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Post by FullerMagic on Mar 23, 2008 10:38:22 GMT
Another one where most of it was clearly written on the train up. These journos are trying to outdo each other in how horrific they can make Stoke's football sound. Stoke 1-1 Blackpool
Michael Calvin 23/03/2008
Premier League? On "Grand Slam Sunday", of all days, you're definitely having a laugh.
Somehow, Stoke City remain top of the Championship. It's a triumph for Quasimodo football, an ugly mutation of a once-beautiful game.
It's brutal in intensity, simplistic in intent and mindless in execution.
The fact it is so successful puts the blip of having three FA Cup semi-finalists from the Championship into perspective.
Ignore the wannabes from the marketing department of the Football League, who will be in their element over the next fortnight.
The Championship is Second Division in all but name.
There is much to admire in managers like Gary Johnson, Phil Brown and Paul Sturrock, who make the most of small squads and stretched budgets.
But anyone who survives the scramble for promotion will be an instant candidate to replace the current Derby team as the worst side in Premier League history.
Stoke make Watford, who are also notoriously direct and have drawn their last seven matches, look like Barcelona.
Tony Pulis has come up with a version of the game that is not so much Route One, but Year Zero. Football has been stripped to its most basic components, and rebuilt as an endurance test that should be played on an assault course.
Pulis has a sergeant-major's subtlety and attention to detail. He might have earned his UEFA A licence when he was 21, but his coaching philosophy accentuates the negative. His team is preprogrammed, regimented.
It's all very well battering Championship opponents with the blunt instrument of free kicks and 40-yard throw-ins hurled in flat. They may bully the unwary with players who are prime physical specimens.
But if Stoke are not good enough to dispose of Blackpool, they won't be good enough for Liverpool. The prospect of Fernando Torres meeting the likes of the musclebound Leon Cort is the stuff of comedy.
The Championship is a sea of mediocrity. Teams are built around loan signings, hasbeens and never-will-bes.
Bristol City, finally succumbing to the strain of overachievement, best capture the overwhelming sense of anonymity. Go on. Name three of their players, without peeking at the line-up elsewhere on these pages.
The same could be said for Hull, who find themselves third, although we will hear more of Fraizer Campbell, the young Manchester United striker learning on the job.
Watford are markedly worse than they were last season, when Aidy Boothroyd knew instinctively they were down by Christmas. He has sold his only players of Premier League quality - Ashley Young and Marlon King.
West Brom, by common consent the most naturally talented team, concede soft goals from set-pieces.
Only veteran Kevin Phillips - 21 goals in 29 matches - protects them from the sort of slump which cost them promotion last season.
The £40million will come in handy for those who are promoted, but let's get one thing clear. It's the price of almost certain humiliation.
HOW THEY RATED
STOKE
Nash 6, Griffin 6, Cort 5 (Zakuani 6), Riggott 6, Pugh 7, Delap 6, Whelan 6, Diao 5 (Wilkinson 5, Bothroyd 6), GALLAGHER 8, Sidibe 5, Cresswell 6.
Manager Pulis 6
BLACKPOOL
Rachubka 6, Barker 6, Evatt 6, Gorkss 6, Crainey 6, Taylor-Fletcher 6, Jorgensen 7, Flynn 7, Hoolahan 6, Burgess 6, McPhee 6.
Manager Barker 7
Referee M Pike 7www.sundaymirror.co.uk/sport/football/2008/03/23/football-second-rate-98487-20360350/ |
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Post by peterthornesright on Mar 23, 2008 10:43:29 GMT
i wonder why teams outside the prem have to live on loans and has beens, o wait is it because they dont get £20 mill a year tv money, i wonder
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Post by Admin on Mar 23, 2008 10:45:43 GMT
Gallagher "8" ?  |
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Post by ted1965 on Mar 23, 2008 10:48:34 GMT
He is on loan from the Prem of course he gets 8 would have got 9 if he was on loan from Liverpool.
It's amazing what you see if you don't actually look at the game in player ratings.
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Post by stokemark on Mar 23, 2008 10:51:23 GMT
What a complete arsehole
'The Championship is a sea of mediocrity. Teams are built around loan signings, hasbeens and never-will-bes'
Perhaps thats due to the fact that the fat sucubus of a Premiership that he so clearly idolises has drained football as a whole of its talent by the lure of filthy lucre has something to do with it ?
What a cunt
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Post by Northy on Mar 23, 2008 10:53:24 GMT
gallagher 8, did this chump actually attend the match?
Whelan and Pugh aren't exactly heavyweights are they?
Is his e-mail address in the newspaper, he may get one from me with a few home truths, and perhaps a cc. to his boss?
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Post by jumborat on Mar 23, 2008 10:54:32 GMT
"GALLAGHER 8"
Pretty much sums up this tit of a reporter's lack of knowledge.
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Post by PolPotter on Mar 23, 2008 11:02:37 GMT
'Sunday Mirror' |
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Post by stokemark on Mar 23, 2008 11:03:15 GMT
Lets hope that TP gets to see a copy of this to pin up in the dressing room
What greater motivation to 'show them' do we need ?
Id also like 'words' with this journo muppet - perhaps we can find out where he works and send him a few friendly emails ?
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Post by kingdeano on Mar 23, 2008 11:08:22 GMT
no one likes us, no one likes us, no one likes us we dont care! hope we shove their critics down their fuckin throats! gallagher 8?? jesus christ help us, none of them deserved a 8. but sunday mirror guess what........................ were top. and were top because after 40 games nobody is better than us. so call us what you want because stoke are coming! this is for all you prawn sandwich brigade that stole our working class game!
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Post by stokemark on Mar 23, 2008 11:08:33 GMT
oh and I love 'grand slam Sunday' reference too
This twat really does beleive the hype !!
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Post by ted1965 on Mar 23, 2008 11:10:14 GMT
The Championship is what it is, the get out of jail cards given in the form of parachute payments to those clubs who are relegated from the Premiership makes it anything but a level playing field and if it’s a sea of mediocrity then it’s because of the Premiership.
The problems have been there for a long time, though nobody cares because football has been run for the benefit of the few ever since Sky agreed to plough vast amounts of money into the top level. Oh yes I know they put money into the lower leagues too but that’s more of a softner for the real damage that has been done to the game as a whole.
The top four or five have used the well if we don’t get our own way card we’re off to great effect and now it’s a closed shop, there is no real competition even at that level, yes teams have good seasons but they rarely keep that level of performance because the moment they have a player who looks something like half decent along comes the big cheque book and he’s gone, usually to sit rotting in the reserves for a few years and therefore everyone loses, player, former club and the spectators. Sean Wright Phillips is a perfect example, he was a star with Manchester City now he’s a bit part player at Chelsea, is the money in the bank worth stalling your career to that extent, apparently so. Sidwell is another example, one good season with Reading and he’s gone to Chelsea again, how many times has he set boot on the park hardly any and he will end up having to leave to find first team football again.
It’s all very well claiming it’s the best league in the world but outside of the top half a dozen it’s as mundane and mediocre as the Championship, many a Sunday afternoon I have dozed happily on the couch while two so called elite sides bore each other into submission.
Today is Grand Slam Sunday, it will more likely turn out to be great Snore Sunday if the last few meetings of the top four are anything to go by.
I agree the Championship is full of mediocrity but that mediocrity is created by the greed and desire of a few clubs to dominate football at any cost, to bleed it dry for the greater good of themselves. That wont change because of the fear of losing them to a so called super league f European sides, so rather than simply bemoan the quality on offer, ask yourself why has it become this way/ Though you better start at the top because there’s a sea of mediocrity just below Liverpool in the Premiership and pulling the mediocre Championship apart for your own amusement wont make those other 16 sides any better to watch on a regular basis.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2008 11:10:31 GMT
Yep I wasnt happy either - but you dont slaughter a seasons effort on one game as this wank reporter did
simple solution - nobody remotely connected to stoke city buys the daily mirror anymore
just like the scousers did with the Sun
it sends a message you know
and if anything - my personal bond with my club strengthens under such unfair criticsm
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Post by Davef on Mar 23, 2008 11:11:30 GMT
If he wants to talk about a "sea of mediocrity" then he should cast his eye over at his beloved Premier League.
Wigan 28 goals in 31 matches, West Ham 34 in 31, Middlesbrough 28 in 31 (and did he see their excuse of a performance against Cardiff?), Newcastle 33 in 31, Bolton 25 in 31, Fulham 27 in 31.
The top three or clubs aside, football in this country is medicore full stop. For crying out loud, our national team can't even qualify for the European Championship despite the money awash in the game.
His comment about Bristol City is a disgrace. They were a league one club last season and are challenging for a place in the Premier League. They should be given credit, not ridiculed by wankers like this.
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Post by Danstoke82 on Mar 23, 2008 11:15:55 GMT
Guys, we are used to this dross written about us and to be honest, I'd rather get that then constant praise like Brazil get. Surely it will fire our guys up, and take the pressure off.
Unfortunately these moronic excuses for football writers cannot see beyond the premiership and teams that are not good enough for that league, i.e. Brazil and Charltontina.
One headline made me laugh yesterday, apparently, Newcastle are TOO GOOD to go down, what a load of bollocks.
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Post by Funky on Mar 23, 2008 11:20:58 GMT
I don't know what the fuss is about, we do play shit football, but the goal is the Premiership and so far we are on track, so who cares?
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Post by frasier37 on Mar 23, 2008 11:21:58 GMT
Come on now, we were shit. I don't see anything wrong with his report, apart from GALLAGHER 8. "The £40million will come in handy for those who are promoted, but let's get one thing clear. It's the price of almost certain humiliation." Sadly, i think he's right. There's been too many games like this recently. I was embarassed yesterday from start to finish and that's not how i should be feeling. When my team is sitting top of the table, with six games to go i should be exited and nervous but, never embarassed. "We were close to signing a player on thursday" says Pulis. Well Close is not good enough at this stage of the season. .  |
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Post by stokemark on Mar 23, 2008 11:29:32 GMT
Bread
'The Fuss' for me has nothing to do with the criticsm of Stoke - Its the unbeleiveable arrogance of someone who who is leaching a living off the back of the Premiership gravy train, failing to (or choosing to) see its the fucking Premiership greed that has created the anonomoly that he chooses to so easily criticise.
Im sick of people like him and his ilk - bet he's from croydon and 'supports' Liverpool sad fucker.
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Post by lordeffinghamhunt on Mar 23, 2008 11:34:42 GMT
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Post by armitagestokie on Mar 23, 2008 11:35:00 GMT
The football yesterday was wank----do not like Tp's style 100%-----very few of the players are anywhere near premier class---full credit though for getting us as close as we have ever been to making the 'Holy Land'-----probably will do a Derby but so what!!!!
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Post by frasier37 on Mar 23, 2008 11:37:16 GMT
"probably will do a Derby but so what!!!! "
You surely don't mean that?
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Post by Funky on Mar 23, 2008 11:39:00 GMT
Bread 'The Fuss' for me has nothing to do with the criticsm of Stoke - Its the unbeleiveable arrogance of someone who who is leaching a living off the back of the Premiership gravy train, failing to (or choosing to) see its the fucking Premiership greed that has created the anonomoly that he chooses to so easily criticise. Im sick of people like him and his ilk - bet he's from croydon and 'supports' Liverpool sad fucker. It doesn't bother me at all, I can see how bad the Championship is this year and whoever goes up will prob go up with the least amount of points. But, what they forget is, the team we have now is not the team we will have in the Premiership, I'm sure Coates and Pulis know we will have to spend all the money we get on players if we want to stay up, 7 or 8 new players will have to come in for us to stand a chance. |
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Post by lurcherman on Mar 23, 2008 11:39:24 GMT
We'll fucking show him!!!!! just wait till we recall Vince ;D
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2008 11:42:54 GMT
£40 MILLION the price of certain humiliation
ABSOLUTE RUBBISH
a decent manager can stabilise a team in the premisership with less than a quarter of that, if he knows what hes doing.
I am certain we wont do a derby - if anything, we'll be well organised and hard to beat with at least half a dozen better players appearing in our colours 'cherry picked' out of the rest of the championship
the 'we'll be humiliated if we go up' comment
ABSOLUTE RUBBISH ! (imho)
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Post by frasier37 on Mar 23, 2008 11:44:33 GMT
"I'm sure Coates and Pulis know we will have to spend all the money we get on players if we want to stay up"
;D at Bread. It's peter Coates not abramovich.
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Post by scfc1972 on Mar 23, 2008 11:48:45 GMT
These reports are getting laughable now ;D
What an arse, you can tell he wrote that report weeks ago and has been waiting for the ideal opportunity to publish it.
Look how much money Fulham, Sunderland, Brum, M'boro, West Ham etc have spent in the past year, and they are sh**. Would we do any worse if TP had £30 million to spend? Time will tell.
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Post by Funky on Mar 23, 2008 11:53:57 GMT
"I'm sure Coates and Pulis know we will have to spend all the money we get on players if we want to stay up" ;D at Bread. It's peter Coates not abramovich. No he isn't, but he will only be risking the money we get from the Premiership, everything else can be paid for using the extra revenue generated, this will then add value to the club when he comes to sell. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2008 11:54:34 GMT
neither do I -I'll stick to my opinion though -and i beleive mama wont be a regular in a premiership side
notice John Parkin's disppeared off the radar screen as had vincent too !
proves to me, our manager is not that 'sentimental' when it comes to his own job !
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Post by gilberto on Mar 23, 2008 12:15:54 GMT
what really wound me up about this piece of horrendous journalism, wasnt what we said about the way we play but that fact that is wasnt even the ACTUAL match report. that was in a little column next to it, written by someone else!
this was a really pathetic, un-called for pop at the championship and the funny thing is, he's just jumping on the band wagon. he didnt even have the balls or the brains to say this weeks ago when everyone else did!
i really would love it if our 'quasimodo' football graced his precious little premier league next season, if only to ruin a few of this cock's weekends.
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Post by GrandStokie on Mar 23, 2008 12:20:31 GMT
scfc1972 - spot on
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