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Post by ted1965 on Mar 30, 2008 0:30:02 GMT
I am beginning to worry a little, yes it’s been a remarkable season and we’re still very much in the promotion race and almost certainly now hold at the very least a play off place and before the season began that was more than many had dared believe or hope we would attain. Though here we are 5 games from the end and we are still very much in the promotion picture and second despite stuttering over the last 6 games.
The reason I am concerned at this moment, what if we don’t make it. Will we have such a gilt edged opportunity again in the near future. That is my real fear, that this is the chance and if we fail to grasp the golden ticket we may not see such a chance again for a long time. I know many have already posted, well if for some reason we don’t make it this season then it just postpones our promotion till the end of next year, though is that even close to the truth.
I unfortunately fear it may be wishful thinking rather than based around actual facts, just because you come close to winning the lottery once doesn’t mean you will ever come as close to winning it again. I am not being defeatist, yes we could bring in a few quality signings over the summer and romp the league next season but that is a mere possibility rather than a stated fact merely because we have done so well this season. It’s speculation where as this is fact, we are in with the best chance of making that step up now and it’s now that we need to take that opportunity and not thinking it’s fine if we fall short.
The first reason I would be concerned that this could be a defining season for this club is the age of Peter Coates. I am not saying he is on his last legs or even that he wont be around for many years to come, though he’s of an age where illness can overcome people fast and from nowhere. If this happens like at Gretna then where would that leave the club, do his family actually want to continue his legacy if he wasn’t well enough to control the club himself. If he wasn’t well enough to control his own affairs, what kind of action would family members take and do they actually share his desire or passion to see Stoke City back in the big time. It’s an unlikely scenario but with him being over 70 it’s also a possibility. I think he’s finally realized this is his chance to leave a lasting and golden legacy at this club and wipe out much of what went before with supporters.
Coates may also take the view, he funded a huge push this season and now wants to see where this squad can take us rather than throwing more money at promotion. That may seem like a step backwards but he may say well we came so close last year, now it’s time for the manager and players to prove that investment was justified. Though logically if we didn’t quite have what it takes this season, we are still short in certain areas and without further funding it is difficult to see that changing.
Then we come to the players, yes they have had a marvellous season and some of them have improved immensely and shown they are more than capable of not only holding their own at this level but could and hopefully will prove good enough at the highest level for us next season. The problem being now they aren’t a secret anymore, there will be vultures circling if we don’t get promoted and then it will be a test of whether they believe we can and will once again be genuine automatic contenders, if they get the chance to play at the higher level, will they decide to stay or take their chances in the Premiership. I would like to think we are building a squad with strong and lasting foundations, though as we have seen football is a very mercenary business and players content now may not be if we had another slow summer or an agent whispering large numbers in their ears. While we have the best squad we’ve had for many years, we are still short in certain areas and if we lost key players to rivals or Premiership sides, we would be hard pressed to replace them and have them blend together immediately.
The next aspect is the manager himself, now while I have criticised him in the past and will continue to do so if he does things that annoy or frustrate me now or in the future. He has certainly surprised me and surpassed my expectations of what he can achieve and I am absolutely delighted that he has proved me wrong and those calling for his head if we don’t go up are not being realistic. If you were the owner would you honestly sack the manager, someone who he obviously trusts and believes in. Someone who had brought you to the brink of promotion, very unlikely I would have thought and rightly so. There is also the stability factor, yes there’s things I don’t like about him but stability is the only way forward. If the owner brought in some absolute winner as manager then fine but I couldn’t imagine him changing merely if we fall short this season.
Though for those who say all is fine and it’s no big deal if we don’t go up, then I disagree with you also. The facts are we had a wonderful opportunity and if we fall short then I am sure the manager and owner will both be asking questions about why. I do believe the future for this club is much brighter than it has been for many a year, though I have also seen enough false dawns to know how fast the light at the end of the tunnel can become a speeding express smashing your hopes into oblivion and I am not sure I could take that again.
While the owner has proved he trusts and believes in his choice as manager, he will I am sure question certain aspects of this season towards the end given the investment he has undertaken this season and the sudden reverting to a more cautious approach with the prize so close at hand. That’s not to say he would be making changes but I am sure someone who wants to see the club in the top flight sooner rather than later would be asking where changes can be made to ensure if we were in the same position again that we didn’t fall into the same hole. I wouldn’t be surprised if he did say to the manager we may need to review all positions at the club if the same scenario played out again next season if we don’t go up this time.
The manager is going to have to look at himself and ask can he improve on this season, given that the Championship was competitive but there wasn’t one outstanding side in it and we really had every chance of winning the league. He is going to have to evolve again, change certain conceptions he has about some players and admit some players simply aren’t good enough and that we need a far more accept he may need to find a real alternative to how we play especially at home where we need to be far more attack minded. The final reality that you must play players in their correct positions and not try and fit certain players into the side simply because he likes them.
I do wonder whether he may think he has missed the boat, if we weren’t good enough to go up given all our advantages this season, are we going to be more likely to do so next season. I am sure he will believe in the players but he will also surely wonder if we can replicate what we have done this season and go one better should we fall short, it‘s human nature after all.
There will be even more money in this league, Charlton , Sheffield United and Watford if they don’t get promoted will still be sailing under the parachute blanket. Q P R will have money to burn, well enough to make them very much part of the promotion race or they should be if their manager is good enough. That doesn’t mean we wont be there or thereabouts again, though it will be equally competitive and maybe with a little more quality. It seems a few others will also have money available, it will be hard to replicate what we have done this season. Will we again sit top of the league with a hand full of games remaining if the league is even more competitive.
I hope this scenario never comes to pass and we will be starting next season eating from the table of the rich and not worrying one way or the other about how we would perform in the Championship next season. It’s just a few concerns that I hope never have to be addressed.
Sorry it was so long even by my war and peace standards, I do believe we can go up but I also have seen enough car crash scenarios over the years to have a few concerns if we don’t.
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Post by Tubes on Mar 30, 2008 0:37:52 GMT
another concern is that we won't see such a mediocre championship next year. This year no team has distinguished themselves as runaway leaders, but with the addition of Bolton, Fulham and Derby, will that be the same next season?
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Post by stokemark on Mar 30, 2008 0:42:32 GMT
Ted
Didnt Coates state that after 2 years into his '2nd coming' he expected the club to be 'self sufficient' ?
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Post by jarhead on Mar 30, 2008 0:50:35 GMT
Great read that is Ted.
Spot on.
As you might know im a big critic of Pulis(Honest)...but i just hate how he goes about certain parts of his buisness and things that gives people plenty of ammo to have a pop at him for.
You hit the nail on the head about his playing players out of position just because they 'put a shift in and work arrrd' and he likes em,but meaning we are a bit disjointed and do not function properly in games that we should see off like today and over the past six weeks or so,but if he just played players in natural positions and used the better options we have within he squad instead of the predictable selection and tactics which are virtually the same in every game then i would be happy.
If we don't go up again is the management setup good enough? but stability is key to grow as a club....but do we or could Pulis and his many men be the answer to take us up though ever? Sometimes new ideas styles/tactics have to change if the one we continue with now under Pulis does not work now or next season.
I really hope Pulis admits to things are his fault when plainly he does make those big big mistakes that cost us those crucial points and try things with the other options in the squad instead of the predictable tripe of late.
Will he listen or learn or have the balls to drop Griff,play Wilko right-back or both Wilko/Dicko in as full-backs and get a solid defensive unit comfortable in doing there jobs.I doubt it!
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Post by PotterLog on Mar 30, 2008 5:16:14 GMT
another concern is that we won't see such a mediocre championship next year. This year no team has distinguished themselves as runaway leaders, but with the addition of Bolton, Fulham and Derby, will that be the same next season? People say that every single year without fail. |
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Post by OldStokie on Mar 30, 2008 7:41:19 GMT
Ted...this is your Magnum opus.  Good post but posted a few games too early? So many 'ifs' and 'buts' to ponder on when they may all be redundant if we do go up. I like to deal with the 'here and now' and at the moment, nothing is settled. A couple of facts we can deal with. 1) Pulis was appointed by Coates. 2) Coates has backed his choice of manger with funds, the likes of we've not seen at this club before. Given the two previous points, failure is not an option for either of them. OS. |
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Post by ted1965 on Mar 30, 2008 11:42:38 GMT
Why thank you OS and yes I agree this post maybe a little early and believe me I hope they are mere concerns and we don’t have to actually deal with any of the situations I am concerned about.
It’s a fact we’re well placed to win promotion and we have the squad assembled now who should be good enough to complete the job. Though the last few weeks have just brought these concerns a little more to the surface of my already empty head, maybe if there was more going on inside it I would be less likely to worry about such matters.
I agree totally Coates second time around has indeed backed his choice as manager with real money and I believe he will expect rewards for his investment and sooner rather than later. I wouldn’t be so sure he will make changes if we fail to reap the rewards this year, though I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he privately hasn’t been discussing the way we have faltered with the manager and assessing how much longer he will be given to achieve promotion.
This isn’t a criticism of the manager as such but when you’re ploughing large amounts of money into a plan, you expect results and while this will be considered a magnificent season considering what has gone before, if we do fail from this position I would imagine Coates will be assessing how much longer he gives those involved with team affairs, my guess realistically one more season.
As I said I want success and I still firmly believe we can achieve that this season and if we do Tony Pulis deserves all the plaudits and accolades that will go with such a wonderful managerial achievement, if we fall short it will indeed cast question marks over how long Coates will give him to achieve the dream of us all him included.
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Post by FullerMagic on Mar 30, 2008 11:51:17 GMT
A couple of facts we can deal with. 1) Pulis was appointed by Coates. 2) Coates has backed his choice of manger with funds, the likes of we've not seen at this club before. Given the two previous points, failure is not an option for either of them. OS. The level of financial backing Coates has provided this season is absolutely staggering.  The wage bill we're carrying at the moment must be mind-boggling. Coates has certainly bought into the speculate to accumulate philosophy - with knobs on. I'm still not considering failure this season, but if it happens, the finances next year could be very interesting. |
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Post by wizzardofdribble on Mar 30, 2008 11:56:04 GMT
Great post Ted but a little bit of premature verbal-ejaculation mixed in there.
Would have been better to have posted after the Coventry game maybe?
Nonetheless, a cracking-read.
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Post by potters 22 on Mar 30, 2008 12:00:43 GMT
If and its a BIG if we dont go up this year then coates has already said if that happens the squad mustnt have been quite good enough and therefore he will strengthen again accordingly in the summer!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2008 12:01:01 GMT
Pulis has been backed to the hilt by the chairman, and with the team we have available we should get promoted. For me a lot of money though has been spent on very average players, 1.2 million for Cort, 300k for Griffin and 425k for Danny Pugh, all of these three would fail comfortably at a higher level and indeed are no more than average Championship players.
I have really tried to like Pulis but with his decisions , attitude and tactics I just can't. Still he is manager of Stoke City and I will support him, but if we don't go up there will be some searching questions to answer.
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Post by Mr_DaftBurger on Mar 30, 2008 12:45:02 GMT
Although i haven't read the post Ted I knew when it said you're real concerns it was going to be a long one.
This thread smacks of Pulis Hating Wankstains, and they're all on this thread, sharpening their knives for the bestest manager we've had in the last 18 months.
Make sure you're not left with egg on your face as Super Tone leads us to the Premiershit. Save it for the summer if in the likely event we don't go up.
In the mean time give Pulis time we're so close now is the time for bravery not criticism.
'We'll be with you*.......'
*As long as it's on Sky!
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Post by pulisknowsbest on Mar 30, 2008 12:46:26 GMT
The negative twats on this board who slag the manager off are a disgrace,we are 2nd if a.n other manager other than pulis had got us to this position then youd all be lickin his arse!!
Grow up ffs and back our best manager in the last 30 years!!!
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Post by wizzardofdribble on Mar 30, 2008 12:58:47 GMT
Spot on Daftburger..now is the time for bravery not criticsm
We'll be with you every step along the way
By your side we,ll always stay
GOAARRNNN SIOKE!!
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ianrb1
Youth Player
' Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you have got till it's gone'
Posts: 443
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Post by ianrb1 on Mar 30, 2008 13:03:45 GMT
Very much so PNB, we have had a tremendous season, a few injuries and suspensions have knocked us out of our stride and it takes loanees time to adapt. It is very much still about what we do in the remaining five games and I'm convinced that 11 points will be enough for a top two finish.
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The wage bill we're carrying at the moment must be mind-boggling.
