Tis the Way of Things

[Linx]

As a club, we seem to have perfected the art of bad luck or bad timing. In 1939, we were tipped to win the league and were setting ourselves up with one of the best teams of the 1940s. Then some bloke named Hitler decided to invade Poland. In the early 70s we were cheated out of at least one FA Cup final by Arsenal and a myopic referee and then blew our best postwar chance to win the league by losing a vital game against Sheffield United. In the mid-70s an act of a malevolent God blew the Butler Street stand roof off. It was uninsured and the Waddington team had to be sold off. In 2011, we got to our first FA Cup final in our history, but with out talismanic winger carrying a hamstring injury and the rest of the team looking jaded and overawed by the occasion, we allowed ourselves to become the supporting act to Manchester City's story.

Against all expectations, we have enjoyed five years of untroubled stability in the top flight. Now, as the Premier League licks its chops at the thought of £14 million extra funding per club, thanks to a ridiculous TV deal that will widen the chasm between the top 20 teams in England and the rest, we actually seem to be on the verge of joining the rest.

So, do we shrug our shoulders and accept the usual way of things? Or not?

[harrysburrow]

It's mostly our own doing this time mate?

[tayterz]

It's that gypsies fault that cursed the club when the builders of the old Viccy ground moved her caravans on
"Right Ho grandma can yer move yer van, goats n chickens on a bit luv we're building a footy ground here"
"Aye no problem lads would buy some lucky heather or a few o deese pegs? Then?"
" no ta luv, dunner need none"
"We'll I hope her feckin fingers fester you get 10 cancers, yer children are born blind and ya poxy footy club get a manger that continually puts Glenda the crab on the pitch"
.

[harrysburrow]

That's a fair point. Has TP Mentioned Gypsy Boswell yet?

[OldStokie]

I could add that this is also our 150th celebration year, Mr Links, but I won't.

OS.

[dadofsam]

Perhaps Tone is right and we're just unlucky

[towraytek]

I'm hoping for parallels with the tail end of 1967-68, which found Stoke in trouble with 5 or 6 games to go. Then we play title contenders Leeds United at home and beat them 3-2. The following week we played Fulham away and beat them 2-0; they went on to get relegated. Stoke stayed safe by 3 points, and went on to have one of our best ever periods as a top-flight team.

The similarity between those fixtures and those we now have against Manchester United and QPR is remarkable and if history is to repeat itself it might do so in our favour.

Another similarity is that then, as now, a vocal minority wanted a change of manager.

Ek

[somersetstokie]

I have to say that this time around there is an air of inevitability about things now that we are in trouble. We seem to have sleep walked towards disaster in a way that has left us with a sudden realisation that we are in trouble, with almost no time to do anything about it. All the planning seems to have gone out of the window, and this seems to be no time to consider a late season impact from Michael Owen or Charlie Adam. We have to be solid and the players who are put on the pitch have to perform.

I do feel that the restrictions of the transfer window system in the premiership have worked against us. End of January, thats it. Whereas in the past when we were in the Championship we could pull a rabbit out of the hat in the form of a late season loan signing or two. We were able to bring in people like Arnur Gunlaugsson and Ade Akinbiyi to help with the final push. That sort of option is no longer open to us and we need to create our own luck.

Maybe we need a Gypsy or two selling lucky heather outside the ground tomorrow.

[sufolkstokie]

Apr 13, 2013 10:40:37 GMT towraytek said:

I'm hoping for parallels with the tail end of 1967-68, which found Stoke in trouble with 5 or 6 games to go. Then we play title contenders Leeds United at home and beat them 3-2. The following week we played Fulham away and beat them 2-0; they went on to get relegated. Stoke stayed safe by 3 points, and went on to have one of our best ever periods as a top-flight team.

The similarity between those fixtures and those we now have against Manchester United and QPR is remarkable and if history is to repeat itself it might do so in our favour.

Another similarity is that then, as now, a vocal minority wanted a change of manager.

Ek

It was the vocal minority back then Ek. No way is it the vocal minority this time, no way at all

On another note - probably the only time we really threw it all away, all of our own doing was getting rid of Sir Stan in 1947. The team of that day still insist we would have won it if we had kept Sir Stan and then dropping Franklin as Captain. Until now of course

[somersetstokie]

Luck is a strange thing in football. For example so many pre match rituals are based on superstition. It is also true that you make your own luck. For example how can we expect to get a goal from a late deflection or off an opposition defender, when we rarely get the ball into the box nowadays.
But why shouldn't we have our share of the luck. We have been on a lucky run before. Look at Soulemayne Oulares late goal against Cardiff in the 2002 play offs. Then in the final at the Millenium stadium we got the "unlucky" South dressing room, from which no team had ever won, but we did it.
Just believe, when the most unlikely events in a game are not even considered, that is when football throws up a surprise.

[Staffsoatcake]

Apr 13, 2013 10:29:57 GMT dadofsam said:

Perhaps Tone is right and we're just unlucky

Pulis goes on about bad luck,yet he is still in a job,how fecking lucky can he get