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Post by stokiejoe on May 6, 2015 10:56:10 GMT
Can't say I have ever got up in the morning and said "today I am looking forward to being really mediocre" Rather than hoping I can do the best I can with what talents I have.
Always liked the NASA slogan "failure is not an option"
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Post by thebet365 on May 6, 2015 11:45:52 GMT
With all due respect ''expect no more and accept that at some point in time we are much more likely to be relegation candidates than Champions League challengers.''
So -this is a good as it gets eh ? jesus - we may as well pack it in now then ? The above conveys a worryingly questionable attitude in the face of great possibility, sad to say its exactly what holds the club back - right here - on this posting / posting immediately above Therefore - lets all look forward to Derby and Middlesboro or Norwich or Watford replacing us then - as we go back to our rightful place with much more modest expectation because seemingly, its inevitable - its inbred almost - effectively what this says is :- 'we're gonna go back from whence we came- no point in having ambition' - IF this is indeed the voice of Stoke City (I bloody well hope it is NOT) Its a pretty disappointing, borderline awful - summary of our position to say the least (again, with all due respect) It's called realism. On what clubs are you basing your assumptions on for expecting better ? Southampton ? Went down and into administration after trying to push on. Everton ? Battled financial problems for years, Almost got relegated one year under Moyes. West Ham ? Relegated and saved by the dildo brothers and now bailed out by the council with the their new ground and for what ? What have they achieved in the premier league era that we haven't ? Spurs ? Had a relegation scare themselves not so long back. But the only club we could aspire to reach an equal level with really but at what cost ? We are a world apart in finances to compete with the top 6 clubs currently. And no signs from the academy yet that we're gonna have that springboard year that Southampton recently had to push them to the top 8 clubs with little financial outlay that they've been able to build on. Which basically leaves you with the best of the rest to fight for which we currently are after having a terrible year of injuries and little financial outlay. We do need to improve the ground/surrounding area though, not for financial gain because we just don't get the crowds, just to improve the matchday experience for us paying fans.
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2015 12:14:25 GMT
Decent post the brit - there's realism and optimism - realism would tell you we could go that way but optimism would lean towards believing have the wisdom and perhaps as importantly the funding to prevent that ever from happening.
In terms of what makes me draw the optimistic concluison I am drawing from all this
It is in terms of being a world apart in terms of financing actually - I would suggest, with the new finances in bound we are not worlds apart
form those bigger more established clubs.
we are in fact already recognised as the 30th richest club in Europe - punching above our weight at the same time - true
But the real 'big bucks' are due to start rolling in very shortly - Im still for being optimistic and using our new found wealth to climb even higher
There is a step change coming in our finances few of you appear to realise the magnitude of yet - and that's where my optimism is coming from
I recognise the club is hardly likely to be forthcoming on exactly what this means anytime soon but rest assured - a tight ship well run is abou
t to receive massive windfalls and
There is untold wealth heading our way and we should be preparing for this right now and be very confident of using it wisely and ensuring many clubs we used to compete with, will be left trailing in our dust and not, clubs we should be looking over our shoulder at anymore.
In short, we should be very confident in looking upward rather than - downward
In all Probability and unique in our 'little medieval clubs history' the biggest worry the board of Stoke city probably now have is:-
'what are we going to do with all this fucking extra money when it starts pouring in' ?
and mattress stuffing - is not an option in truth
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Post by chiefdelilah on May 6, 2015 12:16:46 GMT
You do know that other teams get the money as well, right Tone?
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2015 12:19:01 GMT
yep that's another 17 out of 92 isnt it ?
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Post by Pugsley on May 6, 2015 12:19:15 GMT
You do know that other teams get the money as well, right Tone?
Some even spend it.....
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Post by chiefdelilah on May 6, 2015 12:22:13 GMT
yep that's another 17 out of 92 isnt it ? It's just that you were talking as if this extra money is helping us close the gap on the big boys. How is it doing that, sorry?
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2015 12:27:07 GMT
Answer - by us being very fortunate right now in having good, sound owners, very strong backing through bet 365 and a good team management team that just need that bit of a push to take the necessary next steps
oh and shitloads of new money coming in
good enough ?
we now got two or three 'top top' - world class even, players already
no reason why two or three more dont appear in the summer
why not ?
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Post by chiefdelilah on May 6, 2015 12:30:22 GMT
Answer - by us being very fortunate right now in having good, sound owners, very strong backing through bet 365 and a good team management team that just need that bit of a push to take the necessary next steps oh and shitloads of new money coming in good enough ? But we're not alone in having shitloads of new money coming in, that's my point. So your answer is basically, by backing the manager and him using the money wisely? I'd say we need to do that just to stand still.
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Post by chad on May 6, 2015 12:44:12 GMT
There's some African geezer interested in buying a football club. Worth 10 billion quid. Give him a call, maybe he can get a few things moving? loadsa moneyIs this the bastard that keeps sending me emails after my bank details !!!
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Post by okeydokeystokie2 on May 6, 2015 12:56:52 GMT
I'm with you on this, Rob.
I find it quite amusing how the financial results of the Premier League clubs are announced, and some CEO puts out a statement saying how this justifies the strategic plans and business model we have put in place, blah blah... Bullshit! You've just had an extra £30 million hand out with virtually no additional costs attached!
I love Tony's optimism, but us breaking into the top 6 isn't optimistic, it's pure fantasy.
Read somewhere this week, (might have been on here) that Chelsea are the 3rd largest in terms of wages at £192 million, behind both Manchester clubs. That's more than the combined wage bills of the teams currently in 7th, 8th and 9th, Southampton, Swansea and West Ham!
Spurs, Arsenal and Liverpool are desperately trying to keep up at around £100 - £150m respectively.
The leap in wages required to join those top 6 clubs is impossible for anybody else in the league. For the foreseeable future, it will be ever thus.
Southampton have done brilliantly this season, as did Everton last season, and that's the reality for us. With a fair wind, form, fitness and confidence plus the odd inspired signing, we might have a season or two in 7th, maybe 6th if one of the others blows it. But 2 or 3 aren't going to blow it all in the same season.
I think PC/Bet365 would need to sanction something like a 150% increase in the wage bill to even give us a starting chance, and it is just not going to happen.
It's not negative, it's fantastic, but this is going to be as good as it gets.
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Post by cheekymatt71 on May 6, 2015 13:03:09 GMT
Can't say I have ever got up in the morning and said "today I am looking forward to being really mediocre" Rather than hoping I can do the best I can with what talents I have. Always liked the NASA slogan "failure is not an option" Or their other one "Houston we have a problem"
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2015 13:30:48 GMT
For f's sake. The mere mention of those Manchester clubs has got my back up, and there I was having a nice peaceful day!
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Post by stokemark on May 6, 2015 18:41:35 GMT
With all due respect ''expect no more and accept that at some point in time we are much more likely to be relegation candidates than Champions League challengers.''
So -this is a good as it gets eh ? jesus - we may as well pack it in now then ? The above conveys a worryingly questionable attitude in the face of great possibility, sad to say its exactly what holds the club back - right here - on this posting / posting immediately above Therefore - lets all look forward to Derby and Middlesboro or Norwich or Watford replacing us then - as we go back to our rightful place with much more modest expectation because seemingly, its inevitable - its inbred almost - effectively what this says is :- 'we're gonna go back from whence we came- no point in having ambition' - IF this is indeed the voice of Stoke City (I bloody well hope it is NOT) Its a pretty disappointing, borderline awful - summary of our position to say the least (again, with all due respect) I like you Tony and enjoy your posts very much With all due respect to you then my comments are based on a combination on the facts and history - I have neither a crystal ball or an inside ability to influence the decisions of the Coates family or Anyone else that can influence the way the football club is run. I live in hope but think it better to remain firmly in the realism camp. tbh for me the last 7 years have exceeded any expectation that I had when I was, say, standing on the terraces at Gillingham in League 2 12 years ago so who really knows ? maybe we will an ive even greater things but there is no doubt that the margin for that is statistically reducing incrementally and that's good enough for me.
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Post by geoff321 on May 6, 2015 18:49:31 GMT
When toney says " we may as well pack it in now then ", he unwittingly raises a serious point, that is how long will supporters of medium sized PL clubs be prepared to turn up in numbers and watch their teams compete in a league which is totally dominated by a few elite clubs?
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2015 18:54:41 GMT
I would be very happy to see us beat those top 4 clubs regularLy - without us ever being that high
and I ALSO add without hope or optimism in our clubs future - what else is there ?
'its great right now but history tells us it wont last' ?
I prefer to banish such thoughts and look toward what is very possible given our latest circumstance
as I said - top six - tilting at cups playing in europe - why on earth not look for this ?
we need that buzz of optimism to make the entire club get through the next few steps in this dance
steps that would take us further on upwards
and those who dont believe need to see the bigger picture to be persuaded - it can ACTUALLY happen this time around
But perhaps most of all I would like to see the City of Stoke on Trent in footballing terms have the success that has eluded it for far too long
I say again - why hold back ? -why not ?
WHY NOT - DARE TO DREAM
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2015 13:26:17 GMT
After yesterday --- NEED ---- I mean REALLY NEED to get that corner filled in
30k PLUS - with sensible ticketing
a worldwide brand - coach loads of scandanavians with pocket fulls of money for SOT wandering around
just the Stoke City / Stoke on Trent stereotype even Phil Neville alluded to last night, needs putting to bed
so why not ---- dare to dream ?
GET THIS DONE !!!!!!!!!
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