Sparky, Stoke & Sentiment

[Vestan Pance]

So, we are led to believe that the deal is done, and bar any last minute disagreements Mark Hughes will the man stepping into the baseball cap at the Britannia Stadium for next season. An appropriate time then for some reflection.

Firstly, Hughes is not a bad manager. He was successful at both Fulham and Blackburn playing decent football whilst also having the ability to unearth decent footballers at a reasonable cost. This would fit in with the top level aspiration of any sensible, intelligent Stoke City supporter and certainly fits in with the pragmatic approach being considered by the board. His only real blot in the copy book was QPR, a football club in such a state of disarray nobody would have been capable of doing anything, and even then it is worthy of note Hughes managed to keep them up in their first season. Given the rotten borough of Shepherds Bush, a not uncreditworthy feat.

So, why then the animosity? Why the sentiment surrounding the appointment being at best muted, and at worst openly hostile? Is it fair, does it do us any credit?

Nope.

The simple fact is that when considered pragmatically, Hughes is a sensible option. He is experienced at this level and that is important in the transition that the football club intends to undertake. The problem maybe that supporters were completely unsure of what they wanted, on who would be the next man to inherit the hot seat at Stoke City. Some, (myself included, once the blood is stirred) were hoping for a swashbuckling new manager, with latin flair and excessive hair gel gesticulating from the dugout like some kind of bi-polar traffic police officer. Others, to their great credit, wanted the status quo to remain the same, with loyalty being the justifiable reward for a man who had performed every task expected of him, albeit undramatically, for many years.

Once we all calm down a bit (which on here is a rarity), we realise that Hughes is realistically as good as it was going to get.

There are things we can say without hesitation that could not be said previously. Hughes will start to play more expansive football (it is literally impossible for him to do anything else) but will build slowly, because his pragmatic nature will tell him that is the sensible thing to do. It he is unable to secure attacking full backs then the status quo at the back will remain, with the principle job of the defenders remaining just that, to defend (the thought of a Poyet inspired Shotton or Wilkinson trying to take their man on or play one-two's on the edge fo their box is literally the stuff of nightmares). We will get down to the nitty gritty of the reasons why certain players (Palacios particularly) wasn't involved. We will begin to see the best from players such as N'Zonzi and Adam because they will be utilised in their preferred position and the tantalising posibility of the likes of Shea and Cuvelier being involved should stir more interest than Whitehead and Sidibe. It is unfortunate perhaps that it has seemed to have been a closed book, but the lack of interviewees gives me confidence. The Coates family have clearly decided that this is the man who best fits the criteria and from a business, pragmatic perspective it is hard not to agree.

So we have to come together now a little, for sanity's sake if nothing else. This is the ideal situation really; everyone gets what nobody wants. No hair gel, no tracksuits, no tiki taka and no GOARRN Jon. We do however have a manager who needs to rebuild his reputation and career, a proud man and a pragmatist who will endeavout to give us a better standard of football whilst trying to turn round a squad in desperate need of freshening up. This is a big job he has on his hands ladies and gentlemen, and we won't make it any easier with dickheads in pick ups driving up and down the A500.

Vis Unita Fortior. That is all.

[stokemark]

Very good post

Very well written

Hughes is clearly going to be like cough mixture - no one likes it but in the long run it does you good

But, after the last couple of years couldnt we have just been put straight onto a course of anti-depressants ?

[stiggerstackle]

*Applause* well said mate.

I am / was really underwhelmed by Hughes, and let myself get carried away with exotic dreams of us and Rafa getting cosy, but the stark truth is its looking like Hughes, and frankly for the sake of SCFC (the only important thing above anyones petty whining) we do need to stand firm together and behind our new Manager.

Until Christmas anyway, then if he's wank we can lynch him

[tayterz]

Superb post Vestan, a calm head in the current red mist of uncertainty

[mcf]

He's an ex Shit cunt and I have so much indifference it is untrue.

Hoepfully he will say a few good things so that at least we can take to our hearts as 'our ex Shit cunt'

[ColonelMustard]

all I ask of him, or any of them for that matter, is to leave the club in at least as good a position as he found it - if he does that he can do what he likes with Florent Cuvelier

[wrighter]

May 29, 2013 10:35:55 GMT mcf said:

He's an ex Shit cunt and I have so much indifference it is untrue.

Hoepfully he will say a few good things so that at least we can take to our hearts as 'our ex Shit cunt'

so was Lou Macari

[Stokiedokie]

Well said.

[mcf]

I was too young to remember Lou Macari playing though and didn't hate Man United all that much at 3 years of age.

At 38 I despise everything about the twats including the numerous management offspring that Fergie inflicted on the country.

Infact, I'd rather have Macari back.

[Deleted]

I will be gutted. A man who will care less about our club than Pullis. Dour and in decline. . Aggressive and discourteous to our club in the past....there is no honeymoon for me. I thought Tony Pullis had to go but if I had thought this was the replacement then I would have stuck with him in the hope he could of recreated what he had in the first three years in the Prem.....I have no idea what the owners of the club think they are doing.

[chinapotter]

Excellent post. Spot on. To read some of the posts on here, you'd think managers should be falling over themselves to join Stoke. This would be a pragmatic and appropriate appointment: Hughes has dealt with egos, encouraged good play, managed budgets and remained dignified in the face of some challenging situations, looking to rebuild his reputation. Sounds like a perfect profile to take us to the next (realistic) level.

Whoever it ends up being, anything less than 100% support without any reason to do otherwise, would be embarrassing.

Go on Stoke!

[andypleedsstokie]

May 29, 2013 10:24:53 GMT Vestan Pance said:

So, we are led to believe that the deal is done, and bar any last minute disagreements Mark Hughes will the man stepping into the baseball cap at the Britannia Stadium for next season. An appropriate time then for some reflection.

Firstly, Hughes is not a bad manager. He was successful at both Fulham and Blackburn playing decent football whilst also having the ability to unearth decent footballers at a reasonable cost. This would fit in with the top level aspiration of any sensible, intelligent Stoke City supporter and certainly fits in with the pragmatic approach being considered by the board. His only real blot in the copy book was QPR, a football club in such a state of disarray nobody would have been capable of doing anything, and even then it is worthy of note Hughes managed to keep them up in their first season. Given the rotten borough of Shepherds Bush, a not uncreditworthy feat.

So, why then the animosity? Why the sentiment surrounding the appointment being at best muted, and at worst openly hostile? Is it fair, does it do us any credit?

Nope.

The simple fact is that when considered pragmatically, Hughes is a sensible option. He is experienced at this level and that is important in the transition that the football club intends to undertake. The problem maybe that supporters were completely unsure of what they wanted, on who would be the next man to inherit the hot seat at Stoke City. Some, (myself included, once the blood is stirred) were hoping for a swashbuckling new manager, with latin flair and excessive hair gel gesticulating from the dugout like some kind of bi-polar traffic police officer. Others, to their great credit, wanted the status quo to remain the same, with loyalty being the justifiable reward for a man who had performed every task expected of him, albeit undramatically, for many years.

Once we all calm down a bit (which on here is a rarity), we realise that Hughes is realistically as good as it was going to get.

There are things we can say without hesitation that could not be said previously. Hughes will start to play more expansive football (it is literally impossible for him to do anything else) but will build slowly, because his pragmatic nature will tell him that is the sensible thing to do. It he is unable to secure attacking full backs then the status quo at the back will remain, with the principle job of the defenders remaining just that, to defend (the thought of a Poyet inspired Shotton or Wilkinson trying to take their man on or play one-two's on the edge fo their box is literally the stuff of nightmares). We will get down to the nitty gritty of the reasons why certain players (Palacios particularly) wasn't involved. We will begin to see the best from players such as N'Zonzi and Adam because they will be utilised in their preferred position and the tantalising posibility of the likes of Shea and Cuvelier being involved should stir more interest than Whitehead and Sidibe. It is unfortunate perhaps that it has seemed to have been a closed book, but the lack of interviewees gives me confidence. The Coates family have clearly decided that this is the man who best fits the criteria and from a business, pragmatic perspective it is hard not to agree.

So we have to come together now a little, for sanity's sake if nothing else. This is the ideal situation really; everyone gets what nobody wants. No hair gel, no tracksuits, no tiki taka and no GOARRN Jon. We do however have a manager who needs to rebuild his reputation and career, a proud man and a pragmatist who will endeavout to give us a better standard of football whilst trying to turn round a squad in desperate need of freshening up. This is a big job he has on his hands ladies and gentlemen, and we won't make it any easier with dickheads in pick ups driving up and down the A500.

Vis Unita Fortior. That is all.

Yes I concur. Hughes is not my first choice, but the more I read the more I think he'll be ok and an improvement on what went before. Excellent post.

[Deleted]

I think your missing the point China Potter, if we knew Hughes was the answer how many of us would have wanted Pullis out?...yes it will be embarrassing , but it won't be the fans that have made it so.

[Deleted]

Very good post, Vestan. Let,s get behind him. Hopefully he can bring in the right players, and get Stoke playing the right way again.i personally thought that he didn't,t have the best of luck at QPR. From what I saw, they were very unlucky in some games when he was their manager.

[Deleted]

He is going to have to get that win average up though!

[Vestan Pance]

I am not arguing the fact that it is a somewhat underwhelming appointment. I just think we need to consider the mitigating factors and get behind the club, like we used to before we became a bunch of whining cretins.

[mcf]

Vestan

What mitigating factors?

I agree with the general sentiment though as there is so much at stake for us.

[stokebloke]

brilliant post

[cousindupree]

Yes a very somber post at a very somber time. Lets just hope he has a decent wedge to bring in some players to actually get you off your seat.

[hollybush]

May 29, 2013 11:07:48 GMT Vestan Pance said:

I am not arguing the fact that it is a somewhat underwhelming appointment. I just think we need to consider the mitigating factors and get behind the club, like we used to before we became a bunch of whining cretins.

Sums this board up to a T.

[Deleted]

May 29, 2013 10:24:53 GMT Vestan Pance said:

So, we are led to believe that the deal is done, and bar any last minute disagreements Mark Hughes will the man stepping into the baseball cap at the Britannia Stadium for next season. An appropriate time then for some reflection.

Firstly, Hughes is not a bad manager. He was successful at both Fulham and Blackburn playing decent football whilst also having the ability to unearth decent footballers at a reasonable cost. This would fit in with the top level aspiration of any sensible, intelligent Stoke City supporter and certainly fits in with the pragmatic approach being considered by the board. His only real blot in the copy book was QPR, a football club in such a state of disarray nobody would have been capable of doing anything, and even then it is worthy of note Hughes managed to keep them up in their first season. Given the rotten borough of Shepherds Bush, a not uncreditworthy feat.

So, why then the animosity? Why the sentiment surrounding the appointment being at best muted, and at worst openly hostile? Is it fair, does it do us any credit?

Nope.

The simple fact is that when considered pragmatically, Hughes is a sensible option. He is experienced at this level and that is important in the transition that the football club intends to undertake. The problem maybe that supporters were completely unsure of what they wanted, on who would be the next man to inherit the hot seat at Stoke City. Some, (myself included, once the blood is stirred) were hoping for a swashbuckling new manager, with latin flair and excessive hair gel gesticulating from the dugout like some kind of bi-polar traffic police officer. Others, to their great credit, wanted the status quo to remain the same, with loyalty being the justifiable reward for a man who had performed every task expected of him, albeit undramatically, for many years.

Once we all calm down a bit (which on here is a rarity), we realise that Hughes is realistically as good as it was going to get.

There are things we can say without hesitation that could not be said previously. Hughes will start to play more expansive football (it is literally impossible for him to do anything else) but will build slowly, because his pragmatic nature will tell him that is the sensible thing to do. It he is unable to secure attacking full backs then the status quo at the back will remain, with the principle job of the defenders remaining just that, to defend (the thought of a Poyet inspired Shotton or Wilkinson trying to take their man on or play one-two's on the edge fo their box is literally the stuff of nightmares). We will get down to the nitty gritty of the reasons why certain players (Palacios particularly) wasn't involved. We will begin to see the best from players such as N'Zonzi and Adam because they will be utilised in their preferred position and the tantalising posibility of the likes of Shea and Cuvelier being involved should stir more interest than Whitehead and Sidibe. It is unfortunate perhaps that it has seemed to have been a closed book, but the lack of interviewees gives me confidence. The Coates family have clearly decided that this is the man who best fits the criteria and from a business, pragmatic perspective it is hard not to agree.

So we have to come together now a little, for sanity's sake if nothing else. This is the ideal situation really; everyone gets what nobody wants. No hair gel, no tracksuits, no tiki taka and no GOARRN Jon. We do however have a manager who needs to rebuild his reputation and career, a proud man and a pragmatist who will endeavout to give us a better standard of football whilst trying to turn round a squad in desperate need of freshening up. This is a big job he has on his hands ladies and gentlemen, and we won't make it any easier with dickheads in pick ups driving up and down the A500.

Vis Unita Fortior. That is all.

What, you mean you aren't preparing a "Hughes Out" Banner for his first game at The Brit?

Jesus wept.

Admin, can we have this poster banned? There is no place for common sense on this place.

[Stoke711]

Tbh he wasn't even on my list of potential managers for Stoke, but should he be confimed as manager of Stoke, I'll be disappointed but he'll have my complete support.

[stokiesteve]

I agree with your analysis of Hughes.

He will want to rebuild his career following QPR.

Good post mate.

[yesshh]

Fulham fan in peace.

Quick run through from his Fulham time.

Fulham are quaint, traditional club. Hughes apparently came in and tried to "modernise". This in effect came in the form of not accepting being served tea from a tea cup and instead wanting it served in trendy travel mugs. He got a wall knocked down to make his office bigger.

This seems banal enough and is. However it's little things like this that were reported in the Daily Mail (yes, i know) that didn't endear himself to Fulham.

On the pitch we were absolutely awful for the first half of the season. He tried to industrialise the team, make them harder to beat whilst also being able to mix it up from nice football to tough football.

Apparently this led to a player revolt and they just reverted back to Hodgsons tactics off their own bat against Hughes wishes and soared up the table. How much of this is true I don't know, but it's been reported by so many various Fulham sources that I think there is an element of truth to it.

If I were a Stoke fan, I would be cautiously optimistic. Hughes by his own admission is ambitious. With Stoke already being an industrious team, a bit of panache from Hughes could be exactly the right mixture to freshen things up from Pulis' era.

Likewise out of all the managers available I think he is the best one available. Di Matteo and Martinez? A big no thanks.

Anyway, enjoy the summer. You'll be linked to alot of good talent under him.

[Vestan Pance]

May 29, 2013 11:11:51 GMT mcf said:

Vestan

What mitigating factors?

I agree with the general sentiment though as there is so much at stake for us.

Merk,

I think we have to be honest enough to realise that any manager will be inheriting a fractured, disjointed and unbalanced squad. I think experience will assist in repositioning the squad. When laudrup walked into Swansea he could basically say "carry on lads, as you were", there is a bigger job to be done here. Bigger perhaps than the likes of poyet and Martinez would be capable of.

[banburypotter]

As long as he plays players in their correct positions, and practices shooting on the training ground, and moreover, develops a plan B, then he can only do better than pulis did in the past 2 seasons.
Will be nice to see us trying to win games away, rather than the abject surrender most of the time.
If Hughes is announced today, he will get my 100% support. Only time will tell if it is the right decision, and we have been there before, haven't we Stokies?

[mcf]

Trendy travel mugs and a bigger office

this makes me want to warm to him....what a cunt!

[Vestan Pance]

May 29, 2013 11:25:17 GMT yesshh said:

Fulham fan in peace.

Quick run through from his Fulham time.

Fulham are quaint, traditional club. Hughes apparently came in and tried to "modernise". This in effect came in the form of not accepting being served tea from a tea cup and instead wanting it served in trendy travel mugs. He got a wall knocked down to make his office bigger.

This seems banal enough and is. However it's little things like this that were reported in the Daily Mail (yes, i know) that didn't endear himself to Fulham.

On the pitch we were absolutely awful for the first half of the season. He tried to industrialise the team, make them harder to beat whilst also being able to mix it up from nice football to tough football.

Apparently this led to a player revolt and they just reverted back to Hodgsons tactics off their own bat against Hughes wishes and soared up the table. How much of this is true I don't know, but it's been reported by so many various Fulham sources that I think there is an element of truth to it.

If I were a Stoke fan, I would be cautiously optimistic. Hughes by his own admission is ambitious. With Stoke already being an industrious team, a bit of panache from Hughes could be exactly the right mixture to freshen things up from Pulis' era.

Likewise out of all the managers available I think he is the best one available. Di Matteo and Martinez? A big no thanks.

Anyway, enjoy the summer. You'll be linked to alot of good talent under him.

Thanks for your input mate

[salopstick]

missed you darling

a great post, the new manager is probably the best and safest guy we could have hired

evoultion not revolution

[Jimm]

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