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Post by ted1965 on Mar 31, 2008 11:03:48 GMT
It seems paranoia is alive and well and living in all of us, the weekends events have added another dimension to the disease after Sheffield Wednesday named 6 loan signings in their 16 man squad, that of course is a clear breach of the rules but lets not pretend it affected the outcome of the game. The reality had we taken a host of chances in the first half, we wouldn’t even be talking about this issue.
The club should make it’s protest and then allow everyone to get on with the investigation, the reality is we will not get three points for many reasons, firstly the fact it would immediately cause every club in contention to hire teams of lawyers and bombard the football league with writs. We all know that Wednesday will be fined and warmed over their future conduct and that will be the end of the matter. I am sure their management would say we only actually had 4 loan signings on the field at any time and therefore will escape any real punishment.
The media continue to ridicule our style of play, the fact we have little if no chance of survival should we get promoted and almost telling us so what’s the point. Well again, who cares, the media are not out on the field on a match day and their comments should be used as a spur to prove them wrong rather than allowing it to get under our skins.
We are also not a fashionable club, we never have been and because we have yet to play in the Premiership we’re not part of that exclusive club. If you’ve not played in the Premiership it matters not one iota whether you’ve had 1 or 60 years of your history in the old first division that is no longer applicable, it’s only important if you have been in the Premiership. Therefore many media experts will look upon us like that cousin who we don’t invite to parties because he has something unsightly that we would rather not inflict on our friends. The change in attitude will come when and if we reach the premiership and then make a real go of staying there, suddenly we will be transformed and be part of that club the Premiership elite. They wont dislike us any less but you have an immunity from prosecution simply by being in it.
The reason we’re all really getting paranoid is poor form and loss of what had made us so potent not so long ago. It’s the pure nerves of this time of the season, not so long ago the world was looking great, the summer was going to be one long party as we celebrated promotion and we’d worry about the Premiership when August came. Now we have to face 5 games that are going to shred every last nerve and test the heart of all concerned. As each game passes and the barbed comments flow thick and fast the paranoia builds and the siege mentality reaches boiling point.
The only way to change that is for the side to pick up the winning habit again and show the desire to win that they displayed during those 5 wins, where we didn’t play well all the time but we created enough chances and showed enough heart and desire to reach the top. It’s up to them now and the manager to change things, supporters can make a difference by being a twelfth man but realistically unless the players can perform without the fear of failure even that can become a burden of expectation and poor performances making supporters nervous. If we can just put in one good performance, one comfortable win the transformation in confidence will show through.
The squad is good enough, we have players now with enough experience and ability to carry these final 5 games and actually win them all, not saying we will just saying if the side is set out with players playing in correct positions it allows everyone to feel comfortable about how they are playing. The fact we seem to have solved the left sides problem is a great bonus add that to Shola up front hopefully partnering Fuller and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t score goals again. It’s time the players put their hands up and said, we want this and we’re damn well going to take it.
It may well be a blessing in disguise that we are no longer top of the league, the pressure may well be lifted a little as we haven’t carried the mantle of league leaders to well over the last month. We are no longer favourites for promotion and maybe the expectation levels had become too great and performances suffered accordingly. We were no longer the surprise packages, we were there to be shot at, we were suddenly expected to perform like champions elect and this allowed our style to be picked over at great length by those so called experts.
It’s time for positive thinking from everyone, manager, players and supporters. There are 5 nail biting games to go and we can win all of them if we forget about caution and take the game to the opposition, the time has come to really go for it.
Tony I have criticised you many times in the past, though I want to be a believer, please throw away the coaching manual and tell the players to play without fear, not talking about an Arsenal style of play but we now have a midfield good enough to be allowed to express itself, we have to play players where they play best not keep people in the side for the sake of it. A season is about 46 games and people contribute over different periods now is the time to play the best 11 we have in their best positions and I firmly believe we will all be as happy as we were not so long ago come May.
It’s up to you now Tony, you have greatness in your grasp, the chance to put yourself up there with the best managers we’ve had, throw away the safety net and lets take our place at the top table.
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Post by okeydokeystokie2 on Mar 31, 2008 11:53:50 GMT
Ted I agree that we have everything set up to get promotion, but I don't think TP tells the players to defend deep and sit back. On the contrary, he has bought attacking players in, and I think we field an attacking line up. The stats would appear to support this, with a lot of goals coming from the wide midfielders and centre halves. Also, there have been many times when I have seen him urging the team to defend higher up the pitch.
You are going to get periods of pressure away from home, and it pushes you back. Didn't go to the game, but from the TV highlights, their goal came from a poor clearance by Nash and a bad decision by Griff to commit himself on the half way line. If you miss the ball there, you've got to take the man!
TP's sides do tend to sit deep, and he likes a quick break from deep. With the players we have this can be effective. It is no coincidence that against Burnley and Blackpool, they scored first, and we have struggled to break down teams that get men behind the ball.
Give Tony a break though. He's got the best out of what he's had, we've scored a lot of goals, and he's brought some quality players in as the season's progressed. We've probably over achieved this season, but one last push, and with a bit of luck, we'll get what the manager, chairman, players and long suffering supporters fully deserve.
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Post by Admin on Mar 31, 2008 12:00:29 GMT
Okey-Dokey,
There is not as much of an issue on this now as there was last season, when we clearly sat back in too many late season games and were badly punished for doing so.
However, there has been a slight change in our approach, since we conceded two goals in each of the games against Wolves, Southampton and Scunthorpe, followed by the two and three which were conceded at Preston and QPR.
To be fair, TP had to do something to arrest that flood of goals against. He just has top make sure we don't repeat the mistakes which cost so dearly last season, by retreating too far into our own shell.
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Post by eriksson74 on Mar 31, 2008 12:05:38 GMT
Agree Ted, and the cautious approach from Tony was one I have commented on another thread.
To say that Tony doesn't ask the team to defend deep is like Ianrb saying his best mate isn't a barber!!
It was very noticeable how we were at the start of the 2nd half compared to the first and I find that hard to believe all 11 players ignored the half time team chat to sit on the edge of our box.
To sit deep and allow team time and space to stoke it around without pressure allows teams to gain confidence and get back in the game eg Sheff Wednesday.
If we played 20 yards further up and kept the pressure on the ball there would be less space and time on the ball for the oppostion to pick a pass, and would be forced to lump it forward or make mistakes eg Take a look at us second half on Saturday they kept the pressure on us and pressed us far up the pitch (all be it of our own doing) this resulted in possesion being conceeded cheaply, in dangerous areas and keeping pressure on the back 8. It is unlikely as this season has showed that we can withstand 45 mins of sitting deep.
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Post by Mr_DaftBurger on Mar 31, 2008 12:21:57 GMT
Talking of last season our run in is remarkably similar. We got nine points would that be enough this time? 06/05/07 Queens Park Rangers 1 1 Stoke City (Stoke vs Leicester) 28/04/07 Stoke City 3 1 Colchester (Colchester vs Stoke) 21/04/07 Stoke City 1 1 Hull City (Stoke vs Bristol City) 14/04/07 Cardiff City 1 1 Stoke City (Coventry vs Stoke) 09/04/07 Stoke City 2 1 Crystal Palace (Same!  |
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Post by okeydokeystokie2 on Mar 31, 2008 12:45:31 GMT
Smudge I agree that he had to do something to stop shipping goals, and Riggot and Nash look decent acquisitions. Nash does give me more confidence on crosses than Simmo, and I suppose the centre halves must feel the same.
But I think there is a niggling criticism that Pulis instructs the players to defend a 1-0 advantage, and that's what I don't agree with. He does like his teams to attack quicky from deep positions, so the midfield sit pretty deep. Does this invite pressure, or does it give Liam, Fuller and now Pearson and Ameobi more time and space to work in? Probably the answer is both.
It's also about the players. Last season against Hull, I think Eustace and Matteo played in midfield, and it was like having 4 central defenders. The following home game against Colchester, Salif and Russell played, and as a team we played higher up the pitch.
Against QPR at home this season, we were 2-0 up and endured an agonising 20 minutes at the start of the second half when we defended on the 18 yard line. In fairness, TP was screaming for them to push out, and the back 4 did drag themselves 20 yards further up the pitch which took the pressure off.
It's his style of play to have 2 banks of 4 when we haven't got the ball, but in my opinion, this is designed to allow us to break quick from deep. Playing like this though, especially away with the home team bombing forward, you do run the risk of being pushed back 15-20 yards more than you want. I think defending too deep is the enivatable outcome of this style of play when we're under pressure, rather than the manager telling the players to hold onto what we have.
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Post by vestanpance on Mar 31, 2008 12:52:26 GMT
What i think we have to appreciate is that for many of the staff, including the Manager, Coaching staff and a great percentage of the players, this is completely unknown territory. There have been occassions where we look frightened as soon as we take the lead, but let's face it, so does every other team up there alongside us don't they?
The size of the prize on offer is massive, and as such players have been getting edgy; to compound this we have a manager who has made his name as a man to save then stabalise, rather than the man to take you forward. Fact is, we are making great strides forward and if i were to tell the honest truth, i have never been so absolutely certain that we will be promoted. We have the best assembled squad in the division, the strongest-willed manager in the division and goals throughout the side. My ferment wish is that this is how TP sees it, and that his attitude changes from cautious to the "rather be hung for a sheep as a lamb", which is what i would like to see. I'm like you lot, i'll still be going next year, irrespective of what league we are in; i just hope that we have the moral courage and fortitude to give the remaining 5 games our very best shot, and that no regrets are left at the end of the season.
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