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Post by MrMagic on Mar 25, 2008 19:50:01 GMT
Sounds like someone is winding you up matey. Ah - the old re-writing history dabate Trebor. I tend to side with the old addage that history is written by the victor. I doubt very much that if we go up anyone will be letting the doubters, cynics and PHW's forget how wrong they were.
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Post by trebor63 on Mar 25, 2008 19:56:57 GMT
true If we go up or if we don't there will be plenty of 'I told you so' threads of that I am sure!
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Post by RAF on Mar 26, 2008 0:01:04 GMT
I notice in those stats that AGSF put on here before their demise, he omitted to mention that we were playing against 10 men for 21 minutes.
H
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Post by mumf14 on Mar 26, 2008 0:08:04 GMT
"I told you so."..of that you can be sure...Trebor.!!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2008 11:02:10 GMT
I think we have to be pragmatic -we all expect to go up - we should do - but if we fail automatically and we go to the playoffs I think is completely stupid to call for supertones head
my original point as I recall.
but some on here would - again, my original point
as for being up Tony Pulis's arse - he gets stick from me too - he makes mistakes and is a PR nightmare - but hes the very best we'll get for the foreseeable future. I cant imagine any other manager being more motivated than he is right now, to have a crack at the big time.
after all, the house next to Harry Rednapps is up for sale and our Tone wants it !!!!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2008 11:08:38 GMT
bloody hell -I started a 3 pager - my record surely ?
still minus 19 though and fully deserved !!!! -thank you all !
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Post by bobafett on Mar 26, 2008 11:20:09 GMT
At the start of the season I don't think anybody would have predicted that we'd be in the position we are now . The whole club has improved on last year . We had a shot at the play off's last year utilising the loan market very well but this season has seen us step up another level . The signings of Cort , shawcross , Pugh , Griffin , Diao and Whelan plus the long term deals signed by Fuller and Lawrence back this up . we'll all be devastated if we don't make promotion but looking at the bigger picture i don't think anybody could say that we're not going in the right direction as a club right now .
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Post by Veritas on Mar 26, 2008 11:22:03 GMT
At this stage a play off place would simply show we have thrown away a golden chance to go up nothing more nothing less
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Post by Titan Uranus on Mar 26, 2008 11:28:24 GMT
why is it stupid?
ok, I'm a "knuckledragger"..... I still think though that if he doesn't do it this season he will never do it.
I would think that Sir Peter will have a few nagging doubts as well.
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Post by The Toxic Avenger on Mar 26, 2008 11:42:43 GMT
It'd be stupid because we'd be starting all over again after having gone so close, rather than building on it.
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Post by Titan Uranus on Mar 26, 2008 11:51:30 GMT
so how many seasons would you give Tone to complete this task?
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Post by MrMagic on Mar 26, 2008 11:53:48 GMT
It would have to depend on the reasons why were failed (we won't ) and whether we were willing to learn from those reasons and put steps in place to improve next year. We did that this season from last to an extent, but it did take some time and we were left with a weak squad at the start. We'd really need to assess what went wrong and then look at what needs to happen to prevent it in future. That could present a number of options from getting new players in, changing tactics, looking at funding, and looking at the management structure, plus many more. Calling for Pulis' head would not necessarily be the right thing to do, but again, it might be. Everyone has a limit to their abilities and eventually Tony will reach it. Hopefully Tonys limit is retaining the Champions League trophy for a third successive season. ;D
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Post by The Toxic Avenger on Mar 26, 2008 11:54:41 GMT
It depends on the circumstances. If we don't make it this year, he should at least get the chance to do it next year, for the sake of stability. As people have said, nobody expected us to be in this position at the start of the season, and the manager deserves as much credit as anyone for this.
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Post by Dr Oetcake on Mar 26, 2008 11:55:16 GMT
Frankly, at this stage of the season, not taking into account previous finishes blah blah blah, any teams supporters, players and management team would see it as a failure, having been top with 6 games to go, and not securing automatic promotion, its too long a season and too hard a slog to feel anything otherwise. Conversely, if we had hovered in mid-table and then put together a 10 game run of wins and romped into the play offs on the last game of the season, we would be saying what a great end to the season we were having. The fact is the burden of expectation drags the price of apparent failure up as well. And make no mistake, getting into the playoffs from this position is a failure, not a success, though if at the start of the season, you offered any of us a play off spot, we would have snapped your hand off! And as for the comment that "its the weakest Championship ever", we hear the same old shite every year, and the fact is the league is as difficult to get out of as it is. Ask Southampton, Leeds, Forest, Bradford, Swindon, Leicester etc etc how easy it is to get out of this league, what would be a quality league then? 2 "ex premmers" winning the league by february going up with 120 points each whilst everyone else struggles for 50? Thats not what I call a quality league. The fact that teams at the bottom can get points off those at the top makes it competetive, and exciting for the average fan of football as a sport. I`m proud that I have no idea what the scores were on "Super Sunday" or what ever it was called as how Manchester United, or Arsenal got on holds no interest to me whatsoever. However distasteful it is to me and Im sure many others, it is critical for this football team to get into the Premiership and dip our snouts in the trough before the bubble bursts. Those journos like that idiot at the Mirror who predict this years promotees will be the worst ever have missed the point, they might be right, but the money that will come into the club in that one season wil strengthen it and we might reasonably hope to do a "Bolton" or a "Reading or a "Wigan" even if we bounce up and down and (hopefully) up again, strengthening as we go. I just feel like may people seem to that this is the make or break season and if we dont go up this season, it could ultimately lead to Coates losing interest and the club stagnating and going into freefall. We are no Manchester City or Leeds and if we drop down the divisions, I think we will find it hard to get back up again. Better to go up now!
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Post by MrMagic on Mar 26, 2008 11:56:31 GMT
I agree to an extent rvd10, but the stability arguement is a circular one. At the end of next season, if we've not been sucessful the same would apply, ad infinitum.
I'm not calling for a lynching by the way - just to be clear.
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Post by fromafar07 on Mar 26, 2008 11:56:38 GMT
yes but....how long a period have Stoke been improving ?? over the last 25 years ? 2 years , 5 years ?? lets face it. they are way way over due of becoming a good team !!!
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Post by The Toxic Avenger on Mar 26, 2008 11:58:40 GMT
I was actually trying to say pretty much what you said in your post Mr Magic, only in a less articulate way. Kudos!
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Post by Titan Uranus on Mar 26, 2008 12:19:01 GMT
I think Tone has reached the zenith of his abilities.
In fact I think he is punching well above his tactical and managerial weight.
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Post by The Toxic Avenger on Mar 26, 2008 12:20:52 GMT
It remains to be seen doesn't it? Or shall we sack him just in case he is?
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Post by Titan Uranus on Mar 26, 2008 12:23:30 GMT
No, that's just being silly I'm prepared to give him until the end of the season ;D
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