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Post by robstokie on Apr 14, 2022 22:32:19 GMT
I would have him for another year over Sawyers as back up for Powell - far more effective in the final third and not a liability behind the ball like Sawyers. Think he has been overplayed through circumstance and perhaps has been played too deep at times, but offers real quality at times, just need to manage how much we play him though!
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Post by robstokie on Mar 16, 2022 23:13:27 GMT
Tonight has swung it for me - has to go. Tonight was pathetic, we look like a team who are out of ideas, bloated with deadwood and have no spine. To lose is bad enough, but to lose to a shite side like them without showing any spine, heart or willingness to even bother doing the basics right says that the manager has lost the dressing room!
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Post by robstokie on Mar 8, 2022 9:53:32 GMT
Bursik
Smith THB Jagielka Tymon
Baker Thompson
Campbell Vrancic DWP
Maja
Subs
Bonham Wilmot Duhaney Allen Powell JPB Brown
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Post by robstokie on Feb 26, 2022 23:09:13 GMT
The performance and result in itself won't be the straw that breaks the camel's back, but the fact that for 15 months, it has been awful bottom 6 level standard bar a brief run at the start of the season and of course the occasional performance (QPR and Swansea for example), the fact that we have 23 points from 22 games with a squad that should be pushing for top 6, 18 months wasted with sticking with a shape that doesn't suit what we have yet persisting with it as well as the suicidal playing out from the back, the fact we collectively collapse once something goes against us week after week after week, and the fact that certain players (older ones at that) get away with going through the motions and making schoolboy errors yet it's the kids who are thrown under the bus every time and that our manager never looks to change things up when it's not working, waiting too late to make the same old subs that are ineffective each time. Furthermore, we have a board that refuses to take action until it's often too late - Mick Mills, Chic Bates, Mark Hughes, Nathan Jones and now it's looking like Michael O Neill too - all been backed by the board even when it's eye bleedingly obvious that they are taking us backwards!!
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Post by robstokie on Feb 23, 2022 22:14:49 GMT
The way we are going at the moment, we will be bottom 6 next season! Unfortunately those upstairs seem perfectly content with mediocrity - I mean it took the wheels coming off every week and a defeat to a league 2 side in Coventry (who coincidentally are miles ahead of us - not because they have better individual players, but because they set up to play to their strengths, run through walls for each other and have a manager who will motivate instead of shit himself and play a system that doesn't accommodate what we have) to get rid of a sparkless Hughes when the writing was on the wall from the end of the previous season, same with Nutty Nath - he was given a free pass and even though it was clear after 4/5 games he wasn't good enough we dithered and waited until we were cut adrift to sack him off.
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Post by robstokie on Feb 22, 2022 13:05:16 GMT
If MON was given his cards at the end of the season? (He will be here until end of the season whatever happens)
For me, I am personally in two minds about whether I would keep MON anyway - he performed a miracle keeping us up after Nutty Nathan turned us into a laughing stock, has been more pro-active at promoting the kids than any other manager in our recent history, admittedly partially through circumstance, and has managed to cut the wage budget whilst picking off the mercenaries and bad apples one by one. But questions do have to be asked about his recruitment - bringing in old pros with a history of injury problems instead of younger players who are making their name in league's 1 and 2 (yes, we save on a transfer fee outlay, but the wages said free agents demand, over the course of a contract would end up equalling the value of a fee and wages for those younger players I suspect), his insistence on a back 3 for the best part of a season and a half, even though we don't have the personnel that suit it as well as trying to play out from the back even though we get caught out time and again, the lack of proactive game management - how often do we bring on a non-injury related sub when we are struggling, and how often do we change shape if we are struggling? And his personal preference for certain 'established' players who do not contribute over younger players who maybe lack experience, but have that edge that the older pros lack (Allen is not the player he once was, and looked all at sea as a holding mid with a back 3, hopefully Baker and Thompson/ new centre mid will be the base moving forward, Chester is a liability - slow, weak, positionally suspect - shouldn't Will Forrester be ahead of him in the pecking order?, Clucas ghosts through games that ain't against his former clubs and lacks the temperament I suspect to put together a consistent run of performances, Fletcher, as much as I like him, is a busted flush nowadays - lacks mobility and has lost his edge, surely we should be blooding Tezgel (as a focal point) and DWP ahead of him and Sawyer's too - lightweight, lazy and dithers on the ball, killing all momentum by passing backwards or by losing the ball in silly areas).
If we were to part ways though I would be tempted to have a punt on one of Sean Dyche or Dean Smith if their respective clubs come down this season, as both have a record of building a side to both go up and stay up in the premier League. If, in the unlikely scenario that both sides stay up, I would be tempted to look at Daniel Farke (knows how to succeed in this league, plus with a point to prove in the Prem, them upstairs would not even consider due to his nationality) David Wagner or even Neil Critchley of Blackpool or Mark Robins at Coventry but there's always the risk that they could do another Nutty Nath (ironically, if Nutty Nath hadn't come to Stoke, he would almost certainly be my number one target given that David Moyes is out our reach). At a push, even Steve Bruce would be acceptable if it doesn't work out at West Brom. What worries me however is that our board have a long history of picking underwhelming candidates from a very small pool of underwhelming yesterday's men - I'm talking the likes of a Lee Johnson, Chris Coleman or Steve McClaren or go for the Continuity candidate, with shades of Chic Bates - Dean Holden, who seems to me to be a natural number 2 or a coach rather than a manager in his own right.
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Post by robstokie on Feb 22, 2022 12:31:03 GMT
No fucking way!! This is the man, while responsible for the fantasy flight of BMX, is also responsible for the collapse of our club - if we had sacked at the end of the previous season, we could still be in the Prem now!! Also wedded to a disasterous 3 at the back, where have we heard that one since....? Think you forgot about the Lambert appointment!!!! Hughes would of kept us up, just!!!! That in itself was an absolute cluster fuck of an appointment, a desperation appointment as LMHs position was untenable and the fact that at least 3 managers (Rowett, Quique and Martin O Neill) had turned us down!! Even if we had somehow scraped survival, and I don't think we would have - don't think we would have come back from the Coventry loss anyway, we would have, barring a miracle, gone down as the laughing stock of the division! We should have sacked at the end of 16-17 or, at the very, very latest after Bournemouth and bought Moyes in - he went in at West Ham who were in a similar position that we were at the time, and look where they are now - heck, they moan about him as they are not secure in top 4!!
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Post by robstokie on Feb 22, 2022 12:01:54 GMT
No fucking way!! This is the man, while responsible for the fantasy flight of BMX, is also responsible for the collapse of our club - if we had sacked at the end of the previous season, we could still be in the Prem now!! Also wedded to a disasterous 3 at the back, where have we heard that one since....?
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Post by robstokie on Feb 19, 2022 17:41:21 GMT
I can see both sides of the divide - one one hand we have finally gone with something resembling a shape and a system that suits what we have in the building. And we are close to being a good side - it's individual errors that have cost us, both last week and this week too, so logically, once we cut them out we will push on - on the other hand the fact that we make the same mistakes week after week and yet he persists with his favourites (read the old pros) shows a lack of coaching nous and negativity rather than being bold and giving someone a bit raw but also eager a chance to mix things up. His big mistake was to deviate from that and insist on a back 3 for the last 18 months, when the current shape by and large took us to safety, playing some nice football along the way. I do also worry that, although his business in January was the best we have done for a long time, we will revert to type, either handing extensions to the likes of Allen, Chester, Fletcher or replace them with similar sorts of players who are crocked or are looking for a last pay-day. For me, he gets to the end of the season - if we can finish somewhere close at least to the playoffs with a bit of momentum behind us he gets the summer then he deserves the chance to take us into next season. If we stagnate and fall off a cliff again like we did last season (and we are teetering on the precipice - 23 points from 20 games is fighting relegation form) then he has to go. The only thing is there's noone out there who I rate who would take the job. If it really 23pts from 20? Many have been sacked for more PPG than that It is - extrapolate that over the course of a season it would put us on about 53 points - enough to almost certainly survive every season, but nothing more. Then again, as much as the Coates have done for our club, they are only too happy to accept mediocrity, which, in football inevitably leads to decay.
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Post by robstokie on Feb 19, 2022 17:31:47 GMT
I can see both sides of the divide - one one hand we have finally gone with something resembling a shape and a system that suits what we have in the building. And we are close to being a good side - it's individual errors that have cost us, both last week and this week too, so logically, once we cut them out we will push on - on the other hand the fact that we make the same mistakes week after week and yet he persists with his favourites (read the old pros) shows a lack of coaching nous and negativity rather than being bold and giving someone a bit raw but also eager a chance to mix things up.
His big mistake was to deviate from that and insist on a back 3 for the last 18 months, when the current shape by and large took us to safety, playing some nice football along the way. I do also worry that, although his business in January was the best we have done for a long time, we will revert to type, either handing extensions to the likes of Allen, Chester, Fletcher or replace them with similar sorts of players who are crocked or are looking for a last pay-day.
For me, he gets to the end of the season - if we can finish somewhere close at least to the playoffs with a bit of momentum behind us he gets the summer then he deserves the chance to take us into next season. If we stagnate and fall off a cliff again like we did last season (and we are teetering on the precipice - 23 points from 20 games is fighting relegation form) then he has to go. The only thing is there's noone out there who I rate who would take the job.
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Post by robstokie on Feb 1, 2022 12:40:46 GMT
I appreciate this thread is about our ‘best’ team, and I’d agree with going for a back four, but… Jagielka Wilmot Harwood Bellis Moore Chester Five centre halves, with one being brought in yesterday, points towards MON wanting to use a back three with wing backs to me. You would have to hope that MON has finally realised how much of a liability Chester really is both in a 3 and a 4 - so 2 of Jagielka, Moore, THB, Wilmot for me with Will Forrester to jump into contention if we get an injury or revert to the 3 - Moore is one we could potentially get in cheap in the summer due to being out of favour at Reading so we would be looking at Jagielka, Moore, Wilmot and one or both of Taylor and Forrester with Jagielka being phased out when Souttar returns/after the world cup.
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Post by robstokie on Jan 4, 2022 23:41:17 GMT
He's not been great has he? For one, I would expect a lot more of a physical presence from him - he just seems way too soft to bully defenders, plus lacks any vision or quality in or around the box.
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Post by robstokie on Jan 4, 2022 23:35:52 GMT
I would personally keep
Davies - Looked a little iffy last couple of games, but at the very least quality back up and competition at this level if MON goes for Bursik as his number one again.
Batth - He would have been one I would have moved on if I was asked a few months ago, but has been a generally solid replacement since Souttar got injured and was key to us tightening up before the last 2 games. Also far less of a liability than Chester One more year, as back up and to cover Souttar until he's ready to come back in.
Smith - Yes, he's patchy, but we have other areas of the squad to look at in terms of recruitment. If we can bring in another right sided option, he's a good one to have in reserve - be interesting to see if MON will give young Edwards (when fit) or even Coates a run out before end of season.
Vrancic - Offers real quality with his final ball, but doesn't have the legs to play 3 games a week. Another year as back up/an alternative to Powell.
Powell - The one we should be bending over backwards to keep - and, with the lack of firepower up top and Tyrese still short on fitness/lacking in confidence a vital source of goals.
Get Rid
Chester - Why we signed him permanently is a mystery on the strength of his loan spell, and why we gave him another year baffles me even more. Slow, weak and gets caught ball watching far too much.
Allen - Not the player he once was, gets overpowered on the ball, gives away the ball on the turn, no positional sense and does not justify the extortionate wages he's on.
Ince - Lazy, disinterested, lacks end product and again on huge money.
Fletcher - I do like Fletcher, he offers a focal point that we lack without him, can bully defenders and creates space for those around him. The issue is that he's going to be 35 this year, his legs are going and is made of glass, plus misses too many easy chances that strikers at this level should be converting.
On top of that, I hope that we do not resign
Sawyer's - Lightweight in possession, sloppy with the ball, kills all momentum and lazy off it too. Got a horrible feeling that he'll be back though!
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Post by robstokie on Nov 29, 2021 22:39:46 GMT
Just with Beef or with every meat (or indeed without meat)? The girlfriend thinks it's just for roast beef, I think it's for all meats and even for other non roast dishes - giant Yorkie with tinned steak in it is lovely!! Discuss
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Post by robstokie on Nov 28, 2021 15:20:15 GMT
I would go
Davies
Smith Ostigard Batth Fox
Wilmot Allen
Brown Vrancic Doughty
Fletcher
Let's ditch this sideways building from the back stuff as we don't have centre halves with the vision or technical ability to do it effectively or midfielders who can drop in and recycle the ball through the centre of the park. We need to go back to basics, looking to get the ball out into wide areas with wingers and full backs to overlap to create width, get the ball forward quickly instead of trying to retain the ball at all costs and if nothings on, play percentage balls into the Corners - Brown and Doughty can chase down them balls, allowing us to press up, gain territory and play off second balls. The way we play at the moment, teams know that if they press on us trying to play out, we will lose it and know that as long as they pack the middle behind the ball, we are clueless to do anything, just pass the ball sideways until we play a loose one, they can pounce and turn us around!
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Post by robstokie on Nov 6, 2021 17:36:43 GMT
Maybe Nathan Jones was asking him how come he didn't show the desire to play for him when he was the manager? Tymon has himself to blame for past performances, no one else. When Jones was here he lived and breathed it and he was let down by the players, let's not forget that and start painting him as a villain. I think Tymon has been poor lately but he's now a good player at this level, but he gave Jones nothing, I imagine Jones couldn't help himself and said something along those lines To be fair to Josh, Nutty Nath chucked him under the bus when we played Preston not long after he came in, subbing him before half time! Granted he wasn't having a great game, but it was maybe his second run out as a wing back, and almost everyone else was equally as shit that day - but he made a kid in Tymon the scapegoat, instead of someone who couldn't give two fucks like Afobe.
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Post by robstokie on Nov 3, 2021 21:02:26 GMT
So we aren’t losing then? Imagine the meltdown if we score Scoring is the worst thingbwe could possibly do If we nick one in injury time, we might just sneak a draw!!
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Post by robstokie on Nov 3, 2021 20:05:34 GMT
Batth’s having one Makes you wonder why MON has effectively Banished Ostigaard! We looked far more solid with him in there with Soutts and Wilmot!
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Post by robstokie on Sept 30, 2021 19:13:22 GMT
Googled Jordan Clarke and the first thing that came up was a ginger actress from Canada. How can he be the best free transfer in history if he’s not even the best person of his name in the current generation? 😂 Then Again, these are the mad musings of Nutty Nath! Funnily Enough If you Type in "Nathan Jones" into Google you get led to a Bananarama song or a stacked Aussie rules player, not the jumped up little man who has a clear emotional dependence on Diamonds - Even though proven to not be his best friend!!
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Post by robstokie on Sept 28, 2021 21:37:55 GMT
Should come with a health warning - especially for fans sat behind the goal who are likely to be hit by another mis-hit shot!
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Post by robstokie on Sept 28, 2021 21:16:22 GMT
Does anyone else find that if you drink a lot of beer, you talk about Stoke City F.C far too much to anyone who’ll listen which, is particularly bad on a 1st date. “Nick Powell had a free kick and scored right in front of the Boothen end”.. I haven’t heard from them again haha probably for the best. I have that issue too! And I can't use the grog as an excuse either! Luckily I've found a very patient and understanding young lady who can see past my Stoke obsession (even dragged her to Fulham on a weekend that was otherwise very cultured).
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Post by robstokie on Sept 28, 2021 21:12:32 GMT
To be fair to the lad he puts himself about, presses well from the front, chases down lost causes and hassles defenders. He's just not clinical enough or good enough from a technical level to push us up to the next level.
That's the frustrating thing from this season, if we had someone half clinical up top, we would be at least 5 points better off and would be right up there. We need Tyrese back as soon as possible. Got to be on bench Friday surely - we are screaming out for a clinical finisher, and he's come through 3 u23 games now so has got to be there or there-abouts.
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Post by robstokie on Sept 22, 2021 12:16:37 GMT
Next week - the Demba Ba knee conundrum. Week after - Desert Island Discs with Nikola Zigic Following that - The Heskey Files
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Post by robstokie on Sept 22, 2021 12:09:33 GMT
That, for me is the spine of our team. I think if we can keep these 3 at the club, and keep them fit for the rest of the season, then we have a great chance for really pushing on this season. Think anyone else is, to an extent, replaceable, but these 3 drag us up a level, taking us from a just above average side in this division to being one of the best.
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Post by robstokie on Sept 22, 2021 12:05:40 GMT
We’ve got to be close to “ah fuck it” and having him on the bench? Bench Saturday. Hes the missing piece of the jigsaw. Would say him and Powell are the missing pieces of the jigsaw based on the last few league games. If we had a more clinical finisher against Barnsley and Derby, we would be at least 3 points better off, the amount of chances we haven't converted this season is frustrating. Brown and Surridge put themselves about, press from the front pressuring the opposition to lose possession high up, drag the opposition centre halves about and link well with those around them, but neither are what you could describe as 'clinical'. Also, as much as Vrancic has been the difference in the home games with a moment of quality that has been decisive, we lack a direct option and a late runner - Clucas is another option when he plays, but, in this system, he sits deeper. Think if we can keep both Tyrese and Powell fit and firing (possibly Sima too once he adapts to English football) then we won't be far away this season.
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Post by robstokie on Sept 22, 2021 11:55:46 GMT
Its a tough one - Bursik will be a top top keeper in the future and he will come good, but has he shown that he is our best keeper at the moment. For me, it's a no. Davies, as evidenced in last night's display, is our best keeper, commands his box better, inspires those in front of him and is performs to a more consistent standard. In my opinion, he was very unfortunate to be dropped this season and would be my personal preference as no.1.
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Post by robstokie on Aug 22, 2021 21:10:43 GMT
I think the key to the balance of the side is Clucas - we looked unbalanced and over-ran at times against Reading when we had both Powell and Vrancic in the side, leaving Joe exposed, it's something we might be able to revisit if we can bring in an out and out holding mid before the end of the window, but not with Joe in there as teams will run all over him there, whereas having a box-to-box midfielder in Clucas in there allows us to compete through the middle whilst still having that threat coming forward with the late runner. The other thing that has enabled the 3 at the back to work, thus helping with the balance of the side is having athletic centre halves who are comfortable bringing the ball out and covering their wing back either side of Souttar who can sit in as a stopper. Ostigard in particular has impressed me, both brilliant at the nuts and bolts but also coming out and covering his wing-back.
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Post by robstokie on Aug 22, 2021 21:01:18 GMT
Dead happy for Vokes and Gregory, I don't hate McClean but I can't imagine rooting for him. Gregory especially I'd love to see do well. I did like Gregory. Not the most technically proficient, but always put himself about, created stuff for others and wasn't a bad focal point, especially pressing from the front. Think he will stand out in League one. Same with McClean, great work rate and will look better at a level down - toxic personality. As for Vokes, I think he's gone into a side that will play to his Strengths, getting plenty of balls into the box at every opportunity. If he can get himself a bit fitter, he will again do a decent job at Wycombe.
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Post by robstokie on Aug 22, 2021 20:45:56 GMT
Wouldn't fancy Baath as cover? He's alright, good attitude and professional most of all. He's a good out and out defender, but he's too poor with the ball to keep. Sign young up and coming ball playing defenders instead with the money. Would probably keep one of Batth and Chester as cover (probably Chester as he is the better ball player and more naturally suited to play on either side of a back 3) if the price was right, Vrancic possibly as competition/cover for Powell if he hopefully stays (thought we lacked balance with both Vrancic and Powell in the same side, leading us to be over-run through the middle and allowing Reading to press up on us, would rather go with one, plus Clucas/Allen playing a more box to box role alongside Allen/a holding mid). As for Fletcher, I wouldn't be against it - but, realistically speaking, If Tyrese comes back anywhere near the form he was in pre-injury, he will be first choice alongside either Sturridge (as a focal point to play off) or Brown (who can press over the course of a game keeping the other team pinned back) then he wouldnt get much in terms of minutes! He would be a good pro to have around, and could be used for an old head of we are lacking a bit of nous both on and off the pitch, but might want to move on to have a final year or two playing regular football.
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Post by robstokie on Aug 10, 2021 7:19:53 GMT
Any idea when going on Sale? Heard absolutely nothing from the club
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