once more sleepwalking into the wilderness

[ted1965]

The decline continues at an alarming rate but here we go again with a manager seeing what he wants to see on game day. We are like Stock, Aitken Waterman, the sae tune, slightly different worlds but sung by different singers sadly we are definitely not a hit factory but only a letter out.

I know if you look at statistics you can make a case for the managers comments but seriously dominating possession and other stats means absolutely noticing the only stat that matters is the final score. Nothing changes irrespective who the manager is, the same schoolboy errors, the same weakness of body and mind cost us soft goals. If we lose because the other team have been too good for us, it hurts but you can accept it, if they win the game without actually having to play well that is unacceptable.

MON while he couldn’t push the club forward to where we all want to be did a very solid job as manager, he worked to improve the clubs off the field position and at times looked capable of moving us forward on the field as well. He cleared the club of useless free loaders and gave them the opportunity to rebuild and take the club forward.

That sadly isn’t what has happened but how can average but competent managers suddenly become clueless rabbits caught in the headlights of the train wreck that is Stoke City right now. Neil while not the most inspiring manager was a reasonable anager at this level, jones is a baskey case but still showed he was capable at this level with medium sized club Luton, they have thrived and gone forward we like him have floundered and are sinking fast.

Rowett was and is an arrogant but compettant manager at this level but being manager od Stoke City right now seems to be the equivalent of being out for the evening meeting a aspiring top model in drink only to find she turned into Wayne Rooney’s ugly twin sister the next morning laying in ayour bed.

What is the connecting dots to all of these tragedies and sadly it seems to be those choosing the managers and recruiting the players. John Coates is clearly a massive Stoke City supporter and it must hurt his heart watching us play right now, so why wont he step away from the everyday running of the club and find people who are able to do the job competently.

Please John be a supporter and enjoy the matches and let someone else organize and develop the day to day running of this club before its too late, if we haven’t reached that point already. The almost total unwillingness to look beyond the Britain to find a manager has left us floundering in waters increasingly deepening. I know people are going to say well he approached QSF or NES but even if he was serious he couldn’t get either to actually take the job so who cares.

We need creditable football people in te club I don’t care where they are from as long as they are the best available and then let them get on with the task. People ask why can’t Stoke be run like BET365, a company that has made the Coates family rich beyond their wildest dreams but in recent times the Stoke City branch of the company has looked more like Fred Scuttles circus.

Should SS be sacked, not sure what we will gain by doing so but with 33 points still available surely we must try something different because sadly it just isn’t working out and he looks a broken confused man right now. If they do pull the trigger again the ultimate question is who the hell would they appoint as manager for those remaining games.
At least Martin won’t be part of the process but would it result in anything better I have no idea and frankly many no longer seem to care which should worry all concerned. Once apathy becomes reality the club will sink faster than a stone.

Many of us older sadists have been here before, seen the league one or division three as it really is before and we know there is no easy road back from that wilderness. This could get far worse before it gets any better and that is the truly worrying aspect of the tragedy that is playing out before us.

If they brought in a firefighter till the end of the season and threw a million at him and said save us, it only papers over the cracks assuming that he could get some fight out of our squad right now. We are in decline and I am not sure who could even come to our rescue. The defence is lightweight and doesn’t scream solidity which is what we need right now, the goalkeeper simply isn’t what we needed Travers was a cut above but I wonder did they even try to get him back or did he simply say no thanks when asked. Our forward look about as effective as a eunuch in a brothel given all the opportunities but simply not having the equipment to enjoy the chances they are given.

I believe we can still escape because it’s still not hopeless given we are just inside the bottom 3 on goal difference with 11 games to go but looking at the fixtures and the total lack of form and capabilities displayed at both ends of the field right now it looks unlikely.

We were promised a root and branch reset afrer relegation we got a change of manager it wasn’t enough then and it isn’t enough now because the club is slowly stagnating and unless something dramatic happens on and off the field it wont get any better in the near future.

[danceswithclams]

Coates Out.

[jay1610]

I don’t think we’re “slowly stagnating”.

We are pretty much dead in the water at this point.

[clivey05]

John Coates is about to oversee 2 relegations in 7 years, he HAS to step away from the major football decision making at the club. We wanted Scholes out, we wanted Cartwright out, want wanted Martin out, but nothing improves as Coates has this unique ability of somehow appointing someone even worse than who was in the role previously.
This is not a Coates out post, but he needs a proper director of football to run the club on his behalf, not just appoint someone who the manager knows, but has no actual experience of the role that’s needed.

[karl]

Our goal difference could get us relegated on its own. We need goals.

[Stokyo]

Coates Out.

Peter and John have mismanaged this club for 7 years, constant demise. It's like they are trying to run this club into the ground.

I can hear the chomping sounds of the gravity croc.

[jebbstuart]

We stagnate because we still have not moved on from the early 2000's, the game changes so you have to adapt Stoke are luddite and get what they deserve. We have complete re-sets and get worse. we need change from top to bottom but it becomes harder ever time as we still going backwards.

[silsdenstokie]

Feb 25, 2024 10:13:41 GMT Stokyo said:

Coates Out.

Peter and John have mismanaged this club for 7 years, constant demise. It's like they are trying to run this club into the ground.

I can hear the chomping sounds of the gravity croc.

Its sad really that their legacy is going to be taking us to the 3rd tier 3 times, rather than 10 yrs in the PL, FA cup final etc

[swampySCFC]

All the recent games have been “must win” games and apart from the narrow victory against QPR the team has failed miserably. As games are running out they are all “must win” games therefore given our track record I suspect we will finish just above Rotherham😡

[wuzza]

It will be not untypical of this club to lose the only thing it has going for it - massive financial resources.
Things are grim now but nowhere near as grim as they have the potential to become.
Not a popular view with some but I’ve seen enough over the years to know that a sound financial footing is the absolute primary requirement for any sort of long term future.
The wheel will turn even if it takes far longer than anyone expected.

[superjw]

JC is about to be at the helm of our 2nd relegation in less than a decade. From established premier league side to league 1.

Any other club would be banging on their door to get them to leave.

This is all on John Coates, every single bit of it.

[sticky]

Odds for relegation now sit at 5/2… 12/1 a couple of weeks back, hope I’m wrong but I really can’t see us getting out of it

[thornestein]

i don’t know about sleep walking , more sprinting head on

[march4]

If we had a Time Machine and could bring back a younger TP what would he do?

Goalkeeper - goodness knows but he would pick the best one at stopping us conceding.

Defence - it would be all 4 centre backs we have at the club.

The cage - Pearson and Burger.

Left midfield - Thompson
Right midfield - Junior or Hoever

Mama position - whoever is decent in the air and can run round a lot. Not much strength in the squad so he would probably try to shoe horn Leris.

Loan striker - this just gets harder to find a suitable player. Probably go for Ennis.

4-4-1-1. Concentrate on clean sheets and set pieces. And coach the players team shape, defensive responsibility and avoiding errors.

It wouldn’t be pretty but we would probably survive on the last day of the season.

Of course, TP is happily retired and enjoying life with his grandchildren. No chance of him coming back and even if he did I fear he has lost the fire that made him such a formidable leader.

[idle]

Feb 25, 2024 13:23:53 GMT march4 said:

If we had a Time Machine and could bring back a younger TP what would he do?

Goalkeeper - goodness knows but he would pick the best one at stopping us conceding.

Defence - it would be all 4 centre backs we have at the club.

The cage - Pearson and Burger.

Left midfield - Thompson
Right midfield - Junior or Hoever

Mama position - whoever is decent in the air and can run round a lot. Not much strength in the squad so he would probably try to shoe horn Leris.

Loan striker - this just gets harder to find a suitable player. Probably go for Ennis.

4-4-1-1. Concentrate on clean sheets and set pieces. And coach the players team shape, defensive responsibility and avoiding errors.

It wouldn’t be pretty but we would probably survive on the last day of the season.

Of course, TP is happily retired and enjoying life with his grandchildren. No chance of him coming back and even if he did I fear he has lost the fire that made him such a formidable leader.

Even TP had one or two gifted players on the pitch. Lawrence, Fuller, and later Ethers and Pennant. The times when he didn't were not very good. I dread the binary years.
So, I'll put Manhoef on the left side and the hard-working Bae as AM/second striker. Let's go Schuey!

[march4]

Feb 25, 2024 13:52:03 GMT idle said:

Feb 25, 2024 13:23:53 GMT march4 said:

If we had a Time Machine and could bring back a younger TP what would he do?

Goalkeeper - goodness knows but he would pick the best one at stopping us conceding.

Defence - it would be all 4 centre backs we have at the club.

The cage - Pearson and Burger.

Left midfield - Thompson
Right midfield - Junior or Hoever

Mama position - whoever is decent in the air and can run round a lot. Not much strength in the squad so he would probably try to shoe horn Leris.

Loan striker - this just gets harder to find a suitable player. Probably go for Ennis.

4-4-1-1. Concentrate on clean sheets and set pieces. And coach the players team shape, defensive responsibility and avoiding errors.

It wouldn’t be pretty but we would probably survive on the last day of the season.

Of course, TP is happily retired and enjoying life with his grandchildren. No chance of him coming back and even if he did I fear he has lost the fire that made him such a formidable leader.

Even TP had one or two gifted players on the pitch. Lawrence, Fuller, and later Ethers and Pennant. The times when he didn't were not very good. I dread the binary years.
So, I'll put Manhoef on the left side and the hard-working Bae as AM/second striker. Let's go Schuey!

I’m thinking back to when we were in a similar pickle at his first appointment.

[Staffsoatcake]

Why isn't Sidibe getting into the match day squad?
He didn't put a foot wrong earlier in the season & we were picking up points.
Playing him again can't be any worse than some we have tried this season.
Against Villa under 21s in midweek,Villa couldn't praise him high enough.

[idle]

Feb 25, 2024 14:02:18 GMT march4 said:

Feb 25, 2024 13:52:03 GMT idle said:

Even TP had one or two gifted players on the pitch. Lawrence, Fuller, and later Ethers and Pennant. The times when he didn't were not very good. I dread the binary years.
So, I'll put Manhoef on the left side and the hard-working Bae as AM/second striker. Let's go Schuey!

I’m thinking back to when we were in a similar pickle at his first appointment.

I know, I just hated the binary years soo fucking much. It wasn't particularly effective either. That's why I think we should have at least one player capable of doing something on their own. If we have Burger-Bae-Manhoef as technical players capable of threading balls through to Ennis we'll score a few from open play as well.

The problem is Burger is on the same side as Manhoef, plus we don't have a left-footed CB, so we'll be kinda open on our left side.

[robwahlmann]

Feb 25, 2024 14:42:46 GMT Staffsoatcake said:

Why isn't Sidibe getting into the match day squad?
He didn't put a foot wrong earlier in the season & we were picking up points.
Playing him again can't be any worse than some we have tried this season.
Against Villa under 21s in midweek,Villa couldn't praise him high enough.

Because we needed so badly to bring in a new superstar named Cundle according to our new manager! Did we need a new left back? No, what we had was more than enough to see the season out so we used our only loan left on Cundle! Cundle might become a top player, but probably in a division or two down. So, he might suit us better next season as things stand!

[wakefieldstokie]

Can someone read that and present it in four bullet points 🤣