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Post by wuzza on Mar 17, 2022 12:00:47 GMT
It’s back to square one with him isn’t it. Unfortunately he is one of those players that when he’s bad he’s bloody awful - a complete liability. Getting the ball forward with urgency instead of stroking it around would help him and the other strikers. We just let the opposition get back into position closing all the space. I'm not against passing out of defence rather than long kicks from the gk but for the life of me I don't understand taking free kicks backwards or the gk rolling the ball to a defender in the box when it almost always comes back to the gk to kick or pass. Yes absolutely - the whole process of getting the ball forward drives me nuts - life is too short for one of our attacks ! Best example of using Campbell was that goal at QPR , single incisive pass puts him through and he finishes brilliantly.
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Post by wuzza on Mar 17, 2022 10:41:14 GMT
Unless Campbell knows something we don't we ain't cashing in on him! So true, prior to injury looked like we would get least 15m for him. Be lucky to get £1.50 now It’s back to square one with him isn’t it. Unfortunately he is one of those players that when he’s bad he’s bloody awful - a complete liability.
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Post by wuzza on Mar 17, 2022 10:31:05 GMT
I agree too. Though it is a false equivalency. Rovers are in league 2. While I don’t like THB and would prefer to see Taylor in there (or Forrester), I don’t doubt that THB would be excelling in league 2. His mistakes would be less likely to be noticed and his strengths would be more apparent. To me the whole scenario was clearly based on finances i.e let an experienced Centre Back on good money go so the money could be used elsewhere and hire a cheaper alternative who may or may not come good. That alternative should have been our own young player - but maybe the terms of his loan to Bristol didn’t allow a recall ?
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Post by wuzza on Mar 17, 2022 10:19:56 GMT
You didn't answer my question, again. I'll answer yours. I can well see the owners making another duff appointment. I'm terrified they'll appoint another hoofer who bins off the Powells and Bakers and Campbells. The structure of the club needs to change to be able to better support managers and the owners are bullishly continuing to charge in the opposite direction and continue the 'manager as emperor' model that's increasingly outdated. But the current manager has run out of ideas, that much is clear. He's reached the point of no return. So we have to take that risk and hope that a new manager provides, at least, a short-term fillip to get us at least starting to move in the right direction again. Who knows, maybe they'll luck out, maybe they won't. But we're well into the things can't get any worse stage. We look dead under this manager. The way I see it, there are risks attached to each and everyone of those managers in that list, with those risks magnified by the way our owners run the club. My pick would be Rooney but I'm not blind to the potential Paul Cook effect either, and I do wonder if, as absurd as it sounds, the structure at Derby is better suited to him than here... Robins would be the closest pick in terms of style to MON and would ease the transition to a new manager, but he hasn't managed at a club with big expectations and has a very average record outside of Coventry. Some of the others have failed in similar circumstances to ours (Jokanovic and Ismael) and some are untested at a club our size. In normal circumstances I wouldn't be bothered about twisting, but the more I've sat and thought about it the more riskier I think it is right now, even despite our bad run. The risks in keeping this manager are that he simply can't turn it around. He had a similar run last year, got to the summer and built a more expansive side and showed he learned to some degree. Some of the football we played early doors was superb. The collapse has been stark and worrying but I've put my thoughts on that down already. I think we're in a bit of dressing room chaos at the moment because of the amount of short term signings we've had to make to cover for the players we've had to lose for FFP. He alluded to a recruiting a different profile of player last night in his interview so is he opening up to a more physical type of player in the side? If he is, and we won't know, I think we'd be foolish to bin him off right now. Sacking him would restart the clock again. Each to their own and I respect opinions totally, but I have absolutely no appetite for another Coates family special leaving us wide open for yet another disaster. I am reasonably disillusioned with MON at the moment - his tactics leave me cold and frankly I’m getting bored of the inevitable trajectory of every game we play - but I think you have summed up the bigger picture perfectly.
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Post by wuzza on Mar 17, 2022 10:00:41 GMT
Looks what he is - a decent young footballer getting some work experience. Just like Connor Taylor is doing at Bristol Rovers then? Having seen a lot of them both this season I’d much rather have the player that actually is our player (and also a Stoke fan) play for us. BM Couldn’t agree more.
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Post by wuzza on Mar 17, 2022 9:43:46 GMT
Looks what he is - a decent young footballer getting some work experience.
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Post by wuzza on Mar 17, 2022 9:41:32 GMT
We look further and further away from looking like a team that wins consistently than we have under any time under his reign. I completely agree we look further and further away but still stick by my point that we're not far off. I would love to believe that but for me I’m more and more convinced that the tactics MON wants to employ will never produce a consistently winning team especially as we no longer have the financial capacity to buy high (by Championship standards) quality players. We need a strong defence that believes it’s job is to defend , we need some nasty sods who take no prisoners and we need a big bloke up front who never lets the opposition relax. I don’t think any of the above are part of MON’s philosophy and for that reason it looks like the Championship is not a place that he should be plying his trade.
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Post by wuzza on Mar 17, 2022 9:26:33 GMT
What’s to say? They desperately want him to succeed. I’m sure he was integral to so many plans which will have to be torn up again if he and his team goes. If they give him public support it’s a torrent of abuse from supporters and a cynical ‘vote of confidence’ analysis from others. It’s probably a grit your teeth and hope for the best scenario for the rest of the season.
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Post by wuzza on Mar 17, 2022 8:19:57 GMT
My worry is that the style of football MON seems committed to isn’t ever going to get us promoted unless we can sign some very talented players which FFP won’t allow us to do. This pass, pass,pass (ad infinitum) and then lose the ball approach is destined for failure in this league. You need a direct approach that moves the ball with speed , gets it into the opponents box and causes a bit of mayhem. You also need a rock solid straight forward defence - the old ‘you can’t have too many good Centre backs in your squad’ theory has validity. Unless he is willing to become more pragmatic I fear the answer to the OP question is that we are going nowhere except perhaps a relegation struggle. It’s a real shame because the last thing the club needs is to start all over again with a new man having to rebuild all the structures but I fear that is what is going to happen now.
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Post by wuzza on Mar 15, 2022 13:38:00 GMT
The figure of estimated wealth presumably applies to ever owner in the League in which case he is still vastly wealthier than about 95% of them when their figures are quoted and hence he is more than capable of funding a club like SCFC which is the point of concern to us. Add on the funds the rest of the family have and that obviously makes the club even better funded potentially. Whichever angle you look at its good news for the club. They could be the richest family to grace the face of the earth that means nothing in reality. Yes I suppose you can continue to keep financing the mistakes they they repeatedly keep making but if the football club continues on this downward spiral how far does it go before we step in and decide that money is not the ultimate factor in how we would like the club running? John is not his sister, he has built nothing. He has no experience of running a tuck shop let alone a company as big as Stoke City PLC and just because his sister is succesful does not guarantee his success. He has been given a silver spoon his entire life, handed shares in a multi billion dollar company because of his surname and now handed a football club because of his old mans retirement. He has never run a business and continues to prove he knows nothing about running a business if the last 4-6 years are anything to go off. I am absolutely thrilled that we have there wealth and thank goodness we do to continue to cover their costly mistakes in poor business practices. But is it just me that thinks with all the resources we have available that we should be being ran better ? Forget even making a profit for a second as thats almost an impossible feat but can anyone give an example of an area of the club that actually seems to run well ? Media - well below average Matchday experience - well below average Catering - possibly the poorest in the league Engagement with fans - well below average Recruitment (at all levels) - well below average What is our culture, what is our brand, what do we represent. What are the clubs goals ? (Not promotion as thats all clubs goal) but what do they want to be seen as. Do we even have a business plan? We have the vast wealth to get at least a few of the things above right but seemingly do none of it ? Why. It all leads to the same conclusion - Poor leadership - our entire model for the last 2 years at least is 'that'll do'. Three points occur to me - 1. He simply can’t be the imbecile you paint him to be and if he were there are plenty of successful people around him who would step in. 2. What the alternative - this club is deeply unattractive with its record of mediocrity and serving a provincial financially challenged community. 3. All the issues raised concerning the running of the club may have room for improvement but you have to balance that against the season ticket and away travel initiatives which are virtually unique in the football world and worth so much to us supporters.
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Post by wuzza on Mar 15, 2022 11:34:54 GMT
John is worth an estimated 2billion and he owns a quarter share of bet 365 and joint ceo of bet 365 so I don't think he is the fool people think he is. John is a quarter share holder as his last name is Coates. Thats how power dynamic works to ensure the power of owning and running a multi billion dollar company stays in the family all the major shareholders are from the same family. He has not earned or built that, its not impressive. They can't be voted out of their own company. He is worth 2 billion as that is what his shares are worth. He very much needs Denise backing. Always amazes me how folk dont know estimated wealth is tied into assets and shares they own, its not like he has 2 bil sat in the bank. The figure of estimated wealth presumably applies to ever owner in the League in which case he is still vastly wealthier than about 95% of them when their figures are quoted and hence he is more than capable of funding a club like SCFC which is the point of concern to us. Add on the funds the rest of the family have and that obviously makes the club even better funded potentially. Whichever angle you look at its good news for the club.
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Post by wuzza on Mar 14, 2022 20:33:10 GMT
Well they can always start rectifying that by putting up your ticket price by a few quid eh ! 😂yes that’s why they lost 100+ million. They lost it by totally backing the managers trying to provide you with a winning football team to watch with your extremely cheap ticket.
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Post by wuzza on Mar 14, 2022 19:13:52 GMT
So the bottom line is that everyone behind the scenes have done a good job and the owners , as ever , have put in considerable resources to ensure we will be in a position to compete strongly next season. All in all a disappointing day for our West Country friend 🙂 Yeah great job posting 100m quids worth of losses in 2 years. 😂🤦♂️ Well they can always start rectifying that by putting up your ticket price by a few quid eh !
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Post by wuzza on Mar 14, 2022 17:49:06 GMT
So the bottom line is that everyone behind the scenes have done a good job and the owners , as ever , have put in considerable resources to ensure we will be in a position to compete strongly next season. All in all a disappointing day for our West Country friend 🙂
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Post by wuzza on Mar 14, 2022 12:48:24 GMT
I bet old Dudley would have had a riot in the modern technological era that allows you to reach so many more people - especially with the market presence that the PL days provided. He certainly seems to have been a bundle of marketing energy.
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Post by wuzza on Mar 14, 2022 12:14:48 GMT
Such assessments suggest a bloke who is both wholehearted and has high standards ( he has after all performed at the very highest levels of the game ) but if you ask have I ever walked away from a game thinking Joe Allen caused the team problems or gave anything less than 100% to the cause then no I haven’t. I have however walked away numerous times thinking thank god Joe was there doing what he did to hold things together. I’m not wanting to elevate him to sainthood but I would like to see some respect and appreciation of a player who has represented this club well and with good character. They're two different things. His effort can't be faulted, no argument there. But it frequently hasn't been channelled into a helpful way. We needed someone disciplined to help us keep shape. He hasn't given us that, by and large. The midfield has been a complete wasteland for years. This again just sounds like reputation + trying hard and running around = free pass. Is it fair to transfer the failing of the unit as a whole on to his back? Again I would argue if he hadn’t been in their consistently doing his bit it would have been a damn sight worse. I also think he has more ability than people seem to be giving him credit for - he can play and has demonstrated such with a Stoke and Wales shirt on his back. Alan Hudson he is not , in certain aspects Glen Whelan he is not , but as an overall package with, at times, bugger all support , he has been a very good for us.
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Post by wuzza on Mar 14, 2022 10:56:00 GMT
I’m saying nothing till the Bristol lad tells us it’s ok !!!
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Post by wuzza on Mar 14, 2022 10:37:24 GMT
In my book his only ‘crime’ is to do his best to cover the inadequacies of those around him. Sorry I can usually see a thread of reason in most views but the belief that Allen has done anything but good things for this club just leave me shaking my head. You disagree with his own assessments of his performances at various times when he acknowledged he wasn't performing well then? His attempts to cover the inadequacies around him have only compounded the problem. If doing that had helped us, great, but it didn't, it just created more gaps and we lost our shape. He's performed better of late with Baker here, it's just a shame we haven't seen those kind of displays more often. Such assessments suggest a bloke who is both wholehearted and has high standards ( he has after all performed at the very highest levels of the game ) but if you ask have I ever walked away from a game thinking Joe Allen caused the team problems or gave anything less than 100% to the cause then no I haven’t. I have however walked away numerous times thinking thank god Joe was there doing what he did to hold things together. I’m not wanting to elevate him to sainthood but I would like to see some respect and appreciation of a player who has represented this club well and with good character.
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Post by wuzza on Mar 14, 2022 9:28:32 GMT
Every one of them over the years. As for Jan who says either party even were considering the possibility of a move them. I bet the club weren’t. It’s typical of things that people want simple answers to complex issues and in this case it’s ‘results bad over last few years must equal player who has been around longest’ . The possibility they may have been even worse without his efforts doesn’t equate. As far as I’m concerned calling out Joe Allen is the worse case of ‘Bayernism’ this message board has suffered for years - and there’s been a few. If he goes he can hold his head high - I wouldn’t even mind , not because I think we can and will do better, but because I think it will probably be a refreshing change for him. Come off it, if the club had the chance to get him off the wage bill in January and he had the chance to play for a team higher up the pyramid, both would have jumped at the chance. Sorry it isn't to do at all with 'results bad, Allen has been here since then, 2+2 = 5', it's that his own performances frequently haven't been up to snuff. Midfield has been an absolute wasteland since Whelan's legs went. Allen for the most part hasn't helped that. The headless chicken act, the losing runners, the fact that you could frequently have driven a bus through our midfield, he has been a significant contributor to those issues. He's admitted himself he's had spells where he really hasn't been performing. In my book his only ‘crime’ is to do his best to cover the inadequacies of those around him. Sorry I can usually see a thread of reason in most views but the belief that Allen has done anything but good things for this club just leave me shaking my head.
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Post by wuzza on Mar 14, 2022 9:16:33 GMT
Well if that’s the way you see it in your world fine. Shame to knock a committed club player in that way even if you don’t appreciate his talent. I'm exceptionally comfortable with my views thank you and I won't apologise for thinking he's a total waste of space. He's played the best football in the last 5 or so games and still produced shit results we simply won't miss him. Like I say if that’s what your eyes tell you that’s ok - apologies neither expected or required. How you come to that conclusion baffles me but there we go - still might expect at least a little bit of respect for his undoubted efforts. You will never have seen the bloke quit in his efforts for the team.
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Post by wuzza on Mar 14, 2022 8:49:24 GMT
Watch the queue of championship clubs form if he does decide to go ! He’s rated because of the way he has performed against those sides. How many of our other players would merit that ? Not enough is the simple answer. Half of that queue will think they owe him gratitude for those games he played against them 😂 Well if that’s the way you see it in your world fine. Shame to knock a committed club player in that way even if you don’t appreciate his talent.
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Post by wuzza on Mar 14, 2022 8:48:15 GMT
Watch the queue of championship clubs form if he does decide to go ! He’s rated because of the way he has performed against those sides. How many of our other players would merit that ? Not enough is the simple answer. Yeah? How big was the queue in January? By how he's performed against which sides? Every one of them over the years. As for Jan who says either party even were considering the possibility of a move them. I bet the club weren’t. It’s typical of things that people want simple answers to complex issues and in this case it’s ‘results bad over last few years must equal player who has been around longest’ . The possibility they may have been even worse without his efforts doesn’t equate. As far as I’m concerned calling out Joe Allen is the worse case of ‘Bayernism’ this message board has suffered for years - and there’s been a few. If he goes he can hold his head high - I wouldn’t even mind , not because I think we can and will do better, but because I think it will probably be a refreshing change for him.
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Post by wuzza on Mar 14, 2022 8:36:19 GMT
Well I’m prepared to stagger you. Might not be head and shoulders but he is certainly one of our better players and it will be a retrograde step if and when he does go. Mind you it’s not untypical of the way things are that people can watch what we’ve produced and come to conclusion that Joe Allen is the source of our problems - confused thinking everywhere seems to typify the state of play. I didn't say it was staggering if people thought Joe Allen wasn't a terrible player or wasn't the source of all our problems though did I? Watch the queue of championship clubs form if he does decide to go ! He’s rated because of the way he has performed against those sides. How many of our other players would merit that ? Not enough is the simple answer.
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Post by wuzza on Mar 14, 2022 8:32:20 GMT
Get rid the bloke has been an absolute Jonah for our club. Just got to break that link. Well if you are going to equate club results to the time players have been here there won’t be many players left when we have got rid of all the ‘jonahs’ . For what it’s worth things would probably have been even worse if he hadn’t spent a good few seasons doing the work of two men in the middle of the park.
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Post by wuzza on Mar 14, 2022 8:10:47 GMT
Staggering to think anyone could've watched us for the last five years and come to the conclusion that Joe Allen is 'head and shoulders our best player'. Well I’m prepared to stagger you. Might not be head and shoulders but he is certainly one of our better players and it will be a retrograde step if and when he does go. Mind you it’s not untypical of the way things are that people can watch what we’ve produced and come to conclusion that Joe Allen is the source of our problems - confused thinking everywhere seems to typify the state of play.
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Post by wuzza on Mar 12, 2022 16:59:48 GMT
The match thread is full of some of the most dreadful crap I’ve read in many a year. It’s all O’Neills and Chester’s fault - in fact neither did much wrong and as per normal at the minute we’ve come out on the wrong end of the breaks.
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Post by wuzza on Mar 10, 2022 20:16:59 GMT
My thoughts are that this bloke seriously needs to get a life ! He must be a riot at parties.
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Post by wuzza on Mar 10, 2022 16:52:12 GMT
To be honest in all the time he’s been here now I’ve yet to really form an opinion of Thompson. He’s just here.
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Post by wuzza on Mar 10, 2022 16:49:43 GMT
There is a stand put aside at Chelsea for celebrities and members of the cabinet - I think they will be well ‘looked after’.
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Post by wuzza on Mar 10, 2022 16:42:32 GMT
Offer him what we can afford , if he’s up for it fine , if he thinks he can do better elsewhere equally fine. We shouldn’t be breaking the bank and frankly his bargaining position after this season isn’t the strongest. Hopefully both parties will come to a sensible agreement and next season he might prove to be more of an asset than he has this.
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