WE CAN LOSE THREE MORE GAMES AND STILL GO UP: PULI

[PONTAFCE]

09:40 - 07 March 2008



Tony Pulis has given his players the softly, softly treatment to try to take the heat off them ahead of tomorrow's visit of Burnley.

The City boss has deliberately gone easy on his players, despite successive Championship defeats, in the hope of sparing them from the promotion pressure now stalking them.

But he also reckons they can afford to lose two or three more games and still win automatic promotion to the Premier League.



"Shouting and hollering at players doesn't work if you do it too often," Pulis said, "and this group is a good group that doesn't need that anyway.

"For whatever reason, we weren't at our best at QPR on Sunday, but we'll just go through the video looking at one or two incidents that could have been better.

"I've told the players we can lose the next two or three games and still get automatic promotion."

Pulis, who takes charge of his 650th game as a league manager tomorrow, will make a late choice between Steve Simonsen and newcomer Carlo Nash in goal, while fellow loan signing Chris Riggott is hoping for the nod ahead of either Ryan Shawcross or Leon Cort in central defence.

"Carlo has looked smashing and commanding in training," he said, "and has the experience of two play-off finals.

"Chris has played a lot in the Premiership and is also a good talker. He's a good age for a defender and, if fit, can be a massive asset for us."

The 27-year-old Middlesbrough defender hasn't played since early November, but insists he should be available tomorrow after a hard week's training at the Britannia.

Midfielder Rory Delap returns from a one-match ban to replace the suspended Glenn Whelan in the one change Pulis is certain to make tomorrow.

Stoke are banking on another 20,000 crowd after introducing a cut-price ticket offer for their final five home games of the season.

"I want our supporters to give us the best chance," added Pulis. "If we get 20,000 in it's a different atmosphere and a different prospect for the opposition. No place rocks like this place when we get 20,000 in."

Meanwhile, Pulis has hinted at his interest in Portsmouth striker Dave Nugent following the collapse of a loan to Ipswich.

"I don't know what's happened with Ipswich, but if we're going to do business then we'll do it with Portsmouth," Pulis stated. "If there's an area where we need another player, then it is up front."

GOALKEEPER Russell Hoult, who was recalled from a loan spell at Notts County last weekend, has returned to the League Two club.

True or False? ???

[u2oxeterstokie]

Which bit?

[PONTAFCE]

The headline for one,can we really do this.

[**Premier** stokeitup]

a win tomorrow and everything will be rose again !!!!

come on lads, i sense a big win tomorrow 4-0

[PONTAFCE]

Easy brother i wouldnt go as far to say 4-0 but i can see a 2-0 on the cards and fuller with both.

[lordb]

3.1 Stoke - for anyone who is worried about our dfence you should see Burnleys

[RAF]

"If there's an area where we need another player, then it is up front."

Thank fuck for that.

H

[mark71]

9 points from the next 3 games will see us back on top.
Come on you rip roaring potters you know you can do it.

[PONTAFCE]

Atleast he knows it in himself that we lack another striker.

[realstokebloke]

raf said:

"If there's an area where we need another player, then it is up front."

Thank fuck for that.

H

Thank fuck for that is right - but why the realisation only now FFS?

finger / pull / out / your / fookin / ! / TP

[PONTAFCE]

we need to draft a striker in along time ago tho.

[Deleted]

We already have six strikers at the club

Fuller
Sidibe (ahem)
Cresswell
Gallagher
Parkin
Pericard

Surely one of these needs to be shipped out on loan if a.n.other comes in?

[mark71]

PJ,
We have 6 strikers by name but not by action.
Only 1 will be starting up front tomorrow

[**** Pulling Himself Off]

It's entirely possible, especially if the games we do win are against Brizzle & Watford.

[ManderBeast]

its not quite panic stations yet, but i think he's been to negative on them comments, no matter what situation ur in in football, u should not talk about losing.... it can get in the players heads.... they wont make up THAT extra 5 yards, they wont make THAT tackle or THAT header... its a knock on effect, but if i knew the answers id be in his position, so lets all hope he's not dropped a boobie & done the right thing..


We''ll be with you!!

[Deleted]

TP came up with a similar scenario last for getting in the playoffs look where that got us. I would like to think the psychology would be that it would be better not to drop any points at all?

[ManderBeast]

2nd that Sid

[Deleted]

Don't disagree with you mark71

I do think though that if Parkin had played the games (fat bastard or not fat bastard) that he would have been close to or above 10 goals to date as opposed to Sidibe's 1. Problem is that Pulis would have had to change his style of play and drop sidibe!

The real question though - is Pulis prepared to change the way we play for the rest of the season if he brings nugent in?? If he is - he's a braver man than me has he had obvious success playing the way he has

[manc_lass14]

pjnottj said:

Don't disagree with you mark71

I do think though that if Parkin had played the games (fat bastard or not fat bastard) that he would have been close to or above 10 goals to date as opposed to Sidibe's 1. Problem is that Pulis would have had to change his style of play and drop sidibe!

The real question though - is Pulis prepared to change the way we play for the rest of the season if he brings nugent in?? If he is - he's a braver man than me has he had obvious success playing the way he has

Exactly... I don't know whether Pulis would drop Sidibe for Nugent..Which is why I wonder whether it really is worth bringing Nugent in for 8 games... Hmmmm

[FullerMagic]

pjnottj said:

Don't disagree with you mark71

I do think though that if Parkin had played the games (fat bastard or not fat bastard) that he would have been close to or above 10 goals to date as opposed to Sidibe's 1. Problem is that Pulis would have had to change his style of play and drop sidibe!

The real question though - is Pulis prepared to change the way we play for the rest of the season if he brings nugent in?? If he is - he's a braver man than me has he had obvious success playing the way he has

True. You would be surprised if a man as set in his ways as Pulis would tear up a gameplan that served him so well before the glitch (?) of the last 2 games.

But before Parkin's recall last season, it was looking very likely that the Sidibe gameplan was going to be torn up in favour of the Parkin Plan B, despite the fact Mama was in comparatively glorious goalscoring form

And if Nugent came in, surely he'd have to do likewise? It's inconceivable that with Nugent here, Sidibe could start.

[manc_lass14]

Redknapp, wouldn't let Nugent come to Stoke if it was unlikely that he wasn't going to get games would he? So Pulis must be planning to play him IF he does come I suppose..

[PONTAFCE]

would he play him tho? we all thort gallagher would play more games but he hasnt played many and he is fully fit.

[garyhackett]

I think if Pulis believes he has the right players to change the system then he will (contrary to what i thought before this season), so when nugent does finally arrive i dont think dropping Sidibe will be an issue at all for him.

[somersetstokie]

AHEM! last year he said much the same thing. Basically he was confident of making the play offs and had told the lads that they could even afford to lose a few and still go up.

Possibly we haven't learnt anything by last seasons experiences.

[chrispk76]

would any other team in the world rather play sidibe before nugent

[EccyStokie]

Mali?