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Post by daviesall on May 2, 2015 17:29:24 GMT
top eight finish never on the cards .i know mh inherited most of the current squad and has tried to turn the long ball game into playing on the floor football
but half the the current squad haven't the technical ability to adapt to that type of game or are reaching senior years (past there best) . the players on the fringe need to be better quality pushing for a first team places why crouch got a two year extension on his contract is beyond believe . in the system mark hughes wants he will be a bit part player at most. top eight sides don't give points away to struggling sides like we do . home or away how come southampton and swansea both new ish to the premier league finish above us without a major overhaul in the close season we are in trouble
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Post by davejohnno1 on May 2, 2015 17:31:59 GMT
Southampton are 7th and they've just lost to Sunderland.
Man City are 3rd and they lost to Burnley and only drew at home with them.
Chelsea are going to romp away with the league title and they frittered points away at home v bottom of the table Burnley. Had they won that game, they'd be champions already.
All sides give points away against struggling sides. Good sides get more points over the course of a season than bad ones.
We are currently the 10th best team in the Premier League.
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Post by Bojan Mackey on May 2, 2015 17:36:44 GMT
We aren't punching above our weight, we've just had one of the worst runs of injuries to key players at important times I've ever seen in my 22 years among this mortal coil.
Have we actually fielded a team for more than 5 games in a row this season that didn't have a forced change due to an injury?.
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Post by bayernoatcake on May 2, 2015 17:39:42 GMT
Disagree. Our fully fit starting XI is a bloody good side.
The issues are obvious and happen.
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Post by sheikhmomo on May 2, 2015 17:41:42 GMT
Think we're overreacting a bit now aren't we? We've had a good season blighted by injuries and for the most part the majority of players have played very well in a decent season.
The need for a VERY busy summer is plain to see though if we want to keep pushing into the top half. Some ruthless decisions need to be made. Excuses from the recruitment team and the Etruria suits just won't wash this summer.
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Post by bayernoatcake on May 2, 2015 17:44:53 GMT
Think we're overreacting a bit now aren't we? We've had a good season blighted by injuries and for the most part the majority of players have played very well in a decent season. The need for a VERY busy summer is plain to see though if we want to keep pushing into the top half. Some ruthless decisions need to be made. Excuses from the recruitment team and the Etruria suits just won't wash this summer. Show us where you'd be ruthless...... |
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switch
Youth Player
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Post by switch on May 2, 2015 17:49:53 GMT
We are punching above our weight. I'd have been thrilled with securing top 10 again at the start of the year seeing how Southampton, Swansea, West Ham and Everton all recruited compared to us. Even fucking Hull spent 10M on a striker. Where we are compared to the means we've used to get here is incredible and i'm proud of the lads. MAYBE if Bojan/Moses/Shawcross etc didn't get injured we'd be higher in the league but frankly all our stupid losses (Burnley/Villa/Leicester/Sunderland) came with a fit side anyway. Not only that, we've robbed unlikely points throughout the season (City away Spurs away and a double over Everton). In my view Stoke are over achieving despite what all the deluded wrist slitters on this board would have you believe.
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Post by nik80 on May 2, 2015 17:51:26 GMT
Injuries have fucked us. If we can finish ninth again, we'll have done really well.
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Post by sheikhmomo on May 2, 2015 17:52:16 GMT
Think we're overreacting a bit now aren't we? We've had a good season blighted by injuries and for the most part the majority of players have played very well in a decent season. The need for a VERY busy summer is plain to see though if we want to keep pushing into the top half. Some ruthless decisions need to be made. Excuses from the recruitment team and the Etruria suits just won't wash this summer. Show us where you'd be ruthless...... Right Back. Admit you were wrong, rip it up and start again Spend serious money on a top centre half Thanks Glenn you'll play a part but our new 10M enforcer is the man now Thanks Jon, there's a role for you here but meet our new right winger. He's actually a right winger Sign an extension or fuck off Steven, we need committed players For a start. |
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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2015 17:52:47 GMT
Has it only just occurred to some people that we are punching above our weight?
Despite a 30M increase in money we've slashed our yearly spending from an average of 20M on fees to just 3M on fees whilst keeping the wages pretty much level.
Weve bettered our league points in that period also!
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Post by bayernoatcake on May 2, 2015 17:54:07 GMT
Show us where you'd be ruthless...... Right Back. Admit you were wrong, rip it up and start again Spend serious money on a top centre half Thanks Glenn you'll play a part but our new 10M enforcer is the man now Thanks Jon, there's a role for you here but meet our new right winger. He's actually a right winger Sign an extension or fuck off Steven, we need committed players For a start. I'd go with most of that. But with the centre half situation I trust Muni (I think he's class-injuries obvious issue) and I'd bring back Huth, I think that sorts it. The rest I agree with. |
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Post by swampySCFC on May 2, 2015 17:59:12 GMT
Narrow margins to say we are punching above our weight. Difference to me is that we were safe earlier than ever in the past. Injuries have taken their toll significantly for me. Also significant is the lack of goals scored by defenders.
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Post by crapslinger on May 2, 2015 18:00:22 GMT
Right Back. Admit you were wrong, rip it up and start again Spend serious money on a top centre half Thanks Glenn you'll play a part but our new 10M enforcer is the man now Thanks Jon, there's a role for you here but meet our new right winger. He's actually a right winger Sign an extension or fuck off Steven, we need committed players For a start. I'd go with most of that. But with the centre half situation I trust Muni (I think he's class-injuries obvious issue) and I'd bring back Huth, I think that sorts it. The rest I agree with. Agreed we need Huth back best pairing for Ryan still. |
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Post by bayernoatcake on May 2, 2015 18:02:01 GMT
I'd go with most of that. But with the centre half situation I trust Muni (I think he's class-injuries obvious issue) and I'd bring back Huth, I think that sorts it. The rest I agree with. Agreed we need Huth back best pairing for Ryan still. I'd play Muni over him tbh. |
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Post by malteser68 on May 2, 2015 18:08:57 GMT
Show us where you'd be ruthless...... Right Back. Admit you were wrong, rip it up and start again Spend serious money on a top centre half Thanks Glenn you'll play a part but our new 10M enforcer is the man now Thanks Jon, there's a role for you here but meet our new right winger. He's actually a right winger Sign an extension or fuck off Steven, we need committed players For a start. spot on |
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Post by geoff321 on May 2, 2015 18:09:27 GMT
The phrase punching above our weight will mean different things to different people, for me there is absolutely no doubt in historical terms we are. In our 100 year plus history we have won just one trophy and recently spent 20 odd years in the lower leagues.
Compare that to Wolves who have won three top division titles, been runner up five times, won the F.A. Cup four times, been runner up four times and won the League Cup twice.
Leeds United have won the top division three times, runners up five times, the F.A. Cup once, runners up three times, the League Cup once, runners up once and been runners up once in the European Cup, they are both now in the second tier of English football.
In someways Manchester City and Chelsea are punching above their weight in historical terms, the key issue in the modern game is money and City, Chelsea and to a lesser extent Stoke now have rich owners, if that were to change these clubs and others like them would in my view return to their historical norm.
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Post by Pugsley on May 2, 2015 18:14:35 GMT
3 years ago after spending 100 million quid we punching above our weight. Now after spending jack, we're where we should be.
According to some....
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Post by taytotheimpailer on May 2, 2015 19:01:32 GMT
top eight finish never on the cards .i know mh inherited most of the current squad and has tried to turn the long ball game into playing on the floor football but half the the current squad haven't the technical ability to adapt to that type of game or are reaching senior years (past there best) . the players on the fringe need to be better quality pushing for a first team places why crouch got a two year extension on his contract is beyond believe . in the system mark hughes wants he will be a bit part player at most. top eight sides don't give points away to struggling sides like we do . home or away how come southampton and swansea both new ish to the premier league finish above us without a major overhaul in the close season we are in trouble Two seasons in a row now we've been punching above our weight have we? We finished top 10 on merit last season and a very good chance we'll do it again. Hell of a punch we have |
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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2015 19:06:17 GMT
Show us where you'd be ruthless...... Right Back. Admit you were wrong, rip it up and start again Spend serious money on a top centre half Thanks Glenn you'll play a part but our new 10M enforcer is the man now Thanks Jon, there's a role for you here but meet our new right winger. He's actually a right winger Sign an extension or fuck off Steven, we need committed players For a start. on an evening where some have spouted some utter shit,that sir is post of the day for me! 100% spot on there momo,couldn't argue against any of it. |
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Post by roylandstoke on May 2, 2015 19:08:54 GMT
Given the worst run of injuries we've had for years I would agree that being in the top half of the Premiership has involved us "punching above our weight".
According to some stats I saw the other day we have had the third worst run of injuries in the league.
If our best 11 had been fit for most of the season I think we could be a little higher.
Who knows what weight we could punch with Bojan, Wingie, Ryan, Moses etc all fit all season.
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Post by bayernoatcake on May 2, 2015 19:10:24 GMT
Right Back. Admit you were wrong, rip it up and start again Spend serious money on a top centre half Thanks Glenn you'll play a part but our new 10M enforcer is the man now Thanks Jon, there's a role for you here but meet our new right winger. He's actually a right winger Sign an extension or fuck off Steven, we need committed players For a start. on an evening where some have spouted some utter shit,that sir is post of the day for me! 100% spot on there momo,couldn't argue against any of it. Except the centre half bit.....pretty easily!  |
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Post by davejohnno1 on May 2, 2015 19:20:54 GMT
The phrase punching above our weight will mean different things to different people, for me there is absolutely no doubt in historical terms we are. In our 100 year plus history we have won just one trophy and recently spent 20 odd years in the lower leagues. Compare that to Wolves who have won three top division titles, been runner up five times, won the F.A. Cup four times, been runner up four times and won the League Cup twice. Leeds United have won the top division three times, runners up five times, the F.A. Cup once, runners up three times, the League Cup once, runners up once and been runners up once in the European Cup, they are both now in the second tier of English football. In someways Manchester City and Chelsea are punching above their weight in historical terms, the key issue in the modern game is money and City, Chelsea and to a lesser extent Stoke now have rich owners, if that were to change these clubs and others like them would in my view return to their historical norm. We've also spent more of our 151 year history dining at the top table of English football despite a 23 year absence so it is more than fair to say we are punching our weight...as a mid table top league team. |
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Post by whereami on May 2, 2015 20:13:46 GMT
Are we fuck.
The gulf in the premier league, after the relegation fodder teams who are do or die / backs to the wall every game, is who can impose themselves. Its the difference between seeing teams come to us looking for points, or trying to hold points, and its a monumental gap to broach. We've spent a season comfortably in mid table, despite injuries to 3 key players over the last 18 months, 2 or them season ending injuries. We've moved to a style thats closer to one that can break teams down, but which by doing that is more prone to a counter punch... Its a work in progress but if Bojan carries on where he left off next season, and Odemwingie, even if he loses pace, becomes a poacher with the instinct he's got... Our role model now is Spurs, who always have the same problems we have had this season but on a grander scale. Are the inconsistent players they have now after the Bale money better then Arnie when they're all on their game? Which teams in the league this season are we punching above?? Name me 3, which by the way would STILL but us in mid table. Name me 3 squads, combined with a settled manager who knows his stuff, who we've punched above.
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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2015 20:19:18 GMT
Yes I agree, we have lost a game so we are now in big trouble next season!.
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Post by taytotheimpailer on May 2, 2015 20:27:17 GMT
No team has a right to be anywhere in football. You are where you are on merit and we are a well accomplished mid-table Premier league side for several seasons now. Past history counts for nothing
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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2015 20:43:58 GMT
Must admit, I agree with the sheik. We need to move some of the old guard (and new on), to move on. Sorry, but that's the way I see it, and we need a goalscorer of note, as I keep on saying.
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Post by turtlefox on May 2, 2015 20:47:10 GMT
So what if we are. It's not like we have fluked every game to be where we are. You make your own luck in this world and we, as a club have done that. Well done Stoke. Proud to be part of you.
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Post by Gunslinger on May 2, 2015 20:56:32 GMT
Disagree. Our fully fit starting XI is a bloody good side. The issues are obvious and happen. Spot on. Almost every player in our squad with a creative fibre has been injured this season, either long term or whole the season. I don't dare to think about what a fully fit team could have achieved. Even an 80% fit team would have been great. We have been missing Bojan and Odemwingie for more or less the whole season, and Muniesa for large parts of the season. Huth has been injured or played for Leicester, and Begovic has had a poor season compared to his standards. Ireland has been injured a lot as well. As a result this has obviously affected our forwards. Imagine Diouf/Crouch/Walters with Bojan and Odemwingie to support them  |
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Post by kjpt140v on May 2, 2015 20:59:17 GMT
top eight finish never on the cards .i know mh inherited most of the current squad and has tried to turn the long ball game into playing on the floor football but half the the current squad haven't the technical ability to adapt to that type of game or are reaching senior years (past there best) . the players on the fringe need to be better quality pushing for a first team places why crouch got a two year extension on his contract is beyond believe . in the system mark hughes wants he will be a bit part player at most. top eight sides don't give points away to struggling sides like we do . home or away how come southampton and swansea both new ish to the premier league finish above us without a major overhaul in the close season we are in trouble What a pile of shit |
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Post by taytotheimpailer on May 2, 2015 21:04:19 GMT
top eight finish never on the cards .i know mh inherited most of the current squad and has tried to turn the long ball game into playing on the floor football but half the the current squad haven't the technical ability to adapt to that type of game or are reaching senior years (past there best) . the players on the fringe need to be better quality pushing for a first team places why crouch got a two year extension on his contract is beyond believe . in the system mark hughes wants he will be a bit part player at most. top eight sides don't give points away to struggling sides like we do . home or away how come southampton and swansea both new ish to the premier league finish above us without a major overhaul in the close season we are in trouble What a pile of shit How was it never on the cards when we were one game away from going 8th? not like we were miles behind a Swansea side we beat at home. 7th was never on the cards but 8 th was and still isn't impossible but very unlikely |
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