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Post by Deleted on Mar 17, 2008 17:56:55 GMT
I am convinced that our main player in the squad is Sidibe. I am well aware that his goalscoring record isn't the best before you all come along and remind me that he's only got 2 goals this season (both winning goals they were) and that his shooting is poor at the best of times - I am aware, so please construct your opposing views in spite of those things.
His workrate and contribution is phenominal and without him, we have Fuller tiring himself out and Whelan / Delap doing more work than they have to. Mama gets through an outstanding amount of work and takes the load of the others. He is the man we look to give the ball to near the end of games, he can hold the ball and acts as a target man for the rest of the team. Pulis has tried to get someone to do Mama's role before and soon got rid of them: Asaba, Noel-Williams, Ricketts, etc. He takes the heat off players who can put the ball away. He takes their players out of the game to allow ours to play.
Get well soon Sidibe and come back into the team to help guide us into the Premiership. You are the main player for Stoke, and while your scoring record is low for a striker - you are the reason we score most of our goals.
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Post by Irish Stokie on Mar 17, 2008 18:03:54 GMT
I couldnt agree more. Just look at our record with and without him, he is a vital member of our team and the way we play and as you rightly say an awful lot of our goals come from his hard work. Would we have beaten Watford if he had started??? Get fit again asap big man we badly miss you!!!
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Post by smokeyjoe on Mar 17, 2008 18:53:44 GMT
I think the problem without Mama, is that we don't play two out and out wingers. Lawrence's preferred position is cm - as good as he is, he just hasn't got the pace of a winger. As for Cresswell, workhorse but again not a winger. I think the addition of a left winger is just as important as a new striker. Lawrence will get the ball into the box from the right, but cresswell doesn't put in many crosses - he usually tries to cut in. I still believe the competition between twin strikers is healthy and produces more goals
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Post by Deleted on Mar 17, 2008 19:46:19 GMT
I agree joe - 2 wingers capable of getting the ball in the box would increase goals more than dropping Mama for a striker who scores 10 a season.
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Post by smokeyjoe on Mar 17, 2008 20:18:05 GMT
if you think of the better strikers over the years, it nearly always is a twin strikeforce. Your Greenhoff and Ritchie, Steino and Bertie etc,etc, - they thrived on the competition between themselves to score more goals. Your front two should be looking at 40 goals between them. Its good that the rest of the team are chipping in, but 14 to Fuller and 2 to Mama, isn't a great return
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Post by kingdeano on Mar 17, 2008 20:23:50 GMT
smokeyjoe that point is spot on, although you will get slated for it by the "i love sidibe" fanclub! cant understand why we aint put cressy up front with fuller with gally left wing, cresswell as done a great job for us but just lately he as looked totally out sorts, time after time he gets into space but he aint got the pace, skill or craft to do anything. push him up with fuller and let them build a successful partnership instead of fuller getting frustrated at carrying sidibe
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Post by jarhead on Mar 17, 2008 20:27:25 GMT
Spot on lads.
And to the 'Misibe Fan club' lets say we had season in the championship and in pre season Sidibe had such a bad injury he would miss the whole season would Stoke City get relegated because HE IS THAT IMPORTANT we cannot play without him???
Now morons think very hard on this one.
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Post by smokeyjoe on Mar 17, 2008 20:29:59 GMT
I've got to admit at being uncertain that Cresswell is the right partner for Fuller, do you think Cresswell is good enough if we get promoted? Sorry, but I don't. I think if Pulis can get Bothroyd playing to his potential, then we have that man.
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Post by smokeyjoe on Mar 17, 2008 20:32:43 GMT
I think Sidibe could be very effective, but as an alternative rather than the norm!
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Post by jarhead on Mar 17, 2008 20:33:06 GMT
Is sidibe good enough as a 2nd striker in the prem? Im still laughing! no he aint.
Cressy 8 goals out of position,Brain-dead 2 in his natural position!
Cressy late on in games would be a menace and could nick the odd goal Sidibe won't.
??
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Post by kingdeano on Mar 17, 2008 20:33:10 GMT
cresswell aint good enough for the prem but then again only perhaps 5 are! but this league he is plenty good enough as proven. what people are forgetting is it takes one team to get out the league then another just to finish 4th bottom of prem. grifin is prime example, pathetic for derby but a great asset in the championship
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Post by smokeyjoe on Mar 17, 2008 20:50:10 GMT
I look back at Readings successful championship season and the reason they fared well in the premiership, was because their team was good enough in the championship and remained together with just a couple of additions for the prem. If Stoke get promoted, just how many of our team do you expect to remain, how many of the players themselves expect to remain? A successful prem season wont come from a team starting from scratch. We are only a couple of players short, imo, a partner for Fuller, and a left winger. Nash gives superb competition for Simmo, Whelan an excellent young addition to the midfield, but we need the width that 2 wingers would give us
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Post by kingdeano on Mar 17, 2008 21:35:29 GMT
two full backs, midfielder to partner whelan, a quality left sided player and a new striker. thats just the starting 11. so thats 5 new faces, then we need to add to the squad which probably will need around again 5 or 6. all in all 11/12 new players just to try and stay up.
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