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Post by lawbilloo on Jan 2, 2017 17:03:27 GMT
As a long time reader of this Board and weekly worrier about the fortunes of Stoke City, I am shocked and surprised by the venom poured out here every Saturday and Sunday by so many of our so-called supporters(definition-"one who sticks by, champions, stands up for, encourages") Am I missing the point? Is it some kind of grizzly sense of humour unique to the Potteries? It just seems to be getting worse, almost as bad now as in the last two seasons before Pulis went.
For the record, Stoke were 3-2 down to the best team in the league with two minutes to go. In the previous twelve games Chelsea had conceded only two goals, one an own goal. And when was the last time Stoke scored two goals at Stamford Bridge? And yes, we've let in four goals on five occasions this season, bur four of those matches were against top six teams on a good run of form (Man C. , Spurs, Liverpool and Chelsea) in an increasingly divided League where points are only dropped when the top teams play each other. We are still seven points above 18th place, after a few awkward fixtures and without key, influential players, and we are only three points behind 9th place (Southampton) So what on earth is all the angst about?
It is deflated expectation, we hear, or bruised ambition. Under Pulis we "progressed" from relegation Houdinis to mid-table respectability, and Hughes, by a different route, has consolidated our status as secure regulars in the Premier League, the best, they say, in the world. It has been a rough and often uncomfortable ride, but along the way, we have changed our style, offering more entertainment, if less raw aggression. We can even give the top teams a run for their money(sometimes!) But, somehow, it isn't enough for some people
They want more, and that is only natural. Nobody wants to stagnate, even if it's in 9th place, and, yes, boredom does set in, for some, if we fail to "move to a different level" or "break into the top six" And other flights of fancy.
So it's time for a reality check, and whenever I start getting carried away, I think about Peter Coates. In his previous reincarnations as Director/ Chairman of Stoke City, I was never a big fan.He seemed to be in it to make money out of it. Not now. In the recent controversy about Premier League ticket pricing, Stoke City was held up as a model all the rest should follow--tightly controlled finances (and wages) cheap season tickets for the average supporter (very cheap!) subsidised transport for fans travelling to away games and no "silly" spending on transfer fees. I am sure he was as embarrassed as anyone else by the Crouch/Palacios deal under Pulis, and as uncomfortable as I was by the more recent signings of Shaquiri and Imbula.But after a cautious first two years of Hughes, he probably gave his Manager the benefit of the doubt, even if he has since regretted the money. We should all buy into that kind of long-term approach to running our football club. And you can forget about Hughes getting the sack, even if we don't beat Watford (unlikely) Coates simply isn't that type of decision-maker.
I love the cut and thrust of argument and comment on this messageboard, but sometimes it is difficult to keep on the right side of basic facts. Stoke-on Trent is, comparatively, quite a small place. In terms of City size we are 36th in the UK. Looking at the homes of Premier League clubs, we are 12th out of 20 or, if you look at the size of the surrounding built up area, 14th out of 20 (smaller than, for example,Bournmouth/Poole or Southampton/Portsmouth. Sounds about right , doesn't it ? So Stoke City have been punching well above their weight for a number of years now. Size (population )difference means that the press and TV are not very interested in what we do: the same goes for the general football-loving public. We lack nationwide glamour and appeaL, and that has bred a tough us-against -the -world mentality which has underpinned our development to mid-table security. When we were first promoted, a reporter in "The Guardian", offering his forecast for the coming season, wrote "Stranger things have happened than Stoke City surviving in the Premier league--but only in "Dallas"
So, why can't we all just enjoy what we've got while we've got it. As "Stokie Joe" wrote a day or so ago, apropos of the hard time Stoke will always give you, Stoke "will never change" and "it's been the same for the last 60 years" The chances are it will not last for ever, either.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2017 17:08:03 GMT
Great post that. Saying that, I can understand the deep frustration at the moment. As you say, we should beat Watford, but I for one, wouldn't put my house on it!
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Post by riccyfuller93 on Jan 2, 2017 17:08:12 GMT
This is a football forum, not everyone will have the same opinion as you.
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Post by riccyfuller93 on Jan 2, 2017 17:09:46 GMT
Also the "why can't we all just enjoy what we've got while it lasts!" is absolute bollocks.
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Post by chonburipotter on Jan 2, 2017 17:18:39 GMT
We are the 36th biggest city are we?
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Post by stokie1954 on Jan 2, 2017 17:21:02 GMT
Also the "why can't we all just enjoy what we've got while it lasts!" is absolute bollocks. Agree. How can you enjoy watching some of the rubbish we suffer. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2017 17:25:05 GMT
We are the 36th biggest city are we? According to "Uk cities" website Stoke-on-Trent is the 22nd largest UK city with a population of 239,000. |
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Post by Vermelho20312505 on Jan 2, 2017 17:25:46 GMT
Also the "why can't we all just enjoy what we've got while it lasts!" is absolute bollocks. Agree. How can you enjoy watching some of the rubbish we suffer. But it's not rubbish. We have under performed in the past 12 months and yes could have done better. But to say it is rubbish is way off the mark. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2017 17:32:26 GMT
Sorry have to disagree - some of our performances and results been utter rubbish with poor team selection, poor tactics, poor, late and ineffective substitutions.
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Post by chayzenbacon on Jan 2, 2017 17:32:33 GMT
We are the 36th biggest city are we? According to "Uk cities" website Stoke-on-Trent is the 22nd largest UK city with a population of 239,000. In terms of Stoke City's catchment area (& Port Vale's too for that matter) you should add Newcastle under Lyme's 122000 odd to that, which is a much more significant number. However the other point is well made, in national terms Stoke is about as unfashionable as it gets. Even Hull got the City of Culture. Nobody unconnected with Stoke gives a fuck about the place. |
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Post by trincostokie on Jan 2, 2017 17:35:46 GMT
A very good post sir. and I agree with pretty much all that you've said...but football IS very primal, and emotions run very high after disappointments, where perspective can easily become clouded by the red mist of rage.
In my humble opinion, the trouble lies in the fact that in days gone by, we would rant away, either privately or with mates, then move on, whereas nowadays the rants are so public and we are drawn into so much more negative shit on this kind of forum. Angry and opposing views then clash and escalate. Add into the mix that we are now living in an age of instant gratification as well as the fact that we possibly also have more than our fair share of disaffected angry young men in the area, and it's not too difficult to explain why this board can be such an unpleasant place to inhabit.
Like many, I choose to avoid the place for a couple of days after defeat, when I'd much rather not.
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Post by StokieNath on Jan 2, 2017 17:43:28 GMT
Im a huge supporter and always will be but I won't suffer some of the shit ive watched in silence and simply pretend everything is ok.
Hate to brake it to you but it's not.
This is a football forum about Stoke, people voice thier concerns and rightly so.
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Post by sportsman on Jan 2, 2017 17:45:14 GMT
Also the "why can't we all just enjoy what we've got while it lasts!" is absolute bollocks. Yeh but most what you talk is, so swings and roundabouts and all that. |
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Post by wuzza on Jan 2, 2017 17:47:43 GMT
It's as unfashionable as it is possible to be but 36th largest conurbation in the country it certainly isn't.
With the catchment area of south Cheshire, mid Staffordshire, and North Shropshire thrown in I don't think we can really play the 'minnows' card ( even taking into account the slight irritation of the Vale).
As regards the rest , well if we were paying the sort of money for players that we did in our Championship and Div 1 days then yes there would be absolutely no room for complaint. ....but we aren't and we are under-performing on an alarmingly regular basis. Hence people will have complaints and suggestions how to improve things.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2017 17:48:25 GMT
It is not acceptable for a Premier League football team to concede 4 goals in any match, let alone several, regardless of the opposition.
The sooner you and other "supporters" realise this the better for our club.
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Post by riccyfuller93 on Jan 2, 2017 17:48:43 GMT
Also the "why can't we all just enjoy what we've got while it lasts!" is absolute bollocks. Yeh but most what you talk is, so swings and roundabouts and all that. So I have to enjoy watching dire football just because that's what we have and because our city is smaller than most. Really who do you think is talking bollocks? |
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Post by outspaced on Jan 2, 2017 17:49:27 GMT
In my opinion this is the poorest Premier league season in a long time. After the top six the rest are reluctantly shuffling to the mediocrity table and feeding on celery and cold custard for afters.
Yes it should be better but we're in the same bland sea as the rest from Everton downwards. The top six are blitzing the rest of us (stat taken from football365 this morning. Top six v the rest this season won 65, drawn 15, lost 5) This does not make a competitive league.
The whole attitude of players and management this season seems to be - blow up cheeks, blow out, can't be arsed with this can you? The only thing in our favour is that most of the rest seem to have the same feeling. While I don't think Hughes is blameless, we are stuck in a season of nothingness right now, which is rife throughout the 'best league in the world'
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2017 17:50:34 GMT
More - 'why cant be nice to each other and love our football team' - horse shit
Have you looked at the bloody league table lately ? (OP)
we should've had at least 25 points coming into Xmas and we didnt because of sheer collective incompetence and rank stupidity by our management team
and so
instead of relaxing and enjoying watching our team, knowing we are pretty safe
- I for one am always nervous as fuck
craning my neck to the tunnel end, whilst we trying and hang on for even more points that should've been
easily banked - week after week after week
or - Im watching us get dicked, four at a time
Im anxious and worried for our club - and there should be no need to be
and so, questions are being asked and criticsms made
and rightly so
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Post by sufolkstokie on Jan 2, 2017 17:52:55 GMT
It is not acceptable for a Premier League football team to concede 4 goals in any match, let alone several, regardless of the opposition. The sooner you and other "supporters" realise this the better for our club. Point 1 - stuff happens and we will and have get hit by more as have many others Point 2 - spot on |
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Post by bayernoatcake on Jan 2, 2017 17:53:51 GMT
How dare people strive for improvement.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2017 17:55:15 GMT
Born, bred and Stoke City through and through. No matter what size my beloved football club is, or how it is perceived by folk who support other football clubs, I for one will always hope we do more. Past history shows that smaller clubs than Stoke have won major trophies and held their own in the top tier of English football and there is no reason why I shouldn't believe S C F C cannot go on and achieve better things too.
Over the next few years an F A cup win would do nicely, and perhaps another fling in the Europa's.
Now`t wrong with that surely.
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Post by gibby1409 on Jan 2, 2017 17:55:28 GMT
Best and most sensible post of 2017 so far!
Opinions will vary, and so they should, that's healthy on a message board. My only gripe is that are people who are happy to see us lose. I get as pissed off as anyone when things don't go as we'd like, but irrespective of any conceivable situation, I would never ever want my team to lose, and I can't understand why people would think this way, but unfortunately they do!
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Post by sufolkstokie on Jan 2, 2017 17:56:11 GMT
How dare people strive for improvement. Not allowed - we know what we are etc How dare we think bigger Probably why Stoke On Trent is where it is as much as I love it |
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Post by robstokie on Jan 2, 2017 17:56:51 GMT
Fucking hell, it could be worse - we could be getting dicked by the likes of Luton and Brizzle Rovers every week, just like in the good old days.
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Get real
Jan 2, 2017 17:57:43 GMT
via mobile
Post by johnnysoul60 on Jan 2, 2017 17:57:43 GMT
I work on simple things and currently the question is . Are we getting the best we could out of or squad and the answer is no . It has been a poor 2016 and yes we are little Stoke City but due to the money in the game we grow every year quite a lot. Staff are paid millions so for me all these things legitimately raise our expectations of the club
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Get real
Jan 2, 2017 17:57:54 GMT
via mobile
Post by bayernoatcake on Jan 2, 2017 17:57:54 GMT
Fucking hell, it could be worse - we could be getting dicked by the likes of Luton and Brizzle Rovers every week, just like in the good old days. That has nothing to do with now. |
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Get real
Jan 2, 2017 18:00:49 GMT
via mobile
Post by liamo on Jan 2, 2017 18:00:49 GMT
Fucking hell, it could be worse - we could be getting dicked by the likes of Luton and Brizzle Rovers every week, just like in the good old days. The fact that we've gone from aiming for Europe to trying to beat 9th place to "fuck it it could be worse" sums up 2016 quite nicely |
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Post by riccyfuller93 on Jan 2, 2017 18:01:04 GMT
How dare people strive for improvement. I know right, don't they know that our city is too small for that sort of thing!  |
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Post by chuckrocky on Jan 2, 2017 18:05:05 GMT
This bollocks about remembering where we came from and little old Stoke is really starting to get boring.
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Post by riccyfuller93 on Jan 2, 2017 18:08:30 GMT
This bollocks about remembering where we came from and little old Stoke is really starting to get boring. Pathetic excuse for shit performances. People who are too stubborn to admit we are shit and just say "Well look how far we've come!" I thought the whole point of supporting a team was because you want to progress. It's almost as if there's a lot of posters on here who have no passion or just no winning mentality in their whole life. |
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