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Post by ravey123 on Jan 3, 2009 16:32:02 GMT
I've been thinking about this for a while.
No 1 objective this season is SURVIVAL - nothing more nothing less.
To do this you HAVE to get a good solid base. Getting 20 points from the first 20 games is a GOOD BASE and probably more than most of us expected.
We have struggled for the last 8 or so games and even more so since Mama was injured.
Its fair to assume that our team and tactics so far are built around the Mama position (good hold up play, willing to run socks off, dropping deep etc). Its also fair to assume that we cannot use this tactic for the whole season because just before Mama got injured it was starting to get sussed.
Pulis is a pretty shrewd (if also stubborn) man and deep down I think he knows what he is doing. Its really testing some of our patiences but we HAVE to stick with him. There is no way a manger can achieve what Pulis has without being a pretty shrewd and clever person.
I genuinely think that with the players we have at the moment there is no plan B.
I also believe that he will get players in in January that will give us a Plan B - pace and width.
I think Pulis' tactics were to get to January transfer window with as many points as possible to make us a more viable prospect for better players. The injury to Mama has thrown a spanner in the works but how bad would it have been if he got injured in October.
I think that this week and the next 2 weeks will be our low point and we will emerge a beter club with Pulis at the helm.
From the start it was clear that our home form would be our only hope and we have played all of the "better" clubs at home leaving us with home games against the teams we HAVE to take points off.
With the players we had from last season and those signed we were never going to outplay teams so we HAD to go for the work ethic option (which good quality players were going to sign for a newly promoted side being written off by all and sundry before a ball was kicked). We have proved that as a club we can hold our own in this league when we play with commitment. Now that we are not cannon fodder as widely predicted we have a MUCH better chance of getting players to give us a Plan B.
Thoughts
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Post by Spiderman on Jan 3, 2009 16:33:10 GMT
"Will Pulis change tactics after deadline" No he doesn't know how to
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Post by bayernoatcake on Jan 3, 2009 16:33:44 GMT
I woudn't like to put money on it.
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Post by jarhead on Jan 3, 2009 16:34:15 GMT
This a wind up?
Pulis will tell you everything is great and no need to panic as one win in ten should be good enough for the working class clappers and should just except it!
PULIS OUT
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Post by onebollockbarry on Jan 3, 2009 16:35:28 GMT
The question is will players want to come to a third from bottom team who will be there and there abouts all season?
Players will know of Stoke's style and will instantly be put off... Will we ring in better players? i hope so as the last lot have barely been head and shoulders above the rest.
I respect your optimism keep it up as i'm getting more and more deflated as the weeks go by.
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Post by anarchicalan on Jan 3, 2009 16:40:43 GMT
No, and you're sadly deluded if you think otherwise.
It's a tragedy that his stubborness could cost us our premiership place. A place he doesn't have to pay for his seat to be in.
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Post by redrob on Jan 3, 2009 16:40:48 GMT
no of course he wont change he's proven time andtime again that he can't
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Post by FullerMagic on Jan 3, 2009 16:41:52 GMT
No chance.
But at least with Mama back, we'll become a one-trick pony with an actual trick again.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2009 16:49:16 GMT
No!!!!!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2009 16:50:23 GMT
No, he wont change. Not until we have at least 8 players capable of playing top quality, passing football and we're four or five season away from getting to that standard. Even if he does find one or two quality, pacy wingers, he will still play mama as our out-ball.
I'm not critising TP for it, that's the way his teams play. The worry is that without Mama - and without a suitable replacement for the big fella when he is injured/suspended - we look incapable of staying up long enough to bring in the quality required to change the way we play.
ah
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Post by ravey123 on Jan 3, 2009 17:02:54 GMT
Sometimes a run of bad results culminating in an embarassment (today) makes thing change quicker than planned.
I think we will get a couple of players in within a week or so (players that on the face of it will not fit into the way we play now - ie know where the goal is).
I know what you are all saying and part of me agrees but our style of play is so one dimensional I cannot for a minute see that Pulis cannot see it and is not going to do something about it.
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Post by ravey123 on Jan 3, 2009 17:03:08 GMT
Sometimes a run of bad results culminating in an embarassment (today) makes thing change quicker than planned.
I think we will get a couple of players in within a week or so (players that on the face of it will not fit into the way we play now - ie know where the goal is).
I know what you are all saying and part of me agrees but our style of play is so one dimensional I cannot for a minute see that Pulis cannot see it and is not going to do something about it.
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Post by bilybob on Jan 3, 2009 17:15:24 GMT
 i dont think there is much to be changed bu we do need a bit more pace in midfield and some more gud solid players and players that will be gud for us now, not in a year r 2 ;Dgo on pulis if any 1 can do it its u ;D
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Post by hanibal7 on Jan 3, 2009 17:17:21 GMT
one thing is sadly lacking
PACE,PACE PACE,
WE look so slow and thats the main reason we cannot win away,no quick breaks
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Post by FullerMagic on Jan 3, 2009 17:19:54 GMT
one thing is sadly lacking PACE,PACE PACE, WE look so slow and thats the main reason we cannot win away,no quick breaks That's a major concern. And his solution to the left-mid position seems like it may well be a promising , but very slow, Ledley, who's better in central midfield. If the pace injection doesn't come in the LM slot, where's it going to come from? |
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Post by ravey123 on Jan 3, 2009 17:32:39 GMT
I was surprised to see that out of the 20 teams we are 13th in attendances so if we can stay up for a year or two we should be able to hold our own in terms of finance.
Also if we do stay up and make a few thousand extra seats we could make it into the top 10 for attendances - didn't know we were that highly supported premiershipwise.
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Post by stokemark on Jan 3, 2009 17:37:53 GMT
13th in attendances
We ARE a big club and that is proof enough
We need to stay in this league and Coates needs to splash the cash
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i dont think there is much to be changed bu we do need a bit more pace in midfield and some more gud solid players and players that will be gud for us now, not in a year r 2
