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Post by greyman on May 14, 2018 5:41:13 GMT
This is behind a paywall, but it's an interesting take, so I thought I'd share
Life outside the Premier League Big Six is troubling. You tread water to protect your TV revenue Oliver Kay, chief football correspondent
This season has shown that Burnley are the exception not the rule when it comes to success
Everything about Turf Moor feels, in the best possible way, like a throwback. Not to the days when the supporters travelled to the ground on the same bus as their heroes, but at least to the days when players would drive into the car park and walk to the dressing room without need for bouncers or security staff to clear a path through the crowd. At Burnley they are happy to mingle, obliging all requests for selfies and autographs.
That does not make Burnley unique, but they do retain a sense of intimacy that has been lost, quite willingly, at so many of the other 19 Premier League clubs. The norm at so many clubs is for players to be bussed in and bussed out, a security cordon to shield them as they emerge from behind blacked-out windows to take the few steps across terra firma to the gilded sanctuary of their dressing room. It is part of what Sean Dyche means when he bemoans the “glossiness” of the Premier League scene, where too many people have become so fixated on the “show” — the glitz, the glamour — that they have lost sight of what really matters in football. And what matters, according to the Burnley manager, is the earthy feeling of “teamship, giving everything for the cause, feeling part of something, being part of a tribe of people who care about one situation.”
Stoke City, Swansea City and West Bromwich Albion supporters might nod in distant recognition of these words as they contemplate what has been lost on their journey back to the Championship. That earthiness took them a long way on their journey to the top flight and it helped them to stay there and to become part of the show. Then the glossiness took over, at the expense of the earthiness, and, before they knew it, their team had been relegated, written out of the show.
It has been another season to reinforce the disconcerting feeling — only briefly challenged in unforgettable fashion by Leicester City two years ago — that the Premier League is a two-tier competition. Well, you could make a strong argument that Manchester City have been in a league of their own, but still it is the usual five clubs behind them. There is the Big Six and then there is the Not-So-Big Fourteen and, while Everton might have fancied their chances of upsetting the established order as they set off on that misguided splurge in the transfer market last summer, it is hard to see that changing any time soon.
It is a serious problem. The Premier League title has not been retained since 2009, but for all the “unscripted drama” hype, it is too predictable. Of the 168 matches played by the Big Six against the other 14 clubs this campaign, they won 117, drew 31 and lost just 20. Too many of those 168 games looked like attack-versus-defence training exercises. Between them, Crystal Palace, Everton and Southampton boast an abysmal record of one win out of 36 against the top six. The financial gulf between the top six and the rest is too big — and it will keep growing if the elite get their way. It has brought about a culture in which too many of the other 14 accept their place too readily. Over time, complacency and staleness seem inevitable.
Thank goodness for Burnley. They were among the pre-season favourites for relegation, yet they finished seventh, qualifying for European competition for the first time since 1966. Would it be doing Dyche and his players a disservice to say that work ethic, pride and honesty are, above all, what have made them the best of the rest in the Premier League this season? Or would it, conversely, be a huge compliment? It certainly wasn’t the quality of their attacking play; they scored 36 goals in 38 matches. They won games and ground out draws through a combination of spirit, endeavour, fitness, organisation and intelligence.
Similar tributes could be paid to Brighton & Hove Albion, Huddersfield Town and Newcastle United under Chris Hughton, David Wagner and Rafa Benítez respectively. These are teams whose supporters, like Burnley’s, have known all season that, win, lose or draw, the players’ application and focus could not be questioned.
Stoke were once this type of club. So were Swansea and West Brom. So were Southampton, who were drifting towards relegation under Mauricio Pellegrino until a late-season resurgence under Mark Hughes. These are clubs who felt that they had done the hard work by establishing themselves in the Premier League over the previous seasons. Over time, though, a sense of identity and purpose has been lost, compounded by questionable managerial appointments and poor recruitment.
It goes back to something Charlie Adam said last week. “A lack of discipline from certain players has been embarrassing,” the Stoke midfielder said after his team’s relegation. “I’ll be honest for the supporters. I think some players have been getting away with murder for a long time. It’s not just one or two. Four or five that could be counted.”
For years, Stoke were built on the attritional qualities that earned them promotion and then regular survival under Tony Pulis. They then reached a point when those qualities were no longer enough, so they appointed Hughes, who replaced some of Pulis’s old stagers with more sophisticated players, introducing a more appealing, more expansive type of football, finishing ninth in each of his first three seasons.
By the summer of 2016, though, the club’s old guard had all but disappeared. “Earthiness” was lost and, to use a twist on an old cliché, they had became the type of team who could not do it on a cold Tuesday night at Stoke — or even, towards the end of Hughes’s time, a mild Saturday afternoon at Stoke. Hughes was sacked in January with his team in the relegation zone. Paul Lambert, his successor, never really threatened to keep them up.
As he has demonstrated before, Hughes is a more than competent manager — one who no longer had the answers at Stoke but found them quickly enough at Southampton. When the Stoke chairman, Peter Coates, suggests that he should have sacked Hughes earlier, he is probably right. As Adam’s comments indicate, it had become a problematic dressing room. Team spirit, one of Stoke’s defining qualities in the early years of their Premier League existence, had become a negative rather than a positive.
Familiarity brings the threat of staleness, but upheaval comes with great risks too. Words like honesty, commitment, effort and respect appear on motivational posters at training grounds up and done the country, but, as Dyche says, they are easier said than instilled. “These,” the Burnley manager said, “are words that people often throw around in football — ‘We need a better culture, a better environment’ — as if it’s easy. It’s not. We put the foundations down here five years ago and we’re still working on it. It takes time. Not many people in football get time.”
David Moyes has encountered resistance at West Ham; Sam Allardyce likewise at Everton; Paul Clement found his initial success at Swansea City was not enough to dispel what he felt was a complacent dressing room; Alan Pardew failed miserably at West Brom. Before anyone suggests that the common denominator in all of this is British managers, Carlos Carvalhal’s magic-wand effect soon ran out at Swansea and Marco Silva lasted even less time at Watford than everyone else does; Claude Puel’s initial upturn at Leicester was followed by a slump that will have predictable consequences; of the ten managerial changes over the course of the season, none brought a more sustained improvement than Crystal Palace’s maligned appointment of Roy Hodgson.
There is something troubling, about life beyond the Big Six. For every success story, too many other clubs and teams are coasting. It seems there is a point at which bright-eyed enthusiasm is followed by a realisation that, with the top six out of reach, they are treading water, their ambitions barely extending beyond the next slice of television revenue. Because the thing about “the show” is that, when you are only interested in staying in it, your involvement comes under serious threat.
At Burnley they have shown that the right stuff can take you a long way. They lost their final fixture 2-1 to Bournemouth — another team who, under Eddie Howe, have striven so hard to retain that earthiness — but the atmosphere was one of jubilation, right down to the “European tour 2018/19” T-shirts. “We’ll see you next season,” said the announcer over the PA system, “and don’t forget your passports.” Again, it felt like a throwback — Europe as the representation of everything that is exciting and exotic. But Dyche will tell them they must not change, must not be seduced by their new horizons. They must remain earthy, their feet kept firmly on the ground.
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Post by stokeykez on May 14, 2018 5:51:33 GMT
Great article. Think burnley will struggle with the thurs sun routine next season
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Post by bathstoke on May 14, 2018 5:51:54 GMT
Here's a little snippet from McNulty at the BBC:- What happens when you sign poor players, allow your ageing squad to fall into total disrepair and delay sacking a manager who has clearly lost his way? You get relegated - and that is exactly what has happened to Stoke City. Did the owners, the Coates family, become complacent after years of stability? Dreadful team and dreadful transfer strategy. Stoke's fans deserve so much better. www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44100746
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Post by The Toxic Avenger on May 14, 2018 5:59:15 GMT
He’s right, but it’ll be impossible for Burnley to ‘remain earthy’. The price of success is raised expectation, and after a while, when you realise there’s not much chance of winning anything, you want to see your team have a go and score a few, so some sort of evolution from ‘earthiness’ is required. It’s hard to get that right.
We’ve been so close to achieving that twice, once under each Prem era manager, but each one lost sight of what was needed at the crucial moment and reverted to type - Pulis to caution and conservatism, Hughes to ‘names’ over grit and desire a la QPR.
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Post by kristoff on May 14, 2018 6:03:27 GMT
Not usually a fan of Oliver Kay, but that is spot on. I’m honestly glad that we get at least one year off from all the bullshit of the premier
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Post by Deleted on May 14, 2018 6:04:28 GMT
Great article. Think burnley will struggle with the thurs sun routine next season They’ll get knocked out before the group stages....
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Post by Deleted on May 14, 2018 6:11:02 GMT
Good article and he's pretty much spot on.
Will the Board take note and act accordingly though ?
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Post by werrington on May 14, 2018 6:13:04 GMT
Burnley, Huddersfield and Brighton fans will soon get bored and want a bit more
The £7m signings will no longer suffice and they want that £20m player and that’s when the problems start as those players ( stars ) start rocking the boat when new contracts need negotiating or bigger clubs come sniffing as they know even if they don’t pull their weight somebody else will come along and sign them
We had it with Nzonzi Arnoutovic and Begovic who made it clear they wanted away no matter how much the club tried and then the rot sets in
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Post by bathstoke on May 14, 2018 6:41:38 GMT
Burnley, Huddersfield and Brighton fans will soon get bored and want a bit more The £7m signings will no longer suffice and they want that £20m player and that’s when the problems start as those players ( stars ) start rocking the boat when new contracts need negotiating or bigger clubs come sniffing as they know even if they don’t pull their weight somebody else will come along and sign them We had it with Nzonzi Arnoutovic and Begovic who made it clear they wanted away no matter how much the club tried and then the rot sets in Nice & Concise
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Post by Fred Ferret on May 14, 2018 6:57:54 GMT
Burnley, Huddersfield and Brighton fans will soon get bored and want a bit more The £7m signings will no longer suffice and they want that £20m player and that’s when the problems start as those players ( stars ) start rocking the boat when new contracts need negotiating or bigger clubs come sniffing as they know even if they don’t pull their weight somebody else will come along and sign them We had it with Nzonzi Arnoutovic and Begovic who made it clear they wanted away no matter how much the club tried and then the rot sets in Would agree with that, also, Burnley’s game strategy this season will be found out by teams next season. They have done brilliantly this season, I really hope they do it next season. I would guess they will struggle.
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Post by owdestokie2 on May 14, 2018 7:11:14 GMT
He’s right, but it’ll be impossible for Burnley to ‘remain earthy’. The price of success is raised expectation, and after a while, when you realise there’s not much chance of winning anything, you want to see your team have a go and score a few, so some sort of evolution from ‘earthiness’ is required. It’s hard to get that right. We’ve been so close to achieving that twice, once under each Prem era manager, but each one lost sight of what was needed at the crucial moment and reverted to type - Pulis to caution and conservatism, Hughes to ‘names’ over grit and desire a la QPR. Whilst I agree with your sentiments I would raise issue with one word “from”. IMHO you can “evolve” and improve by retaining a large core of “earthiness”. If we looked at the root causes for our catastrophic demise one would be our totally unbalanced approach to retaining a blueprint that was relatively successful for our club
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Post by werrington on May 14, 2018 7:11:42 GMT
Burnley, Huddersfield and Brighton fans will soon get bored and want a bit more The £7m signings will no longer suffice and they want that £20m player and that’s when the problems start as those players ( stars ) start rocking the boat when new contracts need negotiating or bigger clubs come sniffing as they know even if they don’t pull their weight somebody else will come along and sign them We had it with Nzonzi Arnoutovic and Begovic who made it clear they wanted away no matter how much the club tried and then the rot sets in Would agree with that, also, Burnley’s game strategy this season will be found out by teams next season. They have done brilliantly this season, I really hope they do it next season. I would guess they will struggle. Yep ..let them bask and enjoy it as they’ve rightly deserved it but the real challenge comes the longer they stay in it I very much doubt the Burnley fans will settle for a relegation scrap next season
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Post by auntiegeorge on May 14, 2018 7:21:13 GMT
Cannot disagree with a single word or punctuation mark.
Thanks for sharing the article. Top man.
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Post by tony1234 on May 14, 2018 7:26:38 GMT
Excellent - great article and great post. There is an old adage. "Always do what your enemies want least". For Stoke, it feels awkward to say, but that would have probably been to continue to be the sort of team that Pulis created. Perhaps upgraded a little, faster, more technical players.... but still players that were aggressive, dogmatic, clever, unyielding, industrial, selfless. Our evolved team, in a parallel universe, may have not looked unlike's Burnley's: and our season may have also panned out with hard fought 0-0s and 1-0s won from the back foot.
It was a team brand, though, that we no longer wanted and, let's be honest, 80%+ of Stokies were on the ride eating popcorn as we aspired to be Barcelona B. A part of me feels a bit ashamed of myself to be honest. Not about Pulis, or Hughes per se, but being seduced. Its feels like lusting over some scantily clad loud mouthed tart, behind the back of your life partner. No blame attached here. Others may feel differently. Its the way of life. The fact other teams have undergone similar fates (or will do soon) - mocking the idea of Snodgrass, Brady et al but drooling over Lemina, Krychowiak et al - suggests its not just us. Let's put it right and get on with it the Stoke way.
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Post by The Toxic Avenger on May 14, 2018 7:29:27 GMT
He’s right, but it’ll be impossible for Burnley to ‘remain earthy’. The price of success is raised expectation, and after a while, when you realise there’s not much chance of winning anything, you want to see your team have a go and score a few, so some sort of evolution from ‘earthiness’ is required. It’s hard to get that right. We’ve been so close to achieving that twice, once under each Prem era manager, but each one lost sight of what was needed at the crucial moment and reverted to type - Pulis to caution and conservatism, Hughes to ‘names’ over grit and desire a la QPR. Whilst I agree with your sentiments I would raise issue with one word “from”. IMHO you can “evolve” and improve by retaining a large core of “earthiness”. If we looked at the root causes for our catastrophic demise one would be our totally unbalanced approach to retaining a blueprint that was relatively successful for our club Agreed, I think that's where both managers went wrong. One found the formula to evolve and then, for whatever reason, totally dismantled it. The other didn't seem to realise how important that core was and didn't bother replacing it when it started to creak, with disastrous consequences.
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Post by The Toxic Avenger on May 14, 2018 7:34:23 GMT
Excellent - great article and great post. There is an old adage. "Always do what your enemies want least". For Stoke, it feels awkward to say, but that would have probably been to continue to be the sort of team that Pulis created. Perhaps upgraded a little, faster, more technical players.... but still players that were aggressive, dogmatic, clever, unyielding, industrial, selfless. Our evolved team, in a parallel universe, may have not looked unlike's Burnley's: and our season may have also panned out with hard fought 0-0s and 1-0s won from the back foot. It was a team brand, though, that we no longer wanted and, let's be honest, 80%+ of Stokies were on the ride eating popcorn as we aspired to be Barcelona B. A part of me feels a bit ashamed of myself to be honest. Not about Pulis, or Hughes per se, but being seduced. Its feels like lusting over some scantily clad loud mouthed tart, behind the back of your life partner. No blame attached here. Others may feel differently. Its the way of life. The fact other teams have undergone similar fates (or will do soon) - mocking the idea of Snodgrass, Brady et al but drooling over Lemina, Krychowiak et al - suggests its not just us. Let's put it right and get on with it the Stoke way. To be honest I hate this revisionist idea that we're supposed to be ashamed of ourselves for the Stokealona thing and that who are we, little old Stoke City, to think we could play like that and have nice things? It's bollocks. With the right tweaks that could have worked for longer, or at least a version of it could. You absolute do need a strong core and some leaders to make it work, as you do any system, and that's what we lost sight of, but there is a middle way, we don't have to tug our forelocks and only ever score from set pieces because that's our place.
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Post by str8outtahampton on May 14, 2018 7:41:11 GMT
This is behind a paywall, but it's an interesting take, so I thought I'd share It's a good piece - many thanks. And for me Mr Kay nails the issue as follows: By the summer of 2016, though, [Stoke]...had become the type of team who could not do it on a cold Tuesday night at Stoke — or even, towards the end of Hughes’s time, a mild Saturday afternoon at Stoke. Actually we couldn't even do it on a (chilly-ish) Saturday afternoon in Coventry, where we were outfought, outthought, outmuscled,outgunned and outplayed. (Plus I got a parking ticket. Double drat, as Dick Dastardly might have observed).
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Post by Mr_DaftBurger on May 14, 2018 7:43:12 GMT
All teams from Burnley down had a minus goal difference, says it all to me!
In the end we put fancy adornments on our Trojan Horse but forgot to put the soldiers inside and were easily repelled in the end.
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Post by Absolution on May 14, 2018 7:46:23 GMT
I'd agree with most of the column apart from when he says towards the end that "the thing about “the show” is that, when you are only interested in staying in it, your involvement comes under serious threat."
The real problem is that genuine football fans (outside of those supporting the top 6 clubs) can't, won't and I'd argue mustn't ever accept that their club is only there to make up the numbers and can never challenge the big boys in any serious and sustained way.
Football fans see it as it should be, not how it really is. They demand something more than existence. If they don't, then what's the point of a 'competitive sport'? You have to believe the illusion, because once you've accepted the reality, you realise that your club and your support are largely irrelevant in the big wide scheme of things. And none of us want to believe that.
Burnley supporters, and/or Dyche will soon start to want more. Wanting to stay in the Prem isn't the problem. The real problem is dealing with the natural urge to want a bigger piece of the action.
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Post by Deleted on May 14, 2018 8:10:03 GMT
One thing I will say to the contrary is were we not 5 points off a Champions League spot with however many games remaining a few seasons back?
The opportunities are there, the lesser clubs just seem to lose their bottle when they have it in their sights.
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Post by Deleted on May 14, 2018 8:15:35 GMT
Whilst it's a decent read, he's not really saying anything different to what most fans of 'the rest' have been saying for a long time, is he? At least he's not perpetuating the 'best league in the world' mythical bollocks.
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Post by owdestokie2 on May 14, 2018 8:24:23 GMT
I'd agree with most of the column apart from when he says towards the end that "the thing about “the show” is that, when you are only interested in staying in it, your involvement comes under serious threat." The real problem is that genuine football fans (outside of those supporting the top 6 clubs) can't, won't and I'd argue mustn't ever accept that their club is only there to make up the numbers and can never challenge the big boys in any serious and sustained way. Football fans see it as it should be, not how it really is. They demand something more than existence. If they don't, then what's the point of a 'competitive sport'? You have to believe the illusion, because once you've accepted the reality, you realise that your club and your support are largely irrelevant in the big wide scheme of things. And none of us want to believe that. Burnley supporters, and/or Dyche will soon start to want more. Wanting to stay in the Prem isn't the problem. The real problem is dealing with the natural urge to want a bigger piece of the action. I can only put on record the concensus of opinion from a relatively small number of long standing supporters (season ticket holders) who I socialise with. All to a man their expectations are, and remain; 1. Watching Premiership football 2. Leaving the ground win, lose or draw after witnessing a team display of honesty, endeavour with splashes of talent 3. Being in a position where we are no roll over for any side. The other team having realised that they’ve been in a game 4. Occasionally giving the big boys a bloody nose (figuratively speaking) 5. With the luck of the draw on our side having decent cup runs None of which are “little old Stoke or Stokealona”. They(we) are sensible enough to recognise the purchasing power of the top 6 and possibly extending it to the top 8. Yes most certainly there will be the odd occasion (Leicester/Burnley etc) that may buck the trend but over a sustained period we all recognise the clubs that are, or have the potential to be consistently pushing for those top spots. There is a difference being dreams and realistic expectations
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Post by Deleted on May 14, 2018 8:28:56 GMT
Burnley, Huddersfield and Brighton fans will soon get bored and want a bit more The £7m signings will no longer suffice and they want that £20m player and that’s when the problems start as those players ( stars ) start rocking the boat when new contracts need negotiating or bigger clubs come sniffing as they know even if they don’t pull their weight somebody else will come along and sign them We had it with Nzonzi Arnoutovic and Begovic who made it clear they wanted away no matter how much the club tried and then the rot sets in Would agree with that, also, Burnley’s game strategy this season will be found out by teams next season. They have done brilliantly this season, I really hope they do it next season. I would guess they will struggle.To be fair, people were saying that about us for years, yet we stuck around. It will be interesting to see how Burnley deal with their own (inevitable) evolution and rising expectations. I would imagine their surroundings will keep them pretty grounded though.
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Post by The Toxic Avenger on May 14, 2018 8:36:06 GMT
I'd agree with most of the column apart from when he says towards the end that "the thing about “the show” is that, when you are only interested in staying in it, your involvement comes under serious threat." The real problem is that genuine football fans (outside of those supporting the top 6 clubs) can't, won't and I'd argue mustn't ever accept that their club is only there to make up the numbers and can never challenge the big boys in any serious and sustained way. Football fans see it as it should be, not how it really is. They demand something more than existence. If they don't, then what's the point of a 'competitive sport'? You have to believe the illusion, because once you've accepted the reality, you realise that your club and your support are largely irrelevant in the big wide scheme of things. And none of us want to believe that. Burnley supporters, and/or Dyche will soon start to want more. Wanting to stay in the Prem isn't the problem. The real problem is dealing with the natural urge to want a bigger piece of the action. I can only put on record the concensus of opinion from a relatively small number of long standing supporters (season ticket holders) who I socialise with. All to a man their expectations are, and remain; 1. Watching Premiership football 2. Leaving the ground win, lose or draw after witnessing a team display of honesty, endeavour with splashes of talent 3. Being in a position where we are no roll over for any side. The other team having realised that they’ve been in a game 4. Occasionally giving the big boys a bloody nose (figuratively speaking) 5. With the luck of the draw on our side having decent cup runs None of which are “little old Stoke or Stokealona”. They(we) are sensible enough to recognise the purchasing power of the top 6 and possibly extending it to the top 8. Yes most certainly there will be the odd occasion (Leicester/Burnley etc) that may buck the trend but over a sustained period we all recognise the clubs that are, or have the potential to be consistently pushing for those top spots. There is a difference being dreams and realistic expectations How do you define 2 and 3 in practice though? Is it just sticking men behind the ball and playing for a 0-0 every week?
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Post by chayzenbacon on May 14, 2018 8:58:13 GMT
Great article. Think burnley will struggle with the thurs sun routine next season They’ll get knocked out before the group stages.... With Burnley's defence that isn't necessarily so. And if they get to Valencia away in the knockout stages I can't see Sean Dyche fielding a weakened team and half a bench.
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Post by greyman on May 14, 2018 9:16:11 GMT
They’ll get knocked out before the group stages.... With Burnley's defence that isn't necessarily so. And if they get to Valencia away in the knockout stages I can't see Sean Dyche fielding a weakened team and half a bench. I can't either.
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Post by Deleted on May 14, 2018 9:40:49 GMT
They’ll get knocked out before the group stages.... With Burnley's defence that isn't necessarily so. And if they get to Valencia away in the knockout stages I can't see Sean Dyche fielding a weakened team and half a bench. Lady Luck will get a big money move away from Turf Moor this summer......
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Post by owdestokie2 on May 14, 2018 10:27:14 GMT
I can only put on record the concensus of opinion from a relatively small number of long standing supporters (season ticket holders) who I socialise with. All to a man their expectations are, and remain; 1. Watching Premiership football 2. Leaving the ground win, lose or draw after witnessing a team display of honesty, endeavour with splashes of talent 3. Being in a position where we are no roll over for any side. The other team having realised that they’ve been in a game 4. Occasionally giving the big boys a bloody nose (figuratively speaking) 5. With the luck of the draw on our side having decent cup runs None of which are “little old Stoke or Stokealona”. They(we) are sensible enough to recognise the purchasing power of the top 6 and possibly extending it to the top 8. Yes most certainly there will be the odd occasion (Leicester/Burnley etc) that may buck the trend but over a sustained period we all recognise the clubs that are, or have the potential to be consistently pushing for those top spots. There is a difference being dreams and realistic expectations How do you define 2 and 3 in practice though? Is it just sticking men behind the ball and playing for a 0-0 every week? For us it’s about witnessing players who have the right character, mental attitude and and professionalism to be integral part of a team, with a winning mentality first and foremost. A team that can relate to the supporters and vice versa. We we ain’t going to win every game, players will have off days, players will make individual mistakes. That’s all part of football, it could be argued it’s what makes football. The other her obvious is (where we have failed) is with the recruitment of such professionals and the management and direction of team. Unfortunately the term “entertainment” is extremely subjective which at times tends to warp opinions. We (collectively) need to regain the winning mentality first and foremost
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Post by maliciousdamage on May 14, 2018 10:34:58 GMT
Excellent - great article and great post. There is an old adage. "Always do what your enemies want least". For Stoke, it feels awkward to say, but that would have probably been to continue to be the sort of team that Pulis created. Perhaps upgraded a little, faster, more technical players.... but still players that were aggressive, dogmatic, clever, unyielding, industrial, selfless. Our evolved team, in a parallel universe, may have not looked unlike's Burnley's: and our season may have also panned out with hard fought 0-0s and 1-0s won from the back foot. It was a team brand, though, that we no longer wanted and, let's be honest, 80%+ of Stokies were on the ride eating popcorn as we aspired to be Barcelona B. A part of me feels a bit ashamed of myself to be honest. Not about Pulis, or Hughes per se, but being seduced. Its feels like lusting over some scantily clad loud mouthed tart, behind the back of your life partner. No blame attached here. Others may feel differently. Its the way of life. The fact other teams have undergone similar fates (or will do soon) - mocking the idea of Snodgrass, Brady et al but drooling over Lemina, Krychowiak et al - suggests its not just us. Let's put it right and get on with it the Stoke way. To be honest I hate this revisionist idea that we're supposed to be ashamed of ourselves for the Stokealona thing and that who are we, little old Stoke City, to think we could play like that and have nice things? It's bollocks. With the right tweaks that could have worked for longer, or at least a version of it could. You absolute do need a strong core and some leaders to make it work, as you do any system, and that's what we lost sight of, but there is a middle way, we don't have to tug our forelocks and only ever score from set pieces because that's our place. I so agree with this we were ‘there’ or ‘thereabouts’ I still say the board shit it when they saw the costs of adding three or four next level players that they couldn’t get ‘on the cheap’ and stepped back from the fray and then Hughes lost interest as there was no way we would move anywhere else
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Post by Deleted on May 14, 2018 10:43:57 GMT
Are there any teams in this league, below Arsenal, that try to play football?
There isn't a single one.
All of them are trying to scrape survival with hoofball, camping back in your own half and hoping your token bit of quality up front (Arnie, Zaha, etc.) does all the work for you.
Stokealona is the opposite of what is wrong with this league.
Fuck this boring shite that teams are forced to play because of the money involved. Where is the ambition? Where's the entertainment? We're such a pathetically scared league from 8th down that you can't ever imagine a team trying to play like Swansea in 2012/13, or a Stoke of 2015/16.
The premier league is being killed off, and it's not because of foreign flair or trying to play football. Quite the opposite.
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