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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2014 12:28:22 GMT
And So - Stoke City arrives at another watershed, another turn in the road
which way will the stoke board and owners go ? ( little 's' or Big 'S' ?)
Option A) risk averse ?
Avoid extending the stadium fully ? perhaps let a 'big signing' go in January ? (Begovic / Shawcross ?) fail to give Crouch another contract ?
i.e. small minded owners from a small town ?- risk averse - thinking small - frightened to take on the bigger fish
happy with the current income stream - living below our means maybe ? and pocketing some cash perhaps ?
OR
Option B) as Peter Gabriel (genius ) sings === 'Im on my way Im making it --- BIGTIME !'
Recognise we got a world class player for buttons (Bojan) - recognise we can build on this, recognise we already have some 'top top' players as Pulis used to say
Training Facilities and acadamy to match
Build on what we got ? build on the Marguee signings we are so fortunate to have - Let Steven Nzonzi finally settle down and realise he can win
stuff ? ----
WITH US !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ??
30k+ stadium pretty much full for every home game - along with 50 sold out corporate boxes and two or three stuffed dining rooms under the main stand ?
A true World wide branding ?
WE GOT A VERY INTERESTING NEXT SIX WEEKS COMING UP
and after it, we will know 'how big our owners balls really are' !
I will be watching with great interest
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Post by JoeinOz on Dec 21, 2014 12:29:17 GMT
I doubt much will happen in the January window.
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Post by Lakeland Potter on Dec 21, 2014 12:31:18 GMT
I think you mean marquee Tony.  |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2014 12:31:49 GMT
err yup - big tent innit (wink)
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Post by tazi on Dec 21, 2014 12:39:53 GMT
err yup - big tent innit (wink) He gets a big tent from picking up on others Mis-wordings.... I await my turn. |
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Post by mrcoke on Dec 21, 2014 13:11:42 GMT
Despite the frustrations of some on here with Stoke not expanding the stadium and no "rock the city" signing, I'm very satisfied with the club progress by the Stoke ownership and MH's management.
Club finances are sound, and healthy investment has been made in training facilities and the youth academy indicating a firm intention to foster the long term sustainability of the club.
Prices have been generally held in check compared the other clubs and steady progress has been made on issues such as players kit, travel subsidy, reduced prices for some matches, stadium facilities, etc. These might seem like small incremental improvements, but over time they will mount up to significant change.
The playing style has been changed for the better IMO at minimal outlay, with the promise that money is available for the right signing. The dressing room morale sound like it is good, which augers well if the going gets tough later in the season. The depth of talent in the squad has been improved (there were some on here questioning the need for some signings) which has proved prudent in the light of the injuries sustained. (It was the amount of injuries that contributed largely to Stoke falling out of the top flight in the 70s plus lack of finance to replace because of the stand roof damage.)
As we approach the next transfer window, I expect the policy to continue with a shrewd acquisition early in the window that has been lined up for some time (that should start some speculation!) and a "rock the city" signing only if the price is right, but nothing that will break the spirit of the contracts with existing players.
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Post by Pugsley on Dec 21, 2014 13:13:49 GMT
Despite the frustrations of some on here with Stoke not expanding the stadium and no "rock the city" signing, I'm very satisfied with the club progress by the Stoke ownership and MH's management. Club finances are sound, and healthy investment has been made in training facilities and the youth academy indicating a firm intention to foster the long term sustainability of the club. Prices have been generally held in check compared the other clubs and steady progress has been made on issues such as players kit, travel subsidy, reduced prices for some matches, stadium facilities, etc. These might seem like small incremental improvements, but over time they will mount up to significant change. The playing style has been changed for the better IMO at minimal outlay, with the promise that money is available for the right signing. The dressing room morale sound like it is good, which augers well if the going gets tough later in the season. The depth of talent in the squad has been improved (there were some on here questioning the need for some signings) which has proved prudent in the light of the injuries sustained. (It was the amount of injuries that contributed largely to Stoke falling out of the top flight in the 70s plus lack of finance to replace because of the stand roof damage.) As we approach the next transfer window, I expect the policy to continue with a shrewd acquisition early in the window that has been lined up for some time (that should start some speculation!) and a "rock the city" signing only if the price is right, but nothing that will break the spirit of the contracts with existing players. Cheers Tone |
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Post by sportsman on Dec 21, 2014 13:17:01 GMT
There's some lovely new bet365 offices going up.
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Post by harryburrows on Dec 21, 2014 13:34:32 GMT
The one critism that was always aimed at the years pulls ran the show was his policy of buying older players with no residual value , even Coates spelled this out after the crouch / palacios deal , it's pretty clear from the past 2seasons that's a thing of the past . Bojan , muiesa, diouf , arnie all represent relatively low investment with potentially high returns . It's a shrewd policy but it could be a painfull one
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Post by GeneralFaye on Dec 21, 2014 13:36:00 GMT
It will be dull so don't get your hopes up.. oh wait, it's a little too late for that it seems.
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Post by johnnysoul60 on Dec 21, 2014 13:46:41 GMT
I think we are generally going along ok , I do worry slightly when I hear rumours of hesitation over contracts for players like Crouch and Whelan , both seem strong characters and pretty much perform to their potential most of the time . In my view we need to keep the balance right and not overely on too many of the often more talented but less consistent players.
I don't expect much in January but we really do need to find a natural goalscorer at some point if we are to make any meaningful progress
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Post by sheikhmomo on Dec 21, 2014 13:53:01 GMT
It's time for the owners to make their intentions plain and stop dicking supporters about.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2014 15:05:23 GMT
I doubt much will happen in the January window. Maybe get a contract agreed for Danny Ings to join us in the summer, new contracts for Crouch and Whelan, try and offload Palacios again, bring in a CB should we have any injuries - we pretty much have what need for this season though so no need to rock the boat. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2014 15:39:17 GMT
I doubt much will happen in the January window. Maybe get a contract agreed for Danny Ings to join us in the summer, new contracts for Crouch and Whelan, try and offload Palacios again, bring in a CB should we have any injuries - we pretty much have what need for this season though so no need to rock the boat. Can't do that re. Ings. Only players outside of your FA in this country can agree 6 months in advance. We can only start, legally, talking to Ings 1 month in advance. |
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Post by fca47 on Dec 21, 2014 15:46:06 GMT
It's time for the owners to make their intentions plain and stop dicking supporters about. We've been told that we are aiming to be self-sufficient. Think it's plain enough. |
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Post by reddipotter on Dec 21, 2014 15:50:35 GMT
I understand the principle of resale value, but when you begins to look at the detail the picture is not so clear. Obviously Palacios has been an expensive disaster, but I think most of us would have wanted a world class midfield player and few would have foreseen the fact that he was no longer up to it, even at the dogs home. This was a failure of the player not the policy, Crouch was not overly expensive for an international centre forward and we've had pretty good value from him. He still must be worth at least 4 million. And the newer players listed above (Bojan, Muniesa, Diouf and Arnie)' well, obviously Bojan is worth far more than we paid for him , but I doubt if we'd get much more for the others than we paid for them at the moment.
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Post by Pugsley on Dec 21, 2014 16:10:57 GMT
It's time for the owners to make their intentions plain and stop dicking supporters about. We've been told that we are aiming to be self-sufficient. Think it's plain enough. So that involves complete lack of investment in the side? How are they going to be self-sufficient at the bottom of the league? For self-sufficient read lack of ambition. |
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Post by The battheader chronicles on Dec 21, 2014 16:24:30 GMT
We've been told that we are aiming to be self-sufficient. Think it's plain enough. So that involves complete lack of investment in the side? How are they going to be self-sufficient at the bottom of the league? For self-sufficient read lack of ambition. Alternatively you could read self-sufficient as securing the long term future of the club. The club has invested a lot of money in the training and the youth and bought in good players at a low cost. Why spend money when you don't need to. Certainly beats the front of house policy we has under TP |
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Post by jaybee on Dec 21, 2014 16:27:03 GMT
So that involves complete lack of investment in the side? Erm .........  Since the 'new broom' and Sparky, we have 2. Bardsley 3. Pieters 5. Muniesa 7. Ireland 9. Odemwingie 10. Arnautavic 18. Diouf 21. Sidwell 23. Tex 24. Assiadi 27. Bojan That's eleven players picking up an average wage of 20K p/w (?) That's getting towards £1m per month No investment??? Yea, right! How are they going to be self-sufficient at the bottom of the league?  |
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Post by The battheader chronicles on Dec 21, 2014 16:29:18 GMT
So that involves complete lack of investment in the side? Erm ......... Since the 'new broom' and Sparky, we have 2. Bardsley 3. Pieters 5. Muniesa 7. Ireland 9. Odemwingie 10. Arnautavic 18. Diouf 21. Sidwell 23. Tex 24. Assiadi 27. Bojan That's eleven players picking up an average wage of 20K p/w (?) That's getting towards £1m per month No investment??? Yea, right! How are they going to be self-sufficient at the bottom of the league? This |
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Post by Pugsley on Dec 21, 2014 16:35:29 GMT
There is a balance to be had between developing players and buying quality. We're in desperate need of quality centre half that can come in and do the job.
I'm all for the academy and regularly slaughtered the previous managers' lack of interest.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2014 17:05:45 GMT
Just returned from another abortive Xmas shopping attempt (failed) - great post my Mrcoke that restores my faith in this MB along with some of the associated postings.
We are in a very good place right now, I just worry that the 'old ways' start holding us back again,
We've got to hold onto the the better players we already have AND, supplement them with newer bargains from the new scouting system
and ultimately, our very expensive acadamy.
BUT -Its all too easy (it really is) to default to- we mustn't stretch our selves too far and, switch on the radio and hear the bigger clubs are
already lining up to come for some of our stars in January
Even Qpr will probably come in for Crouch - how will we respond ?
and - how will we respond to those bigger clubs looking to plainly asset strip us ?
'walk this way, prise our bum cheeks apart and, shaft us again' ? (like in the past)
or
Offer the 'manures and bin dippers ' of this corrupt greed driven world, a nice hot cup of coffee with:-
'YOU CAN FUCK RIGHT OFF' written around the side !
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Post by Pretty Little Boother on Dec 21, 2014 17:15:01 GMT
Get in Nastasic, Yarmolenko and Roberto. Sign up Moses and get Torres on loan and the world will be a beautiful place.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2014 17:18:27 GMT
I always had a Triang hornby train set as a kid - with one loop of track and a couple of sidings
one Xmas I got a working turntable - that was amazing and,
I always wanted a terminus like Euston station at one end
but my dad could never afford to buy me one
i.e. astute incremental upgrades as described by Mr Coke is probably the right way for Stoke City
just got to make sure we dont sell the prized steam locomotive(s) to fund them
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