The Bigger Picture.

[somersetstokie]

The last week in British football has been quite remarkable with many surprise results, not least being Stoke's excellent and unexpected win at Swansea.

Now we have a chance to look back, it really was quite an amazing period which ever way you want to look at it, and shows us that in football there are no certainties and foregone conclusions. This is what makes the game so compelling for millions of people.

Tottenham were stunned in their home Champions League meeting with Bayern Munich and lost 7-2. Spurs Manager, Pochettino, has recently hinted that there may be dressing room issues behind the clubs recent struggles with some players having their own agendas. (Now where have we heard that before?).

Man City are clearly not at their best and lost at home to Wolves, although perhaps proving in this that injuries or key absentees can derail even the best of teams. (Come back soon Ryan!). In Scotland record breaking Celtic came up against a team that fought back and lost 2-0 to Livingston.

After 8 matches it is reasonably accepted that the Premier League table is starting to take shape, but this morning it has a very unfamiliar look about it. Leicester are threatening in the top four again. The aforementioned Tottenham are down in 9th place, despite their alleged stars. The once great Manchester Utd are faring even worse and are back in 12th position. And the usually consistent Everton are in the bottom three.

So we think that we have problems and are potentially heading for further decline. Well its never over till its over etc and we are surely going to see many twists and turns in this seasons plot before things are finally decided. We will have our chances to inflict more shock defeats and defy our critics. Performances can improve, luck can turn, fate will intervene in many ways, new stars may emerge. Its all in the mix and all sorts of surprises may be in store for us. Just look at what is happening elsewhere in the game and you will see that the bad stuff doesn't just happen to us. Have some confidence and belief. Back Nathan and the team and hope for a brighter future. COME ON STOKE!

[dutchstokie]

Oct 7, 2019 9:50:15 GMT somersetstokie said:

The last week in British football has been quite remarkable with many surprise results, not least being Stoke's excellent and unexpected win at Swansea.

Now we have a chance to look back, it really was quite an amazing period which ever way you want to look at it, and shows us that in football there are no certainties and foregone conclusions. This is what makes the game so compelling for millions of people.

Tottenham were stunned in their home Champions League meeting with Bayern Munich and lost 7-2. Spurs Manager, Pochettino, has recently hinted that there may be dressing room issues behind the clubs recent struggles with some players having their own agendas. (Now where have we heard that before?).

Man City are clearly not at their best and lost at home to Wolves, although perhaps proving in this that injuries or key absentees can derail even the best of teams. (Come back soon Ryan!). In Scotland record breaking Celtic came up against a team that fought back and lost 2-0 to Livingston.

After 8 matches it is reasonably accepted that the Premier League table is starting to take shape, but this morning it has a very unfamiliar look about it. Leicester are threatening in the top four again. The aforementioned Tottenham are down in 9th place, despite their alleged stars. The once great Manchester Utd are faring even worse and are back in 12th position. And the usually consistent Everton are in the bottom three.

So we think that we have problems and are potentially heading for further decline. Well its never over till its over etc and we are surely going to see many twists and turns in this seasons plot before things are finally decided. We will have our chances to inflict more shock defeats and defy our critics. Performances can improve, luck can turn, fate will intervene in many ways, new stars may emerge. Its all in the mix and all sorts of surprises may be in store for us. Just look at what is happening elsewhere in the game and you will see that the bad stuff doesn't just happen to us. Have some confidence and belief. Back Nathan and the team and hope for a brighter future. COME ON STOKE!

OK Peter !

[mickeythemaestro]

Well for what its worth I think that's a fair enough post.

I am certainly backing NJ anyway, however we all should because to have to get ANOTHER manager in now will add to our already numerous problems particularly from a financial point of view. FFP is going to hit us like a juggernaut whether we like it or not.

I am praying he can turn this around after that positive result at the weekend. We need a bit of fortune, less big mistakes and a steady increase in team morale. Hopefully this will now happen after a bad run of luck and form.

[somersetstokie]

The recent evidence shows that we just don't know what is around the corner. And to use a cliche, you are only as good as your last result. YAY!

[musik]

Oct 7, 2019 9:50:15 GMT somersetstokie said:

The last week in British football has been quite remarkable with many surprise results, not least being Stoke's excellent and unexpected win at Swansea.

Now we have a chance to look back, it really was quite an amazing period which ever way you want to look at it, and shows us that in football there are no certainties and foregone conclusions. This is what makes the game so compelling for millions of people.

Tottenham were stunned in their home Champions League meeting with Bayern Munich and lost 7-2. Spurs Manager, Pochettino, has recently hinted that there may be dressing room issues behind the clubs recent struggles with some players having their own agendas. (Now where have we heard that before?).

Man City are clearly not at their best and lost at home to Wolves, although perhaps proving in this that injuries or key absentees can derail even the best of teams. (Come back soon Ryan!). In Scotland record breaking Celtic came up against a team that fought back and lost 2-0 to Livingston.

After 8 matches it is reasonably accepted that the Premier League table is starting to take shape, but this morning it has a very unfamiliar look about it. Leicester are threatening in the top four again. The aforementioned Tottenham are down in 9th place, despite their alleged stars. The once great Manchester Utd are faring even worse and are back in 12th position. And the usually consistent Everton are in the bottom three.

So we think that we have problems and are potentially heading for further decline. Well its never over till its over etc and we are surely going to see many twists and turns in this seasons plot before things are finally decided. We will have our chances to inflict more shock defeats and defy our critics. Performances can improve, luck can turn, fate will intervene in many ways, new stars may emerge. Its all in the mix and all sorts of surprises may be in store for us. Just look at what is happening elsewhere in the game and you will see that the bad stuff doesn't just happen to us. Have some confidence and belief. Back Nathan and the team and hope for a brighter future. COME ON STOKE!

12th as I predicted this season (because of the lack of a high quality striker) might be a another good top three achievement in the prediction table again then.