|
Post by alster on Dec 20, 2017 12:59:38 GMT
12 starts last season. Numerous chances this season including one from the spot yet still struggles to force the keeper into a save. Don’t be a clown, the guy is useless! I'm sorry I must have missed those numerous chances. Bringing him on (very occasionally) with 5-10 minutes to go when we are behind in games is not the way to get a player back into any kind of form. Minutes have been very few and far between this season and when he has played results haven't been too bad but we persist with twatting it at Crouch which has been proved not to work time and time again. At best its an emergency measure to base your whole gameplan on it is pathetic.
|
|
|
Post by alster on Dec 20, 2017 12:41:52 GMT
Yeah, I’d take a manufactured way of breaking the monopoly. It’s all based on money anyway, Chelsea and Man City were not really top teams until they had hundreds of millions spent on them consistently for a few seasons. I know Leicester somehow managed it but that was a once in a century kind of season and they haven’t been close to that again and maybe never will. For us to break into the top 4 and do it time and time again we would probably need to spend the best part of 1 billion and pay outrageous wages, and you can increase that figure with every season that goes by. I’d take a manufactured way above that every time, I’d hate to see someone rich to buy Stoke and spend that kind of money to buy success.As for the champions league itself, viewing figures are down massively since it went off ITV and Sky and it’s not got the same fan interest it had 5-10 years ago. The main interest in it is the money clubs and a desire from players to be playing at what is considered as the top club level. I wouldn't.... Neither would I and I suspect a lot of those who say they would would soon change their mind if it happened. Its very much the easy answer to back the status quo. Who wouldn't want to follow a successful club playing good football and scoring lots of goals. Their reply well go support Man City then as if you choose which club you support. I'm not from America I'm from Longton there has never really been any question of which club would I support.
|
|
|
Post by alster on Dec 20, 2017 11:41:05 GMT
Champions league qualification from the Prem very much in the same way as playoffs in the lower leagues keep teams playing to the end of the season who would otherwise have nothing to play for and produce shit football and rogue results. If it was structured like the playoffs, top 3 qualify automatically then one of the next 4 I’d agree - that would really makes things interesting, but the top 4 is usually the same 5 or 6 clubs every season - it’s not like half of the league are playing for it. So you want a manufactured way of a poorer team qualifying and breaking the monopoly of the big 6 not a sporting one where you have to strive to be better than them.
|
|
|
Post by alster on Dec 20, 2017 11:38:05 GMT
Champions league qualification from the Prem very much in the same way as playoffs in the lower leagues keep teams playing to the end of the season who would otherwise have nothing to play for and produce shit football and rogue results. Sounds like us at the end of every season in recent years. The champions league should be for the champions IMO, if we have 4 spots then 2 for the league and one for each cup would keep things interesting. Some of the big boys would miss out of course, but that would spread the money more evenly and make the cups far more interesting. If you reserve the Champions League for Champions you start the competition with about 5 teams who might win it, that in no way enhances the credibility of the tournament. The cups are a lottery why would you want poor English teams in the Champions League, do you want Spanish clubs to continue to win it? Its quite a widespread opinion just one that seems more borne out of jealousy than anything else.
|
|
|
Post by alster on Dec 20, 2017 11:29:34 GMT
Think we'll stay up just. Hughes will have to go either in the next few days or at the end of the season. If he stays hope to fuck we don't leave replacing him until after the world cup as one poster suggested leaves very little time to reshape the squad before the transfer window closes before the league kicks off.
|
|
|
Post by alster on Dec 20, 2017 11:15:57 GMT
Wolves eh? The Wolves that knocked us out of the FA cup and also Liverpool? Then proceeded to sack Lambert and show ambition by signing a foreign manager. The way things are going at Wolves mate they'll be replacing us come next summer. So don't try and preach to me about our lord saviour Coates. Do you're research. Also, because you appear to be jizzing over Wolves, maybe you should go and support them. Clearly, you are moaning kind of guy. Gets boring. SGS Getting back to stay away from my club again take less steroids drink more water.
|
|
|
Post by alster on Dec 20, 2017 11:12:57 GMT
He shouldn't have allowed a confidence stricken Berahino take a penalty when there was every chance of him missing - that nailed Berahino's coffin for me. Other than walking on the pitch and taking the ball off him I don't think there's much he could have done about it. Berahino put his needs in front of the teams needs. Luckily it didn't turn out costly. Players do stupid things when they are getting desperate Pennant vs Everton for example.
|
|
|
Post by alster on Dec 20, 2017 10:55:21 GMT
Sounds a bit like getting sacked for not going to work so you can go trainspotting, absolutely fucking stupid. Strange analogy, Choo-Choo!!! Not really people are going on like they don't understand where the money comes from and as if you could just move it from one competition to another its incredibly naive.
|
|
|
Post by alster on Dec 20, 2017 10:52:53 GMT
Lets see last window wba offloaded another dud in fletcher,choupo is what he has been thoughout his carrear a free transfer.jese another signed on past reputation another to join the list of non scoring forwards under this management. The other point is who exactly would want to sign for a club near relegation with our management and a chairman who seems to be living in the past and in total denial Ranging from most to some players in the following fields: who aren't being selected by their current team, have no security of a contract beyond the Summer, have not yet had an opportunity to play Premier League football, who stand to benefit from a large salary increase, who think they have a better chance of first team football thereby putting themselves in the shop window(loans). In short quite a lot, now the difficult task are any of them good enough doesn't really matter whether we're sure or not we've got to do something to try to break the cycle.
|
|
|
Post by alster on Dec 20, 2017 10:29:39 GMT
Managers have a shelf life period. We just happened to have that one year past his sell by date. We just hope we can limp to the end of the season That was last season what's your excuse for this season.
|
|
|
Post by alster on Dec 20, 2017 10:27:23 GMT
Wow you want to get nasty and physical and then replace Ramadan with Choupo who despite being a big lad is about as nasty and physical as the insides of a walnut whip. Then we sign a better player to replace Jese and start him. Ramadan doesn't have the wherewithal to battle this shitstorm out. Choupo is a better player. Christ, Shaq isn't exactly The Punisher. Why split hairs when we're all trying to suggest options without buying a whole new team. The only thing Coupo has on Ramadan for me is end product and he's had a lot more minutes to produce that. I don't agree that Choupo is a better player or more suited to a battle like I've said for his size I think he's a bit of a pussy. Shaq is without doubt a luxury but we need to retain some creativity don't we can't see where else its going to come from.
|
|
|
Post by alster on Dec 20, 2017 10:20:19 GMT
Champions league should go back to the team's at the top of their league! Load of bollocks IMHO! Makes it a shit lucky dip of a tournament IMHO.
|
|
|
Post by alster on Dec 20, 2017 10:18:00 GMT
He was brought in with a brief to improve our recruitment. Four years later, that can be seen as a complete failure. He has to go. Be fair he seems ok at the pizza order Dunno doesn't look like he's very good at sharing.
|
|
|
Post by alster on Dec 20, 2017 10:12:58 GMT
Don't get me wrong I'd get rid of the lot just to be sure but how can you be so certain he's shit. We've had good players in for talks who've gone elsewhere and done well, maybe they were his picks. Given our club is so secretive about exactly who is responsible for what its really difficult to pin down who's most responsible for the shit show that is our squad. At least we can say for sure that Hughes deserves to be sacked for tactics, selection and game management alone. He was brought in with a brief to improve our recruitment. Four years later, that can be seen as a complete failure. He has to go. You're very good at jumping to conclusions they might all be stellar performers Coates might be the real problem. Only way to be sure is a clean sweep of the fucking lot of them.
|
|
|
Post by alster on Dec 20, 2017 10:09:17 GMT
Put a champions league place on the league cup and FA cup, that would certainly sort the priorities of clubs out and stop everyone putting weakened sides out. Champions league qualification from the Prem very much in the same way as playoffs in the lower leagues keep teams playing to the end of the season who would otherwise have nothing to play for and produce shit football and rogue results.
|
|
|
Post by alster on Dec 20, 2017 10:05:50 GMT
It just goes to show what people think of the League Cup though and why it probably should be shelved. No it shouldn't be shelved the Premiership in its present form should be shelved Sounds a bit like getting sacked for not going to work so you can go trainspotting, absolutely fucking stupid.
|
|
|
Post by alster on Dec 20, 2017 10:00:43 GMT
They are surely not going to give this idiot money to spend, you couldn’t make it up! Well if they won't sack the fucker like they should is there an alternative?
|
|
|
Post by alster on Dec 20, 2017 9:59:22 GMT
We might just about get by with a new central midfielder and a winger to replace Jese. However, this would put Cameron or Zouma at right back. We really need to become harder to beat/break down so a solid wall of four and three in front (New defensive midfielder plus Cameron/Fletcher/Afellay with Allen may give us more stability. Jese has flown the coop you'd have thought but I don't think Ramadan is ready for a relegation battle. We need to get nasty and physical. Diouf up front with Choupo and Shaq is our best option and we might draft in another forward if Jese goes. Let's be realistic, four new starters aren't going to come in anytime soon. Wow you want to get nasty and physical and then replace Ramadan with Choupo who despite being a big lad is about as nasty and physical as the insides of a walnut whip.
|
|
|
Post by alster on Dec 20, 2017 9:55:15 GMT
As for the January window I doubt we will spend big, I’d be content with a solid RB and another DM. I can’t see us bringing in a striker, not one who would actually improve us unless there is BIG money to spend. We have the players for a 4-2-3-1, better to revert to that and give up this 5 at the back experiment for now. I agree 4231 works best with our players, by the way there isn't supposed to be a 5 at the back experiment he tried to copy Chelsea who's wingbacks are in no way shape or form defenders and didn't have the players to do it.
|
|
|
Post by alster on Dec 20, 2017 9:50:35 GMT
He did try. Surely Imbula was that replacement?? Imbula is the single biggest contributing factor in my opinion, it was following his signing that the rot really set in. He wasn't the player Hughes thought he was and he started messing about with the formation attempting to somehow make him work but couldn't. As a result we had a number of poor results which scared the living shit out of Hughes, leading to a change in his mindset that has continued for the last 18 months.
He's never recovered. This, You might be right about Imbula being the root cause I'm not sure but that was when he lost his bottle and changed mindset from a go out to win the game manager to a set out not to lose manager. He's been absolutely shit at it I've lost count of how many times its blown up in his face but he seems incapable of learning his lesson and refinding his bollocks.
|
|
|
Post by alster on Dec 20, 2017 9:34:32 GMT
The trouble with the January transfer window the clubs we are dealing with know just how much trouble we are in and will have us over a barrel on transfer fees. The players know the trouble we are in and have us over a barrel for wages, signing on fees and clauses etc. I feel it would cost a fortune to get a mediocre player through the doors so let's hope that there are massive amounts of funds available to get us out of the hole we find ourselves in. Add the fact that if we get the players we need we also need a manager who knows what to do with them which Isn't Hughes Agreed and the family will have to spend unprecedented amounts of cash. We will be talking upwards of 20M per head for the quality required, of which we need a minimum of three. Get in the real world you don't get outstanding Premier league players for £20M. Swansea were willing to pay £25M for Joe Allen and ended up paying £15M for Sam fucking Clucas. They're both ok just about.
|
|
|
Post by alster on Dec 20, 2017 9:30:43 GMT
Why the fuck would you give the dipshit who's already wasted £50m ANOTHER big wad of cash to spunk away on dog shit? This is exactly why we should have got rid of Hughes straight after the Spurs game, or at the latest after the West Ham debacle. We're not going to sack him now until at least after the Newcastle match with the number of games we've got coming up, by which time, the clock will already be ticking in the January transfer window. Whoever comes in at that point (if anyone does) will barely have time to plant his arse down in the hotseat before he's expected to spend serious amounts of money to avert relegation. And make no mistake, these decisions are the most crucial transfer decisions we will EVER have made- the stakes are enormous. The alternative is that we HAVE to give a massive amount of money to a bloke who I wouldn't trust to go to ASDA for bread and milk. You'd hope that a supposedly brilliant business mind would have considered this???? Maybe you'd give it him to spend because on his other more successful purchases you have wiped a fair proportion of that £50M out and have assets that would show a profit in Shaq, Joe, BMI, Ramadan maybe others that would take care of the rest. His transfer record is a red herring he needs to be sacked for becoming wank at football management not wasting money that argument simply doesn't stand up to scrutiny.
|
|
|
Post by alster on Dec 20, 2017 9:24:25 GMT
I really don't get how clubs that size get to quarter finals and rest players for the league. Easily the best chance for either to win a trophy . The game has really lost the plot as fat as I can see Just shows how inconsequential cup football has become they're no more than a side show often an inconvenient one. Its a bit like work and a hobby you have to prioritise the work because without the work there is no money for the hobby. Do you enjoy work more than the hobby no but you still have to get your priorities right.
|
|
|
Post by alster on Dec 20, 2017 9:02:24 GMT
If a defender makes contact with an opponent in the penalty area is it a Penalty??? Watching Leicester match and commentators saying it was a penalty because he made slight contact.So why isn't every set piece where the ball goes into the box a penalty because ive never seen an instance where there hasn't been contact between a defender and a forward amd presumably those attackers are always in potential goalscoring positions if the ball is in the box too??? Physical contact is allowed. What isn't allowed is: "careless, reckless, use of excessive force", "charging an opponent", "holding an opponent", "obstructing/impeding an opponent", and dangerous play. Other fouls are : kicking* an opponent, tripping* an opponent, striking* an opponent, (* or attempting to), jumping at an opponent, pushing an opponent, deliberately handling the ball, spitting at an opponent, and when tackling making contact with the opponent before the ball. The argument/misinterpretation seems to lie with which offence "requires" excessive force. If your interpretation is that if an opponent falls to the ground then excessive force must have occurred then it is a foul, which seems to be the interpretation of many commentators; Gary Linekar said on MOTD once, "if a player is touched he is entitled to go to ground", or words to that effect. IMO referees are swayed by the crowd, who is involved (i.e. players' reputations), which teams are involved, i.e they are hesitant to rule against a big club who have so much invested and influence on the authorities. Don't think any of that really helps I doubt very much the refs give that many on the use of excessive force. You quite clearly put "holding an opponent" if you put your hands on him therefore you give the ref a decision to make whether you are holding him. "obstructing/impeding an opponent" an opponent moving at pace with the ball will be impeded by minimal contact therefore if you make contact with him and don't win the ball cleanly you give the ref a decision to make. Excessive force will only be used in situations where you did win the ball but went steaming in like a lunatic with a level of force that was highly likely to cause injury.
|
|
|
Post by alster on Dec 20, 2017 8:45:19 GMT
So many questions to be asked over that deal. The primary one being, how the fuck as Cartwright still got a job? Don't get me wrong I'd get rid of the lot just to be sure but how can you be so certain he's shit. We've had good players in for talks who've gone elsewhere and done well, maybe they were his picks. Given our club is so secretive about exactly who is responsible for what its really difficult to pin down who's most responsible for the shit show that is our squad. At least we can say for sure that Hughes deserves to be sacked for tactics, selection and game management alone.
|
|
|
Post by alster on Dec 20, 2017 8:36:54 GMT
If there is one thing Fergie should have taught Hughes, it was to freshen up your back rooms staff once in a while. This is not a swipe at Bowen but we need a good defensive coach otherwise... It will cost Mr Coates his premiership membership and Hughes his job, we could be well on the way to both answers. A change is needed in coaching the defence and quickly! Come on then which assistants and coaches did SAF get rid of?
|
|
|
Post by alster on Dec 20, 2017 8:30:12 GMT
I wonder if it was the same people that wanted on board at the Bet365🤔 Glad Coates told them where to get off if so, doesn't sound like they're going to be investing in big money players like the Wolves owners have just speculating on unproven players. Probably an ok idea for them but we'd need massive investment from the get go not some growth project.
|
|
|
Post by alster on Dec 20, 2017 8:21:39 GMT
I said when he went back to Spain this time that he would not be coming back. I stand by that comment. Is he’s still being paid? Surely there’s a breach of contract. Doubt it very much we've given him compassionate leave.
|
|
|
Post by alster on Dec 20, 2017 8:12:02 GMT
I said when he went back to Spain this time that he would not be coming back. I stand by that comment. So many questions to be asked over that deal. Will you have him back? Can we have a refund? the product is clearly not fit for purpose. Can't think of any other questions worth asking.
|
|
|
Post by alster on Dec 19, 2017 17:21:58 GMT
It didn't happen whilst I was there, I left when the second went in but yes I would have agreed with it, I've been posting he needs to be sacked for over a year but that's not to say I'd have taken part in it. Its just not me. I applaud good play shout a bit if a particular incident gets me angry thats it no singing, no baiting Arnie or anyone else, no protests I go to watch football plain and simple. I take it you have some blueprint that everybody who goes to Stoke games must adhere to. I've got news for you thousands upon thousands couldn't give a flying fuck how you think they should behave "live and let live" I'm not in a tribe and you're certainly not the chief.
|
|