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Post by luke45 on Feb 25, 2014 18:38:05 GMT
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Post by Silkystoke on Feb 25, 2014 19:15:42 GMT
i was bored... a good read, thanks, i think i agree with you...
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Post by wokinghampotter on Feb 25, 2014 19:20:03 GMT
Luke
Have not finished reading it as dinner beckons.
Hope to see you Saturday!
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Post by Gods on Feb 25, 2014 19:37:14 GMT
Thanks for that.
Well written and thoroughly researched.
I agree on Fulham and Cardiff but I still think Palace could be the 3rd team for the drop.
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Post by cheeesfreeex on Feb 25, 2014 20:01:47 GMT
 Thanks. Great read.
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Post by wokinghampotter on Feb 25, 2014 20:52:16 GMT
Very interesting read. Well done
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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2014 21:27:19 GMT
Good read that was Luke.
Looking at some of the other teams run ins gives me more confidence that we will not need anymore than 38 points.
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Post by craig67 on Feb 25, 2014 21:53:31 GMT
Very good.
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Post by lordb on Feb 25, 2014 22:07:02 GMT
Good read that was Luke. Looking at some of the other teams run ins gives me more confidence that we will not need anymore than 38 points. & probably 36 points or 37 if goal difference isn't good enough |
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Post by Bombus on Feb 25, 2014 22:59:22 GMT
An interesting (but also a very good) read, Luke.
Cheers, Tony.
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Post by hchpotter on Feb 26, 2014 7:56:23 GMT
An excellent summary. I hadn't realised just how few points had been required to achieve safety in recent years.
The one thing I may take exception to is the contradiction of Hughes having had a year to implement his ideas and tactics despite the fact that he had had to revert to a 4-4-1-1. Just like he did at Fulham he has had to be guided by his players as to which tactics best suit the playing staff at his disposal.
Our manager is the key to our survival. When compared to Mel, Solskjaer and Magath these three managers are in a worse position than Hughes. They have little time to get to know their squads, and have no experience of managing in the Premier League (or in England at any level). If Lesley loses out to that lot it really would be a sad indictment of his abilities as a football manager.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 26, 2014 8:04:35 GMT
Quality that my friend.
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Post by sufolkstokie on Feb 26, 2014 8:09:08 GMT
Very good Luke - my concern is we are not producing against the teams around us and of course our now customary dismal away form which does involve several of the teams around us
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Post by Deleted on Feb 26, 2014 9:01:13 GMT
Very good Luke - my concern is we are not producing against the teams around us and of course our now customary dismal away form which does involve several of the teams around us Talk about stating the bleeding obvious...  No. You are right. You do realise that Rob VD will be grinding down one of Trouserdogs milk teeth to make a death potion for you, after posting easily the best summary the board has seen in literally...hours  |
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Post by ruts66 on Feb 26, 2014 9:29:21 GMT
Good work, Luke - a lot of time and effort has gone into that piece...
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Post by Lakeland Potter on Feb 26, 2014 11:13:57 GMT
Good to see you have found something to keep you occupied on nights, Luke!  Seriously, a good effort. Wouldn't be a bad summary of the run in for the Oatcake Magazine. |
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Post by elystokie on Feb 26, 2014 11:22:37 GMT
Good work, Luke - a lot of time and effort has gone into that piece... Indeed it did, excellent piece of work. It puts many professional journalists pieces to shame, in fact given that a few of them supposedly visit this site one of 'em will probably plagiarise it |
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Post by wokinghampotter on Feb 26, 2014 11:26:35 GMT
Good work, Luke - a lot of time and effort has gone into that piece... Indeed it did, excellent piece of work. It puts many professional journalists pieces to shame, in fact given that a few of them supposedly visit this site one of 'em will probably plagiarise it Especially that guy from the Mail |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 26, 2014 11:46:26 GMT
Good read, Luke I agree with your bottom two. Just looks impossible from where they are now, with what they have to come. But that last place ... I don't know, mate. Could be anyone of 4 or 5. March is a massive month for two or three teams, including us. Be interesting to see a review, of your review, come early April  |
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Post by jimmygscfc1234 on Feb 26, 2014 12:28:11 GMT
Our next three games are crucial and I'd hope for a minimum of 4 points, making our home game against the Hammers massive!!!!!!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 26, 2014 13:05:10 GMT
An excellent summary. I hadn't realised just how few points had been required to achieve safety in recent years. The one thing I may take exception to is the contradiction of Hughes having had a year to implement his ideas and tactics despite the fact that he had had to revert to a 4-4-1-1. Just like he did at Fulham he has had to be guided by his players as to which tactics best suit the playing staff at his disposal. Our manager is the key to our survival. When compared to Mel, Solskjaer and Magath these three managers are in a worse position than Hughes. They have little time to get to know their squads, and have no experience of managing in the Premier League (or in England at any level). If Lesley loses out to that lot it really would be a sad indictment of his abilities as a football manager. It's not really the same kind of 4-4-1-1 though. And I'm not convinced it does suit us any better. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 26, 2014 13:07:03 GMT
Very good Luke - my concern is we are not producing against the teams around us and of course our now customary dismal away form which does involve several of the teams around us Talk about stating the bleeding obvious... No. You are right. You do realise that Rob VD will be grinding down one of Trouserdogs milk teeth to make a death potion for you, after posting easily the best summary the board has seen in literally...hours Rob VD? So much for the hippocratic oath... |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 26, 2014 13:28:59 GMT
Talk about stating the bleeding obvious... No. You are right. You do realise that Rob VD will be grinding down one of Trouserdogs milk teeth to make a death potion for you, after posting easily the best summary the board has seen in literally...hours Rob VD? So much for the hippocratic oath... You've been doing it for years...give someone else a chance... Rob, You are still the original and best in my book. Not that my opinion is worth a flying f**k these days... |
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Post by mermaidsal on Feb 26, 2014 13:41:09 GMT
So I read the executive summary, where was the full version?? I agree with you in fact: Cardiff and Fulham probably doomed, West Brom next most likely to keep on sliding. But GD is such a good predictor historically, I'd put Norwich neck and neck with West Brazil. Weirdly, of the teams in the list we feel the most volatile - best chance of putting on a run and hitting Top 10/12 but equally, best chance of losing 3 or 4 on the bounce and getting into deep trouble. |
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Post by mcf on Feb 26, 2014 14:36:13 GMT
tough call
cardiff and fulham look done for but the 3rd spot - who knows. Pulisace have a tough run in, can't see WBA staying down there.
we've started to improve of late so we should ease away.
very tough call
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Post by jimmygscfc1234 on Feb 26, 2014 14:44:31 GMT
tough call cardiff and fulham look done for but the 3rd spot - who knows. Pulisace have a tough run in, can't see WBA staying down there. we've started to improve of late so we should ease away. very tough call Ease away? I look forward to that Neph |
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Post by davejohnno1 on Feb 26, 2014 14:50:38 GMT
For as long as we have Crouch and Walters as our forwards, we will live in fear of the drop zone.
We might just steer ourselves away from it but we are equally as likely to fall through the trap door.
Our forwards are crap and 2 of our 4 defenders are total liabilities.
To me, that is a recipe for disaster no matter how well we have played at times.
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Post by mcf on Feb 26, 2014 14:57:15 GMT
Pieters and Cameron are only liabilities because the manager has been happy for them to keep fucking off out of their positions. Doesn't matter how well you play if you keep conceding goals as a result.
That said, this hasn't been as evident since The Shit onwards so I'm hopeful it will turn round.
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Post by onionman on Feb 26, 2014 15:35:36 GMT
At various stages, Palace, Sunderland, Swansea, Norwich and West Ham have all looked like they could be this year's crisis relegation team.
Today it looks like West Brom, but the law of averages says they'll get a couple of good results just like the others above.
Whose turn is next? Stoke, probably, if we lose to Arsenal and Norwich.
I have a feeling of doom at the bottom of my stomach about our last game of the season. Ever since the late 1980s, it's as if our run of good luck against West Brom has stretched and stretched and stretched and stretched and stretched, all the way to the moon, and it's now reached the point that the elastic eventually has to break, and it's going to snap in the most horrific way imaginable, with ghost memories of Mark Stein and Bob Taylor and Ricardo Fuller and Scott Carson tumbling all the way back to earth and landing at The Hawthorns to conspire against us as we toil in vain for the rare away win we need to survive.
Playing them in a relegation decider on the last day of the season, at a time when there's a complacent feeling among some Stokies that we may be too good to go down, is fate's way of punching us in the face in the most spectacular way possible.
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Post by cheeesfreeex on Feb 26, 2014 15:40:01 GMT
A great read Luke, really helped to put the forthcoming scrap into context.
With Bego back and a closer focus on defence, {possibility of a Huth return too} I hope we'll get a few mucky points, alongside some more barn stormers at the Brit. I'm sure there are goals in Odemwingie, Arnie and Shawcross too.
Our away form was looking pretty decent up to the Goodison game {including a couple of away victories in the CCup.} To that point it was only the Arsenal away that was disappointing. Don't know if it was a coincidence that the bad run of away games has coincided with Huth and Bego's abscences, hopefully we've had a dip away from the Brit {Everton, Newcastle, Spurs...} We have looked more accomplished away since xmas, Chelsea was a bit of a roll over, but satdee was encouraging. Hopefully we can recreate our earlier form.
Crouchie's getting a rough ride, and is looking a tad battle weary I reckon' and it's a pity there isn't someone to deputise and allow rotation. Assaidi will be a miss too and adds more pressure on Arnie. It's crucial that we can keep Ryan fit.
I think we've got enough to end the season well, I don't like to rely on the 'three worst teams' approach but the more I hear and think about it, we're in a better position than:
Villa
Norwich
W.B.A
Cardiff
Fulham
and thereabouts with Swansea, Palace, Hull, Sunderland, and West Ham
15+th for us this year.
fingers crossed smiley.
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Thanks. Great read.
No. You are right. 
