You have the tools now lets finish the job Tone

[ted1965]

It’s been a tough month for everyone, it’s been a month when had we played well and continued are previous form we could have been away and gone and almost have promotion sewn up. That of course wasn’t going to happen in a season like this or mainly because we’re Stoke City and the power that drives football always insist we have to earn anything we get the hard way, well so be it. I guess it would have been a really boring last 5 games had we been 10 points clear at the top of the league, who amongst you would have taken that option, okay all of us but when you sign on for life with Stoke, you weren’t ever going to have an cosy last 5 games to many seasons.

Though as we approach the final stretch it has become tougher than usual, mainly because we haven’t experienced this sort of nerve jangling pressure for many years now, yes we came through the play offs but in all honestly those games were a picnic compared to what is about to happen. That was an important period in our history, we needed to return from the empty wilderness that is the lower leagues but this could be a momentous period in our recent history. It’s the kind of 5 game period that can change the next decade for this football club. If we don’t make it and have to go through the hell of the play offs, that’s a lottery and with all due respect it’s very hit or miss and you never know what happens next if we fall short.

So this is the moment and the more I look at the squad in place, it’s beginning to excite me again. At last we have a left sided player with pace, who seems to know what to do and how to execute it, that is a different story from Cresswell who isn’t a natural left sided midfielder and therefore runs very hot and cold, as any player played out of position does, it’s something you can do for a few games, it rarely turns out well for a whole season.

Then we have Ameobi, now he is not a gaol machine but with what he has achieved at a higher level he certainly has what it takes to get goals at this level and he has to start Monday with Fuller, for me it will say everything as to how the manager is feeling inside. I don’t; think there can be any excuse to start Mamma, There’s a saying never do what the opposition want you to do and for me Palace defenders will be sat in that dressing room thinking, for gods sake tonight we have to face two big marauding forwards who can both tear us to shreds and worse still they can both score goals. Which would you rather face, yes Mamma is a handful but lets be brutally honest he’s hardly a goal threat, you know what will happen 99 times out of a 100 if he has a good chance, it’s not going to hurt you.

If I saw him playing instead of one of the other two, it would send all the wrong signals out to me. I am sure someone is going to say, no it isn’t a negative move, it’s saying look what strength in depth we have and imagine Fuller or Shola coming on after an hour to terrorise the defence. I disagree totally, I would rather have Mamma sat waiting to come on after 75 minutes with us 3-0 up, than bringing on an impact player at 1-1. It’s time to go out and win a game, lay down a marker for the final push. This is a perfect place to start on a Monday night in front of the very people who have been criticising us for most of the season. I would love to hear the explanations and excuses for a thumping win against a good side in front of the cameras. It’s also a psychological boost, every other manager from the teams around us will be watching and hoping we play Mamma from the start, lucking their lips as he misses yet another sitter.

The best eleven have to start, players in their right positions and to hell with loyalty Tone, this is a chance to write your name into the folklore of this club, don’t allow a little loyalty to one or two players minimize the chances of that happening. Please move Griffin either to left back where he is comfortable or not in the side at all, seeing as he’s your captain then make him captain left back. The defence is looking more solid since Riggott arrived and now let that midfield play, allow them a little more freedom, yes of course we need to hold the work ethic, all good sides work harder than anyone else that’s how their better players get the time to play, do the same Tone, don’t care about style of play at this stage let the better players we now have off the leash and lets put Palace to the sword Monday night and the confidence this will give everyone, players, yourself and supporters alike will be amazing.

We now have the best eleven we have seen in a long time available, so lets see them out there on the park where they can do maximum damage to the opposition.

[RAF]

It's true Ted, there are no excuses left.
He has had the money, he has had his wish list, now come one TP lets finish the season off in automatic.
If some of your players aren't performing, even if they are one of your little favourites like Griff, then drop them.
We now have the squad to drop anyone who is lagging behind the drag curve so use them.

Goaaaarn Stoke.

H

[Stick It On Cort's Head]

True Ted, but i believe it's the players job to finish it off now.

He has the tools though

[ted1965]

I see Parkin is still in need of a little weight loss program come on John aspire to be the hand drill and unplug yourself from the buffet table you damn electric drill.

[Dingdangdoo]

TED

Agree 100%

we have missed somene taking the pressure of Fuller and he has done most of the "striking" work alone with often 2 or 3 markers. Ameobi will give us another dimension and take the heat off Fuller. The Pearson and Lawrence can also give us attacking options.

Mama has done a sterling job in the circumstances but the time has come to change.

It's a bit like the Rocky films mate................the underdog whom no-one rates..........on the ropes possibly, but who gets up and shows them what balls really are!!!!!

Who has the biggest????????????

ALL NEED TO STAND UP AND BE COUNTED (players not balls!!)

GOOOORRRRNNNNNNN STOKE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[OldStokie]

Good post Ted. Fans say it's down to the players now. Well, yes it is....but it's down to the players Pulis selects. If he still plays his favourites instead of his form players, then he will let everyone down.

I have less faith Pulis will do the right thing than most based on what I've seen of him over six years. We all know this is the time to go for it and not a mindset of not wanting to lose, which is his MO. He needs to be brave and if we fail trying then we can accept that. If we fail because he sticks to his favourites and is too conservative with his tactics, he should collect his cards and coppers and fook off because it may be a long, long time before we have a better chance than we have now.

OS.

[apb1]

I agree with the points made, and share the innate Stokie pessimism that makes this kind of hope almost unbearable.

A few comments:

I DON'T think this is the last ever season that we could be promoted - that was last year if people cast their mind back to the gloomy predictions made then ;D

I DON'T think failure to go up should mean Pulis is emptied out as he can, perhaps, learn like anyone else (however stubborn he sometimes appears) and we have a good chance next season. The last thing we need is a new man, and the season or two of rebuilding the place in his image that will entail.

I DO really want us to go for it though. I would rather miss out having given our all, not shivering and dithering like we did at Watford. If we repeat that approach then Pulis should walk, as OS says. Time to screw our courage to the sticking plate and score some bloody goals...starting on Monday.