Shock Horror - Positive Guardian Report..

[GeordieDave]

Cant see it down the board so dont wheel me ....

Stuart James
Tuesday February 26, 2008
The Guardian

Stoke City have started to look into how promoted teams have fared in the Premier League although Tony Pulis does not need to read the findings to realise his ways will have to change if the club return to the top flight for the first time since 1985. Stoke City's manager will never compromise his beliefs, namely that teams should be "organised", but wheeling and dealing in the transfer market promises to be a new challenge.

Pulis, who takes the Championship leaders to Preston North End tonight, has leaned heavily on Premier League clubs, including Aston Villa, Fulham and Blackburn, to beg, steal and borrow players through the loan system, but he knows that their help could soon become a thing of the past. "They would see us as a rival [in the top flight] and I think it would stop," said Pulis. "We might be able to take one or two but nothing like the flow we have had over the last two years."

All of which means Pulis will have to look further afield, presenting another problem. "I have always been big on signing British players because you can find out about their background," he said. "If, God willing, we ever got into the Premiership, I know our outlook would have to be wider. People wouldn't perceive Stoke City to be a big enough club to go to. I'm not silly. Outside of Stoke, who recognises Stoke as a club that should be top of the Championship?"

Respect is even harder to come by for Pulis because of the reputation that precedes his teams. His fondness for signing tall players since he returned to the Britannia Stadium for a second spell, in June 2006, has provided more ammunition for the critics who have labelled Stoke's style direct and uncompromising, although Pulis, who has also managed at Bournemouth, Gillingham, Portsmouth, Bristol City and Plymouth, is not concerned.

"It doesn't worry me at all," added the 50-year-old. "We are the second highest goalscorers in the league and we've played some smashing football this year, even Saturday against Ipswich, who are supposedly one of the best footballing teams.

"I don't think teams like playing against us and they don't like playing against us because we're very well organised as a team when we've got the ball, when we haven't got the ball and also on set plays."

None of that is down to luck, according to Pulis. "I'm prepared to go out and coach players of the quality that we had last year and this year and say, 'This is what we want.' You put your reputation as a coach on the line by telling people what you want and how you want it done, not by talking. There are other managers who've had a hell of a lot of money to spend, have never done a coaching session in their life and then wonder why their teams struggle."

Stoke's success this term is all the more remarkable after Carl Hoefkens, Danny Higginbotham, Jonathan Fortune and Andy Griffin, the previous campaign's first-choice back four, all moved on last summer. Pulis, forced to rebuild again, was criticised by the club's supporters earlier in the season for not spending the money generated but one defeat in 18 league matches, including maximum points from their last five, has vindicated every decision.

Now all he has to do is deliver promotion. "The football club has got great history, especially around the 1970s," added Pulis. "But it's been a bit of a depressed area, with the pots and mines, and I think there have been a lot of people who have drifted away from the club. For the area, for the people and for everyone connected with Stoke City, it would give me no greater satisfaction than to take this club into the Premiership. If I did that it would be a dream."


They must have had Monica's email threatening to start reading The Sun !

Shick horror, wtf ....

[nonameface]

Fantastic that we are getting more and more exposure! Lets hope when we do get promoted that we will be shown more on MOTD than on the sunday Championship goals.

[mark71]

Pulis, who takes the Championship leaders to Preston North End tonight, has leaned heavily on Premier League clubs, including Aston Villa, Fulham and Blackburn,

I wouldn't call 2 players from Villa last season, a bench warmer from Fulham and a Blackburn player that hasn't been on the pitch for more than 90 minutes leaning heavily on. But still 110% better than the dross written yesterday.

[cheekymatt71]

well an interesting article written by someone who has done at least some investigation

But more interesting to note that TP has started thinking about survival in the Prem already. Some might say this is the wrong mentality to take given we have so much to do to get there but if you want to run any kind of business successfully then forward planning is a must. It seems that Pulis realises he might have to look abroad for talent to compete next year. I just hope we do still have a plan B and if we dont get promotion we still have a club left to go for it again next season.

[ted1965]

I honestly think many in the media just assumed we would fall away, therefore there wasn’t much need to write about us, talk about us and include us in the promotion picture, they are blinded by the Premiership lights and so assume it will be those clubs who have had funding from the parachute payments. The assumption is ourselves and Bristol city would have stuttered by now and they could just talk about what a good season we had been having and how it’s a shame it has started to fall apart.

The thing being it’s the parachute boys who are stuttering, those who have been talked up all year, it was going to be any two from West Brazil, Mildews grass huggers or Watford, throw in Sheffield United and you see the picture of how they think. Well Robson saw of the blades challenge and it seems despite having the best sides in the land Mr Ed look a like Mowbrey and the self proclaimed queen of whine Alma Mildew are the ones who are actually feeling the pressure of expectation, a lot of which they have heaped on themselves with there, we are better than the rest garbage all season.

The media are suddenly and slowly beginning to realize something is happening this season, there’s a different feel to the promotion race, it may not be decided by the parachute boys and now where does that leave them, suddenly they have to research Stoke players, Bristol city, possibly Hull or Plymouth and it’s new to them, it’s called working for your story.

I am pleased we have got some media recognition but to be honest, they can keep dreaming of the Brazil come back, for me I will take three more points tonight and being ignored a little while longer.

[nonameface]

I do agree largely with what you are saying Ted, but I think pretty much everyone in the land, us included wouldn't have thought that we would be where we are now. I think they should have just reacted a little quicker to acknowledge that we are a good team and a force to be reckoned with in this league.

It's good that the parachute payment teams aren't walking this division anymore, it shows how much the gap has closed in recent years between the Premiership and the Championship, not the opposite as the media like to say.

[mark71]

I find it quite amusing that the so called experts in football and the media have been less than complementary towards Stoke City and Tony Pulis this season, now there are being made to eat their words.
Colin spoke a lot of sense on Sky last night (that must be a first) but even when I don't agree with him I respect his opinion because he's got balls to put his arse on the line and be a manager, if these so called football experts in the media knew as much about football as they think why aren't they wearing a track suit and stood on the touchline every day coaching players?
Everyone can talk a good game and pick a better team or a better formation, But why aren't they doing it?