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Post by Deleted on Jul 7, 2015 14:32:42 GMT
It's a natural progression slow but sure, Blackburn were a similar club and a rich passionate man came along and they won the League. I'm not for one second saying we will we the League but we can challenge cant we ? Otherwise lets not play the games we should just draw straws and save a shit load of money and bother. Our club are ambitious that includes the management team and Board why cant supporters dream and hope without being called stupid there is nothing wrong with wishing for better things surely. Chelsea, United, arsenal, citeh will be challenging, we will not. I love a dream and yes Blackburn won it but it was a different time when they won it not many billionaires knocking around then, in fact weren't Blackburn the richest club in England at the time? Missing the point, why cant we challenge who in the top 4 have we not beaten ? Dont confuse winning the league with challenging the top teams. As for Blackburn is was for the "dream" did they think they would ever win the league before Jack Walker came along ? most did not but a few did I bet. What on earth is wrong with being positive rather than negative. You may as well not go again because we wont challenge for owt mate.
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Post by dutchstokie on Jul 7, 2015 14:41:49 GMT
Chelsea, United, arsenal, citeh will be challenging, we will not. I love a dream and yes Blackburn won it but it was a different time when they won it not many billionaires knocking around then, in fact weren't Blackburn the richest club in England at the time? Missing the point, why cant we challenge who in the top 4 have we not beaten ? Dont confuse winning the league with challenging the top teams. As for Blackburn is was for the "dream" did they think they would ever win the league before Jack Walker came along ? most did not but a few did I bet. What on earth is wrong with being positive rather than negative. You may as well not go again because we wont challenge for owt mate. We're all positive franklin - except that tit benjaminbiscuit haha, but being realistic tops that. Consistency over a sustained period of time wins through. Thats why the cream always rises to the top. We bloodied a few noses along the way last season, but at the same time, slipped up badly against teams that we excepted to get points from. Thats the difference between us and the top 4......theyre just more consistent defensively, better midfield options than us, and at least 2, sometimes 3 top quality strikers on their books... or in simple terms - $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
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Post by Deleted on Jul 7, 2015 14:46:10 GMT
Missing the point, why cant we challenge who in the top 4 have we not beaten ? Dont confuse winning the league with challenging the top teams. As for Blackburn is was for the "dream" did they think they would ever win the league before Jack Walker came along ? most did not but a few did I bet. What on earth is wrong with being positive rather than negative. You may as well not go again because we wont challenge for owt mate. We're all positive franklin - except that tit benjaminbiscuit haha, but being realistic tops that. Consistency over a sustained period of time wins through. Thats why the cream always rises to the top. We bloodied a few noses along the way last season, but at the same time, slipped up badly against teams that we excepted to get points from. Thats the difference between us and the top 4......theyre just more consistent defensively, better midfield options than us, and at least 2, sometimes 3 top quality strikers on their books... or in simple terms - $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ We have to start somewhere though Chelsea, Man City were not "born" at the top of the league they paid for it, all I'm saying is we should be positive and push on if not why bother at all we may as well just except 10th now and not compete.
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Post by DelapsWankingArm on Jul 7, 2015 14:46:13 GMT
You need to calm down on the ale.
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Post by miggo on Jul 7, 2015 14:54:38 GMT
Chelsea, United, arsenal, citeh will be challenging, we will not. I love a dream and yes Blackburn won it but it was a different time when they won it not many billionaires knocking around then, in fact weren't Blackburn the richest club in England at the time? Missing the point, why cant we challenge who in the top 4 have we not beaten ? Dont confuse winning the league with challenging the top teams. As for Blackburn is was for the "dream" did they think they would ever win the league before Jack Walker came along ? most did not but a few did I bet. What on earth is wrong with being positive rather than negative. You may as well not go again because we wont challenge for owt mate. Its not a question of being positive though is it. I'm very positive but I'm realistic at the same time how much have the top 6 teams spent over the years to establish themselves as European contenders each and every year? Look how much they spend on wages and look at their revenue compared to ourselves. They are on a different planet to us and pay the money to get the world's best players. I go to every game thinking were going to win I'm sure other fans of Swansea, Everton, West Ham do also but it doesn't happen we compete with those around us of a similar size and structure unless massive investment was to be put in. It's great to beat the big boys every now and again but in 7 years how many wins have we got against citeh, Chelsea and United? Not many at all.
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Post by dutchstokie on Jul 7, 2015 14:55:05 GMT
We're all positive franklin - except that tit benjaminbiscuit haha, but being realistic tops that. Consistency over a sustained period of time wins through. Thats why the cream always rises to the top. We bloodied a few noses along the way last season, but at the same time, slipped up badly against teams that we excepted to get points from. Thats the difference between us and the top 4......theyre just more consistent defensively, better midfield options than us, and at least 2, sometimes 3 top quality strikers on their books... or in simple terms - $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ We have to start somewhere though Chelsea, Man City were not "born" at the top of the league they paid for it, all I'm saying is we should be positive and push on if not why bother at all we may as well just except 10th now and not compete. With you there... we have to start somewhere. It is VERY unlikely to happen I reckon...the only way is when all this TV money goes south and the whole thing implodes, which it will one day....then we're back to square one.. I reckon we would be one of the VERY BEST positioned clubs to capitalise....why? No players on exorbitant wages, squad size (including everyone - U21 etc etc) would be relatively small (unlike the Chelseas and Arsenals of this world loaning out players left right and centre), very solid backing, and NO foreign companies running for the hills shitting themselves. Thats if we don't sell out of course haha These are unchartered waters for the good ship Stoke City - where will it take us though?????
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Post by Deleted on Jul 7, 2015 14:58:32 GMT
Southampton are a club folk are talking about as "challengers" who the fuck are they ? Why not us ? I'm not saying we will win the league for the next ten years but lets give the "big" boys a run for their money.
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Post by foster on Jul 7, 2015 15:09:10 GMT
Dream world territory. Let's try to improve on last season before talking up world domination.
Don't forget that there are 19 other teams in the league all aiming to strengthen and compete next season.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 7, 2015 15:13:48 GMT
Dream world territory. Let's try to improve on last season before talking up world domination. Don't forget that there are 19 other teams in the league all aiming to strengthen and compete next season. No, straight to world domination for me pls. not interested in a +10 gd. Foster, you have gone soft.
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Post by RAF on Jul 7, 2015 15:14:26 GMT
Who the fucking fuck has mentioned Junior fucking Toilet? Where has this been mentioned and what the fucking fuck is going fucking on? H I read it on something called Twitter. I don't know if you've seen it, it like a million Hackett's sharing solid gold information. Brilliant it is. No I haven't they don't need another twatter on twatter! H
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Post by retired1 on Jul 7, 2015 15:15:56 GMT
Funniest thread of the year. Cheekymatt has been sniffing too much of his own cheese.
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Post by nottinghamstokie on Jul 7, 2015 16:10:23 GMT
Looks like we are aiming for a better level of player but if the net of it all is we lose N'Zonzi, Begovic and Huth and don't actually pull any of our prime targets then the old '40 points' could pretty fast become the limit of our ambition. Let's hope something gives in the next few weeks, it surely must. We have already replaced Huth with Wooly. And Butland is a ready made replacement for Bego so the only person who needs replacing is Zonz, if/when he goes. If you seriously think Wooly / Wolly is a replacement for Huth then I'd like some of what you are drinking and/or smoking !!! And Jack is good, but has yet to get to double figures in Prem games played so I'm not sure I'd call him "ready made"....yet, at least
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Post by Deleted on Jul 7, 2015 16:19:38 GMT
Southampton are a club folk are talking about as "challengers" who the fuck are they ? Why not us ? I'm not saying we will win the league for the next ten years but lets give the "big" boys a run for their money. because they spent the best part of £100 million in 1 year to buy better quality players....there you go mate,hardly the best example you could have used
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Post by Deleted on Jul 7, 2015 16:21:22 GMT
Dream world territory. Let's try to improve on last season before talking up world domination. Don't forget that there are 19 other teams in the league all aiming to strengthen and compete next season. what you doing chaning your fucking avatar? Proper confused me that did
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Post by Deleted on Jul 7, 2015 16:25:02 GMT
Southampton are a club folk are talking about as "challengers" who the fuck are they ? Why not us ? I'm not saying we will win the league for the next ten years but lets give the "big" boys a run for their money. because they spent the best part of £100 million in 1 year to buy better quality players....there you go mate,hardly the best example you could have used
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Post by cheekymatt71 on Jul 7, 2015 17:19:48 GMT
Im not being delusional if you read my original post guys.
I also think Hughes is a realist and is not "expecting" to finish top 4.
But I reckon due to his winning mentality when he sits down with Peter Coates about the aims for the season ahead, that inside he hates to say
"Another year of consolidation, top 8, a decent cup run and some nice football" - as all us Stokies are completely happy with might I add
I think hes more likely to say:
"Lets do one over the big boys, make some big signings and get in the top 4 this season"
His ambition has been known to outstrip that of the clubs he has been at (both at Blackburn & Fulham he had issues over the direction he saw the club going).
The club does seem to be backing his ambition with money. I just think hes the kind of guy who cant accept to be a mid-table level manager.
I expect there is about a 1% chance in reality of breaking the top 4, Im just curious to know what Hughes REALLY thinks is possible with Stoke this season.
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Post by foster on Jul 7, 2015 17:37:20 GMT
Dream world territory. Let's try to improve on last season before talking up world domination. Don't forget that there are 19 other teams in the league all aiming to strengthen and compete next season. what you doing chaning your fucking avatar? Proper confused me that did Ha ha yeah I'm deciding on a new one and am just testing some gifs.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 7, 2015 17:52:53 GMT
because they spent the best part of £100 million in 1 year to buy better quality players....there you go mate,hardly the best example you could have used sorry franklin,i didn't realise that proving how ridiculous your post was would be an issue
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Post by Pugsley on Jul 7, 2015 18:00:55 GMT
Southampton are a club folk are talking about as "challengers" who the fuck are they ? Why not us ? I'm not saying we will win the league for the next ten years but lets give the "big" boys a run for their money. because they spent the best part of £100 million in 1 year to buy better quality players....there you go mate,hardly the best example you could have used Yep, they spent 100 million and progressed... meanwhile at Stoke City pre-Mark Hughes...
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Post by davejohnno1 on Jul 7, 2015 18:39:58 GMT
In that case you are correct. Runners up no longer win the European slot. If the winners have already qualified for Europe, then the European spot goes to the next highest league position. He knew that already. Though nice backtracking. I've got to be honest...being the Summer I try to have a break from this site and not spend so much of my day obsessing over all things Stoke City. As such I only skim read most of the shit that is posted on here at this time of year. Anyway, it wasn't a backtrack as such. Looking back at it, I actually quoted the wrong post and had meant to quote the one that Philb had responded to in the first place.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 7, 2015 18:41:27 GMT
because they spent the best part of £100 million in 1 year to buy better quality players....there you go mate,hardly the best example you could have used Yep, they spent 100 million and progressed... meanwhile at Stoke City pre-Mark Hughes... When did we spend 100 million in one year pre-Mark Hughes? and to answer your next question bottom half of the championship to mid table security, cup final appearance and European football is progress. Now change the bloody record.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 7, 2015 18:42:47 GMT
sorry franklin,i didn't realise that proving how ridiculous your post was would be an issue Not an issue Mick it just gets boring repeating the fact that I would rather be positive and dream than be a miserable sod and try to put the club and those that hope for better times down
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Post by Deleted on Jul 7, 2015 21:09:18 GMT
We've become an established Premier League club and are trying to become an established top ten club.
Getting into the Europa League by finishing high enough would require a plan not to drop out of the top ten or even the league the next season.
Seems like half of the Football League have been in the Prem at some time.
By my, um, ready reckoning there's some 15 in the Championship that have passed through the Prem.
My plan for next season, were I Hughes and co, would be top ten with more points than last time, then higher than ninth and then go for a Europa League spot.
Oh yes and winning the CarlingMilkCokeCapital Cup and the Emirates FA Emirates Cup sponsored by Emirates.
Doh! Just can't take myself seriously for long enough.
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Post by VolvicStokie on Jul 7, 2015 21:16:54 GMT
Why are folk aiming the ' oh this is embarrassing' remarks at the post?
Good post in my opinion
It may seem a pipe dream to most, but to a select few it's not!, the owner and management being most of that select few.
Yes they have to be realistic, but going for huge signings like Shaqiri and Konopliyanka, is most certainly a statement of intent.
Im not saying it's top 4. That will take keeping our best players, and strength in depth, and spending 30+ million minimum. But if we're going to aim for something then why the fuck not the Champions League!?
Southampton were talked up most of last season as being the ones to make it but ultimately unseated the rider going from the 3rd last hurdle to the 2nd last.
Current team miles off it on paper. Same team with Shaqiri, Roberto, Bojan fit all season?
I bet my bottom dollar we'll give it a damn good go
If South fucking Hampton can get close, so can we!
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Post by Paul Spencer on Jul 7, 2015 21:38:31 GMT
Seriously though. Realistically, the limit is 7th place maximum. Then of course we've got the FA Cup and League Cup. Which we now have to win. They are our best chances. It would take some mega investment, the likes of which we simply cannot be doing yet. It won't be happening anytime soon, and it would be a total freak if it ever did. If we'd beaten Burnley and Leicester at home and not conceded that last minute goal against QPR, then we would have finished 6th this season. And that's in a season where we were absolutely ravaged by injuries. So I don't see why 7th is realistically the best we can hope for.
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Post by mrcoke on Jul 7, 2015 22:01:56 GMT
If we'd beaten Burnley and Leicester at home and not conceded that last minute goal against QPR, then we would have finished 6th this season. And that's in a season where we were absolutely ravaged by injuries. So I don't see why 7th is realistically the best we can hope for. Exactly right. Our record against the top 6 sides was better than Southampton's and Swansea's. It was our performances against bottom third teams that was poorer than their's resulting in us being 9th. Solutions are stop letting in "silly" goals, particularly at set pieces, and have forwards who can unlock mass defences where teams park the bus and then catch us out with a breakaway. Edit: Against the top 5 teams, Stoke's performance was better than Liverpool.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 7, 2015 22:02:19 GMT
Why are folk aiming the ' oh this is embarrassing' remarks at the post? Good post in my opinion It may seem a pipe dream to most, but to a select few it's not!, the owner and management being most of that select few. Yes they have to be realistic, but going for huge signings like Shaqiri and Konopliyanka, is most certainly a statement of intent. Im not saying it's top 4. That will take keeping our best players, and strength in depth, and spending 30+ million minimum. But if we're going to aim for something then why the fuck not the Champions League!? Southampton were talked up most of last season as being the ones to make it but ultimately unseated the rider going from the 3rd last hurdle to the 2nd last. Current team miles off it on paper. Same team with Shaqiri, Roberto, Bojan fit all season? I bet my bottom dollar we'll give it a damn good go If South fucking Hampton can get close, so can we! Because they are still thinking about "little old Stoke " and are miserable buggers.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 8, 2015 5:56:07 GMT
Why are folk aiming the ' oh this is embarrassing' remarks at the post? Good post in my opinion It may seem a pipe dream to most, but to a select few it's not!, the owner and management being most of that select few. Yes they have to be realistic, but going for huge signings like Shaqiri and Konopliyanka, is most certainly a statement of intent. Im not saying it's top 4. That will take keeping our best players, and strength in depth, and spending 30+ million minimum. But if we're going to aim for something then why the fuck not the Champions League!? Southampton were talked up most of last season as being the ones to make it but ultimately unseated the rider going from the 3rd last hurdle to the 2nd last. Current team miles off it on paper. Same team with Shaqiri, Roberto, Bojan fit all season? I bet my bottom dollar we'll give it a damn good go If South fucking Hampton can get close, so can we! Because it is embarrassing and puts us alongside the deluded clowns from the North East. Clubs like Stoke will never get into the Top 4 without Man City style spending. Even Southampton will find it a struggle to repeat their season again this year. I love ambition and I love the naivety of youth but lets be realistic with our ambitions. Top 8 and a good cup run is maximum of where we're at and ever likely to be for the near and distant future.
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Post by foster on Jul 8, 2015 9:05:30 GMT
Why are folk aiming the ' oh this is embarrassing' remarks at the post? Good post in my opinion It may seem a pipe dream to most, but to a select few it's not!, the owner and management being most of that select few. Yes they have to be realistic, but going for huge signings like Shaqiri and Konopliyanka, is most certainly a statement of intent. Im not saying it's top 4. That will take keeping our best players, and strength in depth, and spending 30+ million minimum. But if we're going to aim for something then why the fuck not the Champions League!? Southampton were talked up most of last season as being the ones to make it but ultimately unseated the rider going from the 3rd last hurdle to the 2nd last. Current team miles off it on paper. Same team with Shaqiri, Roberto, Bojan fit all season? I bet my bottom dollar we'll give it a damn good go If South fucking Hampton can get close, so can we! Because it is embarrassing and puts us alongside the deluded clowns from the North East. Clubs like Stoke will never get into the Top 4 without Man City style spending. Even Southampton will find it a struggle to repeat their season again this year. I love ambition and I love the naivety of youth but lets be realistic with our ambitions. Top 8 and a good cup run is maximum of where we're at and ever likely to be for the near and distant future. I agree. I'm always positive about where we want to go and where I think we can get to... but top 4? Europa League qualification is what we'll be aiming for and the best we can hope for. Bettering last season will already be a fantastic achievement, especially if you consider the players we'll likely lose this summer. I think it's unfair to brand anyone who doesn't go with the top 4 fantasy as negative. Any ambitions to improve on last season are positive. Top 4 however is pure fiction.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 8, 2015 9:15:21 GMT
If he is aiming for Top 4, he'll not achieve it with a back 4 that contains any of Cameron/Bardsley, Wollscheid, or Wilson.
Everton are looking at CHs like Ogbonna from Juve for example.
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