard or two short and without him pulling the strings in the middle, with the exception of Ashley Young, it all looked a bit limp.

Stoke had their chances and of course there were countless long throws from Delap, but they really didn’t look likely to win this game and it wouldn’t have taken more than a moment or two of brilliance to finish them.

Gabby came on in place of John Carew for the last 15 minutes and with tired legs all round he was able to use his pace on a couple of occasions to show what the game had been missing, but it was sadly to be too little, too late.

A point on our travels then, first game of 5 in March, it could be a worse start.  Tottenham’s 3-1 win over Blackburn took them to 52 points from 29 games.  We’re now 6 points behind with 2 games in hand.  2 games which really have to yield 6 points as we ease into the final 10 games of the season.  Man City remain 3 points clear with the same number of games played.

I’ll get a Statshack up here later, but until then, if you’re a fan of Craig Gardner’s, I wouldn’t recommend watching Match of the Day later.  Nice goal, but the badge kissing probably answers which team he really supported as a boy.  You know, if that sort of thing bothers you.  Me?  Meh, whatever.