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Post by robstokie on Apr 2, 2018 16:30:38 GMT
10th to 14th - I think we will struggle out of the blocks and will be looking nervously over our shoulder until after Christmas - I think we will start to find our feet over the second half of the season and finish strongly - too late to really challenge for the top 6 but will be a good stepping stone for pushing back towards promotion in 2019-20.
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Post by robstokie on Apr 2, 2018 16:21:04 GMT
That's right - that was the 2nd leg right? Yeah. Kenwyne Jones scored in the first leg and we then went to play on a plastic pitch with Danny Pugh (!) scoring a fourteenth minute winner in the next round. Away to Thun wasn't it - How Danny Pugh has fallen since those days....
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Post by robstokie on Apr 2, 2018 15:16:32 GMT
Sold
Butland Shaq Allen Pieters? (To China?) Crouch? Diouf?
Get Rid
Johnson Adam Afellay Ireland
Who We are Stuck with
Fletcher Berahinogoal Wimmer
So I make it 10 out (12 if you count Zouma and Jese)
Bring in
Goalkeeper New CB Staffy (permanent) Holding mid Centre mid Winger Target man
Promote
NGoy Campbell Verlinden Sorensen Sweeney Souttar Tymon
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Post by robstokie on Apr 2, 2018 15:09:36 GMT
The last two summer transfer windows should have been the important ones but we mostly either bought poorly or failed to address the areas that needed improving. Instead of trying to fix the roof while the sun was shining, we have waited for the foundations to collapse. Bang on. We have wasted so many opportunities to sort this and we failed. Last summer we could have got rid of Johnson, Afellay, Adam, Ireland and Crouch. All were kept. All still need replacing. 3 of them have a contract for next season. I believe that Johnson and Ireland are the 2 out of contract? As for the others.... Afellay - it wouldn't surprise me if he got an offer from somewhere like China, he would be big billing because of his Barca connections... Crouch - I have a feeling that a lower-mid-table prem team or a championship side might come in for him - if nothing else he would generate positive publicity for said suitor Which leaves us with Adam, who I think we are stuck with unless someone else sees him as a no.10 rather than a centre-mid...
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Post by robstokie on Apr 2, 2018 15:04:07 GMT
The only problem with Diouf is that he has no balance or poise on the ball. Positionally and runs wise - he looks as good as anyone we've had at Stoke, and it's just from his runs he occasionally gets the odd goal. If he had any real ability on the ball, I reckon he would be at a much bigger club.
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Post by robstokie on Apr 2, 2018 14:59:16 GMT
I think Shotton wasn't a bad squad player, could play down the right and I'm sure TP chucked him up top once or twice as well - didn't he score a dodgy winner at the Borethorns once upon a time too? And away at Hajduk Split in the Europa league. That's right - that was the 2nd leg right?
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Post by robstokie on Apr 2, 2018 14:58:03 GMT
To be fair - we had to go for the throat after the first pen - which played into Arsenal's hands on the break as we lost our shape.
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Post by robstokie on Apr 2, 2018 14:42:22 GMT
Stoke 0 - 2 Spurs
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Post by robstokie on Apr 2, 2018 14:26:15 GMT
Wilko possibly yes. Shotton, not for me. I think Shotton wasn't a bad squad player, could play down the right and I'm sure TP chucked him up top once or twice as well - didn't he score a dodgy winner at the Borethorns once upon a time too?
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Wimmer
Apr 2, 2018 14:12:20 GMT
via mobile
Post by robstokie on Apr 2, 2018 14:12:20 GMT
He hasn't been helped by being shoe-horned into that 3 at the back, but that doesn't excuse the basic errors he made every week - such as losing men at the far post - or his general lack of fitness or application...
There's a decent player in there somewhere, but I haven't seen it yet.
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Post by robstokie on Apr 1, 2018 10:11:55 GMT
Dean Whitehead - not the most technical of players shall we say, but boy did he graft for this club....
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Post by robstokie on Apr 1, 2018 10:03:52 GMT
A lot of the players are starting to show their true colours and what they are made of. Most of them have let the club and us fans down very badly for the past two or three seasons. Gone are the players of TP's squad that would put their lives on the line for the club and fans. The first thing that springs to my mind is that famous speach from one of this Countries strongest ladies in our recent history when reffering to these self important let downs that have disgraced OUR club. In the words of Peggy Mitchell "get outa my club" Can not wait for this season to end and to see the back of this spineless, cowardly and shameful squad. Whilst I agree whole heartedly the worst of this motley crew are here to stay stinking the place out for a good few years. Everyone involved in the signings/contract renewals of Berahino Wimmer Imbula Bojan Cheap Motel Bouma Affelay Ireland Johnson should already have left the club. Amazingly they are still there. The mind boggles. Add Adam and Fletcher to that list and you are bang on. The thing that worries me is that I can see most, if not all of the above still being here next season....
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Post by robstokie on Mar 29, 2018 12:13:41 GMT
It will undoubtedly be Lambert - even if we don't win again this season, which is a depressing thought in itself....
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Post by robstokie on Mar 29, 2018 12:10:51 GMT
Down - Lambert's first half a dozen were where we needed A a bounce and B results, we haven't had neither bar Huddersfield....
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Post by robstokie on Mar 19, 2018 20:00:47 GMT
I think Sparky is good WHEN he comes into a squad and there's a solid base there for him to build on - he had a solid base at Blackburn, Fulham and with us. He has that too at Soton, despite the fact they have struggled big time this season. He has a knack for pushing a team up a level for 2-3 seasons.
Where he falls down is when he has to build a team after he's been somewhere a while...
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Post by robstokie on Mar 19, 2018 19:50:21 GMT
4.5 - I will only really accept it (although I know it's going to happen now) when we come to the end of the season, and we have that R by our name. Until then, it's depressing - it's like watching someone sinking in quicksand...
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Post by robstokie on Mar 17, 2018 23:05:45 GMT
I think what we need to do is to rebuild throughout the club - we are saddled down with wasters both on and off the pitch. Let's use the parachute payments to get rid of the rot, bring in a fresh manager, give the youngsters a chance and start afresh.
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Post by robstokie on Mar 17, 2018 22:43:00 GMT
4 - the performance was decent for long spells, but why did he start with Johnson and Adam? I think that's about it, barring an absolute miracle - we are goners.
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Post by robstokie on Mar 14, 2018 20:22:41 GMT
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Post by robstokie on Mar 14, 2018 19:54:42 GMT
Do we keep Lambert or Not - add your reasoning whether its yes or no.
Ill kick things off - its a No for me personally. I feel we need a clean start and a root and branch clear out if and when we go down, and a new young dynamic face with a clean slate is what I think we need (Graham Potter being a good example)
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Post by robstokie on Mar 14, 2018 18:36:43 GMT
Sky sports has just had us in 16th when Hughes was sacked and 19th now. Some improvement Lambert has made. we were 18th - two teams below us won the day after the Newcastle game - which was Sparkys last.
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Post by robstokie on Mar 14, 2018 15:02:39 GMT
It's a shame that Jim Bowens death has been over-shadowed by that sciency-blokes death. My heart truly weeps for him.
RIP Jim
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Lambert
Mar 14, 2018 14:09:39 GMT
via mobile
Post by robstokie on Mar 14, 2018 14:09:39 GMT
The problem is as simple as this - we have no one who can create or finish (Bar the Shaq of course). That is NOT PL's fault - he was bought in half-way through January, and we had the even more pressing issue of bringing in a midfielder who has the legs to play week in week out at a consistent level. To PL's credit, we look much fitter, much more organised and at least have a bit of fight about us - unfortunately the damage has already been done by a chairman who has bought into a self-sustaining model quite blindly, a CEO and head of recruitment who are both about as useful as a dose of the clap, a manager who has lost his way and the dressing room and the dithering from Coatesy to get rid, even though the writing was clearly on the wall since at least the middle of October.
If we go down (which I think will happen now) would I keep Lambert? Probably not - I feel that we need to rebuild the whole structure of the club, get rid of dads army and the toxic influences, and make a fresh start under a young, vibrant, dynamic coach.
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Post by robstokie on Mar 11, 2018 13:21:04 GMT
Would love to see Villa and Fulham get into the top 2 and see Preston or Bristol City win the playoffs. Would be hilarious to see Wankerhampton, Scumdiff and Baarby miss out altogether
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Post by robstokie on Mar 11, 2018 13:14:56 GMT
I think now is the time to play the 4-3-1-2 that Lambert played at Norwich, with attacking full backs and a free role for the Shaq. We might as well gamble - we have nothing to lose now.
Butland
Bauer Ryan BMI Staffy
GCam Allen Badou
Shaq
Choupo Jese
I've gone for Choupo up top as he is more dynamic than Crouch and I've gone for Jese to partner him as I have lost all faith in Berahino and i think it's way too much to ask of Tyrese to be chucked in at the deep end.
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Joe Hart
Mar 11, 2018 13:06:49 GMT
via mobile
Post by robstokie on Mar 11, 2018 13:06:49 GMT
I think for the first 2 Burnley goals, he was left exposed and had no chance with either - the 3rd was his balls up, I suppose you could argue that the game was done by that point, but it doesn't inspire any confidence, does it?
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Post by robstokie on Mar 8, 2018 22:49:57 GMT
Too many to remember - I think Twatkinson gets the nod though, we were comfortable against Newcastle until he gave everything against us
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Post by robstokie on Mar 4, 2018 1:39:48 GMT
All things considered - I would say the Leicester game. We were comfortable until Jack's howler, we lost our momentum after that, but we dug in to at least get the point.
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Post by robstokie on Mar 3, 2018 19:34:41 GMT
Shout out for Uskstokie (the Welsh lad who went on) - I'm the one who converted him (and his missus as it goes)...
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Post by robstokie on Feb 28, 2018 15:33:30 GMT
My questions...
To Wimmer - how does it feel to be conning a wage at this level?
To Coates - are you worried yet?
To Shaq, Allen and Butland - would you stay if I love you long time?
To Crouchy - Can I have a munch on the wife's beef curtains?
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