|
|
Post by wearepremierleague on Jan 30, 2014 16:51:29 GMT
Does not exist, simple as that.
The Coates family are either bored of this and want to sell up, or haven't thought through a plan for the future of Stoke City whatsoever. It it doesn't happen this year, and Hughes is put under the financial restrictions he has faced this year next season, we will undoubtably eventually go down soon enough. Bar Begovic we are unlikely to gain a decent amount of money for any of our players, and without him we probably would of already been relegated. The only way to make a club that can survive through buying and selling is to spend money on young players in the first place OR have a well set up youth set up, which we do not have.
Without money we will go down, fact.
|
|
|
|
Post by Gods on Jan 30, 2014 16:53:55 GMT
I thought the "New Direction" came in when Mr Pulis was perceived to have failed to deliver on the "Next Level"?
|
|
|
|
Post by sheikhmomo on Jan 30, 2014 16:56:37 GMT
I think some of the power brokers behind the scenes persuaded the old man that what was delivered by the previous manager was a relative piece of piss and could be replicated and eventually improved with massively reduced investment. That's what happens when accountants, middle managers and people who hate football get involved in the decision making of a football club.
|
|
|
|
Post by Gods on Jan 30, 2014 17:01:07 GMT
The "Next Level" was throw some cash at player upgrades: Crouch for Sidibe Kightly for Etherington (laughs) Palacios for Whitehead (laughs) N'Zonzi for Whelan etc. The "New Direction" is a new ingratiating style of football delivered to a strict budget, led by a new enlightened manager with players sourced from: Overseas markets (read the USA) The Academy (not yet) Cartwrights Beswick Boys Connections (laughs) That's it in a nutshell I think. I can't imagine why its not working  |
|
|
|
Post by generationex on Jan 30, 2014 17:03:39 GMT
By sacking a proven Survivalist and replacing him with a manager in decline -AND not even backing him - I think it's safe to say there was no plan at all. I fear we've witnessed a bloodless coup without knowing it. Pulis being a barrier to greater control.
|
|
|
|
Post by Stoke70 on Jan 30, 2014 17:04:54 GMT
2014/2015 : championship
2015/2016 : league one
2016/2017 : league two
2017/2018 : trying to keep this club in the league.
|
|
|
|
Post by nicholasjalcock on Jan 30, 2014 17:35:21 GMT
1. Stay in the premier league...Blue Square premier league.
2. Sell 'The Brit' to Tescos.
3. Relocate first team ground to CW
4. Generate extra cash by starting new S-o-T taxi firm called 'Odemwingies'(final destination not guaranteed).
5. Follow 'easyjet' business model so players have to buy their own kit.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2014 17:42:46 GMT
It was clear that something had to change last summer. I don't see how anybody can really dispute that.
The problem seems to be that we didn't seem to have any solid plan of action beyond that, like the underpants gnomes in South Park.
As it stands, we don't even seem to have a short term plan, on the pitch or off it.
|
|
|
|
Post by mcf on Jan 30, 2014 17:50:19 GMT
Something didn't have to change last summer at all.....unless it was the owners getting a sense of reality.
Equally, it isn't all doom and gloom either.
We just need to get through this season in this division and then everyone needs to take a long, hard look about where we do go.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2014 17:53:46 GMT
Something didn't have to change last summer at all.....unless it was the owners getting a sense of reality. Equally, it isn't all doom and gloom either. We just need to get through this season in this division and then everyone needs to take a long, hard look about where we do go. Why did nothing have to change, remind me? What was going to get better? |
|
|
|
Post by generationex on Jan 30, 2014 17:59:49 GMT
Something didn't have to change last summer at all.....unless it was the owners getting a sense of reality. Equally, it isn't all doom and gloom either. We just need to get through this season in this division and then everyone needs to take a long, hard look about where we do go. Why did nothing have to change, remind me? What was going to get better? Surely the first priority was not to get any worse though!! |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2014 18:00:43 GMT
Why did nothing have to change, remind me? What was going to get better? Surely the first priority was not to get any worse though!! Absolutely. And we are as it stands, no question. |
|
|
|
Post by wuzza on Jan 30, 2014 18:01:50 GMT
If there was going to be no money to spend they should have kept TP - he would have gotten far more positive results from this set of players.
The combination of appointing Hughes (or indeed any poor sod) and spending no money was a recipe for things getting far worse - and guess what .....
|
|
|
|
Post by boskampsflaps on Jan 30, 2014 18:02:01 GMT
2014/2015 : championship 2015/2016 : league one 2016/2017 : league two 2017/2018 : trying to keep this club in the league. What a tool you are. |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2014 18:06:51 GMT
If there was going to be no money to spend they should have kept TP - he would have gotten far more positive results from this set of players. The combination of appointing Hughes (or indeed any poor sod) and spending no money was a recipe for things getting far worse - and guess what ..... He wasn't getting many with them though was he? |
|
|
|
Post by heworksardtho on Jan 30, 2014 18:08:22 GMT
How much money do we generate in a season in the prem with sky money, gate money etc,surely anyone with half a brain would invest money to keep that money coming in,thats why the coates family are so successfull in buisness,eveyone should chill we are stsying up with ease
|
|
|
|
Post by wuzza on Jan 30, 2014 18:13:51 GMT
Over the course of a whole season I know where my money would be Rob.
In terms of planning I think the guys at the top knew exactly what they were doing - find the only 'established' Premier League Manager desperate enough to take the job on in an attempt to rebuild his damaged reputation.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2014 18:17:58 GMT
Over the course of a whole season I know where my money would be Rob. In terms of planning I think the guys at the top knew exactly what they were doing - find the only 'established' Premier League Manager desperate enough to take the job on in an attempt to rebuild his damaged reputation. Again though, what was going to change that was going to arrest our slide? Was he going to have a miraculous epiphany? For me, Hughes' biggest failing is that he's not managed to address pretty much any of the myriad problems he inherited (while adding a couple of new ones of his own). |
|
|
|
Post by wuzza on Jan 30, 2014 18:25:12 GMT
Again Rob - if we were more or less sticking with what weve got player wise you needed someone who could at least organise them enough to get the results - much as is now happening at Palace I guess. TP would have re-grouped and done that. No miracles required - pure hard work. Not very sexy and certain people would have moaned like hell again but we would at least have kept the PL money rolling in.
As things stand we just seem to be falling badly between two stools. (Mind you an unexpected result against Utd and Ive no doubt I would be believing that the boardroom know what they are doing again).
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2014 18:32:24 GMT
I don't get what basis there is for saying he would have done that when he was struggling to do that for much of his last six months or so.
Three wins in his last five months. A 22% win rate since the start of 2012. Lowest Prem placing in 2011/12. Lowest Prem points total in 2012/13. 92nd and 91st in the scoring charts in those two seasons. Loads of players signed, hardly any of them trusted enough to solidfy first team places.
I don't see anything as guaranteed with that kind of record.
|
|
|
|
Post by wuzza on Jan 30, 2014 18:41:04 GMT
Absolutely not guaranteed but his record of producing from limited players says he gets it right far more than he gets it wrong.
He's one of the best we could have if our intended policy is to do it 'on the cheap'.
However if the plan was to push the boat out a bit and get some genuine talent in then others might have been better equiped to develop that policy.
One or the other not the horrible hybrid that we are currently witnessing.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2014 19:07:24 GMT
I just felt there was an air of stagnation about the club. Personally if existing for the sake of existing by putting 10 men behind the ball every week to try and grind our way to 40 points was all we'd got to look forward to then I'm glad we took the risk, even if it's not looking a great one at this moment in time.
|
|
|
|
Post by robwahlmann on Jan 30, 2014 19:20:50 GMT
The long term plan for a club like Stoke, what should it be? In my opinion it should be to aim to be a top mid-table team! If we can throw in a decent cup run now and then and I think we have reached the peak of what we can expect! Anything else is unrealistic for such a small club when we compare our economic powers to the top 6-7 clubs in this league. I will be thrilled if we could reach such a level and remain there.  |
|
|
|
Post by wuzza on Jan 30, 2014 19:26:58 GMT
Might have been worth grinding it out for a bit longer until they had built up the monetary resources they are obviously looking for (bearing in mind the huge increase in reward for just 'existing' in the PL).As it stands they, and to some extent us ( the supporters who were too quick to moan ) have put the club in mortal risk of losing an income stream that might never come back.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2014 19:34:44 GMT
Might have been worth grinding it out for a bit longer until they had built up the monetary resources they are obviously looking for (bearing in mind the huge increase in reward for just 'existing' in the PL).As it stands they, and to some extent us ( the supporters who were too quick to moan ) have put the club in mortal risk of losing an income stream that might never come back. I don't see what was 'quick' about it? There was no need whatsoever for us to be in the situation we were in. How long did we have to put up with low-scoring, reductive football that had ceased to be effective before we were allowed to be anything other than skippingly delighted about it? |
|
|
|
Post by wuzza on Jan 30, 2014 19:43:47 GMT
As long as it took for us to be financially sound and for as long as it produced a points column that kept us in the division?
Anyway the choice was made, but in relation to the OP it reeks of no long term plan (apart from the acadamy pipe dream) but more of a hail-mary pass to the unfortunate Mr Hughes and pray he doesnt drop us down a league.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2014 21:52:34 GMT
As long as it took for us to be financially sound and for as long as it produced a points column that kept us in the division? Anyway the choice was made, but in relation to the OP it reeks of no long term plan (apart from the acadamy pipe dream) but more of a hail-mary pass to the unfortunate Mr Hughes and pray he doesnt drop us down a league. We weren't going to be financially sound while we were spunking good money after bad on players the manager almost instantly lost faith in were we? Is staying in the division forever worth it if it's achieved in the most joyless way possible? Should we really have been happy to do just that after playing that electric stuff en route to the cup final? |
|
|
|
Post by 1982stokie on Jan 30, 2014 23:28:10 GMT
I thought the new direction was to sign young up and coming players who would improve us then sell them for a good profit. and then repeat the process.
|
|
|
|
Post by Gods on Jan 30, 2014 23:41:52 GMT
I thought the new direction was to sign young up and coming players who would improve us then sell them for a good profit. and then repeat the process. Something like that. Believe it or not it still has a small but dwindling number of supporters on here, led in a spirited way by MarkWolstanton, they apparently enjoy the improved aesthetics. My issue with it is that it means we almost never win a game of football. |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2014 23:44:32 GMT
As long as it took for us to be financially sound and for as long as it produced a points column that kept us in the division? Anyway the choice was made, but in relation to the OP it reeks of no long term plan (apart from the acadamy pipe dream) but more of a hail-mary pass to the unfortunate Mr Hughes and pray he doesnt drop us down a league. We weren't going to be financially sound while we were spunking good money after bad on players the manager almost instantly lost faith in were we? Is staying in the division forever worth it if it's achieved in the most joyless way possible? Should we really have been happy to do just that after playing that electric stuff en route to the cup final? You are right, but Coates then appointed a manager who promised he could achieve a higher league position and spend less money, if he was allowed to bring all his mates with him and have a 3 year contract. Once in post he goes through the motions of being a manager. When it fails he and his hanger's on are dismissed the club have to pay off all their contracts. Then the merry go round starts again. Coates appoints another journey man manager. It is the perfect hustle  |
|
