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Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2017 12:16:42 GMT
At the halfway stage - or just past it
weve played our first opponent twice this season (WBA) fluked a win and, got a point at Huddersfield
And, we've won five out of the ten games we need to stay in this league
BUT where does this really leave us ?
To my eyes literally, living game to game - having previously cemented premir league status some ways back,
we now live right on the edge of the abyss and its seemingly acceptable
I particularly dislike the way we fall back and defend second half at home -every game now - we win the toss and condemn our supporters to watch the majority of the game unfold toward the away support end and,
in own own half
NOT GOOD ENOUGH
The club owners have backed the manager to the hilt (which is good perhaps) whereas, the supporters question this
I question it too - I remain rather unhappy with the whole thing right now
Team selection
team play
transfers
tactics
substitutions
far - far too many silly mistakes being made, week in week out - to leave us where we are - playing the way we are
its not bad luck or bad decisions either
BUT its not wrong to expect better
and I for one, expect much, much better
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Post by Davef on Dec 27, 2017 12:18:59 GMT
How did we fluke a win against West Brom exactly?
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Post by riccyfuller93 on Dec 27, 2017 12:20:00 GMT
How did we fluke a win against West Brom exactly? We didn't, but they were definitely bossing us around for large periods of the game. |
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Post by Laughing Gravy on Dec 27, 2017 12:23:14 GMT
How did we fluke a win against West Brom exactly? We didn't, but they were definitely bossing us around for large periods of the game. As they always did in the Pulis era but we never said that we'd 'fluked' the wins against them then. |
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Post by alster on Dec 27, 2017 12:23:29 GMT
How did we fluke a win against West Brom exactly? They totally dominated the game on all measures except goals scored. When you get dominated so badly the outcome will generally be different. That's why results are so bad because we seem totally unable to assert ourselves on a game no matter what the opposition. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2017 12:24:28 GMT
How did we fluke a win against West Brom exactly? We sat back and invited them on second half - these days we always do it was desparate stuff they had plenty of chances - ball bouncing around in our penalty area like a pin ball machine at times - second half and for once, we finally broke away to deliver the sucker punch it was a poor way to win a game of football against such rank poor opposition |
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Post by Davef on Dec 27, 2017 12:26:11 GMT
How did we fluke a win against West Brom exactly? we sat back and invited them on second half - these days we always do it was desparate stuff they had plenty of chances and for once, we finally broke away to give the sucker punch it was a poor way to win a game of football against such poor opposition Fair enough. It was hardly a fluke though. West Brom are also a poor side and we did score a couple of very good goals. |
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Post by riccyfuller93 on Dec 27, 2017 12:27:32 GMT
We didn't, but they were definitely bossing us around for large periods of the game. As they always did in the Pulis era but we never said that we'd 'fluked' the wins against them then. There has been many times where I and others have said we have fluked wins when the other teams been better. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2017 12:29:44 GMT
When did we last take a team to task and ask serious questions for an entire half playing into our home end ?
answer - we are not capable of doing that this season
not even against teams we should be 'wiping the floor with' if, we were any good
My son sits in the home end - hes thinking of switching his season ticket to the south stand so, he'll maybe get to see more of our team actually attacking the opponent
because we can only do this for one half - and its usually the first
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Post by alster on Dec 27, 2017 12:30:13 GMT
As they always did in the Pulis era but we never said that we'd 'fluked' the wins against them then. There has been many times where I and others have said we have fluked wins when the other teams been better. Even Pulisball dominated on occasions now we dominate nobody, utterly pathetic. |
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Post by scfc75 on Dec 27, 2017 12:32:51 GMT
We're one of many very average teams Tone. Every other team currently in our situation (10 or 11 maybe) are all making the same silly mistakes. Those that don't make as many get closer or in the top 6 briefly (Southampton in the past, Everton and Leicester recently, Burnley currently) but then they fall back at some point because it's difficult to sustain over a long period. Even if we get most of it right, and finish 7th - we will still just be existing and will simply be the best of the rest. 7th for us is an amazing season. How wank is that.
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Post by benjaminbiscuit on Dec 27, 2017 12:34:19 GMT
There has been many times where I and others have said we have fluked wins when the other teams been better. Even Pulisball dominated on occasions now we dominate nobody, utterly pathetic. Comes down to the engine room , he clearly wanted Delph and or lemina and was presented with 12.million -in -the - bank who has been no help at all . |
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Post by redstriper on Dec 27, 2017 12:35:46 GMT
The same posters who spent the previous three weeks saying we were certain to get relegated and moaned about every single aspect of the club... not so certain now are you ?
so trying to shift the stance a bit...
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Post by alster on Dec 27, 2017 12:37:30 GMT
When did we last take a team to task and ask serious questions for an entire half playing inot our home end ? my son sits in the home end - hes thinking of switching his season ticket to the south stand so he'll maybe get to see more of our team actually attacking We've only dominated in two halves of football in a year home to Leicester away to Sunderland both last season and we(Mark Hughes) even managed to fuck one of those games up. Says it all about our level of performance that two halves of football stand out so clearly, Our football is of another era we're trying to rely on technique when everyone else is playing with pace and power, yes technique is important but it doesn't stand up on its own. Physically our team just isn't competitive. |
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Post by davejohnno1 on Dec 27, 2017 12:37:53 GMT
I do believe it leaves us in 13th place with 20 points.
Beyond that, everything else is conjecture and opinion.
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Post by alster on Dec 27, 2017 12:40:02 GMT
We're one of many very average teams Tone. Every other team currently in our situation (10 or 11 maybe) are all making the same silly mistakes. Those that don't make as many get closer or in the top 6 briefly (Southampton in the past, Everton and Leicester recently, Burnley currently) but then they fall back at some point because it's difficult to sustain over a long period. Even if we get most of it right, and finish 7th - we will still just be existing and will simply be the best of the rest. 7th for us is an amazing season. How wank is that. Its just fine and really exciting if you achieve it playing good attacking football and having some very satisfying wins. Problem for us is we're playing really poor football that's awful to watch and even on the rare occasion we do win it feels hollow. |
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Post by alster on Dec 27, 2017 12:42:39 GMT
Even Pulisball dominated on occasions now we dominate nobody, utterly pathetic. Comes down to the engine room , he clearly wanted Delph and or lemina and was presented with 12.million -in -the - bank who has been no help at all . I agree but if he had anything about him and he wasn't being backed he should have walked. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2017 12:43:20 GMT
Davejohnno1 ----- A point a game then
thats 38 ( hopefully)
and hopefully, it'll be enough
whoopey fuckingdoo
fucking great eh ?
is this what we aspire to ?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2017 12:44:48 GMT
Halfway through the season, halfway through the 40 points tally for survival.
I feel like fans just want the season to end as soon as possible to regroup in the summer, and for us to scramble through to get enough points to stay up until then. There's very little enjoyment to Stoke at the moment on the pitch, people are looking at teams around us and already calculating their results and fixtures runs to see how it affects our chances of staying up - in December. It's all rather worrying.
The issue, or rather my worry, is that if Hughes keeps us up then he'll get another crack at the 18/19 season with a summer window to "fix" the squad problems. People dream of a regroup in the summer but if Coates doesn't see the season so far as a worry, and West Brom was deemed to make Hughes' position far more secure, then I can't see him sacking Hughes if we finish mid-table again.
The only way I could see us switching manager now is if we were to be relegated, so what we see each weekend could well be "it" for us in the Premier League now, which is a depressing thought because it just isn't fun to watch. I'm not saying I expect us to be a Spurs or Liverpool, but there has to be some element of entertainment to what's essentially a hobby - moving up a table isn't all football should be about. I totally get those who experience football as a social or family event with kids, friends and so forth and how that will never leave them regardless of what goes on during the game - but for everyone else, the will to watch us is waning.
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Post by scfc75 on Dec 27, 2017 12:46:18 GMT
Dave johnno ----- A point a game then thats 38 ( hopefully) and hopefully, it'll be enough fucking great eh ? is this what we aspire to ? I honestly think our only target is to stay up, and has been from the first game. It's the only explanation I can give as to why he is still in a job. |
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Post by alster on Dec 27, 2017 12:50:43 GMT
Halfway through the season, halfway through the 40 points tally for survival. I feel like fans just want the season to end as soon as possible to regroup in the summer, and for us to scramble through to get enough points to stay up until then. There's very little enjoyment to Stoke at the moment on the pitch, people are looking at teams around us and already calculating their results and fixtures runs to see how it affects our chances of staying up - in December. It's all rather worrying. The issue, or rather my worry, is that if Hughes keeps us up then he'll get another crack at the 18/19 season with a summer window to "fix" the squad problems. People dream of a regroup in the summer but if Coates doesn't see the season so far as a worry, and West Brom was deemed to make Hughes' position far more secure, then I can't see him sacking Hughes if we finish mid-table again. The only way I could see us switching manager now is if we were to be relegated, so what we see each weekend could well be "it" for us in the Premier League now, which is a depressing thought because it just isn't fun to watch. I'm not saying I expect us to be a Spurs or Liverpool, but there has to be some element of entertainment to what's essentially a hobby - moving up a table isn't all football should be about. I totally get those who experience football as a social or family event with kids, friends and so forth and how that will never leave them regardless of what goes on during the game - but for everyone else, the will to watch us is waning. Very depressing choice more of the same or relegation. Must admit it's a horrible thought but if that's the choice I'm leaning towards relegation there's only so much of this shit you can stomach and I think I'm just about full. |
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Post by jeycov on Dec 27, 2017 12:50:45 GMT
Even Pulisball dominated on occasions now we dominate nobody, utterly pathetic. Comes down to the engine room , he clearly wanted Delph and or lemina and was presented with 12.million -in -the - bank who has been no help at all . These players have to WANT to come here and be affordable |
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Post by stokeson on Dec 27, 2017 12:53:12 GMT
Another post on how bad it is when we won a must win game at a vital point in the season and drew an away game at a club who are really up for it at home. I must be a fool to think we are turning a corner after a bad spell of injuries..
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Post by davejohnno1 on Dec 27, 2017 12:54:39 GMT
Davejohnno1 ----- A point a game then thats 38 ( hopefully) and hopefully, it'll be enough whoopey fuckingdoo fucking great eh ? is this what we aspire to ? Clearly not. We all know the aspirations of the club and the manager...more points than previous season and finishes in top half of table. We are falling short of those aspirations, clearly. |
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Post by alster on Dec 27, 2017 12:56:38 GMT
Comes down to the engine room , he clearly wanted Delph and or lemina and was presented with 12.million -in -the - bank who has been no help at all . These players have to WANT to come here and be affordable The facts are that they were interested enough in coming here to come to the club for talks etc. If they're that interested you need people who convince them the rest of the way. We had a negative spend in the Summer and wages as a %age of turnover fell to 60 odd % very sustainable of course we could fucking afford them and more. |
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Post by LL Cool Dave on Dec 27, 2017 13:08:36 GMT
we now live right on the edge of the abyss and its seemingly acceptable Can you be a bit more over dramatic next time, please. |
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Post by LL Cool Dave on Dec 27, 2017 13:11:00 GMT
Even Pulisball dominated on occasions now we dominate nobody, utterly pathetic. Comes down to the engine room , he clearly wanted Delph and or lemina and was presented with 12.million -in -the - bank who has been no help at all . What? |
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Post by FullerMagic on Dec 27, 2017 13:12:07 GMT
You could sack him and he could have no complaints.
But, short-term and longer-term, there is such a lot of junk in the bottom half - we fit in quite well into what is a cesspit of mediocrity.
Last 9 games form
11 Watford 9 3 1 5 12:14 -2 10
12 West Ham 9 2 3 4 11:15 -4 9
13 Stoke City 9 2 2 5 10:19 -9 8
14 Huddersfield 9 2 2 5 10:19 -9 8
15 Bournemouth 9 1 4 4 11:17 -6 7
16 Southampton 9 1 3 5 11:19 -8 6
17 Brighton 9 1 3 5 4:14 -10 6
18 West Brom 9 0 5 4 5:13 -8 5
19 Swansea 9 1 2 6 4:18 -14 5
20 Newcastle 8 1 1 6 9:19 -10 4
2017 Calendar year form
01 Man City 38 94
02 Spurs 40 87
03 Chelsea 39 86
04 Man Utd 39 76
05 Arsenal 39 72
06 Liverpool 39 71
07 Everton 39 61
08 Leicester 39 51
09 Burnley 39 50
10 Palace 39 43
11 Stoke City 39 43
12 Watford 40 43
13 Swansea 39 42
14 Southampton 39 41
15 West Ham 39 41
16 Bournemouth 39 39
17 West Brom 39 34
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Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2017 13:53:22 GMT
- 'we fit in quite well into what is a cesspit of mediocrity.'
and I've just been accused above of being 'over dramatic'
(wink)
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Post by stokiekm on Dec 27, 2017 13:56:20 GMT
How did we fluke a win against West Brom exactly? We sat back and invited them on second half - these days we always do it was desparate stuff they had plenty of chances - ball bouncing around in our penalty area like a pin ball machine at times - second half and for once, we finally broke away to deliver the sucker punch it was a poor way to win a game of football against such rank poor opposition give it a rest |
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