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Post by Scrotnig on May 16, 2009 16:57:15 GMT
This is something that's been increasingly bugging me, but after today it's time to put a stop to it.
This club has NOT "survived" in the Premiership. Portsmouth survived. Sunderland will probably survive. Whoever stays up out of the current bottom four will have "survived".
We did NOT survive in the Premiership. We are comfortably mid table, and the table cannot lie, particularly not at the close of the season.
No, what we have done is THRIVED, nay, SUCCEEDED in the Premiership. Let's lose our "small club" attitude and view this for what it is - an amazing success! Now let's start building on that. We need to finish *at least* one place higher each season than the last. This is a long term thing.
So less of the talk of survival, we didn't survive, we thrived and succeeded.
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Post by jacka118 on May 16, 2009 16:58:42 GMT
AMEN BROTHER!
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Post by Deleted on May 16, 2009 17:02:55 GMT
Everyone from 9th down has only just survived, scrot. Wet Sham are five wins above relegation. That's the way this league has gone. Other than for the handful of clubs at the top, it's an extremely close league.
I know what you're saying, but this is survival. And we need to do exactly the same thing next time out.
ah
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Post by redditchpotter on May 16, 2009 17:03:59 GMT
Too true mate,we didn't survive we competed.
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Post by Scrotnig on May 16, 2009 17:06:02 GMT
Everyone from 9th down has only just survived, scrot. Wet Sham are five wins above relegation. That's the way this league has gone. Other than for the handful of clubs at the top, it's an extremely close league. I know what you're saying, but this is survival. And we need to do exactly the same thing next time out. ah I can see your point, and sure at times it's felt like "survival", but that table just doesn't lie...we have amassed way more than enough points, we won more than enough games, both on and off field we have positively thrived in this league. And I'm not being complacent, I am just keen that we give credit to ourselves and the club when it's due. In football they always say not to count your chickens until they are hatched, well this season ours have, we should enjoy the moment and savour what we have achived...because it's a huge achievement! No let up though...next season starts after next weekend! |
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Post by Tubes on May 16, 2009 17:08:10 GMT
the way the premiership is, if your not challenging for Europe, then your probably going to be in a relegation scrap. Look at how many of the so called "established" premiership teams have been dragged into it this season. I would say raised expectations are one of the biggest things we need to be wary of.
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Post by therealstokefan on May 16, 2009 17:10:13 GMT
i agree with most of your points, but i also would snap your hand off if you offered me 17th for next seaon now
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Post by Scrotnig on May 16, 2009 17:11:25 GMT
the way the premiership is, if your not challenging for Europe, then your probably going to be in a relegation scrap. Look at how many of the so called "established" premiership teams have been dragged into it this season. I would say raised expectations are one of the biggest things we need to be wary of. Totally agree, but just as you can start off great and then peter out (hi, Hull!), you can be involved in a relegation fight and win that fight. Football's no easy game, it's a dogfight, it's just that we won. |
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Post by Tubes on May 16, 2009 17:13:47 GMT
Amen to that ;D ;D ;D
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Post by Scrotnig on May 16, 2009 17:14:42 GMT
i agree with most of your points, but i also would snap your hand off if you offered me 17th for next seaon now Sure, no problem with that, as long as 17th is not our sole aim. I said last season 17th should be our minimum goal this year (obviously!) and that to do that would be in itself a success, and I stand by that. We've smashed that....but next season we must not be complacement, we could still go down but by the same token we could finish much higher than this season. What I'm saying is, this season were expecting to say "phew, thank goodness, we survived" at best. Even though we've done loads better than that, many of us still have that mindset. What we should do, WITHOUT getting complacent, is recognise and celebrate our own success. It certainly is hard to do that because as a Stoke fan one is used to endless seasons of nearlys and maybes and almosts. But it's different now. |
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Post by Deleted on May 16, 2009 17:20:22 GMT
If you trawl back to the posts from pre-season, you'll see almost all of us thought that these last 10 games would define our season. Foghorn said on P&G that what Pulis and the team have done is target the games we should have won and won them. Three more hungry clubs come up next season, we need to be better - and beat - them. We need to win the winnable games and give everyone a game at home (to keep our support buoyed up), and hopefully we get a run-in like this years - That has been oh-so important to us. We are right to celebrate - 11th is a hell of a season. But for home wins against Villa and Arsenal (and who would have forecast those?) it could be us scrapping "down" where Dull are. Next season will be tough, and it will probably never be easy to survive up here - How much have the LoonyToons spent, to end up where they are? Like this year, we need focus and togetherness, passion and aaaaarrrrrrrrrddd work ... and a little bit of luck. Now go out and get drunk in celebration ... Before all the beer has gone ... Just had a text off the boys in Alsager, and they're about half way through it!  ah |
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Post by stokie01 on May 16, 2009 17:21:11 GMT
lets just say... see you all next year? |
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Post by lancer on May 16, 2009 17:59:18 GMT
We comfortably, and confidently retained our Premieer League status, while other around us floundered, I'd say. But then again, I'm a Stokie. ;D.
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Post by march4 on May 16, 2009 18:05:40 GMT
We knew it would be a battle and that is why we have succeeded. Those who have grown soft and complacent have been drawn into a relegation battle. If we ever become complacent then that will be a dangerous situation.
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Post by Scrotnig on May 16, 2009 18:22:02 GMT
Some bang on comments in this thread.
This is why our fanatical support is now feared throughout the land.
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