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Post by oslostokie1 on Dec 17, 2017 12:18:54 GMT
Lets be honest, he was a class apart yesterday. Could any of us have seen Crouch, Diouf, or Berahino creating for themselves the chances he did yesterday? Whilst he missed most of them, none of ours would have even gotten themselves into those positions in the first place.
Thinking back to our stellar 2-0 victories over both Manchester clubs of a couple of years back, both were Arnie-inspired and results would have been very different without him. We have missed him badly, and our anger at his departure would have been replaced by grateful indifference if it was good old Muni or someone of that ilk, who we knew we were going to miss far less.
When we played him down the middle for a few games, I always felt he was a bigger threat than anything else we had, but he never looked as threatening as he did yesterday, which is I think more of a sad reflection on the state of our defence than any improvement in his game.
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Post by alster on Dec 17, 2017 12:27:04 GMT
Just an exceptional player with loads of attributes that make him a threat. Yes he doesn't always deliver but you can't take his attributes away from him.
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Post by davejohnno1 on Dec 17, 2017 12:29:34 GMT
I felt he was very much on the fringes of the game until we made the 3 substitutions.
For 15 minutes though, he was brilliant.
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Post by slother on Dec 17, 2017 12:34:29 GMT
This was well known wasn't it? Our plan was "give it to Arnie". Then we sold him and signed Choupo Moting. It's difficult to know how Hughes could have done a worse job.
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Post by alster on Dec 17, 2017 12:39:56 GMT
This was well known wasn't it? Our plan was "give it to Arnie". Then we sold him and signed Choupo Moting. It's difficult to know how Hughes could have done a worse job. Choupo is not a terrible player but to be honest given his size I find his lack of aggression intolerable. He's nothing like Arnie he wouldn't destroy any team. |
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Post by slother on Dec 17, 2017 12:43:25 GMT
This was well known wasn't it? Our plan was "give it to Arnie". Then we sold him and signed Choupo Moting. It's difficult to know how Hughes could have done a worse job. Choupo is not a terrible player but to be honest given his size I find his lack of aggression intolerable. He's nothing like Arnie he wouldn't destroy any team. Completely agree I'm not scapegoating him - it's the management's fault that we never replaced a matchwinner like Arnie. For zero outlay EMCM is a perfectly acceptable risk. But to expect or simply just hope his contribution to replace Arnie's is completely fucking bonkers. |
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Post by trickydicky73 on Dec 17, 2017 12:47:48 GMT
Yes. Arnie carried our attacking threat for ages, in the same way that N'Zonzi carried our midfield. Arnie was much maligned, and wrongly so. People have tried to convince themselves that he isn't a big loss, but he really is.
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Post by trickydicky73 on Dec 17, 2017 12:50:05 GMT
Choupo is not a terrible player but to be honest given his size I find his lack of aggression intolerable. He's nothing like Arnie he wouldn't destroy any team. Completely agree I'm not scapegoating him - it's the management's fault that we never replaced a matchwinner like Arnie. For zero outlay EMCM is a perfectly acceptable risk. But to expect or simply just hope his contribution to replace Arnie's is completely fucking bonkers. Chopper is OK as a squad player, decent but nothing special. |
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Post by crapslinger on Dec 17, 2017 12:52:51 GMT
Yes. Arnie carried our attacking threat for ages, in the same way that N'Zonzi carried our midfield. Arnie was much maligned, and wrongly so. People have tried to convince themselves that he isn't a big loss, but he really is. Reminiscent to the situation with Huth and Zonz, the replacements have been third rate in every case, Berahino is a totally bizarre signing by Hughes. |
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Post by alster on Dec 17, 2017 12:54:06 GMT
Completely agree I'm not scapegoating him - it's the management's fault that we never replaced a matchwinner like Arnie. For zero outlay EMCM is a perfectly acceptable risk. But to expect or simply just hope his contribution to replace Arnie's is completely fucking bonkers. Chopper is OK as a squad player, decent but nothing special. I think he could be if he could find some aggression and show for the ball more in dangerous areas. He annoys me because he is nowhere near aggressive enough for a bloke of his size and also his play is very safe but that's a team problem. |
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Post by crapslinger on Dec 17, 2017 12:56:58 GMT
Completely agree I'm not scapegoating him - it's the management's fault that we never replaced a matchwinner like Arnie. For zero outlay EMCM is a perfectly acceptable risk. But to expect or simply just hope his contribution to replace Arnie's is completely fucking bonkers. Chopper is OK as a squad player, decent but nothing special. And he is replacement for Arnie another squad filler, no wonder we are so shit. |
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Post by alster on Dec 17, 2017 13:00:21 GMT
Chopper is OK as a squad player, decent but nothing special. And he is replacement for Arnie another squad filler, no wonder we are so shit. If Arnie is a squad filler maybe we should sign another 5 or 6 of them. |
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Post by estp1863 on Dec 17, 2017 13:01:21 GMT
Don't believe that Hughes thought it was a good idea to replace arnautovic with moting, if he did he's a fucking idiot.
This transfer team have a lot to answer for, if Hughes goes they all should go.
Scholes said every penny of the arnautovic money will be reinvested and we got a free agent in
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Post by crapslinger on Dec 17, 2017 13:01:25 GMT
Chopper is OK as a squad player, decent but nothing special. I think he could be if he could find some aggression and show for the ball more in dangerous areas. He annoys me because he is nowhere near aggressive enough for a bloke of his size and also his play is very safe but that's a team problem. Hardly safe is it we are shipping goals at an alarming rate, Moting is another in a long list of cheap third rate options. |
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Post by liamo on Dec 17, 2017 13:05:27 GMT
I think he could be if he could find some aggression and show for the ball more in dangerous areas. He annoys me because he is nowhere near aggressive enough for a bloke of his size and also his play is very safe but that's a team problem. Hardly safe is it we are shipping goals at an alarming rate, Moting is another in a long list of cheap third rate options. Even if we are being cheap, just look at Gray to Leicester, we should have been all over that There's no excuse for us not spending money but even on the cheap Hughes has done poor |
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Post by alster on Dec 17, 2017 13:07:02 GMT
I think he could be if he could find some aggression and show for the ball more in dangerous areas. He annoys me because he is nowhere near aggressive enough for a bloke of his size and also his play is very safe but that's a team problem. Hardly safe is it we are shipping goals at an alarming rate, Moting is another in a long list of cheap third rate options. No you're confusing what is happening with how we are trying to play they're not the same thing. We are trying to play in a very safety first way, we're just doing it really badly. |
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Post by crapslinger on Dec 17, 2017 13:11:24 GMT
Hardly safe is it we are shipping goals at an alarming rate, Moting is another in a long list of cheap third rate options. No you're confusing what is happening with how we are trying to play they're not the same thing. We are trying to play in a very safety first way, we're just doing it really badly. It is not confusing if this is playing safe I shudder to imagine how many we would concede playing expansively. |
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Post by oslostokie1 on Dec 17, 2017 14:09:02 GMT
This was well known wasn't it? Our plan was "give it to Arnie". Then we sold him and signed Choupo Moting. It's difficult to know how Hughes could have done a worse job. You can't blame Hughes for Arnie wanting to leave, or N'Zonzi for that matter. It's just so difficult to find like for like replacements within our budget and with our lack of pull as a club. I'm not sure you can blame Arnie either, as Shawcross would have left if he had become an Engand regular and as Butland and Shaqiri will want to leave within the next 1 year when Stoke has outlived its usefulness to them as a stepping stone in their careers. |
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Post by cousindupree on Dec 17, 2017 14:21:49 GMT
Arnie was always going to be very difficult to replace. We clearly haven't done that but his transfer delivered us over 20m to improve the first xi. That the recruitment team plus Hughes could only come up with a freebie (Choupo OK squad player but hasn't improved us) Jese (loan and of very little vale) and Wimmer (probably our worst CB) is little short of pathetic.
Like Arnie or loathe him he at least left us a legacy in cash and we have completely frittered it away instead of improving our first xi.
18m on Wimmer 18m on Imbula 12m on Berahino All signings done with apparently little or no due diligence. Hughes of course will carry the can and get fired and rightly so. However if Cartwright remains in a job I will be outraged.
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Post by slother on Dec 17, 2017 14:24:42 GMT
This was well known wasn't it? Our plan was "give it to Arnie". Then we sold him and signed Choupo Moting. It's difficult to know how Hughes could have done a worse job. You can't blame Hughes for Arnie wanting to leave, or N'Zonzi for that matter. It's just so difficult to find like for like replacements within our budget and with our lack of pull as a club. I'm not sure you can blame Arnie either, as Shawcross would have left if he had become an Engand regular and as Butland and Shaqiri will want to leave within the next 1 year when Stoke has outlived its usefulness to them as a stepping stone in their careers. I don't blame Arnie for wanting to leave. I don't blame Hughes for Arnie leaving. I don't blame NZonzi either. What's madness is signing Choupo-Moting and thinking that would repair the hole in our side Arnie left behind. |
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Post by johnnysoul60 on Dec 17, 2017 14:33:22 GMT
Certainly last season he was the difference between us and a relegation struggle .
He was very much at his best yesterday and showed how big a hole his departure has left , especially with such an average replacement.
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Post by oslostokie1 on Dec 17, 2017 14:36:22 GMT
You can't blame Hughes for Arnie wanting to leave, or N'Zonzi for that matter. It's just so difficult to find like for like replacements within our budget and with our lack of pull as a club. I'm not sure you can blame Arnie either, as Shawcross would have left if he had become an Engand regular and as Butland and Shaqiri will want to leave within the next 1 year when Stoke has outlived its usefulness to them as a stepping stone in their careers. I don't blame Arnie for wanting to leave. I don't blame Hughes for Arnie leaving. I don't blame NZonzi either. What's madness is signing Choupo-Moting and thinking that would repair the hole in our side Arnie left behind. Who would you have signed? Choupo is no Arnie but he hasn't been that bad. |
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Post by fca47 on Dec 17, 2017 14:36:31 GMT
He was one of the cracks. Looked decent against our terrible defensive set up, who hasn't. Got one, should have had four, sums him up.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2017 14:52:38 GMT
In a word. Yes.
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Post by NassauDave on Dec 17, 2017 15:14:38 GMT
He always did and always will be a player who plays when he wants to. For much of the season the lazy fuck chooses not to.
Lots of natural ability and a total mard arse fucking prick too.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2017 15:45:08 GMT
Don't believe that Hughes thought it was a good idea to replace arnautovic with moting, if he did he's a fucking idiot. This transfer team have a lot to answer for, if Hughes goes they all should go. Scholes said every penny of the arnautovic money will be reinvested and we got a free agent in It was he stuck it in a slot machine at bet365 |
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Post by liamo on Dec 17, 2017 15:47:00 GMT
Exposed the fact that we have a criminal lack of pace all over the pitch
Are we the slowest team in the whole football league?
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Post by oslostokie1 on Dec 17, 2017 15:51:20 GMT
He always did and always will be a player who plays when he wants to. For much of the season the lazy fuck chooses not to. Lots of natural ability and a total mard arse fucking prick too. But when he chooses to, he still turns it on more than those who try every game. |
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Post by kustokie on Dec 17, 2017 15:53:51 GMT
Players don’t just sign for another teams based on personal compensation because other factors play an important role, especially the quality of players around them. The same goes into the decision to leave. Arnie looked around him and decided that the squad didn’t have what it took to be successful and there were no signs they were going to sign players that would make things better. So he left, which made it even more difficult for Stoke to sign good players - it’s a slippery slope that takes teams into relegation.
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Post by Billy the kid on Dec 17, 2017 15:54:08 GMT
He was a terrific player for us, and let's be honest, we miss him badly. Even Arnie on a bad day could be the difference between 3pts or 0.
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