Still Doubting?

[duane_the_tog]

There was an awful lot of doubters at the start of the season (and last season) with regard to the ability of TP and Coates, i was just wondering if anyone who felt that way had chabged their opinions?

i think im kinda getting there... trying not to get carried away though!

[Pretty Little Boother]

Well we were all thinking the same thing this time last season so I'm trying not to build my hopes up, but I genuinely believe it's there for the taking this year (even moreso than last year!), so I'll happily hold my hands up and admit that I'm very happy at being proven wrong.

I still have my reservations about Tony's style of play, but they come about as Tony obviously has a different philosophy on why football exists to mine. But getting to the Prem is the most important thing, and we are playing some good stuff but I'm not entirely convinced this will last (Tony fucked up last season when he bottled it and we went back to hoooof which cost us a playoff place).

As long as we get a left winger and another striker, maybe a CAM and another keeper? We should be able to grab automatic promotion, IF we stick to our guns and don't lose our bottle like we did last season!

[gibby1409]

There's a lot of us in the same boat! I think we have all been a bit sceptical about ambition, style & motives, but Fookin Hell, we are flying, and we are becoming a team to fear, and that is down to the Manager, and the investment.

Is it right that we are the 4th highest scores in the league? God knows where we would be if Mama could score ;D

[duane_the_tog]

Mama! he does so much for the team.. except score!! ;D

we are flying, i agree, and alot of credit HAS to go to TP. to be fair to him he has endured an awful lot of stick, yet he stuck to his guns and we are 4th in the league going well.

I think our final play-off space comes down to who we bring in during the transfer window. i think the squad is too weak, but he knows that, so i guess all we can do is trust his judgement.

[macmozzer]

pipe dream i know but, lets wipe the slate clean,and "push on"

[duane_the_tog]

Especially now we have Griff back.

[Fred Astaire]

Have changed my opinion of Coates completely, never thought i'd see the day that his arms would be long enough to reach the bottom of his pockets.
My opinion of Tone hasn't changed completely but it does change a little bit more with each passing match. With the players now at his disposal and hopefully more to follow hopefully he can prove us all wrong. I'll have no problem admitting i was wrong if he does.

GOARRRNNNN STOKE!!!

[duane_the_tog]

neither do i. in fact i would happily admit i was wrong!

[mrblobbysdad]

The team is going great (possibly even slightly over-achieving?) and im far more positive than I was at the start of the season, when best I thought we could do was scrape a play off place... but now automatic promotion is very realistic still!! Cant wait to see where we are end of April!

[fromafar07]

im not really doubting, but on the other hand maybe i am, after 4 straight draws (inc Newcastle) i just keep wondering that if those leaky goals we seem to like to give up and the lack of another striker putting a few in, a cpl of wins from those draws would see them looking up at us instead of vice versa

[MrMagic]

My opinions of both Coates and Pulis have changed during the course of this season, but it's not a case of an about-turn.

I do still have major doubts about Pulis, and these will not be answered until the second half of the season. I'm not convinced that the occasions that we sit back, concede possession and lose matches we should be winning / draw matches we should be winning, is not down to Tony.

Some folk seem to think that when we do well it's down to Tony, and when we do badly it's not. The same is true of the opposing view. I'm not sure myself.

We still haven't bought in any decent attacking players, choosing instead to concentrate on defensively minded signings. Again, there may be good reasons for this, and forward players may come, but thus far the pattern is very familiar.

Also our ability to turn things around during open play is still in question. We have turned games at half-time, but rarely have we drastically altered the flow of a game during play. We seem to be either great (Newcastle second half) or crap (Hull). We need more flexibility, and greater depth in all positions. IMHO.

[mermaidsal]

On the whole I've always been pro, but with some sceptical moments about PC and a few about TP. I bet there'll be more of those, God knows they're not perfect but it's great to see the benefits of continuity and, at last, people at the top who genuinely believe in and understand the club.

[jarhead]

Ive said before if we do get moe players in and the better quality then obviously thats great to see and shows ambition from Coates at last BUT its how Pulis sets them up and the tactics that matter most because who the fuck plays a now just the hardworking goalcscorer on the wing when the best striker Fuller was away v Hull?

And now Mama the 'Hero' with NO GOALS gone what is the obvious solution?
We all know but TP will bring either Periuseless-cuntard in or Fatty and keep Cresswell out of position.

I know he has done a great job there but this simple switch NOW could make us getting in the automatic spots or 5th or 6th in the play offs.what would we all prefer?!?!

[ukcstokie]

Still doubting but really pleased if Pulis proves me wrong.

Let's not forget that we were doing well up until X-mas last year, then blew it with a change in tactics. Similarly in the binary season, we were doing well - we were top after beating Ipswich at home), then blew it after switching tactics.

Pulis, please, please, please prove me wrong and keep your head. Keep the team playing football. Try and win every game (as we have been), and we'll be OK.

The way some people talk on here, you'd think we'd already won the league

[Stick It On Cort's Head]

SO

WHEN DO I GET MY TICKET FOR THE UNITED GAME NEXT SEASON ;D

[Veritas]

I am still a Pulis doubter but am starting to be won over have to say any doubts about Coates really blown away by the Shawcross and Cort signings, also feel Griffin will be a good addition.

[Deleted]

Surely the manager deserves credit for attracting quality players to the club as well as the chairman?

[banburypotter]

when i think back to the summer and lack of signings and the unrest on the oatcake etc,to where we are now i can only give the management and players the utmost credit.
i was unhappy with pulis ,but i am man enough to say what he has done so far is amazing, with a few dodgy games and tactics along the way.
certain things have been learnt, like making sure we have players tied up on deals that means they don't go back to clubs then come back therefore disrupting the team.
but we are now coming into the business end of the season,and we need to keep the momentum going, and i am sure he will motivate the players enough to ensure this happens.

[Coll40]

I'll reserve judgement until the end of Jan.
We still need 3 players, better than we've got, who are actually fit enough to go straight into the side.
If we don't get them, I believe we'll still be in this league next season.
And thats not progress for me.

[lancer]

O.k. some of us have had our doubts. I hope by now most of us are convinced that PC/TP mean business.
I wonder how confident supporters of all those clubs struggling in the division feel when they look up and see where Stoke are. Stoke City now, not so much Sjoke City!