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Post by LGH87 on Oct 11, 2023 9:10:25 GMT
Might just be me when I watch Stoke but when we try to win the ball back / stick a foot out to block etc, we always seem to be unlucky with the outcome. It might be my Stoke bias, but it always seems a loose ball will bobble past the closest Stoke player and fall perfectly into the path of an opposition player, it seems to happen all the time. Because other teams are more alert, quicker, stronger and pretty much just better than us.
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Post by LGH87 on Oct 10, 2023 15:45:50 GMT
Neil won’t be going anywhere for the foreseeable We sacked MON the week after he signed Delap.
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Post by LGH87 on Oct 10, 2023 13:09:34 GMT
I don’t think that’s entirely correct. From the Preston game onwards, we have not had Mmaee or Vidigal available to start for 7 games, Stevens missing for 6 of those games, and then no Campbell for almost 4 out of those too. That's a good chunk of our goal threat wiped out for large swathes of our season so far. It would take its toll on any team. Before Preston, we had 2W and 2L. One of those losses was just against a better side who will probably finish in the playoffs at least, and against Millwall we were the better side in the second half with our big guns on (who are not currently available). It’s just not fair to judge Neil on current results with the injuries he has at present. He's brought in enough players and after the shambles on Saturday in not using what was available off the bench . It's always the players who aren't available of course who would have made things so different.Not buying into the injury excuse , doesn't help of course but not the reason his managerial record here is so atrocious. He didn't strengthen in certain areas where needed and now paying the price.
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Post by LGH87 on Oct 10, 2023 13:00:49 GMT
We've been atrocious. When the players are all fit how long you giving them to get match fit? It's one excuse after another. Recruitment has been a disaster. Relying on Preston has-beens, gambling on unknowns and neglecting key areas. Don't get me started on formations and tactics. Man alive what a cluster fuck. We've got Rowett mark 2, he'll be blaming supporters next. You've only got to read that once to come to the conclusion that you expected a complete job in one summer. I think this explains why you and many others are really miffed. Realistically it's not happening in one summer, we're only just establishing a base that we can build from Nobody expects it to be done in one summer but what everyone does is expect is to not go in to a new season with an injury plagued 33 year old left back as your only left back and 3 centre halves, all of which are similar types. It didn't even take 2 months for those two key decisions to come home to roost. It's just rank bad management and for me is a sackable offence on it's own, without throwing in the chopping and changing of formations, systems and mentality.
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Post by LGH87 on Oct 10, 2023 12:12:10 GMT
Sad state of affairs discussing free agents after he landed so many players in the window. Injuries not an excuse as players we need are mainly in areas we ignored during the window. Got nobody to blame other than himself. Signing an injury plagued 33 year old left back and selling our only other one without a replacement was career suicide. He just about got away with the negligence towards the centre halves in Jan, to repeat that feat was always a tough ask. To let Okagbue and Baker go without another senior centre half being signed was ludicrous.
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Post by LGH87 on Oct 10, 2023 10:46:54 GMT
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Post by LGH87 on Oct 10, 2023 10:17:30 GMT
Is running a team today too big for one manager? I'm convinced we need 2 managers, one who has a defensive mindset and one who is more attack minded. The one thing I notice with flair managers is they seem clueless when it comes to their defence, likewise defensive managers struggle to attack and create chances. Hughes did brilliantly for a couple of seasons but it was because of the solid defence he was left by Pulis that helped his flair players do their thing knowing they were well covered. We clearly need someone who is defensively astute at the club to drill our defence. Pulis and Hughes could have been a great combination, maybe Hughes needs someone like Bruce side by side with him to be successful. Do single managers surround themselves with too many like minded people and not enough that challenge them especially in area's of the pitch where they are weakest? Are there any manager combinations that could be effective and can it work? That's not strictly true is it, our best season defensively had two players signed by Pulis at the back, that were Shawcross & Wilson. Pieters, Wollscheid, Muniesa & Bardsley were all Sparky's signings.
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Post by LGH87 on Oct 10, 2023 10:12:16 GMT
We find it difficult enough to find one good manager, let alone fucking two
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Post by LGH87 on Oct 10, 2023 9:56:26 GMT
Sheff Wed set to appoint Danny Rohl. Very interested to see how this one goes. Only 34 but has already had spells at RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich and the German national team (albeit during their worst spell in our lifetime) as assistant. Started out as a video analyst for Red Bull after his low key playing career. Ticks all the boxes of the modern, young, progressive coach that is seeming to do well in the championship these days ie Maresca, Carrick, Mckenna, Rosenior etc etc but can easily be one of those that goes terribly wrong. I'd rather give someone like him a go than the likes of Dean Smith, Chris Wilder or dare I seven say it, John Eustace.
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Post by LGH87 on Oct 10, 2023 9:49:19 GMT
We need to end this John Eustace talk now else JC will see it and will probably appoint him.
If Eustace is the peak of our aspirations as fans it's truly time to give up.
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Post by LGH87 on Oct 10, 2023 7:35:58 GMT
Cant see what hes got to lose by going 4-2-3-1, like everyone else knows is best. Dropping his utterly useless mate daniel johnson and putting bae behind the striker. Dropping laurent and having pearson and burger as your '2' and fingers crossed mmaae is back come the Sunderland game It's so obvious it's verging on mental that he hasn't tried this yet but has tried various other things that would obviously never work. Daniel Johnson has been a big disappointment for me, I waxed lyrical about him on Twitter after the Rotherham game too
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Post by LGH87 on Oct 7, 2023 15:56:35 GMT
Sack him tonight.
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Mmaee
Oct 6, 2023 9:11:52 GMT
Post by LGH87 on Oct 6, 2023 9:11:52 GMT
Leris Junior McNally Thompson
What a back 4 that is.
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Post by LGH87 on Oct 6, 2023 7:15:09 GMT
You carry on supporting the dilution of atmosphere. If you like that fair enough but don’t talk about a lack of atmosphere at the game if that’s your opinion That’s complete and utter codswallop. A large proportion of supporters don’t contribute to the atmosphere and that’s nothing new. If you want to jump up and down, wave flags, sing songs that’s great I like it as long as you’re not right in front of me. Too right these people with their phones out piss me off I want to know why theirs work in the ground and mines fookin useless can’t even check the scores elsewhere. I’ve had these atmosphere creators by me and they confuse me every bit as much as someone using their phone. I mean why pay to watch a game then spend god knows how much of it jumping up and down waving your arms about facing away from the pitch like a deranged lunatic. Different folks, different strokes.
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Post by LGH87 on Oct 5, 2023 13:50:24 GMT
Playing it in such a big stadium just seems daft............... The 2 best teams in the competition in the cricket loving/mad country in the world should be able to attract a full stadium mate for the opening match even if it means giving tickets away Shameful really Working day too.
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Post by LGH87 on Oct 5, 2023 9:31:34 GMT
Also save scumming on FM is not the end of the world and if you’ve done it as I have occasionally so what Agree. FM is a single-player game and people have the right to play it however they want. Nobody gets hurt if somebody else save scums / cheats / uses the in-game editor. It's weird how preachy people get cheating in FM, especially considering that using cheat codes to in games was extremely common in the early 2000s. I guess the only thing I'd say is it's a bit odd when people boast about outlandish FM achievements on social media when they have cheated to get them. Don't think I ever completed a GTA without using cheat codes. Another of my favourite things to do was to rent a game from Blockbusters on a Friday til Sunday and use a walkthrough to complete it. Did that a good few times in the early 00s.
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Post by LGH87 on Oct 4, 2023 15:27:38 GMT
quick to forget last season?! He was shite then too
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Post by LGH87 on Sept 30, 2023 18:18:53 GMT
Simply put we need to score 2 or 3 every week
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Post by LGH87 on Sept 28, 2023 10:52:32 GMT
Carlos Vicens Enrico Venturelli Wow are they real people or did you invent them? Vicens is one of Pep’s assistants and is an expert with set pieces. He’s another of the Pep production line after Maresca, Kompany etc. Venturelli is one of De Zerbi’s assistants. Be
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Post by LGH87 on Sept 28, 2023 10:20:53 GMT
The other option is a tracksuit coach type - like when Steve Cooper and Neil Critchley were plucked straight from an academy/under-age national/assistant job. Carsley seems out of reach, as his mate Kevin Kilbane was saying he's turned down Prem jobs. And Anthony Barry, who Tuchel took to Bayern with him, has apparently turned down Prem jobs too. But someone of that type may tick the box. You'd be in wild swing territory, but any wilder than another tired, retread option, who knows? Carlos Vicens Enrico Venturelli
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Post by LGH87 on Sept 28, 2023 8:03:52 GMT
True but we've also had numerous years in the third tier under them, the last time a group of wet behind the ears foreigners got us out within a few years and got us back into the Championship. Maybe that's the issue, maybe it should be about money and maybe that would help focus a few minds rather than it being a plaything or a charity case that can consume money like most of us consume sweets? I don’t think so because if it is just about money rather than passion we ain’t ever going to play in the top flight again are we? Just think about it, you are a fantastically rich foreigner who fancies buying an English football club that has massive support and is going to be a sure bet to play in the Premier League. We’d be top of the list yeah? BM Were Wolves, Bournemouth, Brentford, Burnley etc etc etc?
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Post by LGH87 on Sept 27, 2023 23:02:42 GMT
Sure but there’s no point in complaining about a problem unless there’s a solution. So what is it? BM The solution is for them to sell up and move on. It's common knowledge in certain circles that they've had offers over the recent years and turned them down. Offers from whom?
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Post by LGH87 on Sept 27, 2023 22:51:52 GMT
Someone just said 13 losses in last 19 games A stat is a stat but when you see the same thing game after game one does begin to think yet again what the hell they are doing! However you cut it shocking stuff. It feels like that many, and it may be prophetic of the next 4 league results, but It’s 10 defeats in last 15 league games (2 league wins and 3 draws in those 15) 5 defeats in 8 games this season 5 defeats in last 7 games last season en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022–23_Stoke_City_F.C._seasonNJ’s last games at start of 2019/20: P14 W2 D2 L10 How has he still got a job. Fuck my life.
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Post by LGH87 on Sept 27, 2023 22:43:56 GMT
All fair points, people can continue to gripe but it won’t change. They would want an astronomical amount of money for the club and all its assets and I don’t see there being a willing buyer with deep enough pockets. And that's why, after 30+ years of attending home and away, I'm done with this fucking fetid prolapsed anus of a football club. I'll return as soon as they're gone.* *Even if we're taken over by a cabal of Russian sex-trafficking dog-rapists. Even those would be more acceptable than the current bunch of billionaire dickheads. Could you point me in the direction of said Russians? I think I’d prefer to watch their dog activities than another game managed by AN.
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Post by LGH87 on Sept 27, 2023 22:28:25 GMT
Why not though? Plenty of other clubs have and a lot were smaller than us at the time of their buyouts too. Tonight’s opponents being one of them. The thing is, we don’t necessarily need the Coates to sell, we just need them to fucking wake up and get with the times. JC could do a lot worse than going to spend some time with Tony Bloom. Who ironically also made his fortune from gambling, only he did it by taking money off the bookmakers. For the Tony Bloom’s and Matthew Benham’s we could also end up with owners that WBA and Reading have as well. I’m not against it but I just think it’s one massive gamble that Stoke City FC cannot make/take at this moment in time. I actually think they have seen the light last summer with the new set up but maybe they’ve gone too far in giving Ricky Martin so much power? But again, Ricky Martin was Alex Neil’s appointment. So they’ve even gone arse about face appointing a technical director. The manager still has carte Blanche, it’s just wrong.
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Post by LGH87 on Sept 27, 2023 22:19:20 GMT
So the Coates are above criticism then because of ten years in the prem that ended over half a decade ago? Of course they’re not and Dean’s call tonight was excellent post match but I don’t think it’s that easy just to get new owners in nowadays with money who’ve got the best interests of Stoke City at heart Why not though? Plenty of other clubs have and a lot were smaller than us at the time of their buyouts too. Tonight’s opponents being one of them. The thing is, we don’t necessarily need the Coates to sell, we just need them to fucking wake up and get with the times. JC could do a lot worse than going to spend some time with Tony Bloom. Who ironically also made his fortune from gambling, only he did it by taking money off the bookmakers.
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Post by LGH87 on Sept 27, 2023 22:16:14 GMT
I agree but all I will say is that this season they look to have made the right steps in hiring a head of recruitment. Hopefully they have asked Jared Dublin to sign players for a certain system not a certain manager and when Neil gets sacked they have a suitable manager lined up. Not holding my breath but I'm trying to stay slightly positive. Jared Dublin might end up with some difficult questions to answer if this summer rebuild turns out to be a complete flop. Personally, I think that there is a decent team to be put together from the current squad if they are managed and coached better. However, very few of the new signings have actually made any kind of positive impact yet. It would help if the manager would play them in a coherent system With them playing in their best positions.
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Post by LGH87 on Sept 27, 2023 22:13:08 GMT
Does it really matter, 6 year or 10 years? You’re totally ignoring the main point of my post, probably because you’ve got JC’s nut sack covering your eyes. Grow up FFS So the Coates are above criticism then because of ten years in the prem that ended over half a decade ago?
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Post by LGH87 on Sept 27, 2023 22:10:38 GMT
We’ve sleepwalked through the last 6, before we know it, it’ll be ten. That’s not you said though is it🤔Rapidly approaching 10 is not the same as the start of 6th season in the championship Does it really matter, 6 year or 10 years? You’re totally ignoring the main point of my post, probably because you’ve got JC’s nut sack covering your eyes.
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Post by LGH87 on Sept 27, 2023 22:07:38 GMT
I think that the club has made some positive moves behind the scenes in terms of restructuring the hierarchy of the club. The question now is whether the right people have been appointed into key roles. The seismic changes on and off the pitch during the summer was always going to make the start of the season difficult. However, we look all over the place and AN just seems a little lost at the minute. For whatever reason, we just cannot seem to get any positive momentum at the club. We allowed the manager to appoint the technical director. that’s about as backwards as it gets😂
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