|
Post by Thank you from Moorlander1 on Apr 6, 2008 10:22:41 GMT
No doubt must have rated as MOM yesterday. I wish we still had him,a great player and very loyal to Stoke City. A natural change for Griffin (i feel our weakest link)
|
|
|
Post by Adster on Apr 6, 2008 10:25:01 GMT
i agree, i watched that match yesterday and thought he was outstanding, come back super carl, oh and bring ur fit mrs with you too ;D
|
|
|
Post by walrus on Apr 6, 2008 10:31:21 GMT
I agree Griffin is the weak link but I feel we have good and considerably cheaper replacements in Messers Dickinson and Wilkinson. Still, I'd welcome Carl back with open arms.
|
|
|
Post by MarkWolstanton on Apr 6, 2008 10:33:29 GMT
We certainly would be a stronger unit with Carl at right back and Griff in at the position he plays as well as any player at this position, left back.
However Wilko inat right back with Griff moving across would be more than good enough.
|
|
|
Post by Butters on Apr 6, 2008 10:35:00 GMT
Did Hoefkens play? All I heard from Motty was that Heeeeeeerfkins was occupiying the RB slot
|
|
|
Post by scfclifer on Apr 6, 2008 10:35:45 GMT
i dont want him back he's part of the reason brasil's defence is shit so they can keep him hewas good yesterday though
hey 1,250 posts all time XI ;D
|
|
|
Post by Davef on Apr 6, 2008 10:46:39 GMT
He was also part of the Stoke defence which kept a club record seven consecutive clean sheets last season.
|
|
|
Post by nathan on Apr 6, 2008 10:52:26 GMT
Carl Hoefkens would be a better option than Griffin at the minute, that much is correct.
However, David Rowson could prove to be a better asset in our squad than Griff at the minute.
|
|
|
Post by dadofsam on Apr 6, 2008 10:54:36 GMT
I wonder what the real story was about why he was let go.
First there was the whole "young kiddies" fiasco when he was dropped.
Then Pulis was willing to let him go back to Belgium for peanuts wasn't he, then he tips up at West Brom, then we had him saying he never wanted to go but was forced to because we didn't offer him a new contract, then the spinners saying he'd been meeting the Baggies for ages and had a deal all set up.
Water under the bridge now, but Pulis clearly didn't think he was any good ! Too attack minded?
|
|
|
Post by FullerMagic on Apr 6, 2008 10:54:42 GMT
We've conceded the same amount of goals as the Brazilians this season.
We haven't replaced him properly, have we? If Pulis had doubts about his defensive solidity, his absence has hardly improve that aspect of our play. And the club record clean sheets testify that he was hardly a major problem and his instincts could be accommodated in a functioning Pulis XI.
Griffin at LB, Hoefkens at RB would definitely be an improvement on what we have.
It's odd that, almost by accident, Pulis hit on Griffin at left-back where he was largely excellent for us last season.
And yet, this season, despite other options, he's persisted with him at RB, the position he clearly intended for him to play last season - and he's had some excellent games but far more dodgy ones.
|
|
|
Post by n01stokie on Apr 6, 2008 10:55:43 GMT
get over him ffs he had a good game yesterday, but according to many wba fans he has been a major dissapointment, he wasn't that good you know!!!
|
|
|
Post by MarkWolstanton on Apr 6, 2008 11:10:32 GMT
No I don't know that.
You are allowed to disagree with the "word" of Tony here No 1 even if the Pulis Youth are poised to brand you a heretic! ;D
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2008 11:14:27 GMT
I think this whole "Pulis doesn't like attacking full backs" thing is horseshit. Halls, Hall, Griffin (last season) and Pugh all like to get forward and overlap.
I think the reason that the manager didn't like him is actually a lot more petty, namely that Pulis didn't sign him and he was associated with the Boskamp/Icelandic regime.
|
|
|
Post by sportsman on Apr 6, 2008 11:15:24 GMT
When are you lot going to move on? An average defender, end of. Part of an Albion defence that always looks like conceding a goal, yet likes getting forward. Wow, let's all bow to the mighty Carl!
Yet you haven't got the time of day for players that played their hearts out for us for years and then get slated and booed on their return, Kav,O'connor etc.
Don't tell me you still have his 'hairy' poster on your bedroom ceiling still? FFS tare it down and get one up of super Tone!
|
|
|
Post by MarkWolstanton on Apr 6, 2008 11:17:59 GMT
And right on cue.....
;D
|
|
|
Post by sportsman on Apr 6, 2008 11:22:57 GMT
Right though eh!
|
|
|
Post by sheikhmomo on Apr 6, 2008 11:26:34 GMT
Of course Mark is correct, he did become somewhat of porn icon for the Boskamp youth, culminating in them refusing to see him criticised under any circumstances. I've still got that Birmingham away game on tape if anyone wants to see it, yet to say he had a poor game that day was apparently Pulis rimming of the highest order.
It makes you wonder if many of the Pulis Hating Wankstains still wish Carl was here, Pulis was gone and we were in mid table. Only at this club would the loss of a slightly above average full back (who was bought as a centre back) be mourned in such a fashion.
|
|
|
Post by sportsman on Apr 6, 2008 11:33:40 GMT
Funny how people have started the 'Carl' thing on here again after watching him do average in one of the worst football matches every watched on TV.
Where have you been all season when you have hardly heard his name mentioned outside WBA!!!!
|
|
|
Post by FullerMagic on Apr 6, 2008 11:38:33 GMT
At least no-one's mentioned his poncy Alice band.
It's a shame that all discussion about Hoefkens is so polarised, and viewed entirely through this prism of Pulis Hating Wankstains, Boskamp, Kiddiegate and long-haired foreigners.
|
|
|
Post by Birchesheadpotter on Apr 6, 2008 11:39:06 GMT
You know he was bought as a centreback do you sheikh? Do you fuck If 'slightly above-average' is your opinion of Hoefkens then fine, I have no cause to argue, its your opinion. But has super tone replaced him with a better right back yet? In fact, has he even replaced him at all? We all know that Pulis was desperate to get rid of him for one reason or another, and thats fine as long as he had someone better coming in to replace him. But he's added Griffin, who in my eyes is a league 2 player at best judging on his appearances this season, he has been utter utter wank, and his addition has cost the team what would be clear daylight at the top in points. For him to be captain of this club is an emmbarasment
|
|
|
Post by Davef on Apr 6, 2008 11:41:45 GMT
I've lost count of the number of goals we've conceded this season when opponents have just tossed the ball to our back stick and fed off our inability to defend it.
The comment by certain posters who were quick to criticise Hoefkens for his part in similar goals last season is conspicuous only by its absence.
|
|
|
Post by sheikhmomo on Apr 6, 2008 11:46:30 GMT
It was the way he announced as our new international centre back and all his early games which were at centre back that first alerted me to this fact, Birches
|
|
|
Post by MarkWolstanton on Apr 6, 2008 11:46:42 GMT
I'd challenge anyone to suggest Danny Pugh (the long chased answer to our left midfield slot and a snip at half a million) makes a better fullback than Carl.
But you won't catch the Fundamentalists admitting it as one was brought by Pulis and the other by Boskamp.
|
|
|
Post by rhodesy on Apr 6, 2008 11:52:30 GMT
Of course Mark is correct, he did become somewhat of porn icon for the Boskamp youth, culminating in them refusing to see him criticised under any circumstances. I've still got that Birmingham away game on tape if anyone wants to see it, yet to say he had a poor game that day was apparently Pulis rimming of the highest order. It makes you wonder if many of the Pulis Hating Wankstains still wish Carl was here, Pulis was gone and we were in mid table. Only at this club would the loss of a slightly above average full back (who was bought as a centre back) be mourned in such a fashion. Love it!
|
|
|
Post by sportsman on Apr 6, 2008 11:53:35 GMT
Also sad how stoke fans are quick to slate Griffin, who is going through a dodgy spell in the last few games, but who previous to the last 3 or 4 games was the steady influence that we needed. He was the one that was composed and put his foot on the ball and tried to get us passing from the back more. He was the one the one that in one hame a few weeks ago set the tone for the game with his steady, composed play. Hell it even had Dicko putting his foot on the ball and passing to the midfilders instead of launching it forward. This too is the same player that had 3000 stoke fans at Fulham singing 'Griffins coming home'. The same player that was excellent when here last season. Yes he chose Derby at the last minute, who can blame him for what he thought may have been a last crack at the prem. He's come back and he would love to get stoke promoted more than anyone in the stoke side, in my opinion.
All players have a spell like this. Is Ahsley Cole good every week? Is Hoefkens good every week. Is he hell.
He is also the player that at this time needs our backing, so he can recapture his form of a few weeks ago. We will need players of his experience in the run in. They are the players that will be needed on the pitch to calm players like Dicko from flying into tackles in the first few minutes of a match and getting reduced to 10 men. (yes he got sent of at QPR but that was for an excellent tackle).
|
|
|
Post by MarkWolstanton on Apr 6, 2008 11:55:30 GMT
Whilst you were loving that, did you take on board Davef's reply that slaughtered that point, Rhodesey? ;D
|
|
|
Post by banburypotter on Apr 6, 2008 11:57:16 GMT
i agree with that sentiment sportsman, lets concentrate on backing the players we do have rather than the ones we don't have.
hoefkins has gone, forget him and move on.
|
|
|
Post by MarkWolstanton on Apr 6, 2008 11:57:34 GMT
The point about Griff is, Sporty that everyone bar Pulis and Kempo know he is and always has been ten times the player at left back than he is at right back.
|
|
|
Post by Davef on Apr 6, 2008 11:57:51 GMT
It is sad that some Stoke fans slate Griff sportsman, but I'd have more time for your argument if you hadn't spent most of last season crucifying a good Stoke player who played a big part in what we achieved.
|
|
|
Post by sheikhmomo on Apr 6, 2008 11:58:51 GMT
slaughtered in your mind Mark. Whilst your point about Pugh playing out of a position he was bought for is indeed a good one, what are your views on the fact that Carl was brought in to solve our centre back problems but was so wank had to be converted to a full back?
|
|