The official get rid of diao thread!?!?!?!?!

[suttonstokie]

After waiting so long to get him he is just not good enough. Dont give me needs match practice he has had that from december/january.

[ChrisEvans]

Bench warmer for me, to be brought on for a striker when we are holding on for victory. Whelan and Delap has the be the first choice. I do think Salif will come good again, you don't lose that class over night, he just hasn't caught up yet.

[Stick It On Cort's Head]

A shadow of the player he once was...

[fingers]

We all know how poor Delap was earlier in the season and look at him now,Salif will come good and he doesnt need fans getting on his back,we all saw how good a player he was last season and its time to cut him abit of slack.

[Spiderman]

I think he's past it now and there are far better options available

[16quidachuck]

diao is a legend he will come good

[miffmister]

needs more games to get match fit, play him in the reserves because at the moment he is a liability, don't like saying it cuz I was well pleased when he signed but he takes too long on the ball. He will come good though.

[Spiderman]

Maybe so miffmister but the first team when trying for an automatic promotion place with 8 games left (and may I add when there are far better and in form players available) isn't the time or the place to wait for him to come good

[suttonstokie]

Have some KARMA spiderman

[Spiderman]

Well thankyou Sutton but you'll be giving people the wrong impression,

[FullerMagic]

After seeing Delap's transformation, it'd be foolish to write him off for good.

But there's been no hint of even a marginal game-on-game improvement recently.

I think we've seen the last of him as a starter this season anyway, now the suspensions for Whelan and Delap are gone (unless Pulis is planning on playing Delap wide right on Saturday instead of Gallagher - and even then, you'd think Pugh would get the nod alongside Whelan?)

[Spiderman]

Judging by his current form/fitness let's hope so heh FullerM

[Stick It On Cort's Head]

spiderman said:

Maybe so miffmister but the first team when trying for an automatic promotion place with 8 games left (and may I add when there are far better and in form players available) isn't the time or the place to wait for him to come good

Spot on really.

[musik]

Naahhhh.... don't get rid of Diao, ever. I think he's done some poor performances lately though, but he "only" needs to get back in form again. Then he's one of our best players.

:musik

[fullerlegend]

fingers said:

We all know how poor Delap was earlier in the season and look at him now,Salif will come good and he doesnt need fans getting on his back,we all saw how good a player he was last season and its time to cut him abit of slack.

nope dont think will happen with diao

[Jamo on the wing]

I think there's been a lot of over-reaction regarding Stoke fans views where Diao is concerned. Quite clearly he is NOWHERE near fit and ready to play at the business end of the Championship and people are rightly concerned about the effect he is having on the team.
I don't think I know anyone though who doesn't rate him highly or is aware of just how influential he was last year. That though does not mean he should play and stating that fact does not mean people are trying to hound him out of the club.

[fromafar07]

id like to add Sidibe and Cresswell to this thread

[frasier37]

suttonstokie said:

After waiting so long to get him he is just not good enough. Dont give me needs match practice he has had that from december/january.

What a tit!!!

[Goarn ROORRRRYYYY!]

Diao has been the worst player on the pitch a lot of the time he has been back playing. We can't afford to wait for him to start to improve while there are only 8 games to go and far better options in central midfield at the moment, delap and whelan surely the first choice, then pugh as cover before diao. Give him time get fit in pre season rather than risking results in the league now due to his woeful performances.

[bayernoatcake]

How did he do agianst Norwich?

[lordb]

- in the last two games especially Diao has made some shockin unforced errors which have stood out a mile.

however he has also done some of his usual excellent stuff that hasnt caught the eye

as above have said,stick him on the bench

[jezzascfc]

I think it started with his being unfit and lacking match practice, but due to a few early below par performances, I think the last few games seem to suggest his confidence has taken a knock and he is making too many unforced errors (even if not fit, his passing was so good last season as to make his present form mystifying).

I think he needs a break for his own good - get some more fitness work under his belt, a couple of confidence boosting reserve games and the odd appearance from the bench, then come back next season fit and raring to go. He is too good a player to give up on for good.

[onemanbang]

dont get rid just ease him in, how many of you would of said get rid of delap a while ago now look at him arguably the best plaer in the team on his day

[teanstokie]

The man needs match practice, I've noticed a chnage in him over the last few weeks, he is getting more confident on the ball, and seems to be a nit sharper, but he is not some one we should be playing for the whole match.

He is only going to get fit by playing.

But I would still opt for Delap and Whelan, Whelan is a good distributor of the ball and Delap has improved reamrakably, as for those killer throws.... says it all really

[cooky]

It really does annoy me how fickle some fans are. Last season Salif was the best thing since sliced bread yet now hes s**te, (well according to those who sit around me).

I'm certainly not going to try and make out that Salif has been playing well, (he's been pretty awful), but you don't become a bad player over night. Salif is a quality player and will come good for us, he wasn't named the 'next Viera for nothing, and I think it's just a metter of time before he's back at full pelt.

You have to remember that he hasn't had a proper pre-season and hasn't been playing regular since the end of last season. I personally think that he should be getting back his 'match sharpness' in the reserves and not the first team.

One thing I have to say about Salif is that, despite playing poorly, he's never gone hiding. He still looks to get the ball and I think that is a great credit to his character.

So c'mon Salif lets get back to how ypu were last season

[lancer]

Get fit, not get rid surely? Diao is a great player and while good players lose their pace (not that Diao has ever had a lot of pace), very few lose their skill indefinitely.
At the moment he is causing me palpitations, but he'll come good. Just hope inthe meantime that his lack of match fitness doesn't cost us.
Start him on the bench. Gally MUST have a start and a match or two, otherwise, why bring him in?

[potter84]

Gally will play next to games - im sure especially with Lawro out for 2 games.

[okeydokeystokie2]

I say stick by him too. He can make a difference this season. The mistakes stand out more than the good things he does. He still reads the game well, and his positional sese is class. I'm sure it will click any time now, maybe one good performance is all it needs. As he gets fitter, he'll get sharper and more confident, and we'll see the Salif who seemed to be MOTM every week at times last season.

[JoeStoke]

dont think Diao will be in team at Watford go with Delap and Whelan in the centre