Great read from the Telegraph

[northantsmike]

Stoke on fire as Tony Pulis wins over sceptics
By Phil Shaw
Last Updated: 1:07am GMT 26/02/2008


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Unlike television's Dancing On Ice, the Football League award no points for artistic merit or technical excellence. Opponents and pundits give Stoke City low marks for style, but with a chance to extend their lead in the table at lowly Preston tonight, they can afford to laugh off the criticism.

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A record of one defeat in 18 games, putting Stoke on course for the Premier League with a quarter of the campaign remaining, appears beyond reproach. That has not prevented allegations, though, that their success since returning chairman Peter Coates restored Tony Pulis as manager is based on a crude route-one game.

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Rival managers refer pointedly to Pulis' "big, physical side". The sniping started on the opening day, Cardiff's Dave Jones complaining about being "caught out" by a team who "rely on set-pieces", and it reached a bizarre level after the purists of West Bromwich Albion lost at the Britannia Stadium. "Stoke train with cannons, rescued from local medieval ruins," said Albion's anonymous programme report. "Footballs are loaded into them and fired into the distance for [Mamady] Sidibe to head and [Ricardo] Fuller to run after. It's a game plan that squeezes the life out of what used to be known as football."

Charlton's Alan Pardew recently insisted that passing teams such as his would have the advantage over long-ball exponents Stoke and Watford once spring arrived and pitches were drier. With Charlton and Albion stuttering and Stoke sweeping all before them, it may be too late by then.

Pulis, in his second season back, is at last winning over fans who saw the Welshman's three-year reign from 2002 as having produced negative, boring football. A season's-best crowd of 23,600 watched Saturday's fifth consecutive win, over Ipswich - more than double the attendance when Queens Park Rangers visited in November.

Pulis, pressed about the reputed dearth of finesse, neatly encapsulated the growing bond between players and public. "I don't think we win ugly," he said. "You ask our supporters. They'll tell you we win beautifully."

If goals equate with entertainment, spectators certainly receive their money's worth from Stoke, their 34 games delivering 102. Only West Bromwich can beat their tally of 59 scored - Fuller has 14 and midfielder Liam Lawrence 13 - while Burnley alone among the top 13 have a worse defensive record.

Stoke's progress is a vindication not only of Pulis but of Coates, who sold his majority shareholding to an Icelandic consortium in 1998 and bought it back eight years later. A miner's son, he made his first fortune from making the meat pies sold at grounds and his second from a chain of bookmakers.

He sold both concerns, his daughter Denise persuading him that online gambling was the future. Their Bet365 company are estimated to be worth at least £175?million, and at 70, the hard-headed businessman, whose first spell saw supporters invading the pitch to protest against him during a 7-0 home defeat by Birmingham, let his passion persuade him to bankroll a fresh attempt to restore the club of Stanley Matthews to the elite division.

The hostility that greeted Coates' takeover has evaporated; likewise the mistrust and disdain towards Pulis that many Stoke fans were still expressing late last year. After a £3.5?million outlay in January, when two goal-scoring centre-backs, Ryan Shawcross from Manchester United and Crystal Palace's Leon Cort, became the club's first seven-figure signings, no one now accuses the manager or chairman of lacking ambition.

Fans will go to Deepdale dreaming of regaining the status surrendered with three wins and 17 points in 1985, rather than fretting about a lack of panache.


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Race for the Premier League

1st Stoke City 62pts

Form LWWWWW
Stoke, one of five teams to top the division this season, are the form side with five straight wins and will go four points clear with victory tonight.
Key player: Liam Lawrence. Winger in the best form of his career.
Prediction: Automatic promotion.
Fixtures: Tonight Preston (a) Sun QPR (a), Mar 8 Burnley (h), 11 Norwich (a), 15 Watford (a), 22 Blackpool (h), 29 Sheff Wed (a), Apr 5 C Palace (h), 12 Coventry (a), 19 Bristol C (h), 26 Colchester (a), May 4 Leicester (h).


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2nd Bristol City 61pts

Form WLWDWD
Close to a second straight promotion. If they make the Premier League they will be the first to reach there from the third tier in two years since Manchester City completed the rise in 2000.
Key player: Liam Fontaine. Solid defender is crucial to City's success.
Prediction: play-offs.
Fixtures: Sat Hull (h), Mar 4 Charlton (a), 8 Leicester (a), 11 Watford (h), 15 Plymouth (h), 22 Cardiff (a), 29 Norwich (h), 5 So'ton (a), 12 Wolves (a), 19 Stoke (a), 26 Sheff Utd (a), May 4 Preston (h).


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3rd Watford 60pts

Form DWWWDD
Watford expected to return to the Premier League at the first attempt and, until December, led the way. But poor home form - only seven wins in 17 - could prove costly. Losing Marlon King, to Wigan, has not helped but Watford are unbeaten in seven.
Key player: Danny Shittu. Regarded by many as the best defender outside the top flight.
Prediction: Automatic promotion.
Fixtures: Sat Burnley (a), Mar 4 Norwich (h), 8 Barnsley (h), 11 Bristol C (a), 15 Stoke (h), 22 Plymouth (a), 29 Hull (a), Apr 5 Coventry (h),12 WBA (a), 19 C Palace (h), 26 Scunthorpe (h), May 4 Blackpool (a).


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4th West Bromwich Alb 55pts

Form DLWLDL
Top until early February, Albion have won one of their last six and have lost eight away games. So three home games in their next four gives them the chance to return to the top two.
Key player: Kevin Phillips. Vastly experienced and still scoring goals.
Prediction: play-off winners.
Fixtures: Mar 1 Plymouth (h), 4 Sheff Wed (a), 12 C Palace (h), 15 Leicester (h), 21 Charlton (a), 29 Colchester (h), Apr 1 Cardiff (a), 5 Blackpool (a), 12 Watford (h), 19 Norwich (a), 26 Southampton (h), May 4 QPR (a). TBC Wolves (a).


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5th Plymouth Argyle 52pts

Form DLWWWW
Four straight wins - and one goal conceded - have lifted Plymouth from 12th to fifth under Paul Sturrock, in his second spell at Home Park.
Key player: Peter Halmosi. Midfielder with a stunning left foot.
Prediction: staying put.
Fixtures: Sat WBA (a), Mar 4 Colchester (h), 8 Sheff Utd (h), 11 Scunthorpe (a), 15 Bristol C (a) 22 Watford (h), 29 Coventry (a), Apr 5 Charlton (h), 12 Sheff Wed (a), 19 Preston (h), 26 Blackpool (h), May 4 Wolves (a).


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6th Charlton Athletic 52pts

Form WLWDDL
Charlton, relegated last season, have been in the play-off zone for most of the season but, like Watford, could suffer because of their home form with only eight wins at the Valley. Just seven wins from 17 since December.
Key player: Zheng Zhi. Influential and versatile Chinese midfielder.
Prediction: play-offs.
Fixtures: Sat Sheff Utd (a), Mar 4 Bristol C (h), 8 Preston (h), 11 Burnley (a), 15 Ipswich (a), 21 WBA (h), 29 Wolves (h), Apr 5 Plymouth (a), 12 Southampton (h), 19 QPR (a), 26 Barnsley (a), May 4 Coventry (h).


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7th Ipswich Town 51pts

Form DWLWWL
Five times they have lost in the play-off semi-finals, their only success coming in 2000, when they beat Barnsley in the final. Their home form is strong -12 wins and four draws from 17 - but only two away wins may prove costly.
Key player: Stephen Bywater. On-loan keeper, twice a promotion winner.
Prediction: play-offs.
Fixtures: Sat Southampton (a), Mar 4 Sheff Utd (h), 11 Barnsley (a), 15 Charlton (h), 22 Scunthorpe (a), 29 QPR (h), Apr 5 Colchester (a), 13 Norwich (h), 19 Wolves (a), 26 Preston (a), May 4 Hull (h). TBC Cardiff (h).


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8th Hull City 50 pts

Form WWDDDW
Hull have made steady progress since dropping to 18th in October. Phil Brown's side have lost just once in 12 but draws - 11 so far - could arrest their push towards the Premier League.
Key player: Sam Ricketts. Probably Hull's most consistent performer.
Prediction: staying put.
Fixtures: Sat Bristol C (a), Mar 4 Burnley (h), 8 Scunthorpe (h), 12 Cardiff (a), 15 Southampton (h), 18 Colchester (a), 22 Leicester (a), 29 Watford (h), Apr 5 Barnsley (a), 12 QPR (h), 19 Sheff Utd (a), 26 C Palace (h), May 4 Ipswich (a).


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And the rest...

9th Burnley 47 pts - WWLDWL
10th Wolves 47 pts - WWLLDW
11th Crystal Palace 46 pts - LDLLDL
12th Norwich 45 pts - .

[mumf14]

Superb ...Thanks.

[Batfink]

I agree, a great read. thanks!

[powchirper]

cheers Mike, good read have some k

[mumf14]

I like the prediction "Automatic Promotion"....

I wouldn't like to admit being a Guardian reader.

[daverichards]

bloody hell , Torygraph in decent journalism shocker ;D

[Lakeland Potter]

a cracking good read!

[soicowboy]

Good article but disagree with WBA winning the play-offs


What was Pardew's excuse for losing at Stoke on a perfect playing surface?

[Admin]

Phil Shaw is a rare breed indeed... a football journalist who actually knows the game and writes about it well. Unlike many of his peers, he also has a respectable depth of knowledge concerning the lower leagues.

Although a Leeds United fan at heart, his second favourite team is The Vale. To his enormous credit though that has never seen him be anything other than totally fair in his reports on The Potters.

He's a good guy.

[soicowboy]

Think was 442 magazine gave away copies of a book of football quotes by Phil Shaw-forget the name. Was quite a humorous read- didn't he do the collection of books on fanzines? The Blackburn one was very funny

[Admin]

Phil has done quite a few things with regards to fanzines in the past. He's always had his finger on the pulse of current supporter trends.

One of his most recent projects was to put together a superb three-page article on Terry Conroy for the new(ish) 'Backpass' magazine.

I think someone may have copied onto this site a few weeks ago!?

[Danstoke82]

Fair play to the Telegraph. Excellent read and I'm loving the "Automatic Promotion" piece. GOARRNNN YOU TABLE TOPPING POTTERS!!!

[cr4zyd4ve]

the telegraph have been very complimentary about us all season. so stokies start reading the telegraph they clearly know what they are talking about. After the charlton home game they even had the audacity to compare our style of play to the charlton promotion winning side.

[GeordieDave]

admin said:

Phil Shaw is a rare breed indeed... a football journalist who actually knows the game and writes about it well. Unlike many of his peers, he also has a respectable depth of knowledge concerning the lower leagues.

Although a Leeds United fan at heart, his second favourite team is The Fail. To his enormous credit though that has never seen him be anything other than totally fair in his reports on The Potters.

He's a good guy.

Agree Smudge. Phil was at The Independent for many years and that paper alone probably carried the flag for Fail and Stoke across the broadsheets.

Ive taken The Independent since 1988 when it was (I think) launched. This is also coincided with me going to Uni and trying to look posher than I am and to impress the birds ....

Ive lost count of the number of times I opened that paper and seen an article on Stoke, or Fail. Ususally around the time the League Cup or FA Cups get going or when either of us have had a sexy league game.

I thought the sport had gone a tad downhill in The Indy (bar the excellent James Lawton) and now I know why, Phil Shaw has moved to The DT !!!

Why Fail Smudge? Did Phil go to Keele or Staffs Uni? Its a strange second team to pick !

Or is he one of the many Stoke lads who followed Leeds in the 60s/70s?

Great read.

[Deleted]

"Prediction: Automatic promotion."

Oh fuck!

What happened to flying beneath the radar ;D

[nonameface]

Although there is definately way more credit in this one article than what we have had for the rest of the whole season, we are still not getting the credit we deserve. Yes we are a big team in areas but we don't just simply knock it long. Take our last game, how much more did we knock it long than Ipswich who like Charlton and West Brazil are the supposed grass huggers of the division? Ans: Not alot, although gobbyshit Stephen Bywater did pass the ball out to his fullbacks all the time for them to knock it long- is that the difference?

I appreciate that we don't over play, infact we keep it simple, but this is what works for all but the very best teams. Take any team in the premiership apart from say Man Utd and Arsenal and they don't over complicate things, those that do apart from the aforementioned often lose. Take last nights result between Man City and Everton; two different styles, everton were a counter attack team who liked to pass the ball quickly from the back to the front whilst Man City preferred to pass the ball around without actually penetrating Everton. Which team won? In the premiership there are a good amount of teams that don't tickle the defence how some journalists think football should be played, take: Chelsea, Liverpool, Villa, Everton, Portsmouth and how many of these are in the top 10 compared to the more football "purists" style which contains teams like; Man City, West Ham, Spurs and Newcastle.

We are very well organised and I think with a few quality signings we will do pretty well next year!
Come on Stoke, lets "knock it long" like the Wimbledon of old and win promotion!

[Kenilworth_Stokies]

Good article. The first I've read that implies the journalist in question didn't arrive on the train with a handful of stats about how tall our players are and just assume the rest. Or indeed that they bothered to send a journalist at all and just write the report based on teletext.

[surreystokie]

Maybe living at Stafford helps.

I responded at length to this morning's Guardian article entitled "Pulis's head for heights puts unfancied Stoke on direct route back to the top" by Stuart James and have had a nice reply to my friendly jibe.

It was apparently his sub-editor who added the panel, stating the height of each of our players, and I had suggested that he had missed the punch-line which was that Pulis had been so bothered by Simonsen's lack of inches that he has brought in the six foot six Fulop. D'oh

[mermaidsal]

He's (almost) a Stokie if he's the person I think he is, his dad was a professor at Keele and he grew up there (then unwisely became a Vale fan, but obviously a fair-minded one). One of the best and most thoughtful footie journalists imho.