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Post by chrisparker on Apr 30, 2016 19:00:45 GMT
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Post by chrisparker on Apr 30, 2016 18:47:00 GMT
Yes we've been saying this about Everton throughout the season but they somehow manage to bottle it every time. Martinez is a shite manager & I can see both Sunderland & Leicester winning against them.
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Post by chrisparker on Apr 30, 2016 18:43:43 GMT
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Post by chrisparker on Apr 30, 2016 18:20:45 GMT
As I said before the game given affelays injury to let Adam go would be madness , we as I also said before the game need his positive passes to vary our fame good as affelay has been , Adam is far more of a forward threat . With nzonzi in that team today instead of imbula we would have seen the game out at 1-0 we show a veery concerning fragility with a lead at the moment The adam sub was a nonsense and the choice of direct replacement even worse another howler of a sub for me . Yes but Adam looked absolutely knackered for about 7-10 mins before he came off. He stopped pressing the opposition, allowing the Sunderland players more time on the ball. He probably should've been taken off earlier but sadly we don't have a direct replacement for Adam on the bench.
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Post by chrisparker on Apr 30, 2016 18:17:34 GMT
On a second look, the penalty actually looks very very harsh.
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Post by chrisparker on Apr 30, 2016 18:15:30 GMT
The changes was exactly what we needed at the moment. Adam & Crouch brought in grit & experience that we've been missing for the past few weeks & he made a bold decision in dropping Wolly. Pieters was a positive as well. Solid at the back, created chances going forward & in the end probably deserved the 3 points. The penalty was a shame but it was a very decent performance on the back of some extremely poor results. I'd give him a 8.
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Post by chrisparker on Apr 30, 2016 18:07:18 GMT
It really is that simple. Excellent passing, whilst moving forward with intent. We have technically excellent players but this fella just gets things done in a way a few of the others don't seem to grasp. He'll probably go in the summer but I hope we replace like for like. Why do you reckon he'll go in the summer? Didn't he just sign a new contract at the start of the season?
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Post by chrisparker on Apr 30, 2016 17:19:19 GMT
Crouch gave a focus that helped but the opposition were dire and I would say it was a long long way from being a 'huge' improvement. Yes but at this stage it's really more about results than performances. We're low on confidence right now & what we needed was to stop the humiliating losing streak which we did. We were very poor in our first 2 wins at the beginning of the season against Bournemouth at home & Villa away but the next thing you know, we're averaging 2 points a game for the next 3 months in an emphatic surge up the table annihilating teams like Man City & Man united on the way. We all know on our day we can outplay any opposition in the league but what we needed was a little bit of momentum to raise the confidence of the players which is what 2 scrappy wins gave us. Hopefully we'll take the positives from today & end the season with 2 good performances against Palace & West Ham.
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Post by chrisparker on Apr 30, 2016 16:56:45 GMT
We would have been better off signing Victor Moses Shaq had been a huge disappointment Moses didn't want to come which is why we signed Shaqiri & Moses' market value was 16 million last season so we would've ended up paying more anyways.
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Post by chrisparker on Apr 30, 2016 16:52:01 GMT
They just drew against Arsenal last week & kept a clean sheet. They don't have shiny individuals but they play like a team & they're fighting for their lives at the bottom of the table. Very true, but on today's evidence... No but as Clyde says you can't just say they were poor today. They were poor because we made them look poor. We pressed their midfield players high up the pitch, we didn't give Kirchhoff & Cattermole any room to operate & we forced them to make to make mistakes & just cluelessly lump the ball up the pitch.
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Post by chrisparker on Apr 30, 2016 16:36:29 GMT
Correct, albeit against a very average side. They just drew against Arsenal last week & kept a clean sheet. They don't have shiny individuals but they play like a team & they're fighting for their lives at the bottom of the table.
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Post by chrisparker on Apr 30, 2016 16:32:56 GMT
Defence looked very good. Cameron was absolutely superb today & had Defoe in his pocket for 90 mins. The penalty at the end was a shame & Defoe sure made a meal out of it but that shouldn't take away from the shift he put in for us today. Pieters did what Muniesa failed to do in the last 3 weeks & that is to defend. Haggard was untested for the entire 90 mins.
Arnie was great again but the real difference today was bringing back good' ol Charlie, who dominated the centre of midfield today. He played very direct, always looked to play the ball forward & really bolstered the midfield. We were lacking leaders on the pitch & Adam was the player who really stepped up & took responsibility. But he did look absolutely knackered after the 75th min & probably should've been taken off a bit earlier. But his performance is a huge positive for us.
Crouch was very decent again & so was Walters' short cameo from the bench. Imbula was anonymous in the first half but very decent in the second. The only disappointment is that we couldn't finish them off with a second goal. We certainly had our chances but in the context of our last 3 results, this was a very decent performance from the guys.
Palace away next. They'll be focussed on the FA cup final so hopefully we can get a win there.
Against a team that's supposedly "fighting for their life" at the bottom of the table, we certainly did match them for desire & strength. "Already on the beach" they say? Cleary they don't know what they're talking about.
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Post by chrisparker on Apr 30, 2016 16:13:37 GMT
Charlie Adam dominated the middle of the park today. MOTM in my opinion. Cameron was superb as well. Shame he gave away that soft penalty right at the end because he was our best defender today. Defoe sure made a meal of it, though. Against a team that's supposedly "fighting for their life" at the bottom of the table, we certainly did match them for desire & strength. "Already on the beach" they said. Cleary they don't know what they're talking about. Good performance by the guys today. I'm disappointed with the late penalty but our defence massively improved from the last 4 games. Palace away next. They'll be focussed on the FA cup final so hopefully we can get a win there.
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Post by chrisparker on Apr 30, 2016 15:51:30 GMT
Fuck off !!!!
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Post by chrisparker on Apr 30, 2016 15:20:41 GMT
Pieters back to his best today. Our defence today has looked great. Charlie Adam has really bolstered us in the middle of the park. Need a little more in attack, though. Keep trying Shaq.
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Post by chrisparker on Apr 30, 2016 14:54:02 GMT
Cameron has been our best player in the first half. Looks very solid at the back. Sunderland will come out all guns blazing in the second half, hopefully we can pick the off on the counter. Also why does Shaq look like he's afraid of getting injured again? He's done okay this first half, just needs to make some more forward runs. Ref has been piss poor so far.
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Post by chrisparker on Apr 30, 2016 12:52:01 GMT
Diouf is on 65k every week? Jesus !!!
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Post by chrisparker on Apr 29, 2016 16:54:04 GMT
Another pointless article that points out the obvious without offering any solutions.
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Post by chrisparker on Apr 29, 2016 13:42:52 GMT
Please no, We now have to continue watching boring boring tippy tappy useless football with no end product other than losing possession. No passion, no pace and just an inevitable decline Recent events have brought to the fore considerable dissenters to Mr Hughes reign, so unless he addresses the poor defence and method if play that list will grow until he goes I'm sorry but this is the stuff that really pisses me off. Hughes has broken our record points total 2 years in a row. He has established us as a top 10 team & he's the sole reason we've been able to sign players like Bojan, Arnie, Imbula etc. Any "Stoke fan" who wants Hughes out is mental & needs his head examined. He's the best manager we've had in a long long time.
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Post by chrisparker on Apr 28, 2016 23:53:12 GMT
Southampton away was fabulous.
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Post by chrisparker on Apr 28, 2016 21:40:18 GMT
There is no Leicester love in with me, but I want them to win the league. Although Spurs doing it would be pretty mad too given their 'always the bridesmaid' status. That and as we saw to our cost not too many nights ago, team for team they play the better football. Fcuk Tottinghham they sold Palacialarse to us for £8million. Yeah but whose fault was it to buy him in the first place? Didn't even play much when he was match fit. Useless. Complete waste of money.
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Post by chrisparker on Apr 28, 2016 21:19:35 GMT
Hughes led a blackburn side whose only ambition was to avoid relegation into a top 6 finish, just 4 points below the Champions League spots, & a Europa League Quarter finals. That was & remains one of the greatest managerial accomplishments in the premier league. Surely more than just a reasonable job. He had a shocker at QPR but then again so did 'Arry. The club is just terribly run. I am no statto but I think he inherited a decent set of players at Blackburn and did he not also have the money from the Jack Walker legacy to hand, so, yes, a good achievment, but not sure about one of the greatest managerial accomplishments, but I stand to be corrected on all fronts about that one. Again I am no statto, but I am pretty sure Fulham, QPR & Blackburn all got relegated not long after his departure from these clubs, which would suggest he does not neccessarily leave behind the strongest of legacies/squads, although this is probably being crotesquely unfair to him as he personally had good records at both Fulham and Blackburn and, of course, now Stoke The season before Hughes came Blackburn finished dangerously close to the relegation zone in 16th just 2 points above relegation zone.
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Post by chrisparker on Apr 28, 2016 20:29:04 GMT
I can't believe some of the Stoke fans are hoping they bottle it because of jealousy. We are witnessing arguably the greatest story in sporting history & one of the greatest managerial performances in world football. This is the stuff that you tell your grand children on a cold wet evening in front of the fire place. Leicester have just proven that there is no glass wall in the premier league. There's nothing that can't be achieved with immense hard work, determination and some flair. This is not just going to be a one time thing. It takes a miracle like this to shatter our present perceptions about what it takes to win a premier league title & it'll undoubtedly pave the way for other "smaller clubs" to try to achieve this impossible dream. Maybe.... just maybe.... Stoke might be next
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Post by chrisparker on Apr 28, 2016 19:49:01 GMT
I don't agree with that. Second leg we were worthy winners but we didn't play them off the park like some claimed. No but neither did they. Liverpool didn't have an attempt on goal in the second half at the Brit & yes we were very poor but they were not much better either.
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Post by chrisparker on Apr 28, 2016 19:44:13 GMT
It was sad BUT it was two legs and we only played in one of them. So did they
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Post by chrisparker on Apr 28, 2016 19:42:33 GMT
No one is planning to get rid of Hughes, the question is whether Hughes will jump ship to a bigger club at this stage? Someone suggested they were about to get rid. They're mental Hughes is the best Stoke manager in over 25 years.
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Post by chrisparker on Apr 28, 2016 19:37:38 GMT
The idea the Coates family are ready get rid of Mark is ludicrous. No one is planning to get rid of Hughes, the question is whether Hughes will jump ship to a bigger club at this stage?
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Post by chrisparker on Apr 28, 2016 19:36:29 GMT
I know I'll probably get slaughtered for bringing this up again but this is the one defeat that's still really hard to take. One nil down at home, never won at Anfield in 50 years with everyone writing us off before the game & then to go there & put in that sort of winning performance (and that too without our captain), taking the tie to extra time & then get knocked out in penalties is just a terrible experience, especially if you were there that night. Never been so devastated & so proud of my team at the same time.
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Post by chrisparker on Apr 28, 2016 18:45:57 GMT
Surely a side ways move for Hughes and if we are honest is Hughes any better than what they already have, maybe a little but neither have proved to be world beaters, both have done reasonable jobs in former management and both have had their shockers too. Both managers struggle to build their own successful teams and are naive tactically. Hughes led a blackburn side whose only ambition was to avoid relegation into a top 6 finish, just 4 points below the Champions League spots, & a Europa League Quarter finals. That was & remains one of the greatest managerial accomplishments in the premier league. Surely more than just a reasonable job. He had a shocker at QPR but then again so did 'Arry. The club is just terribly run.
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Post by chrisparker on Apr 28, 2016 14:21:46 GMT
This is starting to get really worrying. The club haven't come out & said anything so far. If Hughes leaves you can expect Bojan, Arnie, Shaq, Imbula to leave within the next 3 months. He's the key asset to all our acquisitions. If he goes then we're back to square one. All this nonsense speculation about Mancini, Benitez & Pellegrini to replace him makes me laugh out loud. We all know that if Hughes leaves, Coates is going to bring in Moyes & then we're back to playing hoofball again.
As people have mentioned here, we took a big gamble on Hughes after that nightmare spell in QPR & it paid off for both him & us. Now that he we're in a difficult spell & he has been approached with a bigger job, will he stick with the people who've trusted him & backed him up until now & fight for the supporters or will he bail?
Stoke to Everton is not much different than Blackburn to Man City.
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