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Post by mermaidsal on Oct 14, 2017 20:02:26 GMT
How can he be judged on this. Win he’s 10 lose he’s 0 Man City a billion £ team that demolished Liverpool 5-0 following it up with an outstanding performance away at the champions. De Bruyne was magnificent and we’ve been thrashed as expected. We won’t be the last team this happens to this season Fair comment but the quality of the Citeh onslaught still doesn't explain how the players looked to understand the game plan two weeks ago but then today looked so lost much of the time. I'm NOT pressing the Hughes Out button by any means, just want to get what's going on in his head - and how that does and doesn't communicate to the lads.
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Post by mermaidsal on Oct 14, 2017 15:58:35 GMT
If you can honestly bear to. They were majestic, that was sublime football but ffs, to say we were only 5 goals worse is wildly flattering. 2 from me, one each for the goals. * if you were there please
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Post by mermaidsal on Sept 30, 2017 20:10:16 GMT
Ok, a work in progress and a patchy Stoke performance with in-game tinkering, not sure if it was all necessary - but we shouldn't ever be taking beating a good Soton side for granted, and considering where we were after Chelsea a week ago, that was quality management to get us back in a place where we can win a game like today's.
For that alone it would be 7* from me and that feels like a fair score for the game as a whole from Sparky.
add * if you were there please
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Post by mermaidsal on Sept 23, 2017 22:08:04 GMT
Hmm, got mixed feelings about this. I'm a woman, football's a large part of my life, I played quite a bit before my accident, I want to see the women's game as strong as possible of course and I love that there's now a viable pro career for elite women. But, we have lower league male professional clubs starving to death out there and getting almost no coverage and that seems all wrong to me, that should be balanced up imho.
The BBC's positive discrimination-type campaign isn't unlike what they've doen for the Paralympics and disability/adaptive sport - they've often been the only place giving the airspace and I'd like to think no-one grudges that, it's done nothing but good for a lot of people and not only sportswomen and men.
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Post by mermaidsal on Sept 23, 2017 22:00:31 GMT
So sorry to hear this, thanks for letting us know - 31 is just agonisingly young. RIP Ben, love and strength to those left behind. xxx
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Post by mermaidsal on Sept 23, 2017 21:57:22 GMT
Cheers Albert was at mum and dad's after the game so only just online now. So how, how how the **** did we keep it so tight v Arse and Man U and get so massively overrun today? The crazy thing is, when we were good for spells today we really were good. I'd prob have picked the same starting XI and I've no real arguments with the way Sparky set the team up today. I think it's maybe down to two things - we had a honeymoon period of new signings really going for it and now we've lost that extra edge, and at the same time, it's looking like the improved defensive routines and ability to close a team down (tho anyone would have struggled with some of Chelski's play today, they were outstanding) wasn;t as solid as we hoped, so - yet again - there's still work to do on the training ground. When the routines are strong enough, player errors aren't so destructive. One more 5* here
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Post by mermaidsal on Sept 23, 2017 21:50:12 GMT
Not sure how relevant this is to Leslie's main job of managing a Prem football team tbh, not very on tonight's evidence. We didn't do enough, Sparky didn't do enough, Bristol did do enough and good luck to them in the next round, brilliant group of fans when we were sparring in the Champ. A nominal 3 from me * if you were there please - wonder how many Stokies made the journey tonight, did we manage 3 figures? I would argue that both cup competitions are every bit a part of the managers 'main job' as the Premier League. Me too - I just meant, it didn't look like Sparky thought the same. Altho after seeing the performance v Chelsiea, maybe he did
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Post by mermaidsal on Sept 19, 2017 21:50:12 GMT
Not sure how relevant this is to Leslie's main job of managing a Prem football team tbh, not very on tonight's evidence. We didn't do enough, Sparky didn't do enough, Bristol did do enough and good luck to them in the next round, brilliant group of fans when we were sparring in the Champ.
A nominal 3 from me
* if you were there please - wonder how many Stokies made the journey tonight, did we manage 3 figures?
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Post by mermaidsal on Sept 16, 2017 20:21:02 GMT
I was really looking forward to this, for 15 minutes I didn't see why not... but then we just weren't there through the middle of the game and when we got it back, a surprisingly good Toon side had taken advantage so it was too late. I was fine with the starting XI, and I'm not suddenly taking back any of last week's positives - we were recognisably the same Stoke, we just didn't know where to find the extra resolve and play it ugly enough and neither. A teething troubles day for Sparky more than anything is how I'm feeling.
6 from me
add * if you were there please
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Post by mermaidsal on Sept 11, 2017 16:14:43 GMT
have we ever been further apart than we are currently? We have when the Vile were kicked out of the league for errmmmm financial irregularities ! there manager then a certain Sir Stanley Matthews. Anyone still living who knows what the real story was there??
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Post by mermaidsal on Sept 11, 2017 12:23:09 GMT
I`m told he`s suffering with Alzheimers and is in Pasturefields home near Hixon One more footballer who headed one too many with a heavy wet ball then maybe Wonder if we could hook up with Sir Gordon's fantastic Alzheimer's/dementia work in some way, for a fundraiser but equally to let Peter and his family know how important he's been to generations of Stokies.
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Post by mermaidsal on Sept 9, 2017 20:02:30 GMT
I'm honestly struggling to connect this LMH side with last season's LMH side in any way right now. It's not just about our excellent new signings but the whole approach, tactics, defensive routines, players knowing what's expected - and today really does prove there's no flash in the pan, that was one of the best sides in Europe we lived with out there.
Just outstanding leadership, take a bow Sparky.
10* from me
add * if you were there please
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Post by mermaidsal on Aug 27, 2017 15:58:22 GMT
Plenty good today again, essentially Leslie kept up the standard and the momentum, got the subs about right too - and it's hard to argue with a team successfully set up to come away from West Brom with a good solid point. All the same imho we could have gone in bolder and kept up more pressure without a serious risk of shipping goals.
Can't decide between 7 and 8 so it's:
7.5* from me
add * if you were there please
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Post by mermaidsal on Aug 23, 2017 22:03:18 GMT
Well that was the amazing thing, he actually knew where the goal was!! Back of the net Goal mouth Or was he in the hole Haha, I'll modestly leave that to the imagination.
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Post by mermaidsal on Aug 23, 2017 21:01:15 GMT
I used to have worryingly sexy dreams about, truly, Kyle Lightbourne.... why my unconscious picked on him with all the talent in the world I'll never know (he was more use than he ever was on the pitch in the dreams btw) he scored in a different way with you Well that was the amazing thing, he actually knew where the goal was!!
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Post by mermaidsal on Aug 23, 2017 20:58:55 GMT
Effortless, what a beautiful sound that word has... not a lot to say really, Sparky used the game well to keep the wider squad involved but made sure we weren't likely to be troubled, and at this stage of the season with our opening fixture list every chance to build confidence and get some momentum going matters. 8 from me add * if you were there please
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Post by mermaidsal on Aug 23, 2017 20:54:52 GMT
I used to have worryingly sexy dreams about, truly, Kyle Lightbourne.... why my unconscious picked on him with all the talent in the world I'll never know (he was more use than he ever was on the pitch in the dreams btw)
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Post by mermaidsal on Aug 19, 2017 19:36:35 GMT
OK only two games in but... ffs we can defend! Ffs we scored a goal! Ffs we closed down a (slightly) better team who threw all they could at us! Ffs we have two real quality new players on today's evidence! And WE BEAT ARSE! Coming down to earth a bit of course today wasn't faultless, but the improvement on last season in terms of authority, confidence and a formation that seems to actually make sense to the players is a joy to see and has to be down to good management.
Lovely job of work today Mr Hughes, bring on West Brom.
9* from me
add * if you were there please
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Post by mermaidsal on Aug 13, 2017 20:45:29 GMT
Big yes to get to the byeline and keep on getting the crosses in - but more important at this stage of the season for me is keep on doing exactly what we did first half at Goodison, build from the back, get secure in the solid spine of the team - dare I say it, Tone style. Then when we get into a run of genuinely winnable games from Bournemouth onwards we shoild be secure enough in this system to send the wing-backs forward and bang those crosses in - and in the meantime, take a few more risks on the break, hope/pray Bojan and Bera have a bit of form in them somewhere and look to pick up the odd goal. It may not be exciting but could be a hell of a lot solider than anything we've seen since Sparky's first season, for the goodreason he was taking over a TP defence (but also, sadly, a TP 'midfield'...)
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Post by mermaidsal on Aug 12, 2017 22:34:04 GMT
I think (hope?) he'll start the season as our first choice 10. However a slow start and I think that will be it for him. The problem is that, playing poorly, he brings so little to the side. Even in poor form Crouch is still tall, Allen runs about a lot and Shaquiri can hit a mean free kick. Bojan though can't defend effectively and is easily moved off the ball and dispossessed if he dwells on it. We're not good enough to carry that much of a passenger. The saddest thing is that he might end up a scapegoat for something that isn't his fault. He can hardly shift the ball on quickly if there's nobody to pass to, and he really needs there to be enough other threats to occupy the opposition and buy him a bit of space to work in. Think that is a great analysis - I'd only add that, like Sparky in his own playing days, Bojan is streaky and seems to get runs of lukc - for a few games everything will come right but then he can't pick a pass to save his life and honestly I don't think he;s in control of those streaks, it's just how he's made. I have a hunch that just maybe a rock solid player like Fletcher can free Bojan up to do what he does but that prob needs an equally rock solid striker too. If Crouchy was younger, different story maybe (I'm a massive Crouchy fan but you just can't build a team strategy around a 36-y-o at this leevel)
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Post by mermaidsal on Aug 12, 2017 17:20:04 GMT
First half today really impressed me, I thought that was our most conmvincing playing shape of this year, and our defending was way less scary all game. Excellent goal from Baldy, not a lot anyone could have done about that but we def lost the battke of the team talks, second half was about holding on really till close to the end and one shot on target all game thanks to Shaq in added times says it all about our ability to create consistently. I'd have made the subs 10 mins earlier personally when Plan A had plainly run out of road but on balance.... long way to go but not a bad restart from LMH for me.
7 from me
add * if you were there please
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Post by mermaidsal on Aug 12, 2017 0:12:27 GMT
Maybe, maybe this evil set of opening fixtures is going to bring the best out of us and we'll get over Sparky's don't start playing till October habit - in which case we'll be fine, otherwise on the basis of last season's bad run sequences, it's only reasonable to worry...
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Post by mermaidsal on Aug 12, 2017 0:06:28 GMT
Rotten way to start a season but I truly can't see where we can find a point tomorrow. Just being honest, love to be wrong...
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Post by mermaidsal on Jun 27, 2017 19:33:48 GMT
All the very, very best to Lewis and his family. Anything else we can do to help, werrington, you only need to ask xxx
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Post by mermaidsal on Jun 10, 2017 23:02:48 GMT
You only have to look at the jackboots or Prada shoes.of power o realise how relevant footwear are to governing a nation Did you see the shoes he wore for his Question Time stand-up presentation? Were his sorry-assed rubber-soled chunky shoes those of a man ready to stride into a marbled hall in Washington or Moscow to do a deal? I don't think he's interested. Just raising an eyebrow and scratching my head at this judgement by footwear mallarkey...
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Post by mermaidsal on Jun 10, 2017 21:55:36 GMT
It's Theresa all the way for me and bring on the next General Election in 6 months time! Don't want to run the risk of a Tory leader anyone can actually stand, or remotely trust... Nobody liked Corbyn , you just need to make a load of giveaway promises you know will bankrupt the country Truly, I think Corbyn made many new firends on this last campaign by listening, being open, and having something positive to say (and having a fully costed manifesto, unlike some people H.... ). Whereas May shed thousands.
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Post by mermaidsal on Jun 10, 2017 19:59:23 GMT
It's Theresa all the way for me and bring on the next General Election in 6 months time! Don't want to run the risk of a Tory leader anyone can actually stand, or remotely trust...
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Post by mermaidsal on Jun 10, 2017 19:56:18 GMT
Exactly. Suspect Southgate will have that message loud and clear after today.
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Post by mermaidsal on Jun 10, 2017 19:54:43 GMT
Some are saying hart should get a chance of being captain of England. I think it should be an out field player You'd need to be a first pick to begin with and no way is Joe Hart a first pick on current form. Also I don;t think he has the character - David James did, Jack Butland does (and should be our next captain imho) but not Joe H imho. There've been a few international keeper-captains in the past haven't there, think Dino Zoff captained Italy in at least one World Cup, also Lev Yashin Russia I think? Which is going back a while I know...
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Post by mermaidsal on May 25, 2017 23:17:08 GMT
You couldn't look away tho, Quitters and Ellis Short competing to see who'll hit the Eject button first At least it would take people's minds off the crap football...
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