|
|
Post by djduncanjames on Apr 30, 2017 20:56:55 GMT
Best owners. Best Club. Best manager. At the moment. Ring some juice out of that while the Stanley Matthews Academy catches up. KTF. And only really Spurs appreciably better in their nogger. You're the best Cheesy X Always positive bro! Have a feeling a few might take Point # 3 with a grain of salt  I think my pants are stuck on the fence while I tried to climb over to Hughes Out yesterday, picture the scene  |
|
|
|
Post by GoBoks on Apr 30, 2017 20:59:11 GMT
Honestly I think we kidded ourselves before the season began that we were in some mini league with say Everton and Southampton which sat neatly between the 'pack' and the Big 6. Truth is with just 3 points separating 9th from 16th its plain to see we are simply in the pack with Bournemouth and Watford and you can't put a sliver of paper between any of us. Its been a real unpleasant dose of reality and in part at least explains the current mood of crushed expectations. Disagree Gods. 3 seasons of top ten and 1 season of woeful UNDER PERFORMING, but still within easy touching distance of 8th spot, clearly shows that if we are not in "some kind of mini league" then no one else is either! (possible exception of Everton, but remember they were 4 points behind us last year and 7 points behind the year before that. In my view you have The Top Six - Clearly everyone knows who they are. The Next Seven - Varies greatly over time, but currently I'd say we are firmly in this bracket with Everton, Southampton, Newcastle Utd, West Ham, Leicester, and any one of West Brom, Crystal Palace or even Watford. Finaly The Cruddy Seven - Whoever's left. Obviously we can't compete with the Top Six, so we're either Next Seven or as you put it, just part of the pack. I choose to look at it as The Next Seven!  |
|
|
|
Post by djduncanjames on Apr 30, 2017 20:59:35 GMT
In the Sense "our Natural position" in the league as it were. Savage seems to think its in and around 12th and we are clueless to think otherwise. We've been here a while, should be fighting and winning, not being punching bags conceding 4 willy nilly I think with our resources we should be top 10 minimum really. I don't "really" care, I'm happy camper if we try hard and stay up. I'm just gauging peoples opinions, I like debate as it opens my eyes to new opinions and ideas Well then it depends what 'natural position' refers to? Our average league position over the history of our club? That would presumably be about 20th? Or the position we should be based on our resources and stature in comparison to those other teams in the division at the moment? That would be anywhere between 8th and 14th so Savage is not really to far out to be honest. We have punched above our weight slightly over the last decade or so and many of us have slightly unrealistic expectations. Yes we should aim to challenge for 7-8th place but we should not assume that a season or two outside the top ten is a catastrophe. Well maybe that's the point then Phil. What's our "weight Class" if we constantly punch above it |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2017 21:01:26 GMT
We should be competing for 7th/8th this season, the league below spurs has been mostly dross. From Everton's team i take Lukaku, Coleman and Gueye in our starting XI. And they're way ahead of us. About half a dozen clubs' fans can rightfully say that they should be competing for 7th/8th. Only one of them can. This year it happens to be West Brom until Pulis decided to throw the remaining games after hitting 40 points in order to temper expectations. Next year Stoke, West Brom, Leicester, West Ham, Southampton, and maybe one other depending on summer transfers will have fans hoping for 7th/8th place. It's impossible to predict who will get it because there isn't much to separate the teams on paper. Regardless, Stoke will be in a competition for that spot in which there will be more losers than winners. Possibly but I'm still annoyed we pissed it up the wall. I genuinely believe this season was by far and away the best chance we've ever had to reach europe. Our squad is as good as Everton's, bar the three i've mentioned above, and seeing them in 7th is a bitter pill to swallow. |
|
|
|
Post by duckling on Apr 30, 2017 21:06:20 GMT
Our squad is as good as Everton's, bar the three i've mentioned above, and seeing them in 7th is a bitter pill to swallow. Everton have a much better squad. How many Stoke players would walk into Everton's starting XI, and how many Everton players would walk into Stoke's starting XI? Everton massively underperformed the last 2 years, and now they're back in their so-called "natural position". |
|
|
|
Post by djduncanjames on Apr 30, 2017 21:06:40 GMT
About half a dozen clubs' fans can rightfully say that they should be competing for 7th/8th. Only one of them can. This year it happens to be West Brom until Pulis decided to throw the remaining games after hitting 40 points in order to temper expectations. Next year Stoke, West Brom, Leicester, West Ham, Southampton, and maybe one other depending on summer transfers will have fans hoping for 7th/8th place. It's impossible to predict who will get it because there isn't much to separate the teams on paper. Regardless, Stoke will be in a competition for that spot in which there will be more losers than winners. Possibly but I'm still annoyed we pissed it up the wall. I genuinely believe this season was by far and away the best chance we've ever had to reach europe. Our squad is as good as Everton's, bar the three i've mentioned above, and seeing them in 7th is a bitter pill to swallow. Hear Hear mate. Hear F'ing Hear! |
|
|
|
Post by kidsgroveboxxy on Apr 30, 2017 21:10:59 GMT
It pains me to say it, but I think West Brom
|
|
|
|
Post by Gods on Apr 30, 2017 21:13:34 GMT
It pains me to say it, but I think West Brom Is the correct answer  |
|
|
|
Post by cheeesfreeex on Apr 30, 2017 21:17:59 GMT
Best owners. Best Club. Best manager. At the moment. Ring some juice out of that while the Stanley Matthews Academy catches up. KTF. And only really Spurs appreciably better in their nogger. You're the best Cheesy X Always positive bro! Have a feeling a few might take Point # 3 with a grain of salt I think my pants are stuck on the fence while I tried to climb over to Hughes Out yesterday, picture the scene Ha ha mucka. At least you didn't contravene the no nipple rule. Too much info bro. Come back over to the dark side of the Hughes Appreciation Society. You'll feeel better fo it mate. |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2017 21:20:14 GMT
Our squad is as good as Everton's, bar the three i've mentioned above, and seeing them in 7th is a bitter pill to swallow. Everton have a much better squad. How many Stoke players would walk into Everton's starting XI, and how many Everton players would walk into Stoke's starting XI? Everton massively underperformed the last 2 years, and now they're back in their so-called "natural position". They really don't. Lukaku, Coleman, Gueye. Maybe Schneiderlin but meh. |
|
|
|
Post by djduncanjames on Apr 30, 2017 21:27:02 GMT
You're the best Cheesy X Always positive bro! Have a feeling a few might take Point # 3 with a grain of salt I think my pants are stuck on the fence while I tried to climb over to Hughes Out yesterday, picture the scene Ha ha mucka. At least you didn't contravene the no nipple rule. Too much info bro. Come back over to the dark side of the Hughes Appreciation Society. You'll feeel better fo it mate. I'm still suspended on the fence, but you can see it's an uncomfortable fence to sit on I want Hughes to figure it out not say "For some reason we are not performing to the expectations I set" Its condescending, to me at least. "I set this bar of expectation so how dare you challenge me, know your place young Stokie..." |
|
|
|
Post by Pugsley on Apr 30, 2017 21:27:51 GMT
Southampton, Leicester, West Brom most comparable. The major difference with Leicester is that they are the title holders and Champions League quarter finalists. And they have spent 163million on new footballers in 3 seasons... |
|
|
|
Post by cheeesfreeex on Apr 30, 2017 21:35:55 GMT
Ha ha mucka. At least you didn't contravene the no nipple rule. Too much info bro. Come back over to the dark side of the Hughes Appreciation Society. You'll feeel better fo it mate. I'm still suspended on the fence, but you can see it's an uncomfortable fence to sit on I want Hughes to figure it out not say "For some reason we are not performing to the expectations I set" Its condescending, to me at least. "I set this bar of expectation so how dare you challenge me, know your place young Stokie..." If you think he's calling you 'young' what's yer problem? Really. What are you expecting from manager pronouncements? |
|
|
|
Post by robstokie on Apr 30, 2017 21:37:59 GMT
We are probably the modern day Blackburn - we even have the exact same manager as they had!
|
|
|
|
Post by djduncanjames on Apr 30, 2017 21:39:10 GMT
I'm still suspended on the fence, but you can see it's an uncomfortable fence to sit on I want Hughes to figure it out not say "For some reason we are not performing to the expectations I set" Its condescending, to me at least. "I set this bar of expectation so how dare you challenge me, know your place young Stokie..." If you think he's calling you 'young' what's yer problem? Really. What are you expecting from manager pronouncements? A bt of ownership on mistakes I guess Not stuff like "For some reason" Me and you could fill in for BOwen and say that |
|
|
|
Post by djduncanjames on Apr 30, 2017 21:41:44 GMT
Why cant he say I signed the wrong players. I don't expect him to say that BUT We don't get ANY INFO, thats my beef. Where is Bony where is Imbula the list goes on and you know it m8
|
|
|
|
Post by djduncanjames on Apr 30, 2017 21:48:29 GMT
It pains me to say it, but I think West Brom Shhh its just a bubble, a bad dream it will subside |
|
|
|
Post by Gods on Apr 30, 2017 21:54:39 GMT
We are probably the modern day Blackburn - we even have the exact same manager as they had! I think Blackburn is a good analogy, not the title winning Blackburn of Kenny Dalglish spear headed by Shearer and Sutton rather 'Blackburn-Lite' which followed it under our present manager. I'm still sticking with the current WBA though as the nearest thing. |
|
