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Post by mermaidsal on Jul 6, 2009 19:22:29 GMT
He's superfit for his age, but at 33, realistically is this Rory's last season in the Prem?
I didn't honestly expect him to come back from his broken leg but he proved me wrong and then some - now I'm wondering how long he can keep going at this level. I know he wants to keep playing as long as possible, I reckon he's certainly got one more good season in him if he doesn't get injured, but how about beyond that? And will he be a first pick or coming off the bench, realistically?
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Post by march4 on Jul 6, 2009 19:24:52 GMT
He says he wants to keep going until he is 38. If he plays at the top till then it will be a minor miracle.
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Post by Olgrligm on Jul 6, 2009 19:25:34 GMT
I think he can go through this season as first choice. For me, our best central midfielder last season, he's managed to maintain the aspects of the game that have been so useful for us - his intelligence on the pitch, his fantastic stamina and his ability to read a game of football.
I do think that beyond this season he'll struggle.
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Post by Jug Bank Stokie on Jul 6, 2009 20:11:04 GMT
He can join Andy Legg's team, think he's at Llanelli.
Throw-in loving!
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Post by salopstick on Jul 6, 2009 20:15:52 GMT
he will join the back room staff as throwing coach
but every year tony seems to keep someone for the dressing room, dominic last year, salif this year and maybe rory next year
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Post by Lakeland Potter on Jul 6, 2009 20:26:24 GMT
I agree with Sal - he can carry on playing for several years yet, but probably not in the Prem. He'd be a good signing for an ambitious Championship club in a year's time though.
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Post by Butters on Jul 6, 2009 20:30:57 GMT
Rory said in some interview that he wouldn't mind droping into lower leagues to play more football, so don't think he'll retire/go into a coaching role for us, hope he does eventually in the future.
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Post by mikeyb99 on Jul 6, 2009 20:32:54 GMT
Squad player for us this season. He doesn't offer enough apart from his long throw - which has been largely sussed-out by Prem teams. His general passing is shocking and he gives the ball away far too often to be a regular for us IMO.
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Post by georgieboypotter on Jul 6, 2009 20:35:08 GMT
IMO there's Certainly another season in the prem in him easily, then realistically it's the Championship.
:-)
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Post by Olgrligm on Jul 6, 2009 20:36:56 GMT
Rory said in some interview that he wouldn't mind droping into lower leagues to play more football, so don't think he'll retire/go into a coaching role for us, hope he does eventually in the future. If we haven't already, we should be getting him to give the academy kids an hour of long throw training every week. How good would an army of Delap-style long throws be? |
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Post by davejohnno1 on Jul 6, 2009 20:40:27 GMT
Rory offers us much more than a throw in.
He is an intelligent midfield player who covers every blade of grass and covers superbly for "out of position" team mates.
He is always there to pick up the bits and pieces, break up play and set us on the move and is the perfect foil for a good midfield playmaker.
When deployed centrally, Rory was excellent in all bar one game. Last season, however, playing him wide at times, made it look like he was struggling. In the middle, he was my player of the year after Abdy, and it would be foolish to write him off just yet.
Rory has much more to offer Stoke City and hopefully we will continue to see it at the highest level possible.
A cracking player, a great bloke and after spending all but 2 seasons of his career in the top flight, who are you lot to say that he is finished at this level, or worse still, not or never has been good enough.
As the coaching staff's player of the year, I would imagine we will be seeing a lot more of Rory this coming season and rightly so in my opinion.
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Post by Inverness Stokie on Jul 6, 2009 20:41:03 GMT
Squad player for us this season. He doesn't offer enough apart from his long throw - which has been largely sussed-out by Prem teams. His general passing is shocking and he gives the ball away far too often to be a regular for us IMO. Would you care for a prawn sandwich ?  |
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Post by Olgrligm on Jul 6, 2009 20:45:29 GMT
Rory offers us much more than a throw in. He is an intelligent midfield player who covers every blade of grass and covers superbly for "out of position" team mates. He is always there to pick up the bits and pieces, break up play and set us on the move and is the perfect foil for a good midfield playmaker. When deployed centrally, Rory was excellent in all bar one game. Last season, however, playing him wide at times, made it look like he was struggling. In the middle, he was my player of the year after Abdy, and it would be foolish to write him off just yet. Rory has much more to offer Stoke City and hopefully we will continue to see it at the highest level possible. A cracking player, a great bloke and after spending all but 2 seasons of his career in the top flight, who are you lot to say that he is finished at this level, or worse still, not or never has been good enough. As the coaching staff's player of the year, I would imagine we will be seeing a lot more of Rory this coming season and rightly so in my opinion. That is exactly how I imagine the manager will see it. Can we get rid of that myth that the long throw is being sussed out now? Blackburn, Hull and Brazil are the only teams to look pretty reassured about it, for a simple reason - Championship style defenders. Not that pacey, not that good on the deck, but strong and good in the air. When we played West Ham, Green flapped all over the place. Against Wigan, we had a goal disallowed from one. Against Newcastle, we should have scored a hatful. It's very rare in a home game with the longthrow that we don't actually look like scoring from it. Even if we don't score from it, it often results in another throw or a corner. Set pieces are valuable and piling on a bit of pressure starting with a single throw-in halfway down the line (or even in our own half if he throws his way up the pitch with a series of throws) helps swing the momentum in our favour. Still a big, big part of our game. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2009 20:49:34 GMT
Squad player for us this season. He doesn't offer enough apart from his long throw - which has been largely sussed-out by Prem teams. His general passing is shocking and he gives the ball away far too often to be a regular for us IMO. Whelan gives the ball away far more than Rory imo. Like them both but think both should be squad players during the coming season and hopefully we'll kick off in August with an entirely new central midfield. As a squad player though, Rory will be invaluable. Very tidy player to chase lost causes and cover every blade, while can also keep things simple if we need to close the game out. Plus, if we're chasing the game, the sight of Rory and Mama coming off the bench with 20 minutes to go would be a right kick in the knackers for tiring opposition defenders. |
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Post by davejohnno1 on Jul 6, 2009 20:51:12 GMT
Summed up perfectly Mystical re the throw in.
We don't HAVE to score from it for it to be effective. It gets the crowd going and it allows the team to build up a "head of steam".
West Ham stood up well to it, but we put them under severe pressure. Granted they dealt with it well, but without the throw, they would probably have beat us at a canter.
"The throw" is valuable, whether we score directly from it or not, but Rory is much more valuable than the throw itself and I would have him in my team, with or without it!
He typifies everything that is good about our team and club right now...Honest, hardworking, true to himself and his team-mates and plays like we would given half the chance and the same ability.
He is in his 30's and he has spent 2 years of his long career outside the top flight (one with Carlisle and one with us), yet some question whether he is or ever was good enough from the Premier League.
Rory is a gem! That said, I would play him in central midfield or not at all.
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Post by Butters on Jul 6, 2009 20:55:13 GMT
Rory offers us much more than a throw in. He is an intelligent midfield player who covers every blade of grass and covers superbly for "out of position" team mates. He is always there to pick up the bits and pieces, break up play and set us on the move and is the perfect foil for a good midfield playmaker. When deployed centrally, Rory was excellent in all bar one game. Last season, however, playing him wide at times, made it look like he was struggling. In the middle, he was my player of the year after Abdy, and it would be foolish to write him off just yet. Rory has much more to offer Stoke City and hopefully we will continue to see it at the highest level possible. A cracking player, a great bloke and after spending all but 2 seasons of his career in the top flight, who are you lot to say that he is finished at this level, or worse still, not or never has been good enough. As the coaching staff's player of the year, I would imagine we will be seeing a lot more of Rory this coming season and rightly so in my opinion. That is exactly how I imagine the manager will see it. Can we get rid of that myth that the long throw is being sussed out now? Blackburn, Hull and Brazil are the only teams to look pretty reassured about it, for a simple reason - Championship style defenders. Not that pacey, not that good on the deck, but strong and good in the air. When we played West Ham, Green flapped all over the place. Against Wigan, we had a goal disallowed from one. Against Newcastle, we should have scored a hatful. It's very rare in a home game with the longthrow that we don't actually look like scoring from it. Even if we don't score from it, it often results in another throw or a corner. Set pieces are valuable and piling on a bit of pressure starting with a single throw-in halfway down the line (or even in our own half if he throws his way up the pitch with a series of throws) helps swing the momentum in our favour. Still a big, big part of our game. And Fulham Hangeland and the aussie keep havn't a clue how to spell his name, were never troubled woth the throw dealt with it perfectly. |
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Post by KDT_SCFC on Jul 6, 2009 20:56:34 GMT
if windass can go to 40 rory cud go till hes 50
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Post by tenerifedave on Jul 6, 2009 20:57:53 GMT
If he's played in the centre he's easily got another season at the top level!!!!! His intelligence and positioning far makes up for his lack of pace.
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Potters_Ref
Academy Starlet
You Don't Know The Power Of The Dark Side!
Posts: 185
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Post by Potters_Ref on Jul 6, 2009 21:09:13 GMT
Solid professional player. No daft flicks or mard-arsing. Long may he continue to play at the top!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2009 22:13:38 GMT
if windass can go to 40 rory could go till hes 50 not arf  |
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Post by danmase on Jul 6, 2009 22:19:19 GMT
Rory offers us much more than a throw in. He is an intelligent midfield player who covers every blade of grass and covers superbly for "out of position" team mates. He is always there to pick up the bits and pieces, break up play and set us on the move and is the perfect foil for a good midfield playmaker. When deployed centrally, Rory was excellent in all bar one game. Last season, however, playing him wide at times, made it look like he was struggling. In the middle, he was my player of the year after Abdy, and it would be foolish to write him off just yet. Rory has much more to offer Stoke City and hopefully we will continue to see it at the highest level possible. A cracking player, a great bloke and after spending all but 2 seasons of his career in the top flight, who are you lot to say that he is finished at this level, or worse still, not or never has been good enough. As the coaching staff's player of the year, I would imagine we will be seeing a lot more of Rory this coming season and rightly so in my opinion. Spot on. Anyone thinking Rory is the obvious fall guy when/if the new midfielders arrive will find he is very difficult to displace. He should be club captain (allowing Abdy to retain the team captain). He is a superb ambassador for the club and the perfect antidote to the modern footballer. I hope and expect him to have another pivotal role for us this season and beyond. |
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Post by monkhousestokie on Jul 6, 2009 23:28:58 GMT
Top man is Rory. I hope he plays a part at Stoke for a long while.
I'd be well happy to have him in a behind the scenes role.
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Post by Northy on Jul 7, 2009 6:09:22 GMT
a few games last season he looked off pace, Wigan away was a classic he just looked a passenger at times.
Squad player this season for me.
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Post by Lakeland Potter on Jul 7, 2009 6:21:17 GMT
I bet the Donna Louise staff will be gutted when he eventually does leave us. He's a one man fund raising machine!
I do think he'll be an exellent man to have on the bench - he's versatile, can play in three or four positions and the thought of his throw will always strike fear into defences when they see him warming up!
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Post by stone6 on Jul 7, 2009 6:57:45 GMT
I bet the Donna Louise staff will be gutted when he eventually does leave us. He's a one man fund raising machine! I do think he'll be an exellent man to have on the bench - he's versatile, can play in three or four positions and the thought of his throw will always strike fear into defences when they see him warming up! Couldn't agree more. If he's in the squad and fit he's going to be in and around the first 16 no question. As for those who wish him to drop to the CCC, are they prepared to do the end of season sponsored bike ride instead??? |
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Post by Northy on Jul 7, 2009 7:00:21 GMT
I bet the Donna Louise staff will be gutted when he eventually does leave us. He's a one man fund raising machine! I do think he'll be an exellent man to have on the bench - he's versatile, can play in three or four positions and the thought of his throw will always strike fear into defences when they see him warming up! Couldn't agree more. If he's in the squad and fit he's going to be in and around the first 16 no question. As for those who wish him to drop to the CCC, are they prepared to do the end of season sponsored bike ride instead??? were you offering to do it before he arrived |
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Post by stone6 on Jul 7, 2009 7:03:42 GMT
Couldn't agree more. If he's in the squad and fit he's going to be in and around the first 16 no question. As for those who wish him to drop to the CCC, are they prepared to do the end of season sponsored bike ride instead??? were you offering to do it before he arrived I'm 93 years old FFS!!! |
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Post by mikeyb99 on Jul 7, 2009 9:21:42 GMT
I think its amazing that we can say Cresswell is not good enough, despite the fact that he runs around a lot and 'covers every blade of grass', but yet Delap should be first-team regular purely on this basis (oh, and the gimmicky long-throw, which HAS been sussed out). I think some of us need to drop the sentimentality - take off the rose-tinted specs - and recognise Rory needs replacing.
Let's be honest - take away his long-throw and he'd be getting more stick than Pericard.
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Post by FullerMagic on Jul 7, 2009 9:25:22 GMT
I thought he did generally fine last season, even taking away his throws.
His level of involvement will be one of the fascinating aspects of the season. It could go either way.
If I was guessing at this stage, I'd plump for him being a bit of a bit-part player this season and moving on for nothing this time next year.
I suppose it depends on how much value Pulis does actually place on the throw.
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Post by Olgrligm on Jul 7, 2009 9:25:26 GMT
No, that's wrong. He's a much more intelligent player than Cresswell and his throw hasn't been sussed out. To reiterate, he was our best central midfielder last season. Better than Whelan, Diao or Amdy. Next time we have a set piece that we don't win, watch Rory. The one home game where we've been caught on the break (against Chelsea) was when Rory wasn't playing. He is a massive part of our team, absolutely massive and like it or not, it's apparent that that's what the manager is thinking.
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