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Post by Glory Hunter on Dec 30, 2015 17:34:51 GMT
Like all Stoke fans I am blown away by the recent transformation at our club. Is this the best time ever to be a Stoke City fan? Some of the recent performances have been magical with thepromise of more to come. We have a great goalkeeper, very solid defence, a great balance in midfield and match winners up top and wide. I read much talk about January transfer window and who we might add, however this window - and probably even more so the close season window - represents a huge risk as vultures circle. Bojan, Arnie and Shaqiri will all attract attention and even the manager is being linked with other clubs now (which wasn't happening at all a few months ago). 2016 could be one of the most memorable years in our proud history and I hope we possess the resolve and determination to keep our most prized personnel and continue our fantastic momentum. HNY to all.
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Post by salopstick on Dec 30, 2015 17:39:58 GMT
Rimmers  |
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Post by JetBlack on Dec 30, 2015 17:45:45 GMT
Overall, I hope that both players and manager honour their contracts, and even if large offers come in for either, none leave. Stoke City FC has helped them(in some cases) to rejuvenate a possible stalled career. If the Club does agree to sell or release I would be very disappointed.
Good thread for a change!!
Happy New Year
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Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2015 17:51:25 GMT
Unless we get £20m bid from Daftshit FC nobody of importance will be leaving. Even if they do, i think we'll already have back-up plans in mind. I put on another thread, that i think the only place that might be looked at is Cameron's.
The biggest threat would be if we had one player who really carried us - think here Suarez and Bale. For our level, we have class all over the pitch. The back 5, midfield 3 and attacking 3, there is no proverbial head to cut off.
Even if we have at some point a Southampton style asset strip (Lallana, Lambert, Shaw, Chambers) i still have confidence in us getting the right players in.
Conclusion...relax your batty
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Post by WoodbineWright2@ on Dec 30, 2015 17:51:34 GMT
I think Stoke will do their best to hang on to our crown jewels. We don't need to sell, our hand will only be forced by a player/Hughes wanting to leave. Hence why they should be tied to long contracts to at least give us some power in case of an offer. As always, if a player no longer wishes to be here they're better off being sold, but we need to be clever and make sure we get what we want & not just the player & his new club.
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Post by ravey123 on Dec 30, 2015 17:53:35 GMT
Unless we get £20m bid from Daftshit FC nobody of importance will be leaving. Even if they do, i think we'll already have back-up plans in mind. I put on another thread, that i think the only place that might be looked at is Cameron's. The biggest threat would be if we had one player who really carried us - think here Suarez and Bale. For our level, we have class all over the pitch. The back 5, midfield 3 and attacking 3, there is no provervial head to cut off. Even if we have at some point a Southampton style asset strip (Lallana, Lambert, Shaw, Chambers) i still have confidence in us getting the right players in. Conclusion...relax your batty My only worry for a single player to leave and bugger us up is Shawcross. |
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Post by th3oldvic on Dec 30, 2015 17:55:16 GMT
Players can be replaced, I'd be more concerned about losing Hughes as he seems to be building something really special, I dont think his stock has risen enough yet though for the big guns to come calling, least I hope not  |
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Post by Gods on Dec 30, 2015 17:55:45 GMT
I think the answer lies in the Boardroom, anything which might interrupt the current stability and common sense commitment is the single biggest threat to our near/longer term future.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2015 17:55:57 GMT
Unless we get £20m bid from Daftshit FC nobody of importance will be leaving. Even if they do, i think we'll already have back-up plans in mind. I put on another thread, that i think the only place that might be looked at is Cameron's. The biggest threat would be if we had one player who really carried us - think here Suarez and Bale. For our level, we have class all over the pitch. The back 5, midfield 3 and attacking 3, there is no provervial head to cut off. Even if we have at some point a Southampton style asset strip (Lallana, Lambert, Shaw, Chambers) i still have confidence in us getting the right players in. Conclusion...relax your batty My only worry for a single player to leave and bugger us up is Shawcross. See £20m... If push came to shove, i think there would be a gentlemans agreement with Ryan for him to stay til the end of the season, giving us plenty of time to scout a replacement |
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Post by sufolkstokie on Dec 30, 2015 18:00:00 GMT
I think some of you underestimate what Mr C wants to leave as a legacy
Hughes wants to rebuild his reputation and if you listen in corridors, the club believes great things are coming
Of course a £200k a week salary changes that for players, but too early for many as they rebuild
We are in a whole new world compared to selling Jimmy, Steino et al
Of course the odd player will leave, it is the price of success, but players also want to join of a calibre we could only dream of 3 seasons ago
Just bloody enjoy it
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Post by harryburrows on Dec 30, 2015 18:11:20 GMT
The only thing that concerns me at present is arnies contract situation . I wouldn't want our hand to be forced as it was with zonz and bego . If arnie signs it will be our best transfer business
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Post by trentvale68 on Dec 30, 2015 18:15:30 GMT
Our greatest threat is Man UTD.
They may well approach Hughes and Im not sure if he would say no. He is ambitious and as poor as Man UTD are, the prestige of the job together with the ex player factor may be too much.
As good as we are, we do not have that prestige.. or potential yet.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2015 18:16:55 GMT
Biggest threat would be to start buggering about with the infrastructure (ie fill in the corners) We all know that the stand falling down was the start of the decline in the 70's. Let's not tempt lightning twice.
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Post by petemac on Dec 30, 2015 18:20:55 GMT
Unless we get £20m bid from Daftshit FC nobody of importance will be leaving. Even if they do, i think we'll already have back-up plans in mind. I put on another thread, that i think the only place that might be looked at is Cameron's. The biggest threat would be if we had one player who really carried us - think here Suarez and Bale. For our level, we have class all over the pitch. The back 5, midfield 3 and attacking 3, there is no provervial head to cut off. Even if we have at some point a Southampton style asset strip (Lallana, Lambert, Shaw, Chambers) i still have confidence in us getting the right players in. Conclusion...relax your batty My only worry for a single player to leave and bugger us up is Shawcross. Out of all our players, I see Ryan being the least likely |
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Post by cerebralstokie on Dec 30, 2015 18:31:53 GMT
I hope both manager and players recognise that the club is on an upward path and that ownership is stable. Would you want to be employed by a foreign oligarch/sheik/chicken farmer? Of course money talks but I, for one, hope that the manager and key players stay on board for long enough to see what we can achieve, if not this season, then next
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Post by Pugsley on Dec 30, 2015 18:32:30 GMT
Hughes is not going to Man Utd. Woodward is starstruck and is only interested in galacticos and they have been bitten with the Moyes appointment.
I only hope that if bids come in our super CE only listens to offers above 20 million. Think about it - Ozil £42million. Is Bojan less than half the player he is? Don't think so.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2015 18:35:32 GMT
Hughes is not going to Man Utd. Woodward is starstruck and is only interested in galacticos and they have been bitten with the Moyes appointment. I only hope that if bids come in our super CE only listens to offers above 20 million. Think about it - Ozil £42million. Is Bojan less than half the player he is? Don't think so. He'll shit himself and sell well below market value. |
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Post by Pugsley on Dec 30, 2015 18:37:28 GMT
Hughes is not going to Man Utd. Woodward is starstruck and is only interested in galacticos and they have been bitten with the Moyes appointment. I only hope that if bids come in our super CE only listens to offers above 20 million. Think about it - Ozil £42million. Is Bojan less than half the player he is? Don't think so. He'll shit himself and sell well below market value. That's the worry - same old Stoke, giving players away. |
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Post by petemac on Dec 30, 2015 18:42:47 GMT
What a load of bollocks, a company these days realises from past mistakes. Also the manager likes to be in charge, like TP he is, but he's doing a much better job of it. But unlike TP he was a superior player and now has superior contacts in the world of football. The recent signings say it is so.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2015 18:46:15 GMT
One of the biggest threats is the Vampiric one popping his clogs !
GD
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Post by Gods on Dec 30, 2015 18:50:51 GMT
One of the biggest threats is the Vampiric one popping his clogs ! GD That was what I said Dave, without actually saying it, I feared saying it might somehow make it happen, perhaps it's okay to say it provided you scratch your left testicle with your right hand immediately afterwards or something like that |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2015 18:52:46 GMT
I hope both manager and players recognise that the club is on an upward path and that ownership is stable. Would you want to be employed by a foreign oligarch/sheik/chicken farmer? Of course money talks but I, for one, hope that the manager and key players stay on board for long enough to see what we can achieve, if not this season, then next I think they understand and feel that atmosphere. You can see it with every interview. We arent so much taking damaged good, but those who have maybe stalled or didnt quite hit the world class tag they were branded, and by jingo we've made a team out of them. I don't think there is any feeling of favouritism, everyone knows they have a contribution to make and we aren't reliant on anyone to carry us |
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Post by cheekymatt71 on Dec 30, 2015 18:57:18 GMT
Or Hughes caught shagging Shawcross misses with Peter Coates wanking himself in the background dressed in Nazi uniform.
I reckon that would put the cat amongst the proverbial pigeons ????
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Post by heworksardtho on Dec 30, 2015 19:00:03 GMT
If the river Trent flooded
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Post by Clem Fandango on Dec 30, 2015 19:02:05 GMT
A gravity crocodile?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2015 19:02:42 GMT
One of the biggest threats is the Vampiric one popping his clogs ! GD That was what I said Dave, without actually saying it, I feared saying it might somehow make it happen, perhaps it's okay to say it provided you scratch your left testicle with your right hand immediately afterwards or something like that You leave my testicle out of this I still harbour thoughts that this 'wave of optimism' is going to come crashing down . Mind you I was in the concourse last game of the season having a beer at half time and stated if we lost 5 v 6 in the second half I'd have still witnessed one if the best halves of football as a Stoke fan. And I honestly believed it could happen. 40 years plus of supporting Stoke does that you GD |
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Post by mrcoke on Dec 30, 2015 19:17:43 GMT
I started to put my mind to the question posed, but after a short while decided to stop. Why are we being so negative?
The great times have returned, let's just enjoy it while it lasts and not be negative.
Let's think about things that could make things even better like winning a competition, a local lad becoming a star player, major ground improvement, etc., not why it might go into decline.
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Post by foster on Dec 30, 2015 20:41:06 GMT
No first teamers will go in January anyway. If anyone it'll be those that can't make the bench.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2015 20:42:40 GMT
Greatest threats
there are two obvious main ones:-
1) being asset stripped
and
2) Lack of ambition
(closely related)
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Post by maninasuitcase on Dec 30, 2015 20:53:17 GMT
Greatest threats.
1, foreign owners (especially American ones), who have no interest in the club's heritage or history.
2, selling the prime assets
3, losing the manager
4, standing still as a club, I.e. not improving our global image, stadium redevelopment, etc
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