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Post by dirtygary69 on Jan 20, 2015 12:09:35 GMT
Surely one of THE most baffling, curious and downright silly things to have happened in our history - what went on? We weren't in any sort of dogfight domestically and we were only trailing by a goal from the first leg. Pulis said that he wanted as many supporters as possible over there to enjoy the occasion and we duly obliged.
Why then, were we treated to probably one of the weakest sides we've fielded since our promotion to the Premier League with the weakest bench imaginable, consisting of only 4 players? I think, at the time, Pulis got VERY lucky in that we weren't absolutely hammered and the players he selected actually put in a decent performance that we could be proud of.
But why? Why did that happen? I can't believe that Coates would have been happy with what went on. It was sort of the beginning of the end for Tone but if we'd have got battered, I think he'd have been gone quite a bit sooner. Thousands of fans spent hundreds of pounds getting there. Were they disrespected? Was he trying to make some sort of point? I think I remember a lot of people at the time mentioning the fact that we wouldn't be there had it not been for him and the FA Cup Final the previous season. Of course that was true but then he undid a lot of that good work by doing what he did. It bordered on the unforgivable but he managed another 18 months in the job.
I'm also sure that the likes of Shawcross, Crouch, Etherington, Whelan and Wilson would have wanted to pit their wits against Valencia at the Mestalla. Surely they were as baffled as the rest of us? God knows what story Pulis would have spun them but they must have wondered what the fuck he was doing!
So, yeah. Why? It was the kind of thing that someone having a mental breakdown would do. Or somebody trying to prove a point. What point that would be, I don't know.
He worked wonders for us but God he could be a dick at times. This makes me a little bit angry even thinking about it. Luckily we had a great time in Valencia and weren't embarrassed by our opponents. It could have been venomous otherwise.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2015 12:10:36 GMT
Pulis is by nature a conservative manager. He felt we were getting sucked into a relegation battle. In truth he bottled it......
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Post by shrewspotter on Jan 20, 2015 12:13:34 GMT
It also makes you wonder what could have been if we had a real go at them, at home we were a bit frightened by Valencia I thought, we could have made more of the away leg if we would have had a proper go at them. After all I don't think Valencia were that great
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Post by elystokie on Jan 20, 2015 12:17:00 GMT
I think that was the point he started to lose the faith of some of the less hardcore rimmers.
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Post by rawli on Jan 20, 2015 12:22:51 GMT
Domestic form wasn't great at the time and we had a key game against, I think, Swansea the following weekend. So that became the priority.
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Post by bayernoatcake on Jan 20, 2015 12:27:53 GMT
It was a mind numbingly shite decision. But in the end, the reserves probably performed better than the first team would have done!
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Post by Birchesheadpotter on Jan 20, 2015 12:29:11 GMT
It was ridiculous, unforgivable and highlighted exactly why, despite what he achieved with Stoke, he wasn't and isn't held in the same esteem as other managers that have achieved less.
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Post by crapslinger on Jan 20, 2015 12:31:09 GMT
Domestic form wasn't great at the time and we had a key game against, I think, Swansea the following weekend. So that became the priority. What a limp excuse, he bottled it and badly let down thousands of fans who paid loads of money to travel to watch a second string side.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2015 12:33:26 GMT
another TP hate thread......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
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Post by crapslinger on Jan 20, 2015 12:40:23 GMT
another TP hate thread......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Another TP realism thread, he bottled it undoing all his good work and pissing off thousands who travelled to Valencia.
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Post by mickstupp on Jan 20, 2015 12:42:23 GMT
Didn't see the problem personally. The team he picked for the second match performed much better than the so called first choice side that played in the first leg. The subs bench was appalling but that's really the only valid critisism I'd say.
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Post by Fenparkpotter on Jan 20, 2015 12:48:35 GMT
It's a shame to think that it was sacrificed for 3 points in an unmemorable game at home to Swansea. Think of how that game would have been remembered if we had gone to the Mestalla and won.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2015 12:49:14 GMT
to be honest at the time i was livid with the squad selection BUT the simple fact is that the team that played that night were a hell of a lot better than the team that played Valencia at the Brit.
given the way we played when we were at home, i'm still staggered that people think they (the "Better" first teamers) would have been the right players to play in Valencia anyway...it's not as if they played out of their skin at the Brit and warranted their places away from home.
before the game i was going mad at Pulis....after the game i saw they were shitloads better than the 11 that played at the Brit. to say if we'd played our full strength team we'd have given them a proper game and had a proper go at it seem to be completely (and conveniently) forgetting how largely ineffective those same players were in the first leg as well as the previous 5 games in all competitions (of which we lost every single one!)
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Post by JoeinOz on Jan 20, 2015 12:51:16 GMT
It's a shame to think that it was sacrificed for 3 points in an unmemorable game at home to Swansea. Think of how that game would have been remembered if we had gone to the Mestalla and won. No reason we couldnt have won both.
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Post by flea79 on Jan 20, 2015 12:51:21 GMT
We had a great trip and made some special memories that will last forever! That's what happened in Valencia!
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Post by mickstupp on Jan 20, 2015 12:56:09 GMT
It was more dissapointing that Tone didn't take the positives from the away leg and use it for the rest of the season. A front three of Fuller, Jerome, and Jones had much more pace, power and skill than the slow, pedestrian Walters Crouch combo. Even the likes of Diego Arisemdi gave us a glimpse of his ability, and never played again.
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Post by Gob Bluth on Jan 20, 2015 13:03:40 GMT
We were much more competitive away from home than we were at the Brit with out first team. Although they only won 1-0 from that wonder strike they had us at arms length the entire game. Away from home we created clear cut chances that we really should have taken and there was a stand out performance from bloody Arismendi. Danny Collins got easily beaten which was slightly predictable but the team out there surpassed not only everyones' expectations but the performance of the first team in the previous tie. That said everyone was bloody furious and rightly so but as with most Pulis threads people are often in danger of changing history. It looked like a poor decision beforehand but to assume the first team would have performed better is wrong.
He was brilliant for us but had his faults and it's also worth pointing out he's improved as a manager since leaving us but still wouldn't be right for our current strategy.
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Post by dirtygary69 on Jan 20, 2015 13:07:21 GMT
Not really trying to criticise because, like I said, we played very well. Better than the first leg but you're not telling me that he put that team out with any faith in them actually doing anything.
Just an utterly bizarre situation.
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Post by mrred on Jan 20, 2015 13:08:27 GMT
Tony Pulis.
/end thread
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Post by ohbottom on Jan 20, 2015 13:10:46 GMT
We'd had shit results in the prem after an away trip to Europe and TP was paranoid about this, plus we we'd been in poor form since Christmas. TP saw the game against Swansea as a must win so left all his Prem team at home, the Europa I reckon had become an unwanted distraction to him by then. In the event, we played ok in Valencia and were perhaps unlucky to lose, while against Swansea we were at our one-dimensional worst, but fortunately Sinclair missed a sitter in the first few minutes and Swansea were incapable of defending corners.
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Post by roylandstoke on Jan 20, 2015 13:14:23 GMT
to be honest at the time i was livid with the squad selection BUT the simple fact is that the team that played that night were a hell of a lot better than the team that played Valencia at the Brit. given the way we played when we were at home, i'm still staggered that people think they (the "Better" first teamers) would have been the right players to play in Valencia anyway...it's not as if they played out of their skin at the Brit and warranted their places away from home. before the game i was going mad at Pulis....after the game i saw they were shitloads better than the 11 that played at the Brit. to say if we'd played our full strength team we'd have given them a proper game and had a proper go at it seem to be completely (and conveniently) forgetting how largely ineffective those same players were in the first leg as well as the previous 5 games in all competitions (of which we lost every single one!) Strange that none of those who performed so much better than players who had been largely ineffective for so long were given a chance to become first team regulars. Any idea why this happened?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2015 13:16:22 GMT
He got his tactics cluelessly wrong in the first leg too, selecting Crouch up front on his own supported by walters.
We had not pace but still played long ball so we got completely dominated by a very average team.
The team he put out in the away leg was not his first team, but was better, and if he had played fuller in a central role rather than as a defensive winger then we would have scored.
With Hughes in charge we would have beaten Valencia in both legs
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Post by Pugsley on Jan 20, 2015 13:16:39 GMT
A plaque was unveiled at the Mestalla commemorating the spot where Tony Pulis shat his pants.
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Post by Gob Bluth on Jan 20, 2015 13:20:16 GMT
Not really trying to criticise because, like I said, we played very well. Better than the first leg but you're not telling me that he put that team out with any faith in them actually doing anything. Just an utterly bizarre situation. I think you're right. I don't think he put that team out with much faith in getting a result as I'd have thought he'd have had more of a blend. His overly cautious nature kicked in and like the stubborn leader he is he arguably made the team selection to prove he makes his own decisions no matter how unpopular they are. I just find it incredibly irksome people snipping at someone who's improved the club so much, arguably more than anyone else in recent history. It could be argued more so than Peter Coates, you only have to look at the sums of money spent on failed promotion attempts in the Championship or relegation battles in the Premiership to know how lucky we were and spending money doesn't naturally equate to success.
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Post by cousindupree on Jan 20, 2015 13:31:19 GMT
Valencia away was arguably, along with our cup semi final, the best experiences as a Stokie since the 70's. Its true the reserves performed pretty well but don't let anyway mask the truth here and say TP believed he picked the best side for the job, basically by picking this side and not even being bothered to fill the bench he waved the white flag.Showed a lack of respect for the fans the competition and the opposition. TP could be a right arse at times
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Post by stayingupforbigbazza on Jan 20, 2015 13:32:57 GMT
pulis out
didn't Villa do the same the year before i.e play a weakened team
anybody who went expecting a strong team were seriously deluded and just wanted a piss up in Valencia
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Post by stayingupforbigbazza on Jan 20, 2015 13:33:13 GMT
pulis out
didn't Villa do the same the year before i.e play a weakened team
anybody who went expecting a strong team were seriously deluded and just wanted a piss up in Valencia
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Post by chiefdelilah on Jan 20, 2015 13:34:02 GMT
He was worried about our league form and thought the FA Cup was also a better bet so he sacrificed Europe.
He panicked big time - unnecessarily I thought.
I don't think the first team would've played as well as the team he did put out, but that sure as shit wasn't his intention.
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Post by chiefdelilah on Jan 20, 2015 13:34:37 GMT
pulis out didn't Villa do the same the year before i.e play a weakened team anybody who went expecting a strong team were seriously deluded and just wanted a piss up in Valencia Why were they deluded?
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Post by stayingupforbigbazza on Jan 20, 2015 13:39:33 GMT
pulis out didn't Villa do the same the year before i.e play a weakened team anybody who went expecting a strong team were seriously deluded and just wanted a piss up in Valencia Why were they deluded? because staying in the prem was and is the be all and end all Europa Cup was irrelevant
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