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Post by GeordieDave on Jun 15, 2008 10:08:08 GMT
Like all Stokies I'm nevervously awaiting a flurry of signings and the plethora of rumours related to SCFC not actually materialising into signings is both frustrating and ever so slightly demoralising. Especially when we all know our 1st XI that finished THAT game on the 4th May (six weeks ago today!) wont resemble anything like our starting XI in mid-August. My own guesstimate is we'll see at least FIVE new faces in the team, and perhaps even six.
For the first time in six weeks some negativity returns to the board and posts entitled "underwhelmed" and "not impressed" start to appear all bemoaning our lack of activity.
Whist I'm as disappointed as the next man that five 10M players havent arrived I think its only fair that people apply a degree of common sense and logic before shouting mouths off at the club failing or pissing about. I'm fairly certain Pulis, Scholes, Rudge, PC and our entire scouting network are busting balls at the moment to scure signatures and its a given new players will arrive ....
I think its important to understand a few things and to put in perspective the magnitide of the task we have.
Firstly the club is entering the unknown. Whilst there will be some commonality in the PL a lot of the agents, hangers-on, Chairman and managers will be a whole new ball game to those at SCFC. Its only natural that things take time. We're not afraid to use agents as financial stats have proved the last two seasons but one imagines TP has agents in his network that he trusts. Some of these might not have the calibre of player we now need and he'll have to meet/greet new agents now on a daily basis.
Secondly. The fiscal side. Unless I'm wrong PC wasnt presented with a 62M cheque on the 4th May. The newspapers blow the value of promotion out of all proportion. I imagine the club hasnt yet felt any benefit of promotion other than perhaps the huge increase in ST revenues and merchandise. The TV money probably kicks in when the season kicks off and the other 30M was two parachute payments if relegated. The club is already probably spending 000s on upgrading the Brit and making the necessary improvements just to compete in the PL. I imagine 5M on Muamba would wipe out any upside on promotion thus far. Food for thought perhaps. To sign players PC needs to speaks to banks and instutions to leverage cash and/or dig deep. He has a legacy of digging deep since his return but its fair to say he'll have to dig deep to unprecedented levels of personal financial risk to just sign one player at the moment.
Thirdly, and perhaps most significantly most player contracts run until 30th June. Thats those players out of contract. The market really heats up from 1st July onwards so perhaps the time to worry is the 15th July, not June. I'm strugglig to think of half a dozen transactions across the 20 PL teams thus far this pre-season. Stoke are not unique. And unlike WBA and Hull we havent lost anyone of any real significance whereas WBA have seemingly lost Gera and Phillips and Hull Okocha and Campbell. Stoke's only player of loan status that started the Leicester game was Nash. A good thing, a very good thing IMO.
Finally Stoke. Good old Stoke. Our club. But not the worlds most glamarous location or club. PLayers want to be in London if arriving from overseas and most players will think long and hard before signing as like it or not, we're odds on to be relegated. All the stats suggest this, as does common sense. Although this poster thinks we might just stay up as we're a lot, lot harder to beat than people think and TP has instilled a magical spirit. Fuck, we're like Croatia. On and off the pitch. Without the passing of course. Players dont want to sign for three years with a club that might spend two of those outside the PL. Pulis will be looking for players with that kind of commitment and the likes of Whitehead are just the sort of players TP will want/need.
Its a complicated situation. Think twice before saying Pulis/Scholes/PC/Rudge have their heads up there own arses.
And if, like me, you live outside the city, you'll know the expectation at Newcastle and even Sunderland now is ten times greater, and at the time of writing neither side had made a signing.
The end. Rant over.
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Post by chell_rosey on Jun 15, 2008 10:12:22 GMT
Nicely put. Well thought out. I like this post.  |
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Post by leeklad on Jun 15, 2008 10:12:37 GMT
Impressive Geordiedave well said have a karma
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Post by congletonstoke on Jun 15, 2008 10:15:37 GMT
Couldn't have put it better myself
Karma
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Post by roloman on Jun 15, 2008 10:28:51 GMT
Bloody hell. That is sensible. Every body should read this post and digest it well. Nice one GD.  |
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Post by wizzardofdribble on Jun 15, 2008 10:45:13 GMT
Fine post Geordie have some karma
A mate of mine told me (apart from the fact that Villa -away, is our first game in the Prem-a week ago-which I duly posted on here) that the Club are in no rush to sign players because the players we bring in will be on 25,000 - 40,000 per-week, and we would have to start paying them that staight away...by the start of the season we would have paid out millions.
There are players in the wings and they will be signed in a months time or so
The message is...DON'T PANIC...
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Post by redrob on Jun 15, 2008 11:47:35 GMT
Good post agree with all of that. Theres no panic from me yet, Ive got that penciled in for the last week of July.
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Post by GeordieDave on Jun 15, 2008 11:52:16 GMT
Good post agree with all of that. Theres no panic from me yet, Ive got that penciled in for the last week of July. Me too fella. Same every year with Stoke! |
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Post by trebor63 on Jun 15, 2008 12:49:32 GMT
Spot on GD!
Last year was the same too I remmeber many PHWs saying how the previous years campaign had been built on sand and that TP would do well to avoid relegation etc.
In any organisation stability and good direction start atn the top and luckily for us TP and PC have a fantastic working relationship and are both extremely good at their jobs.
GGGOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRNNNNNNNNNNNNSTOKE
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Post by GeordieDave on Jun 15, 2008 13:06:40 GMT
Spot on GD! Last year was the same too I remmeber many PHWs saying how the previous years campaign had been built on sand and that TP would do well to avoid relegation etc. In any organisation stability and good direction start atn the top and luckily for us TP and PC have a fantastic working relationship and are both extremely good at their jobs. GGGOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRNNNNNNNNNNNNSTOKE In all honesty Trebor I was a PHW making the same statements although I'd like to think not with the same velocity, angst and hatred as more "extreme" vociferous PHWs. To finish 8th with a squad that was heavily dependent on temporary, loan signings and THEN fashion a second spot finish the season after ranks as the greatest ever achievement by any SCFC manager in my opinion. I'm still pinching myself and like many PHWs never, ever thought it possible. Its with this in mind, that Ive actually started to concede and believe that TP (and PC) know what they are doing. Apply common sense to that and you get my original post. Ive never particularly liked TP but Ive always felt reasonably comfortable in the knowledge that he has an ability to pull rabbits from hats when least expecting it. |
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Post by themightyboosh on Jun 15, 2008 13:10:13 GMT
completly agree with everythin uve said have sum karma
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Post by crowey on Jun 15, 2008 14:18:15 GMT
......not rocket science. Sign five players before the start of the season = 100k pw
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Post by lancer on Jun 15, 2008 14:24:44 GMT
Smashing post GD. A lot of sense spoken there, mate, All facts and well put. I'm not too bothered thatwe've made no siginigs yet. I want GOOD signings, not RUSHED signings. Trust TP. PC, and co to do whats needd.
Can't ait for the fixtures tomorrow!
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Post by GeordieDave on Jun 16, 2008 8:00:25 GMT
......not rocket science. Sign five players before the start of the season = 100k pw Ive never felt we "delay" signings to keep them off the wage bill for a few weeks. That kind of transfer policy is suicide. Parkin & Pericard both signed within a few days of the "new" pre-season circa two years ago from memory. |
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