Do you prefer points or style

[TheWiseMaster]

Of course we would all reply I want both

But both aren't on offer

Many fans on here have complained about our lack of quality against Liverpool and how. if we had played a more open game, we would have walked away with three points instead of one. We hear this theme on a regular basis so I wondered how many points 'the disappointed' thought that we should have at this stage of the season? Ten more points which would have us in Europe?

Fact is that our manager (bless his cotton socks) has not built a side to play expansive football. He has built a physical side with a bit of quality, getting the ball forward quickly and picking up points from our big men and our few quality players

So, for the time being you may have to settle with just accrueing enough points and put the desire for style on hold?

[stokelad84]

Points, until they alter the league table and start awarding credits for style over victories/draws

[craig1974]

points in the bag for me ...

[mattovstoke]

i'd go for style over points anyday !! ...........................................................................................

Nahhhh points for me no brainer!!

[StokieSC]

Points, no question.

Leave the fancy puffy relegation fodder football to West Brom.

[stokierabbit]

If you prefer style you can fuck off.

[dozintheseventees]

I said last week that managers rarely get sacked for playing shit football (it DOES happen occasionally). On the other hand they almost always get sacked for failing to win games. With respect, it isn't even a worthwhile question as ANY manager and most fans want their team to win football matches. Style as an added bonus would be great but, I believe that most football fans are realistic and, Stoke City need to amass 40+ points a season to stay in the top division. I will be delighted for the next two or three seasions if they simply achieve THAT. Hopefully then we will be better placed to attract the type of player that can help us to become a better footballing side. Some are, IMHO, just a little impatient as we have been a Premier League club for precisesly 18 months after a generation in the wilderness.

[Stafford-Stokie]

Points. The style will come slowly but surely.

[Deleted]

Points. Leave style to the PHWs and West Brom.

[Block 22]

Points Now,

But when we've got the quality to 'outplay' better footballing teams we'll be able to gain points in style!

[alster]

I too, despite whingeing about our style of play would much prefer points. Where I get frustrated with Pulis is that I don't think he uses that bit of quality we do have particularly well and think we would have just as many points if we played a bit more but Arsenal we are never going to be so I don't expect him to drop direct football, just mix it up a bit more and when we are direct do it a bit more intelligently.

[Baggs]

I would take us winning the league by winning most games 1-0 with a lucky deflection off a defender's bum, thus leading to us having no shots on target ever (the draws being 0-0s where the keepers have nothing to do).

But that said, I would also take 17th by the same method - for a year or two at least

[scfcrob]

Points please.
Become established then attract better players to add style to the points.

[Pugsley]

Pointless post but not surprising from a chief rimmer.

Points every day.

What people prefer NOT to see is 11 blokes on thousands a week lumping the ball up the field for 90 minutes to no one in particular, lumping the ball for 90 minutes straight out of play and 90 minutes mis controlling a football.

When Stoke play well they play a direct style based on hard work with a bit of flair mixed in - fair enough. What we saw on Saturday was NOTHING like that at all. Add to the fact that the Manager reverted back to his ultra negative self, it was plainly embarassing. The opposition were just as bad.

[johnnysoul60]

Enough points need to be gathered to establish the club at this level , then style can be added

That is so important for me and needs a lot of patience. If we achieve that then when TP retires we can attract a coach who will play a different way

[Teddler Stokie Born and Bred]

points will do dont care how we get them just aslong as we do get em im happy

[Pugsley]

Jan 21, 2010 14:17:52 GMT johnnysoul60 said:

Enough points need to be gathered to establish the club at this level , then style can be added

That is so important for me and needs a lot of patience. If we achieve that then when TP retires we can attract a coach who will play a different way

You'll need a lot of patience. Pulis knows one way - negative hoofball. Instead of watching 5K a week players lumping it you will see 50K a week footballers doing it.

[mcf]

'The opposition were just as bad.'

They are also one of the best teams in the country.

Maybe its just a merry band of PHWs blowing things out of all proportion because they are cunts.

[dozintheseventees]

Pugsley: To be honest mate, I don't think too many would disagree with most of that. I honestly think it's as simple a fact as Stoke played very poorly against a side that were equally poor. We've played much better against 'lesser' sides that actually (on the day) were very much better than Liverpool. I think Pulis expected a Liverpool 'backlash' after their humiliation at home to Reading and, the truth is, they were just as bad against us. I think we would have won had we been a little more positive but so many of our players played poorly.

Incidentally, how good was Brynyar at Anfield? I was proud that he was one of our 'old boys'.

[pez75]

I personally never wanted or ever expected us to play 'a more open game', just to field our strongest 11 and have a go at winning the game - that would be 11 of Pulis' players, managed by Pulis - so its hardly going to be like an Arsenal reserves match is it?

Even the most ardent Rimmers with a heady cocktail of Pulis bum-cum blinkering their vision cannot argue that there has been possible points thrown away this season - which on some occasions has had more to do with TP's negative predispostion rather than the fact that we don't play like Barcelona.

[manchesterstokie]

I, in part, quite like the way that stoke play if i'm honest!!
I've always played centre half, so i like to see players closing the opposition down, watching their positioning in the box to win the first ball from a set piece etc, but thats just me.
Obviously that doesn't compare to watching your team play silky football & win 3-0 every week, but hopefully, in the years to come, performances such as those, & like what we saw against Fulham will become more frequent.
But until then, i'm quite happy for stoke to play games not to lose if its what keeps us here, & build a good foundation on which to build.
So at the moment, points in the bag is all that counts for me!

[Deleted]

Jan 21, 2010 14:17:08 GMT Pugsley said:

Pointless post but not surprising from a chief rimmer.

Points every day.

What people prefer NOT to see is 11 blokes on thousands a week lumping the ball up the field for 90 minutes to no one in particular, lumping the ball for 90 minutes straight out of play and 90 minutes mis controlling a football.

When Stoke play well they play a direct style based on hard work with a bit of flair mixed in - fair enough. What we saw on Saturday was NOTHING like that at all. Add to the fact that the Manager reverted back to his ultra negative self, it was plainly embarassing. The opposition were just as bad.

Spot on Pugs.

It's not a simple issue of style vs points - what concerns me is that this season, for no discernible reason, we're considerably more defensive, negative and worse to watch than last season in spite of having spent another £25m on the team.

[mcf]

Still in a decent position though eh?

pez - all teams throw points away.

[andy9196]

points. stay in prem for a couple more years and then more onto the next level

[Smudge_SCFC]

Jan 21, 2010 13:52:08 GMT TheWiseMaster said:

Of course we would all reply I want both

But both aren't on offer

Why can't we have both? Is it a Premier League rule?

Points are ALWAYS the most important thing, but getting them and aspiring to higher standards is not an impossible goal.

I sincerely believe we've currently locked ourselves into a "second season syndrome" myth (it doesn't exist) and are allowing that to influence our approach.

The more money we spend the more we should be looking to progress. It can certainly be a very gradual process and that's pretty much all I'm hoping for.

Look forward and not backwards, and all that.

[fromafar07]

and we are picking up points by the bucket load with no style eh?? how many in the last 11 games ??
10 out of a possible 33. hmm,

[Hiram]

points for the first three seasons, after that both.

[stokelad84]

fromafar, we are not the best team in the league so will never will 11 games out of 11, even Arsenal and Chelski haven't done that

[fromafar07]

Jan 21, 2010 14:43:06 GMT stokelad84 said:

fromafar, we are not the best team in the league so will never will 11 games out of 11, even Arsenal and Chelski haven't done that

we're not ?? some fan you are !!!

[Hiram]

Jan 21, 2010 14:40:52 GMT fromafar07 said:

and we are picking up points by the bucket load with no style eh?? how many in the last 11 games ??
10 out of a possible 33. hmm,

yes, but in the last 2 games, it's 4 out of a possible 6