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Post by MarkWolstanton on Jul 6, 2014 19:11:01 GMT
I like RVD, but I'm not a fan of people announcing they're leaving. Seems a bit 'hey look at me'. Didn't see what happened but RVD doesn't strike me as the type to leave over a bit of abuse. I expect he'll be back soon enough. To be fair to RVD, I don't think he did announce he was leaving. He just deleted his account - not really a "look at me" action at all. He has every right to do it, but I wish he hadn't. I'd rather have lost ************** than RVD - although if ************** comes out with a superb blog after each Stoke game I could change my mind. Somehow, having seen **************'s work I doubt if he can replicate the great stuff RVD produced. Correct John. He didn't make any announcement and as I have pointed out elsewhere he will be re-joining us as the new season gets closer. Tazi will return the moment a relegation threat emerges. There must be more to people's lives than to analyse football message board behaviour, surely? Perhaps we need a real professional opinion.
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Post by MarkWolstanton on Jul 6, 2014 11:00:14 GMT
Best of luck, Vale, hope you manage to stay up, even do well. If we don't see you for a while I will assume your back is playing up following the slaps received from Vale supporters wishing the same for our club.
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Post by MarkWolstanton on Jul 5, 2014 23:14:46 GMT
That's good, because I very much doubt that anyone on this board has any respect for you. I should sincerely hope not. It's not about fitting in, its about trying to call things right and doing the right thing. Which, I freely admit I don't always do - I fuck up and get things wrong at least once a day. Unlike you bunch of perfect Johns. However, both my daughters seem to love me...and so does my mum, with all my faults. That is a substandard excuse for a piss poor ability to deal with people actually not accepting your opinion. You are correct that we all fuck up but perhaps some are a little less likely to compound the fuck up and then run around wearing it as some sort of badge of honour. I have made my view clear on PM and now the matter is closed as is this thread. I have contacted Rob and I am delighted we will soon be enjoying his valued contributions to this board again in short time.
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Post by MarkWolstanton on Jul 1, 2014 3:11:59 GMT
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Post by MarkWolstanton on Jun 25, 2014 21:37:35 GMT
I can't resist pointing out that Valencia chap has been reacting to life threatening contact again, Rob! Back on topic, I have always thought Hoddle was the last England manager who actually understood international football. The question is of course, has his time passed? I thought Valencia's challenge tonight was much worse than Sterling's and a red all day long Mark. Tactically Hoddle was very astute but his man management was apparently horrendous. Perhaps the answer is that he (Hoddle not Valencia ) should be integrated into the coaching set up, then?
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Post by MarkWolstanton on Jun 25, 2014 21:31:39 GMT
I can sort of see the case for it but he's not managed for ages, his last job was a heroic 8th placed finish with Wolves in which he drew 45% of his games, and as a pundit he's come dangerously close to making Ian Wright look reasonably astute. Ambivalent. I can't resist pointing out that Valencia chap has been reacting to life threatening contact again, Rob! Back on topic, I have always thought Hoddle was the last England manager who actually understood international football. The question is of course, has his time passed?
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Post by MarkWolstanton on Jun 23, 2014 12:12:15 GMT
Absolutely essential that Gerrard continues through to and including the next Euro championship.
The young players in the squad will benefit immensely from having a couple of older heads with them and it is difficult to imagine a better role model for them than Gerrard. Continues to be worth his place on merit to back this up.
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Post by MarkWolstanton on Jun 22, 2014 18:53:54 GMT
Meanwhile Mark - football is having a world cup in Quatar and referees are now told to give free kicks when players go in 'too aggressively' yep Rugbys far from perfect - Ive little time for a sport wher you run forwards chucking an egg shaped randomly landing ball backwards - meanwhile our sport is becoming:- a more and more corrupt non contact sport played by a bunch of total wusses. Ive got to admit, at least Rugby league is still played by men who behave like men - for the most part - they've got that over us - to be fair The point I was answering was the claim Rugby League; now masquerading under the guise of Super League hadn't sold its soul. Nothing to do with muscle bound buggers who play it or where FIFA has corruptly awarded a World Cup. The things they have done for TV revenue could well make even Blatter blush. What was that weekend where they all congregate at a football ground and play back to back matches all about if it wasn't soul selling extravaganza?
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Post by MarkWolstanton on Jun 22, 2014 16:43:58 GMT
Whilst we are one about Warrington that majors on that 'mickey mouse eggchasing game in mickey mouse northern towns only, just like Warringotn who, like Stoke, built their new ground without having filled in the corners a few years ago HAS NOW FILLED IN THE CORNERS (WELL AT LEAST ONE THAT WASN'T) as far as I can see was getting crowds - 10 -12 thousand and increased capacity anticipating increased demand (apparantly) and its a minority sport in a fucking hic town Meanwhile, that massive urban metropolis known as the 'City of Stoke upon Trent (a city mind) and 'mighty Stoke City' , playing a far more popular sport in supposedly, the best football league in the world (the club that I love)with, a returning fan base and now routine worldwide exposure and - having just shit another £76 million last season apparently cant manage it ? Football and it's players could learn a lot from that "Mickey Mouse", "minority sport" that gets played in "fucking hic towns". Local guys putting their bodies on the line for very modest salaries (relative to other sports) for the love of their sport. Rugby League adapted to modern culture without selling its soul to the devil, unlike football. You are having a laugh? Hasn't sold its soul? It has sold it and dropped its knickers to such a degree that it changed completely from a winter sport to a summer one in order for Sky to take any notice of it as a close season filler. That is before you get into the clubs all changing their names and "Americanising" themselves like whores to try and appeal. Clucking hell!
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Post by MarkWolstanton on Jun 22, 2014 16:40:25 GMT
Whilst we are one about Warrington that majors on that 'mickey mouse eggchasing game in mickey mouse northern towns only, just like Warringotn who, like Stoke, built their new ground without having filled in the corners a few years ago HAS NOW FILLED IN THE CORNERS (WELL AT LEAST ONE THAT WASN'T) as far as I can see was getting crowds - 10 -12 thousand and increased capacity anticipating increased demand (apparantly) and its a minority sport in a fucking hic town Meanwhile, that massive urban metropolis known as the 'City of Stoke upon Trent (a city mind) and 'mighty Stoke City' , playing a far more popular sport in supposedly, the best football league in the world (the club that I love)with, a returning fan base and now routine worldwide exposure and - having just shit another £76 million last season apparently cant manage it ? Its a bloody bean can with less corporate and spectator facilities than Vale Park. You can hardly distinguish it from the Tesco next door so horrible and tin can it is. If the poor man's Its A Knockout rugby thinks it can increase its attendance then good luck to them. What the hell has this got to do with what Stoke decide to do with the Britannia Stadium?
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Post by MarkWolstanton on Jun 15, 2014 9:59:57 GMT
Without doubt one of the most promising and exciting England performances at a major tournament for many a year.
There was so much to be enthusiastic about thanks to the manager being brave enough to blood the young players instead of playing the safe option of dragging along past it Chelsea reserves and other Premier League stalwart plodders that have been mentioned in this thread (Gareth Barry for fucks sake)
There are obvious weaknesses that hopefully will be strengthened by more emerging talent in the near future. We have for example the prospect of Luke Shaw for left back, wisely getting tournament experience in the current squad. John Stones has also been given some experience and so on. For now we have what we have and the best we have is out there.
I have no doubt that if we can reproduce last night we will beat Uruguay and Costa Coffee to make it through to the next stage.
The future looks very bright and whoever takes over from Woy in years to come will reap the benefits of what is being done now.
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Post by MarkWolstanton on Jun 14, 2014 20:01:22 GMT
Your TV is is hanging in a window??? You're madder than I thought March,have you got curtains on top of your TV stand as well? Got it in one. Isn't that the way everyone does it? Weren't you the bloke who spent years telling us to expect Stoke to win trophies by banging a ball up in the direction of a forward who averaged two goals a season?
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Post by MarkWolstanton on Jun 14, 2014 19:56:27 GMT
I'm saying that woy watched lallana all season and trusted him in the games previous where he'd done well. Thought he would have stuck with what he knew then used sterling's pace later on. Did Southampton never play against any opposition teams and players all season then? Perhaps the bit I'm not getting is that it only counts if the England manager turns up at the home games of players he is interested in?
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Post by MarkWolstanton on Jun 14, 2014 10:25:54 GMT
Did we really pay £4 million for Edu? Never mind sacked,Pulis should have been sectioned and never let near another football club ever again. I bet Palace fans conna wait for this summers transfer window I think Stoke paid around £800,000 for Edu. Granted, it was £750,000 too much, but we didn't pay £4m. £50K for Edu? You have always overrated him!
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Post by MarkWolstanton on Jun 14, 2014 9:52:40 GMT
The old tried, tested and failed Thatcher model? Really?
The slower recovery in France is a long way away from being about just some simplistic tax comparison.
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Post by MarkWolstanton on Jun 14, 2014 9:04:45 GMT
Which simply confirms my original comment. Keith Leighton is an administrator who never has and never will have any pretentions to claim he is a coach. To claim he achieved Academy status for the club by the "skin of his teeth" is outrageous. The fact that the club got Academy status when it was clearly lacking in almost every facility required is actually something of a miracle and down entirely to Keith and a couple of others playing every underfunded card they had to the maximum. Keith actually wanted to leave to pursue his actual career the minute academy status was achieved (as that was his remit and that is all he wanted to do. He remained for a fairly short time after to plug gaping gaps because the club had not brought in the actual coaching numbers they were expected to do. Rather than bang on about Keith Leighton not being very good at what he was not qualified to do and had no ambition to do why not focus on the excellent job he did in establishing the club's academy status against all odds? Keith left to pursue his actual career to work within the Football League. He is owed a great deal of gratitude in my opinion. A commendable effort in defence of Leighton all credible until you factor in his constant claims that he was the man that coached a young Michael Owen/Others at Lilleshall, if he was not a coach why the constant claims about his coaching of certain high profile players, either that or he was telling porkies. I've never heard Keith claim anything of the sort. I know Owen was at Lilleshall with the Elite development group that was based there when Keith was also working there. I've heard him talk about a lot of the young players who were there under the system developed by Howard Wilkinson who went on to become household names but not once have I heard him take any credit for coaching them. You are the first person I have ever heard claim that he did. I know plenty of people in the area who have discussed with him the systems of organisation and administration that prevailed at that time - good and bad. His success at Stoke and that is what it was, despite giving twelve year olds headaches is why he was offered a very responsible position with the Football League.
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Post by MarkWolstanton on Jun 14, 2014 8:45:45 GMT
I'm not sure you understand what Keith Leighton's actual function was in the early days of the Academy. I'm absolutely positive he doesn't merit that ridiculous description.
I understood what his role was meant to be, he was employed to gain academy status for the club which tbf he did by the skin of his teeth, why he felt he had the skills to take overall charge of coaching in a hands on role is beyond me, believe me I have seen his methods first hand and his coaching methods and overall man management were in my opinion shit, throwing fully inflated footballs as high as possible into the night sky under lights in order to teach 12year olds to head the ball properly is just one example, surprisingly quite a few came away from that particular session with severe headaches, one had to visit hospital with concussion. I am positive that as a coach my description is pretty accurate, based on watching other coaches including Pej he would rank as a clueless clown.
Which simply confirms my original comment. Keith Leighton is an administrator who never has and never will have any pretentions to claim he is a coach. To claim he achieved Academy status for the club by the "skin of his teeth" is outrageous. The fact that the club got Academy status when it was clearly lacking in almost every facility required is actually something of a miracle and down entirely to Keith and a couple of others playing every underfunded card they had to the maximum. Keith actually wanted to leave to pursue his actual career the minute academy status was achieved (as that was his remit and that is all he wanted to do. He remained for a fairly short time after to plug gaping gaps because the club had not brought in the actual coaching numbers they were expected to do. Rather than bang on about Keith Leighton not being very good at what he was not qualified to do and had no ambition to do why not focus on the excellent job he did in establishing the club's academy status against all odds? Keith left to pursue his actual career to work within the Football League. He is owed a great deal of gratitude in my opinion.
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Post by MarkWolstanton on Jun 14, 2014 0:16:05 GMT
Noel Blake was a tremendous man and coach but was just at our Academy at the wrong time. I wish him all the best wherever he goes! Was he there when that fat useless Keith Leighton was running the academy ?, if so he was better out of it clueless fuckin clown. I'm not sure you understand what Keith Leighton's actual function was in the early days of the Academy. I'm absolutely positive he doesn't merit that ridiculous description.
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Post by MarkWolstanton on Jun 12, 2014 22:39:54 GMT
This will not do! Stung by your observations that Oatcake HQ was not coming down hard enough on the abject failure of the previous two transfer windows which left so many holes in our squad that we were only able to finish in our highest ever Premier League spot and scrape more points together than had been achieved under the previous waiting for old apples to drop strategy, we had ready to go for next season's first edition a nuclear proportion blast at the pizza guzzling suits that you have identified as destroying our club! I just don't see how your desperate offering I have copied above lets us go ahead with an article we have toiled over to appease your desire to see us gun down these club wrecking culprits! Pull the front page Mark. I have seen the error of my ways. In my defence I didn't know the Oatcake intelligentsia were so clued up on Slovakian football and the Banská Bystrica scene in particular to be able to tell us that Dionatan Teixeira represents a 'fabulous signing' and 'superb work' from the suits. I apologise to all concerned We could go with the obvious suppression of the Ilford support mass demonstrated by a rather questionable ballot system that has deprived the World's greatest courier a place on the Supporters Council. What do you think?
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Post by MarkWolstanton on Jun 12, 2014 22:34:49 GMT
Genuinely pleased that Joe got voted in before Ilford Dave. You deserve it Joe, it's your time to blossom. Ilford Dave could still get in as he automatically qualifies for a specialist seat. I have long been of the opinion that it is time the massed ranks of Ilford based Stoke supporters should have a voice!
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Post by MarkWolstanton on Jun 12, 2014 14:23:09 GMT
Apologies comrades, working in the betting industry, I've been a bit busy. Apparently there's some sort of competition on in South America. England are in it but looking at who's representing us I can only conclude it's a tournament to find the world's biggest bunch of cunts and we look a shoe in. Get your money on. As for Stoke, it's the change of direction that pleases me more than anything. Our last few signings, Odemwingie, Bardsley, Sidwell. Never mind the quality just feel that re-sale value. A new era indeed! In fact as a personal apology to Mr Scholes, i'm going down the club shop today to buy an xxl away top. Oh hold on, it's the holiday season an we haven't fucking got any. So with absolutely no respect 'Scholes fucking Out' you bunch of cunts! Enjoy the world cup or the Asmir Begovic sales conference as it should be called. This will not do! Stung by your observations that Oatcake HQ was not coming down hard enough on the abject failure of the previous two transfer windows which left so many holes in our squad that we were only able to finish in our highest ever Premier League spot and scrape more points together than had been achieved under the previous waiting for old apples to drop strategy, we had ready to go for next season's first edition a nuclear proportion blast at the pizza guzzling suits that you have identified as destroying our club! I just don't see how your desperate offering I have copied above lets us go ahead with an article we have toiled over to appease your desire to see us gun down these club wrecking culprits!
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Post by MarkWolstanton on Jun 9, 2014 19:30:06 GMT
This new scientific method of signing players that the manager has either played with, managed or been involved at the same club as is really pushing boundaries... It still comes a damn sight cheaper than the alternative earth moving methodology of buying anything that has been previously blessed by the hand of 'Arry.
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Post by MarkWolstanton on Jun 9, 2014 19:05:57 GMT
And the information about Teixeira comes from??? Nowt on the official site that I can see. Jase would tell you that you simply are not devoting enough of your time trawling Twitter
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Post by MarkWolstanton on Jun 9, 2014 19:02:02 GMT
So it seems Diouf will be completing in the next few days. Sidwell and Diouf in at the beginning of June for the princely transfer sum of erm....fuck all. I would like to know what them there pizza guzzling tossers in our recruitment team are playing at?? Whatever happened to good old fashioned last minute transfer windows where we snapped up £15m bargains like Crouch/Palacios??? I'm sure Sheiky will be along to let us know how wank this is, shortly.
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Post by MarkWolstanton on Jun 7, 2014 19:52:11 GMT
But Dave it was near enough to the ball that he actually played the ball first?? What part of his body touched the ball? It certainly wasn't his foot. It was a stupid challenge in a meaningless game. Ironically it is the sort of challenge that idiots such as Geoff believe Shawcross commits, thus justifying the stance that he isn't international class. The part of the body concerned was a foot that at that moment was encased in a football boot
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Post by MarkWolstanton on Jun 7, 2014 19:29:20 GMT
Which is just a play on words. Here is the bottom line: if you think that Sterling deserved a red card for that tackle then good luck to you. Me? I'm not really up for watching seven aside football matches every week because that is exactly what you will end up with. I have to say the argument being put forward is a complete vindication of the Arsenal view on the Shawcross "incident" with Ramsey. It is one I do not agree with. I thought it was a very poor challenge to say the least. It was reckless, it was high, it was 2 footed (in a scissors style) and it was nowhere near the ball. It was also a young lad trying desperately to make an impression and show that he could work back as well as forward. Was it a red card offence? In the hurly burly of the Premier League probably not. Had it been a Champions League or Europa League game then probably yes. GEOFF - go and bother people of the club you support. Your opinions on Shawcross aren't worth considering (just as your opinions on Pulis weren't) and your view that Smalling must be better than Ryan because Fergie signed him for Manure is so stupid, you could actually pass for Woy Hodgson! But Dave it was near enough to the ball that he actually played the ball first??
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Post by MarkWolstanton on Jun 7, 2014 19:16:18 GMT
What's the difference to the ref from a poorly executed tackle to a reckless one. Which is just a play on words. Here is the bottom line: if you think that Sterling deserved a red card for that tackle then good luck to you. Me? I'm not really up for watching seven aside football matches every week because that is exactly what you will end up with. I have to say the argument being put forward is a complete vindication of the Arsenal view on the Shawcross "incident" with Ramsey. It is one I do not agree with.
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Post by MarkWolstanton on Jun 7, 2014 19:02:39 GMT
You can call it nonsense all day long Rob but the points I made remain the same. If every mistimed tackle gets a red card then lets stop tackling all together. There was fuck all reckless about it. The only person banding about the "man's game" stuff is you for some reason. Anyone who has ever played football rather than talked about it understands entirely that it was in absolutely no sense of the word, reckless unless it is reckless to tackle for the ball at all. No harm done, no intent to do any harm. It is a free kick and get on with it. Do you think there was the remotest chance it was going to lead to a sending off before things turned into a girlie slap-fest with the subs involved? Of course not which rather undermines your point a little? The netball comment was exactly that kind of thing Mark and you know it. I'm not Nostradamus so I have no idea what the referee was going to do if what didn't happen had in fact happened. It was more than just a mistimed tackle, he went flying in over the ball. Again, ignoring your snidey 'if you've played the game' comment, Hodgson himself felt the same way, so obviously people who've played it to a higher standard than either of us (not that I have as much stock in that as you apparently do) feel the same way as well. The "snidey" comment when made had the few journalists desperate to play on a none story in my mind, Rob. I think we will leave this as a disagree entirely point. If you consider that Sterling made that tackle with any lack of due care and intended harm then that is fair enough. I think it was something that is a part of playing a contact sport.
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Post by MarkWolstanton on Jun 7, 2014 18:58:33 GMT
He might throw a couple of red herrings tonight Bayern in the hope everybody thinks that ? Pace and more pace next week please Roy Possibly, I don't see the point in that though. They need to play together as much as possible. Every England manager since time began has never shown their full hand at this point. I expect some sort of sandbagging tonight.
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Post by MarkWolstanton on Jun 7, 2014 18:55:51 GMT
This is what's wrong with refereeing. How can we have consistency when we have calls for tackles to be based on what position a player plays? Or we have views of 'well its a local derby so the ref allows a bit more because of the intensity. Well what if a team like stoke play with the intensity every week because of our desire to win the ball? We don't have to wait for a derby or big game. And that last part is the point exactly with the key phrase being desire to win the ball. The point about it being a winger was to underline the fact that it was a poorly executed tackle not a reckless one. Free kick....get on with it!
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