Thoughts for the Season Ahead

[blackpoolred]

Interested to hear peoples thoughts. A lot tipping us again for play-offs and even 1st spot again, but also a lot not as optimistic as last year. More interested to know why you think we will finish 1st or last and the reasons – for me:

Positives:
We have competition for a defensive position, it has taken a few years, but we have what looks to be 2 decent right-backs competing for a place.

Butland could actually be staying and Etebo may also still be with us in September.

We have an enthusiastic infectious manager who seems to have a plan and a vision for our club. He has seen right through the players who are uninterested and think they are too good to play in the championship and for Stoke and banned the bloody lot of em from training and as a result we seem to have what looks like a fantastic team spirit.

Negatives:
Defensively, apart from the right side, we have no strength in depth and now we have lost our captain making it even direr. We seem to be pinning a lot of our hopes on Mclean on the left of defence a bit like we did with Diouf(on the right-side of defence) in our relegation season – all a bit bizarre.

Needed some pace and Rottweiler’s in a midfield that was overrun and pedestrian at times last year and not sure we have got either.

Attacking wise we struggled last year and have not improved on what we already have and not sure we have much creativity/pace in the team to supply the strikers.

Overall:
We have a better team spirit than last year but possibly less talent, signings look bit average and a manager that looked out of his depth in this league last year and struggled to field a team that could score a goal or win a match – averaging less than a point a game and winning 3 matches in his first stint here.

What has changed? Certainly a lot of new faces and let us hope that he has somehow managed to build a team – team being the operative word. We were told by the club that we would be taking a risk by buying less high profile players that are hungry - and a risk it is, especially given our new managers lack of experience.

I have that gut feeling that we are in for a fall, but I am hoping we come out with all guns blazing and get a pleasant surprise – somewhere between bottom and 12th for me, with anything from 40 – 60pts

A relatively negative prediction from me, but just being honest, and a prediction based on our performances and stats in the 2nd half of last season under our new manager and also based on our new signings.

Anybody agree with me or think we can do better – full explanations, please.

[Deleted]

Aug 3, 2019 6:18:57 GMT blackpoolred said:

Interested to hear peoples thoughts. 

If you're interested in other people's thoughts why not read the several other threads on exactly the same subject...

[realstokebloke]

The prećis: 6/10

(The dog needs a walk, so maybe explanations later.)

[slother]

9th at Christmas, 3rd at the end of the season.

[Deleted]

Top half maybe, I think we'll struggle to make the playoffs. Last season killed any optimism of a quick return to the premier league for me.

[Deleted]

Not really impressed with signings so far sadly ...seems everything is based on attitude this season (hoping that’s not just a cop out for saving money)
How things are I’d be reasonably happy with mid table finish

Im fully behind the manager this season so, my negative vibes are more directed at the board.

on saying that I hope I’ll be eating my words and be blown away by the performance today and my travel back up the m6 leaves a smile on my face for a change

[owdestokie2]

Bring it on.   

[thisisouryear]

I think we will make top 4. Leeds, Fulham and Cardiff likely to be our main threats.

[xchpotter]

If no one else is brought in, I. E. Striker, CDM, left back then play offs at best, but in reality mid table mediocrity.

Season 2020-2021 will be the one.

PS.. hope I'm wrong and we smash it this year.

[Deleted]

Still not impressed with the squad. I really don't have a clue as to where we'll finish. There certainly doesn't seem to be a lot of pace in the squad. Hopefully two or three of the academy lads will shine. Good luck to em anyway!

[wrighter]

Im highly optimistic
NJ now has HIS team to play his way
Hoping for top 6

[vahl]

Top 6

Forget the media and pundits, it's just hype and we need to build our own thing for a push.

[questionable]

I honestly haven’t got the foggiest what I’m expecting in truth.

Obviously I’m hoping we’re going to storm the league with fast attractive football and the the old bear pit atmosphere returning, with this season paving the way for NJ to become a Stoke legend.

The realist in me can’t look beyond NJ’s record so far, what was it 3 wins from 18 doesn’t get the pulse racing does it.

Then there’s the “my team”, given the incomings so far and the total lack of specialist players for the cringily worded diamond formation it’s obvious it’s a bungled put together half arsed approach.

My prediction therefore would be in or around tenth position with Jones either imploding completely or a certain person covering his own arse again by sacking another manager

[pulismaskreplica]

10th at best - really underwhelmed with everything Stoke. Not looking forward to another season of frustration and wouldn’t be surprised if we lose against QPR today. Although lots of changes to the squad I don’t think it’s good or strong enough to make the top 6.

[neddy]

Just effing do eeet Pulis sorry I mean Jones!! 😀😀

[Billy the kid]

For me it's a tough one, on paper we have significantly downgraded the playing staff (not that it was up to much before hand), a new system that only works with pace, something that this team has a severe lack of. The managers 3 wins in 18 from last season, and some piss poor clueless performances against some bang average teams.

Then you listen to NJ and he sounds weirdly confident yet humble at the same time, cool as a cucumber and has that reassuring tone in his voice and suddenly I'm sat thinking this could just work.

But what do I know, one thing is for sure im glad the season starts today, it's been boring, and wouldn't it be nice if we got a penalty and actually scored it today.

Stoke 2 QPR 1

[thisisouryear]

Aug 3, 2019 8:36:01 GMT questionable said:

I honestly haven’t got the foggiest what I’m expecting in truth.

Obviously I’m hoping we’re going to storm the league with fast attractive football and the the old bear pit atmosphere returning, with this season paving the way for NJ to become a Stoke legend.

The realist in me can’t look beyond NJ’s record so far, what was it 3 wins from 18 doesn’t get the pulse racing does it.

Then there’s the “my team”, given the incomings so far and the total lack of specialist players for the cringily worded diamond formation it’s obvious it’s a bungled put together half arsed approach.

My prediction therefore would be in or around tenth position with Jones either imploding completely or a certain person covering his own arse again by sacking another manager

A top half finish is a must, even if this season doesn't go to plan we want some improvement. He is a young manager so will still be learning but having Hart behind him will help him develop too. Doing what he did with Luton can't be a fluke so we just need to get behind him. Whatever issues he has i am sure he will address them given enough time. 

[CBUFAWKIPWH]

Good post - but I don't share your pessimism...

I agree with your positives, the need for at least one rottweiler in the middle of the park, that technically we are weaker (which I think is inevitable given where we are) and that we look like we have more direction and purpose. I think where we might differ is whether the dip in quality will drag down the improvement in teamwork. I think it could well be the other way round - if we improve as a team it will more than outweigh the drop in individual quality and a big part of our downfall was the over emphasis on "star" players and under estimation of the importance of good character and teamwork.

I've also got a funny feeling McClean at leftback might work out in this formation - but that in part may be down to schadenfreude on my part with respect to the anti-McClean brigade.

I'm going for a play off place - but then I'm an often disappointed optimist...

[Deleted]

I think we'll finish somewhere between 6th to 10th this season with a slight hope of the play offs but ultimately missing out by about 5 points.

Season 20-21- is when I think we'll finally be ready for a full tilt at promotion and maybe go up via the play offs.

[cousindupree]

There really hasn't been the Jones revolution in terms of new players. We will line up today with many of the players that under performed last season and with the same combo up front of Afobe and Vokes who fired so many duds.
The defence is about the same having lost Ryan and adding Smith and Lindsay.
As for creativity, so much relies on Powell and that's a worry. Etebo and Allen's assist and goal stats last season were awful. Will it be any better in the much fabled diamond? Well the key components are Cousins Smith McClean Etebo Allen and Poweell. Not sure they are all great picks for such key positions.
I am expecting a slight improvement on last season, it's hard to see us drawing so many games again, so maybe 10th. If we ditch the diamond and play a system better suited to the better players we have then maybe a tilt at the final play off places.
As for the teams for promotion...
Leeds have the best manager by some distance and good players and wont screw up this time
Fulham have the best players, many who impressed in this league 2 seasons ago.
Cardiff WBA Derby Brentford for the playoffs
Interesting that both Leeds and Fulham have used the loan market very astutely. It's an important part of recruitment at this level and Jones seems to bizarrely be against it.

[dreamtheater]

Promotion - i.e. a great wrong, righted

[Deleted]

Win today then struggle as the diamond formation fails to work,Jones under pressure by xmas, we'll see what he's made of.

[thebet365]

I'm expecting us to be amongst the play off pack. Last season has no bearing on this 1. New style, new formation, new players and a clean slate.

The James Mcclean at LB is my 1 real worry.

[numberounominion]

Do everything on the cheap, from player recruitment to catering.

Whack up the price of match day tickets by 12 per cent. While spend the bare minimum to stay in the league and running down the ridiculous contracts for the deadwood.

Stay in the championship with the minimum of expense ( just!) this season.


Will be interesting to see how long the board can carry on doing a Sunderland, without actually doing a Sunderland!

[tony1234]

Highly pragmatic and effective work from NJ over the summer to address the foundations of the squad: attitude, work ethic, integrity, experience and togetherness

Feels like it hasn't got enough incisiveness, quality or varity to make a full on tilt at the play offs for me - am expecting us to do well in possession, but end up with lots of draws where we were the team on the up. But without doing what he's done, it would have been a case of building on quicksand. Be interesting to see how far this group get. Adding more players that make a difference will come later. Maybe they are amongst us already, with the likes of Campbell and Ince - the gauntlet has been put down for these guys now to displace NJ's tried and trusted pros.

Sense patience is needed. Am expecting a 10th-14th finish, but perhaps starting slowly over the first 5-10 games given how many players to integrate and then improvements when more flair is incrementally added in Jan and beyond perhaps.

Its a 2+ year project for me - and a very tough one. Barring a catastrophe and implosion, or full on idiocy, will be doing that very Stoke pursuit of "monitoring" NJ and trying to wrestle with the inevitable frustrations that will ensue on this journey.

Good luck lads!

[davelistersdad]

Win today we'll walk the league. 100+ points.

Lose, well, its league one for us.

[berahinosgoals]

Hard to guess with the window still open.

3 good quality signings off a serious promotion bid for me

[dannymadeley30]

Have not changed my view that we will struggle, I thought before a ball was kicked that Luton might be one of the 3 or 4 to finish below us but after seeing them last night, they have much more about them than we do.

[Bojan Mackey]

17th.

At an absolute maximum.