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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2017 18:10:14 GMT
Something as an outsider Ive observed about many folk from Stoke on Trent
and sorry folks - this is true
the prevailing attitude seemingly is - 'we are Stoke City and we know our place'
rather than :
We are Stoke City and expect to do better and, aspire to be a top six premier league football team - tipping at cups and regularly playing in Europe
which is where I expect us to be nowadays
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Post by trincostokie on Jan 2, 2017 18:11:19 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 questions are being asked and criticsms made and rightly so Asking questions and making criticisms is absolutely fine, normal and healthy, but you are surely not blind to the fact that the amount and level of negativity on this forum has gotten out of hand over the past year...its more than just commenting on the games and performances, it's more often than not just angry people spewing bile at players, management or fellow supporters as a way of venting their spleen. Most days I log on then log off again within the first few scannings of posts...life is shit enough without choosing to spend your free time waist deep in other people's rage and negativity
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Post by chuckrocky on Jan 2, 2017 18:12:15 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. I bet every time Man City miss out on a trophy, their fans console themselves with the fact they got relegated with us twenty years ago.
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Post by Scrotnig on Jan 2, 2017 18:36:57 GMT
Yet another thread arrogantly telling fans with genuine concerns that they are "not real supporters".
Well, f*ck right off sunshine. I'm a "real supporter" by any measurable metric, and I think we have big problems. If we don't change things dramtically, (and it need not necessarily be the manager), then we will either get relegated this season by a whisker, OR we'll get relegated next season by being marooned at the bottom early on. There is absolutely no chance the current situation is in any way sustainable, and I'm bored with being told I'm not a proper supporter for pointing it out.
TLDR: We are shit and we need to sort it.
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Post by swampySCFC on Jan 2, 2017 18:41:52 GMT
People might let stuff go at Chelsea and Liverpool if we stopped farting around in the "easier" games. Stoke have been poor in 2016. Tomorrow the pressure is on again. On current form we will just about stay up. If that's where we want to be fine
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2017 18:44:41 GMT
Yet another thread arrogantly telling fans with genuine concerns that they are "not real supporters". Well, f*ck right off sunshine. I'm a "real supporter" by any measurable metric, and I think we have big problems. If we don't change things dramtically, (and it need not necessarily be the manager), then we will either get relegated this season by a whisker, OR we'll get relegated next season by being marooned at the bottom early on. There is absolutely no chance the current situation is in any way sustainable, and I'm bored with being told I'm not a proper supporter for pointing it out. TLDR: We are shit and we need to sort it. Well said !! Totally agree. This regression has been taking place throughout 2016 and needs addressing ASAP the obvious problems that we have in the team and squad overall. Hopefully things will improve, starting against Watford, but a lot of work is required to fix the defensive frailties, lack of goalkeeping cover whilst Jack is injurec, the need for a proper CDM, a striker, and putting a rocket up Shaq and Imbula and others.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2017 18:46:23 GMT
Tedious guilt tripping.
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Post by pottersrule on Jan 2, 2017 18:48:09 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' Very well put.
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Get real
Jan 2, 2017 18:48:37 GMT
via mobile
Post by Titan Uranus on Jan 2, 2017 18:48:37 GMT
Yet another thread arrogantly telling fans with genuine concerns that they are "not real supporters". Well, f*ck right off sunshine. I'm a "real supporter" by any measurable metric, and I think we have big problems. If we don't change things dramtically, (and it need not necessarily be the manager), then we will either get relegated this season by a whisker, OR we'll get relegated next season by being marooned at the bottom early on. There is absolutely no chance the current situation is in any way sustainable, and I'm bored with being told I'm not a proper supporter for pointing it out. TLDR: We are shit and we need to sort it. Well said !! Totally agree. This regression has been taking place throughout 2016 and needs addressing ASAP the obvious problems that we have in the team and squad overall. Hopefully things will improve, starting against Watford, but a lot of work is required to fix the defensive frailties, lack of goalkeeping cover whilst Jack is injurec, the need for a proper CDM, a striker, and putting a rocket up Shaq and Imbula and others. Think you've hit most of the nails on the head there.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2017 18:51:57 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. It's quite simple really....on one side you have those who are ambitious and, regardless of what has been achieved, are constantly looking at ways to get better. This also includes keeping an eye on where certain aspects of performance decrease. This does not, however, mean that folk aren't proud of their achievements or grateful for their rewards and success. On the other side, you have those who are don't feel deserved of the things they have, and just accept their 'fate' when they return to where they were before. It's not a case about things never being enough, it's about taking what we have, being where we are through the hard work and the achievement, and seeing how we can first - get better; and second - to address where performances have decreased. A lot of the frustration isn't because people expect and demand more, it's because people know that we can be better than what we showed on the pitch. Then there is the whole range inbetween where people are a bit of both. The mistakes come when you get self gratifying posts titled "Get Real", where people just want to shut down open debate, and the mistake people have of wanting to convince others to change their mind and being absolutely amazed and almost insulted that other people dare have different opinions. The facts are, that other people have more ambition than you, and whilst I'm pleased that you've taken the time to express your opinion, and I've happily read it, my approach to life in general is just different. That doesn't mean I need to "get real".
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2017 18:53:49 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. Not that it has anything to do with how successful a football club should be
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2017 18:56:30 GMT
According to "Uk cities" website Stoke-on-Trent is the 22nd largest UK city with a population of 239,000. Not that it has anything to do with how successful a football club should be Totally agree, but the O.P. stated we were the 36th largest UK city - just getting the facts right is all.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2017 18:59:57 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 questions are being asked and criticsms made and rightly so Asking questions and making criticisms is absolutely fine, normal and healthy, but you are surely not blind to the fact that the amount and level of negativity on this forum has gotten out of hand over the past year...its more than just commenting on the games and performances, it's more often than not just angry people spewing bile at players, management or fellow supporters as a way of venting their spleen. Most days I log on then log off again within the first few scannings of posts...life is shit enough without choosing to spend your free time waist deep in other people's rage and negativity The few with blind hatred are balanced by those few that seem to just have their head up their arse. Neither side of the extreme really helps
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Post by trincostokie on Jan 2, 2017 19:10:06 GMT
Asking questions and making criticisms is absolutely fine, normal and healthy, but you are surely not blind to the fact that the amount and level of negativity on this forum has gotten out of hand over the past year...its more than just commenting on the games and performances, it's more often than not just angry people spewing bile at players, management or fellow supporters as a way of venting their spleen. Most days I log on then log off again within the first few scannings of posts...life is shit enough without choosing to spend your free time waist deep in other people's rage and negativity The few with blind hatred are balanced by those few that seem to just have their head up their arse. Neither side of the extreme really helps Agreed. Both perspectives are equally and oppositely unbalanced, therefore balance themselves out....the trouble is that the rest of us fuckers have to suffer their nonsense as the forum gets turned into their battlefield. I would also add that apart from the few extremists on both sides of the fence who do negate themselves to a point, there i still an imbalance of disproportionate negativity in general, in my view.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2017 20:40:49 GMT
The poor little old Stoke should be happy what they have argument again?......Really?
This shows the potential for me and we are no where near the so called glass ceiling.
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Post by TrentValePotter96 on Jan 2, 2017 20:58:02 GMT
Also the "why can't we all just enjoy what we've got while it lasts!" is absolute bollocks. that's actually a good reason to be worried, this stoke being in the premier league thing won't go on for ever, there will come a time when we'll be back in the championship (or worse) So whilst we're in the big league, let's do the best we can with the players we have.
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Post by TrentValePotter96 on Jan 2, 2017 21:00:41 GMT
'The little old Stoke' thing really annoys me
Teams like Forest, Newcastle, Villa, Leeds, Wolves, Sunderland, etc are below us in the pyramid because of their own failings. Their failings don't make our successes any better.
If we were just plain shit, I'd understand. But we aren't, we have really talented footballers.
Would the same reason be used if we were finishing top half in the championship? "oh well at least we're not in league one".
The aim is to progress.
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Post by iglugluk on Jan 2, 2017 21:06:44 GMT
2016 has been extremely disappointing since the semi final exit. We've only played in fits and starts, have not succeeded in finding a decent striker ( again ffs ), have a long term ( hopefully not career threatening ) injury to our goal keeper, our defensive play has slipped dramatically and we don't seem to know our best formation or tactics....... that may explain much of the negativity. This is a forum for supporters to discuss their opinions not a place for mindless enthusiasts who are merely happy to be here whilst they hang around in a state constant gratitude.
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Post by oslostokie1 on Jan 2, 2017 21:14:14 GMT
Six of the twenty teams in the Prem are playing in a different league to us due to revenue and investment levels. We are thus competing in a league of fourteen where for the past three seasons we have finished third, which is pretty good going indeed when every other team in our sub-league is trying just as hard as we are to do better. There are also teams much bigger than us in the Championship and below, so times are comparatively very good, I would suggest.
For sure, the recent defensive performances have been pretty poor since Southampton which the management team needs to rectify sharpish with a couple of sensible acquisitions in January (easier said than done). I feel that we have as smart a management team as we are likely to be able to attract together with considerable financial muscle to get us out of our current slump. They need to be given our full support, not be subject to the bile that is spouted on here by the usual suspects who just spew post after post of unconstructive criticism without offering any sensible solutions. A little bit of perspective would help to make this forum a more enjoyable place, and not drive away posters like Chiefdelilah who are the lifeblood of such a forum.
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Get real
Jan 2, 2017 21:28:16 GMT
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Post by thevoid on Jan 2, 2017 21:28:16 GMT
'The little old Stoke' thing really annoys me Teams like Forest, Newcastle, Villa, Leeds, Wolves, Sunderland, etc are below us in the pyramid because of their own failings. Their failings don't make our successes any better. If we were just plain shit, I'd understand. But we aren't, we have really talented footballers. Would the same reason be used if we were finishing top half in the championship? "oh well at least we're not in league one". The aim is to progress. Exactly, Leicester and Southampton were two divisions below us not that long ago. Yes, Soton are having a dodgy season this time but that's only because selling their players and losing their managers might finally be catching up with them, but they've eclipsed us in their few years in the Prem. They're no bigger than us- similar history, one cup win back in the 70s. Didn't catch them thinking 'Were little Southampton, we won't attract better than Nigel Adkins'. This 'we wouldn't attract better than Hughes' argument doesn't hold water. We're supposedly one of the richest clubs in Europe playing in the most popular league. I think we'd be a very attractive proposition for plenty of managers. Good managers are out there if the Chairman cast his net a bit further abroad. Think smalltime, be smalltime.
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Get real
Jan 2, 2017 21:28:45 GMT
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Post by outspaced on Jan 2, 2017 21:28:45 GMT
Maybe the fans looking back at where we've come from are just realists. Enjoying the moment until we slip back down. Which the natural cycle will take us on eventually. It's what happens to clubs of our size.
Why should a club like ours having won fuck all in 150 years suddenly become competitive at the top in a league which we've never consistently finished high up in the first place?
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Post by TrentValePotter96 on Jan 2, 2017 21:39:48 GMT
'The little old Stoke' thing really annoys me Teams like Forest, Newcastle, Villa, Leeds, Wolves, Sunderland, etc are below us in the pyramid because of their own failings. Their failings don't make our successes any better. If we were just plain shit, I'd understand. But we aren't, we have really talented footballers. Would the same reason be used if we were finishing top half in the championship? "oh well at least we're not in league one". The aim is to progress. Exactly, Leicester and Southampton were two divisions below us not that long ago. Yes, Soton are having a dodgy season this time but that's only because selling their players and losing their managers might finally be catching up with them, but they've eclipsed us in their few years in the Prem. They're no bigger than us- similar history, one cup win back in the 70s. Didn't catch them thinking 'Were little Southampton, we won't attract better than Nigel Adkins'. This 'we wouldn't attract better than Hughes' argument doesn't hold water. We're supposedly one of the richest clubs in Europe playing in the most popular league. I think we'd be a very attractive proposition for plenty of managers. Good managers are out there if the Chairman cast his net a bit further abroad. Think smalltime, be smalltime. a decent sized premier league club, decent stadium and a good squad with money to spend. Oh and you can live in the rich part of Cheshire. Loads would like the chance.
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Post by oslostokie1 on Jan 2, 2017 21:40:05 GMT
'The little old Stoke' thing really annoys me Teams like Forest, Newcastle, Villa, Leeds, Wolves, Sunderland, etc are below us in the pyramid because of their own failings. Their failings don't make our successes any better. If we were just plain shit, I'd understand. But we aren't, we have really talented footballers. Would the same reason be used if we were finishing top half in the championship? "oh well at least we're not in league one". The aim is to progress. Exactly, Leicester and Southampton were two divisions below us not that long ago. Yes, Soton are having a dodgy season this time but that's only because selling their players and losing their managers might finally be catching up with them, but they've eclipsed us in their few years in the Prem. They're no bigger than us- similar history, one cup win back in the 70s. Didn't catch them thinking 'Were little Southampton, we won't attract better than Nigel Adkins'. This 'we wouldn't attract better than Hughes' argument doesn't hold water. We're supposedly one of the richest clubs in Europe playing in the most popular league. I think we'd be a very attractive proposition for plenty of managers. Good managers are out there if the Chairman cast his net a bit further abroad. Think smalltime, be smalltime. So you think Nigel Adkins is the equivalent of Mark Hughes as a Prem manager? Which managers would you expect to catch if the net was cast wider? Bob Bradley, Walter Zenga? Would you be happy with them? Nobody at the club is thinking small time otherwise we would not have acquired Shaqiri, Imbula, Allen or Bony et al
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Get real
Jan 2, 2017 22:12:40 GMT
via mobile
Post by cheeesfreeex on Jan 2, 2017 22:12:40 GMT
Of course we all want progress. I want us to win every game, like everyone.
It's best tempered with a bit of realism though.
I don't think things are anywhere near as bleak as some widges on here would have you believe.
No where near warranting the sack talk and vitriol. I remain optimistic about the tail end of the season.
From what I've seen it's not unfounded belief neither. Though I'll readily admit to Stoke bias.
Keep the faith.
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sting
Youth Player
Posts: 354
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Post by sting on Jan 2, 2017 22:57:02 GMT
Sport is aspirational. Leicester City proved that a provincial city can actually support a champion football team and a highly successful rugby team. The size of SOT is just irrelevant.
One of the reasons Stoke on Trent is struggling is the fact that it wallows in self-pity. Coal, steel and pottery all gone. We have to move on heartbreaking as it is.
Perhaps the OP should read about the Green Bay Packers. They are a small town who win big. The truth is SCFC has always lacked ambition and does so now despite being the 9th richest club in the league.
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Get real
Jan 2, 2017 23:02:54 GMT
via mobile
Post by maninasuitcase on Jan 2, 2017 23:02:54 GMT
Sport is aspirational. Leicester City proved that a provincial city can actually support a champion football team and a highly successful rugby team. The size of SOT is just irrelevant. One of the reasons Stoke on Trent is struggling is the fact that it wallows in self-pity. Coal, steel and pottery all gone. We have to move on heartbreaking as it is. Perhaps the OP should read about the Green Bay Packers. They are a small town who win big. The truth is SCFC has always lacked ambition and does so now despite being the 9th richest club in the league. Go cheeseheads. 😊
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Post by cheeesfreeex on Jan 2, 2017 23:10:30 GMT
2016 has been extremely disappointing since the semi final exit. We've only played in fits and starts, have not succeeded in finding a decent striker ( again ffs ), have a long term ( hopefully not career threatening ) injury to our goal keeper, our defensive play has slipped dramatically and we don't seem to know our best formation or tactics....... that may explain much of the negativity. This is a forum for supporters to discuss their opinions not a place for mindless enthusiasts who are merely happy to be here whilst they hang around in a state constant gratitude. Rooom for everyone's opinions surely. Happy clappy, doom and gloom, but it's always best when it's fact based and balanced imo. Why is it ok to say we're shit, but not ok to point out that we aren't really?
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Get real
Jan 3, 2017 0:12:42 GMT
via mobile
Post by thevoid on Jan 3, 2017 0:12:42 GMT
Exactly, Leicester and Southampton were two divisions below us not that long ago. Yes, Soton are having a dodgy season this time but that's only because selling their players and losing their managers might finally be catching up with them, but they've eclipsed us in their few years in the Prem. They're no bigger than us- similar history, one cup win back in the 70s. Didn't catch them thinking 'Were little Southampton, we won't attract better than Nigel Adkins'. This 'we wouldn't attract better than Hughes' argument doesn't hold water. We're supposedly one of the richest clubs in Europe playing in the most popular league. I think we'd be a very attractive proposition for plenty of managers. Good managers are out there if the Chairman cast his net a bit further abroad. Think smalltime, be smalltime. So you think Nigel Adkins is the equivalent of Mark Hughes as a Prem manager? Which managers would you expect to catch if the net was cast wider? Bob Bradley, Walter Zenga? Would you be happy with them? Nobody at the club is thinking small time otherwise we would not have acquired Shaqiri, Imbula, Allen or Bony et al No I wouldn't want Bradley or Zenga but I could have formed that opinion based on their managerial CVs before they came over here anyway. But for every Bradley there's a Pochettino or a Koeman. Who was familiar with Poch as a manager before he joined Southampton? Why limit your sights to British managers?
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Get real
Jan 3, 2017 0:18:14 GMT
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Post by thevoid on Jan 3, 2017 0:18:14 GMT
Exactly, Leicester and Southampton were two divisions below us not that long ago. Yes, Soton are having a dodgy season this time but that's only because selling their players and losing their managers might finally be catching up with them, but they've eclipsed us in their few years in the Prem. They're no bigger than us- similar history, one cup win back in the 70s. Didn't catch them thinking 'Were little Southampton, we won't attract better than Nigel Adkins'. This 'we wouldn't attract better than Hughes' argument doesn't hold water. We're supposedly one of the richest clubs in Europe playing in the most popular league. I think we'd be a very attractive proposition for plenty of managers. Good managers are out there if the Chairman cast his net a bit further abroad. Think smalltime, be smalltime. a decent sized premier league club, decent stadium and a good squad with money to spend. Oh and you can live in the rich part of Cheshire. Loads would like the chance. I think some folk think new players or managers would have to move into a terrace off Viccy Road or something. We're a 20 minute drive from Wilmslow and Alderley Edge.
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Get real
Jan 3, 2017 0:28:22 GMT
via mobile
Post by danceswithclams on Jan 3, 2017 0:28:22 GMT
One of Fatboy Slim's less successful singles.
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