What do Premier clubs fear of Stoke City?

[knowingeye]

Since this week's events are now sinking in and next season will be upon us shortly, preparations will be underway for building the team for Premiership survival.

This got me thinking. What do Premier clubs fear of Stoke City? To assess this question and evaluate what is required, perhaps we should look at what the Premiership comprises of at present. The top four are in a league of their own and Keegan's, somewhat defeatist, but reality check comments add witness to this. If Stoke City can manage an aggregate four points from their eight meetings with Arsenal, Man United, Liverpool and Chelsea in 2008-2009 this should be considered positive.

However, looking below the elite level, serious questions have to be asked of what others teams whether hosting Stoke City or visiting the coldest stadium in England can expect.

Far from believing that Stoke can't compete at this level, I firmly believe that given the away form of many clubs currently tenth or below, including Spurs, Wigan and Bolton for example, with a few team changes, Stoke City has little to worry about, but the fear of the unknown for teams visiting the Britannia will certainly cause them problems, even before they step foot on the pitch.

In the cold light of day (or floodlit night games in deepest coldest Potteries winter!) Stoke City has to look for at least 18-21 points from these fixtures. Perhaps a tough ask, but seriously no tougher than venturing into the unknown for clubs filled with self doubt and questionable away records.

Next season has to be about survival and 40 points the target. Perhaps, as Sir Alex describes, too much squeeky bum time, but a sensible target nonetheless.

So where do the additional 18 or so points come from?

That depends on who else joins Stoke City and the Brazilians of Smethwick in the Premier League. Even Fulham's current home record, should they keep themselves in the upper echelon, can't give Stoke the comfort of three easy away points. No game at this level is easy, as was seen in the season completed just.

If I was Tony Pulis sitting down with Peter Coates looking towards next season, I would be looking to investing in a team that can achieve snatched 1-0 away wins here and there, focusing on building the season's predominant success on a sound home record, which itself will cause major questions to be asked in almost every manager's office in the Premier league this coming season.

"What have we got to fear of Stoke City?"

Stoke may be unfashionable. Play nothing, but long ball football. But take them for granted and you maybe in for a nasty surprise, but then again, what have you really got to fear?

The unknown, perhaps?

[visunitafortior]

I don't think that clubs will look forward to playing at the Brit, especially the southern softies from Highbury and Fulham. Man City are dodgy away from home and we all know how hostile their welcome will be. Villa are inconsistent away from home, and Villa park is a morgue compared to the Brit so they could crumble under the pressure. I remain optimistic despite the tabloids writing us off, our home form will be key.

[stokiemac]

For those of you with less time here is the summary:

Southerners come up
Freeze Bollocks off
We make Atmosphere
Kick lumps out of fragile millionaires
win 1-0

[steve10spurs]

I wouldn't really describe it as fear but it is the unknown.

When we go to ManU, L'pool etc we know what to expect, how they will come at us, who to pick up and when to break.
Obviously we'll have scouts etc but there is that unknown about taking you on as in "who are this lot?"

I think we have a lot less to fear going to the Hawthorns.
We'll get time on the ball there and they will play like us. However player for player we will be better than them so 9 times out of 10 class should prevail.

Against you we will line up with a much stronger side on paper. We know that and everyone in Stoke will know that. However I can see you hastling, scrambling, fighting for every ball, launching throw ins into our box which Woodgate and King are going to have to deal with every time.
It's a type of football unfamiliar to us and if its a cold night in winter, you sometimes see Jenas and Defoe go missing.
One thing though - your strength is going to be in upsetting sides like us and our rhythm, how much are the referees going to let you get away with some of the challenges which will be needed to rough the likes of Berbatov up?

It'll certainly be interesting and on that basis I'd say you are more likely to have success than WBA.
They are going to try and outpass us with vastly inferior players from what I can see.

[Beloved Monkfish]

Seems like Defoe has gone missing all the way to Portsmouth!

[steve10spurs]

Very true but he was an excellent example of a player who doesn't like it on a cold night when tackles are flying in so I thought I would use him.

I also mentioned Berbatov as being a spurs player next year too.....

[Peterdobingspipe]

Steve, good to see other fans on here talking sensibly!
I think you are right about referees not giving us any leeway but I think some teams will be put off their stride by our physicality, in a similar way that Allardyce's Bolton, Blackburn and, to some extent Portsmouth have done.
That's what I'm hoping anyway........

[rorymscfc]

Steve, I think you'll find Defoe went missing last January - to Portsmouth to be precise!

Good to know you keep up with your team though

RoryM

edit: d'oh Bob, beat me to it!

[steve10spurs]

He was as a "spurs-type" player!!!!

I know he went, I still think it was an absurd decision to let him go - right up there with how much we paid for Bent.

[Peterdobingspipe]

And how muching you are paying Bent each week.... £100k !!!!! according to another thread on here. The twentieth most highly paid footballer in Europe!

No wonder you gave Martin Jol the elbow if he negotiated that!

[caliban]

and the rumour now is Berbatov is on his way out ...32 million.

[steve10spurs]

Bollox.

He's staying put.

[Godo]

I worry about Refs not treating us fairly and I worry about our own ball retention but we have more of a financial windfall than Bolton had when they first went up to help us get a foothold in the Division.

So long as we buy the right players and we make the atmosphere as intimidating as possible at the Brit there's no reason why Pulis's Big Red and White Mean Machine can't upset the odds.

[stokecityscott]

I like Steve he talks sense have some karma! Unlike the other retards that come on here, half of them can not even spell there own name right.

like hull and wba fans thick as pig shit and highly diluted