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Post by Lakeland Potter on Dec 29, 2007 7:42:38 GMT
Third-place Stoke City prove critics wrong
By Phil Shaw
Last Updated: 12:30am GMT 29/12/2007
Watching Stoke City is like watching Wimbledon 20 years ago - so said Bryan Robson this season, and it was not a compliment.
Stoke fans have joined in the criticism of their side's long-ball approach, but third place in the Championship offers vindication for manager Tony Pulis as he returns to former club Plymouth Argyle today.
Pulis had three unremarkable years at the Britannia Stadium before his sacking in 2005, and when new chairman Peter Coates brought him back after a season-long sojourn at Plymouth, the reappearance of the Welshman with the omnipresent baseball cap was greeted with dismay.
As 2007 comes to an end, though, the carping over Stoke's style, or the absence of it, has given way to visions of top-flight football for the first time since 1985. The physical power of a side bristling with six-footers is now being allied to teamwork and finishing prowess. Stoke are unbeaten in eight games, a 3-3 Boxing Day draw at Barnsley taking their goals tally to 17 in a run that includes the 3-0 demolition of Robson's Sheffield United.
Plymouth will concede corners, free-kicks and even throw-ins at their peril.
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There is no doubt that the National media are finally beginning to notice that something (good?) is happening at Stoke. About time too. Those fans old enough to remember our days in the top flight will recall that we used to get far more publicity then than we have done for over 20 years. Let us hope that this season sees a return to the days when you opened the sports pages of a paper and EXPECTED to see a Stoke story. ;D
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Post by Linx on Dec 29, 2007 8:00:37 GMT
Nobody said we were ugly when we were losing, fornside. Then again, nobody said anything at all.... ;D
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Post by JoeinOz on Dec 29, 2007 8:35:00 GMT
Plymouth will concede corners, free-kicks and even throw-ins at their peril.
Hmmmm. They still have to slip a POMO implication.
Harsh to decribe Tones forst reign as "three unremarkable years". The last sevem months were shyte but that was preceded by survival then a season of steady progress.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2007 9:00:13 GMT
Add to that the idiotic wthholding of funds because he would not ;buy foreign' roughly translated into he would not buy any old shyte just to add to the squad.
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Post by knowingeye on Dec 29, 2007 9:22:06 GMT
Let's hope that the local idiots who associate themselves with Stoke, when they fancy a fight, don't infiltrate the true fans to cause the media negativity to return.
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Post by Do it for dobing on Dec 29, 2007 9:25:36 GMT
The reason he was having problems with the Icelanders during the end of his first reign here was he had already been sounded out by Peter Coates and he decided to back PC how right he was to do so
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Post by FullerMagic on Dec 29, 2007 9:47:06 GMT
Phil Shaw regularly slips a mention of Potteries football into his stories - he's a massive Vale fan. Nice to get a meaty story though - albeit from a Valeite  |
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Post by bogus on Dec 29, 2007 10:14:19 GMT
We made 5 live's Friday Footie programme last night too.......TWICE  It was mostly the "West Brom are the best team in the League" show and Colin Wanker was asked if he thought so. He said they play the nicest football, but Watford and Stoke are very good in a different style. Steve Claridge and the presenter, Arlo White, were also praising Stoke and specifically mentioning the beating we gave to WBA. Claridge was of the opinion that WBA have a soft under-belly and are quite capable of "bottling" the tougher games, as they did last year. I'm afraid we won't be flying under the radar if we continue on current form.......................sod the radar, long live the form ;D |
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Post by MrMagic on Dec 29, 2007 11:54:31 GMT
Equally as interesting is the response from a reader below decrying the "unremarkable" first tenure comment. Stalinist revisionism at it's best.
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Post by Not_Nick_H on Dec 29, 2007 11:55:11 GMT
I'm afraid we won't be flying under the radar if we continue on current form.......................sod the radar, long live the form ;D - indeed. Sod stealth - let's go for the "shock and awe" approach! ;D |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2007 13:58:03 GMT
I would have preferred the stealth approach for a few months more but if the form continues - sod it ;D
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