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Post by upthefud on Jan 8, 2017 2:46:44 GMT
It's sad isn't it?
We've got the most talented and richly assembled squad in our history, we've come 9th 3 consecutive years in a row yet suddenly there's an emptiness. The blokes we've got couldn't give any less of a shit about us, they couldn't be any further away from the working class area people they are supposed to represent.
This era should go down as a golden era in years to come when we're plodding around in the second tier again, but the countless 4 goal drubbings and lack of fight are really starting to grate. We lost to a reserve championship side today and we lost in the league cup at home to the Hull reserves.
This isn't a post about managers but the characters in the side. Give me a plodding Lawrence over Shaq. Give me Sidibe over Bony. Give me Eustace over Imbula.
We need to step away from this high priced flair and get some players who'll fight for the shirt. If we're going to be a mid-table team we might as well do it bloodying some noses whilst we're at it
Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.
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Post by bayernoatcake on Jan 8, 2017 2:53:36 GMT
Delap can read the game way better than any central midfielder we currently have.
A massively underrated defensive player.
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Post by Burnside on Jan 8, 2017 2:58:36 GMT
Rory Delap was one of the best technical players i've seen at Stoke ..vastly underated player for us.
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Post by upthefud on Jan 8, 2017 3:03:52 GMT
I'm not calling Rory's ability into question. He's one of my favourite players.
I'm saying we need more players with his attitude regardless of flair
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Post by cheeesfreeex on Jan 8, 2017 3:09:57 GMT
It's a funny old game.
That's the attraction.
I've watched or listened to live all our games so far this season.
Weird day, we didn't particularly set out to let Wolves play but they did.
Best opposition I've seen perhaps bar second half Spurs this season.
On that performance today if they could sustain that they'd do a Leicester.
Effective on the break. Certainly wouldn't look out of place, far better than Watford, Bournemouth, Hull, Sunderland, Leicester, Swansea, West Ham, Southampton, Everton, Middlesboro etc from what I've watched.
But maybe that's the beauty of the Cup and the extra growl it gives to the underdogs.
Funny, I heard a quote on the radio about Stoke being 'a high flying casualty in the FA Cup.'
We've obviously moved on from being gallant losers.
I havn't thought it through yet.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 8, 2017 3:44:07 GMT
It's sad isn't it? We've got the most talented and richly assembled squad in our history, we've come 9th 3 consecutive years in a row yet suddenly there's an emptiness. The blokes we've got couldn't give any less of a shit about us, they couldn't be any further away from the working class area people they are supposed to represent. This era should go down as a golden era in years to come when we're plodding around in the second tier again, but the countless 4 goal drubbings and lack of fight are really starting to grate. We lost to a reserve championship side today and we lost in the league cup at home to the Hull reserves. This isn't a post about managers but the characters in the side. Give me a plodding Lawrence over Shaq. Give me Sidibe over Bony. Give me Eustace over Imbula. We need to step away from this high priced flair and get some players who'll fight for the shirt. If we're going to be a mid-table team we might as well do it bloodying some noses whilst we're at it I honestly have barely any affinity with any of them. |
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Post by riccyfuller93 on Jan 8, 2017 4:28:43 GMT
Rory Delap was one of the best technical players i've seen at Stoke ..vastly underated player for us. Will never forget his goal at the bridge. Didn't think Rory could pull that off. |
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Post by malisastokie on Jan 8, 2017 4:50:05 GMT
I also miss the blood and guts of the early years in the PL.
I also loved watching us dismantle Man City with the current side.
However the team of late v Bournemouth, Leicester, Liverpool, Chelsea and yesterday have under performed and the left the supporters flat and wondering where we are heading.
We don't stay in the fight for long periods and we concede goals which leaves us open chasing games and eventually leaking more goals.
I think we would become more consistent if Coates said to Hughes you need help and I am going to get you a defensive coach to join your coaching team and we going to bring in some defensive midfield players and your part in this process is telling me who we have to show the door from the likes of Imbula and co.
If you don't like it , you know where the door is
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Post by heworksardtho on Jan 8, 2017 6:31:44 GMT
Delap can read the game way better than any central midfielder we currently have. A massively underrated defensive player. Delap when he broke his leg while on loan to us would put put more of shift in than imbula |
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Post by davejohnno1 on Jan 8, 2017 7:48:25 GMT
Delap can read the game way better than any central midfielder we currently have. A massively underrated defensive player. I said something about this earlier in the week. The likes of Rory, fuller, Lawrence, abdy Faye, a young shawcross, etherington etc were superb players massively underrated by the outside world. This current lot, shaqiri, bojan, Allen, indi etc are decent players, no doubt, but they're massively overrated by the outside world. Rory would stroll into this side and would improve us massively. |
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Post by Pugsley on Jan 8, 2017 7:59:55 GMT
£40 million over four seasons isn't what I call Premier League backing. I don't think the manager has been backed whatsoever.
I agree with the sentiment of the original post though.
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Post by Pugsley on Jan 8, 2017 8:01:59 GMT
In comparison Bournemouth have spent best part of 70 million...
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Post by Kingswaystokie on Jan 8, 2017 8:17:51 GMT
Absolute brilliant OP, my sentiments entirely. It's painful watching my team show a lack of fight, pride commitment, whatever you want to call it.
They just don't inspire me anymore, it's not just the players either, from the owners through management the whole place seems in decline, can somebody bring my club back.
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Post by Gods on Jan 8, 2017 8:38:34 GMT
Imbula is the biggest problem for me, he's never going to make it if he's still trying in 2022 when his five and a half year contract comes up.
He looks completely lost in the hurly-burly of a midfield in this country, he can't tackle, he has no pace and he can only kick with one foot. I mean how bad do you want a midfield player to be?
I honestly wonder if Mr. Coates is going to simply have to swallow the £18m transfer signing fee and pay off the remaining 5 years of his wages and kiss his sorry ass goodbye. It would be around a £30 million write off but I don't see another option. There won't be anyone else willing to come to even a quarter of his wage so he is perfectly entitled to just sit even if someone were willing to pay a modest transfer fee.
I seriously don't think we can still have him wearing out the carpets at Clayton Woods going in to 2022, we need to free up the squad place and get someone in who can do the job or at least looks like they might want to do it.
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Post by Gods on Jan 8, 2017 8:42:37 GMT
£40 million over four seasons isn't what I call Premier League backing. I don't think the manager has been backed whatsoever. I agree with the sentiment of the original post though. Well it was £40 on just 2 players, Shaq and Imbula, so the total is far more than that. Also its mostly about wages these days and the wage bill is through the ceiling. For example Bony isn't playing (or not playing) as a favour and for a couple of bags of Bombay Mix each week, we are parking wheel barrows full of bank notes outside his front door every Friday. |
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Post by RAF on Jan 8, 2017 8:48:35 GMT
£40 million over four seasons isn't what I call Premier League backing. I don't think the manager has been backed whatsoever. I agree with the sentiment of the original post though. Well it was £40 on just 2 players, Shaq and Imbula, so the total is far more than that. Also its mostly about wages these days and the wage bill is through the ceiling. For example Bony isn't playing (or not playing) as a favour and for a couple of bags of Bombay Mix each week, we are parking wheel barrows full of bank notes outside his front door every Friday. 40 on two players? Which two were those? Certainly not the two you quoted. H |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 8, 2017 8:49:04 GMT
£40 million over four seasons isn't what I call Premier League backing. I don't think the manager has been backed whatsoever. I agree with the sentiment of the original post though. Well it was £40 on just 2 players, Shaq and Imbula, so the total is far more than that. Also its mostly about wages these days and the wage bill is through the ceiling. For example Bony isn't playing (or not playing) as a favour and for a couple of bags of Bombay Mix each week, we are parking wheel barrows full of bank notes outside his front door every Friday. 18+12=30 |
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Post by horacegoesbumming on Jan 8, 2017 8:51:56 GMT
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Post by Gods on Jan 8, 2017 8:52:56 GMT
Well it was £40 on just 2 players, Shaq and Imbula, so the total is far more than that. Also its mostly about wages these days and the wage bill is through the ceiling. For example Bony isn't playing (or not playing) as a favour and for a couple of bags of Bombay Mix each week, we are parking wheel barrows full of bank notes outside his front door every Friday. 18+12=30 Sorry I wrote off 5 and a half long years of Imbula's salary in that calculation too, since there is no shifting him and no possibility of getting any meaningful action out of him, its probably closer to £45m on those 2 players. I didn't do the same for Shaq since he is a contributor at some level at least. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 8, 2017 8:54:12 GMT
Sorry I wrote off 5 and a half long years of Imbula's salary in that calculation too, since there is no shifting him and no possibility of getting any meaningful action out of him, its probably closer to £45m on those 2 players. I didn't do the same for Shaq since he is a contributor at some level at least. Really? Or did you just balls up the simple task of adding 18 and 12 up.... :-) |
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Post by RAF on Jan 8, 2017 8:54:27 GMT
Well it was £40 on just 2 players, Shaq and Imbula, so the total is far more than that. Also its mostly about wages these days and the wage bill is through the ceiling. For example Bony isn't playing (or not playing) as a favour and for a couple of bags of Bombay Mix each week, we are parking wheel barrows full of bank notes outside his front door every Friday. 18+12=30 Correct PP, and the 18 was Euros so actually about 16, which would be 28 mill. Only 12 million quid out! That's almost a Joe Allen, or a Palacios and a Kitson, depending on how you look at it! H |
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Post by RAF on Jan 8, 2017 8:55:36 GMT
Sorry I wrote off 5 and a half long years of Imbula's salary in that calculation too, since there is no shifting him and no possibility of getting any meaningful action out of him, its probably closer to £45m on those 2 players. I didn't do the same for Shaq since he is a contributor at some level at least. Really? Or did you just balls up the simple task of adding 18 and 12 up.... :-) Yep thats what he did and is doing a great bit of backtracking! H :) |
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Post by samba :) on Jan 8, 2017 8:56:12 GMT
I can think of about 4 in the current squad:
Sjw diouf grant ryan the rest are wet at times
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Post by Gods on Jan 8, 2017 8:56:30 GMT
Correct PP, and the 18 was Euros so actually about 16, which would be 28 mill. Only 12 million quid out! That's almost a Joe Allen. H Try and get the numbers right RAF  This prompted Ligue 1 side Marseille to sign Imbula for a fee of €7 million. He spent two seasons at the Stade Vélodrome before joining Portuguese side Porto in the summer of 2015 for €20 million. After seven months at Porto, Imbula joined English Premier League club Stoke City for a club record £18.3 million. |
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Post by upthefud on Jan 8, 2017 8:56:36 GMT
Joe Allen has genuinely been worth every penny. In the money spent terms I don't like bringing him into it.
Bojan Shaq Imbula Bony Haagaurd Given Muniesa have not.
GI (18) + XS (12) are the two awful deals. Then the wages and sign on fees plus squad places of the others are again a joke. 40m was an estimate but right now we have the same identity of a Fulham or a Watford.
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Post by Pugsley on Jan 8, 2017 8:56:45 GMT
Sorry I wrote off 5 and a half long years of Imbula's salary in that calculation too, since there is no shifting him and no possibility of getting any meaningful action out of him, its probably closer to £45m on those 2 players. I didn't do the same for Shaq since he is a contributor at some level at least. Sorry, I'm forgetting the likes of Rory etc played for free.... |
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Post by RAF on Jan 8, 2017 8:59:15 GMT
Correct PP, and the 18 was Euros so actually about 16, which would be 28 mill. Only 12 million quid out! That's almost a Joe Allen. H Try and get the numbers right RAF :D This prompted Ligue 1 side Marseille to sign Imbula for a fee of €7 million. He spent two seasons at the Stade Vélodrome before joining Portuguese side Porto in the summer of 2015 for €20 million. After seven months at Porto, Imbula joined English Premier League club Stoke City for a club record £18.3 million. Ok I'll admit I'm 2 mill out if you admit you were 12 mill out and never considered wages in your original bit of knicker wetting? ;) H |
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Post by itsajoytobeapotter on Jan 8, 2017 9:01:07 GMT
£40 million over four seasons isn't what I call Premier League backing. I don't think the manager has been backed whatsoever. I agree with the sentiment of the original post though. Maybe if the manager had spent well rather than load us with all this shit he could have been backed more. Imbula, Shaquiri and Bony cost £32m and £250k per week. What do you expect when the manager is such a poor judge of a player? |
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Post by Pugsley on Jan 8, 2017 9:01:29 GMT
Joe Allen has genuinely been worth every penny. In the money spent terms I don't like bringing him into it. Bojan Shaq Imbula Bony Haagaurd Given Muniesa have not. GI (18) + XS (12) are the two awful deals. Then the wages and sign on fees plus squad places of the others are again a joke. 40m was an estimate but right now we have the same identity of a Fulham or a Watford. We spent less than 1 million on Bojan so hardly a bad deal. We should make money on him. Shaq we should get our transfer fee money back. Given - he was brought in as back up/mentoring, we've had our money's worth there. Muniesa - would have played loads if not constantly injured Bony - terrible deal Haagaurd - we paid peanuts for him so hardly worth crying over Imbula - THE ONE BIG BALLS UP. |
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Post by upthefud on Jan 8, 2017 9:12:09 GMT
Joe Allen has genuinely been worth every penny. In the money spent terms I don't like bringing him into it. Bojan Shaq Imbula Bony Haagaurd Given Muniesa have not. GI (18) + XS (12) are the two awful deals. Then the wages and sign on fees plus squad places of the others are again a joke. 40m was an estimate but right now we have the same identity of a Fulham or a Watford. We spent less than 1 million on Bojan so hardly a bad deal. We should make money on him. Shaq we should get our transfer fee money back. Given - he was brought in as back up/mentoring, we've had our money's worth there. Muniesa - would have played loads if not constantly injured Bony - terrible deal Haagaurd - we paid peanuts for him so hardly worth crying over Imbula - THE ONE BIG BALLS UP. But they're playing, and they're playing wank. Remember when Moses was too lazy, too iniury prone and not good enough for us? Hello Shaq Again. My post isn't about management but our current characters |
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