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Post by u2oxeterstokie on Jan 30, 2008 10:01:18 GMT
Pulis is still looking - Sentinel today says:
09:40 - 30 January 2008
Tony Pulis brushed aside the loss of Stoke's 12-match unbeaten league run at promotion rivals Charlton last night to insist: "We'll be back."
Pulis is backing his players to recover from the setback of their late loss at The Valley in time for back-to-back clashes against fellow top-six hopefuls Cardiff and Wolves over the next 10 days.
"The biggest thing now is to bounce back," said Pulis. "You have to put a defeat like this into perspective because outside of West Brom I think they (Charlton) have the strongest squad in our league.
"They have spent a lot of money and have a lot of so-called quality players in depth, but I didn't think they looked that much better than us.
"Again, our players have worked their socks off. Their effort and commitment was first-class. We could have been better on the ball, but still had five or six good chances to score ourselves.
"Leon Cort could have had two goals and Ricardo Fuller has gone through three times. And we haven't had any luck at the end when Jon Parkin's shot looks like it is going in."
The game was won in the 83rd minute when former Crewe striker Luke Varney helped tee up Lloyd Sam from a suspiciously offside position to inflict a first league defeat on Stoke since November 10.
"The lads are saying it was offside," said Pulis, right. "We are extremely disappointed with the linesman in front of us second half. Even before the goal, Varney has clipped Ryan's foot for a foul and everyone in the crowd has seen it except the linesman.
"Lo and behold, after going a goal down, we got every decision going and it was embarrassing."
Pulis revealed efforts were still underway to introduce new blood into his squad before the end of the January transfer window, disclosing: "We've inquired about four or five players. I'm not saying we will bring four or five in because they might all have been for the same position.
"I think we need the same type of player in respect of commitment and energy that we already have, but with a bit more quality. Right through the park we've got to be ready to embrace anybody who comes along with those qualities."
Andy Griffin faces a one-match ban at Wolves on Saturday week after picking up his fifth booking of the season late on last night.
However, Mama Sidibe could be available for Saturday's home game with Cardiff (12.30pm) after Mali were knocked out of the African Cup of Nations in the group stages last night
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Post by stokemark on Jan 30, 2008 10:12:52 GMT
Pulis has at least acknowledged that lack of quality
Yet whose policy has it been to strengthen areas of the squad that perhaps are the areas of least concern ?
Im fucking hopeful that I will bump into JK Rowling at lunch time and she will fall madly in love with me but it is unlikely she dines at our staff canteen !
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Post by ukcstokie on Jan 30, 2008 10:25:03 GMT
"We've inquired about four or five players."
WTF? Surely we've just had almost 5 months to "inquire" about players?
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Post by kinnell on Jan 30, 2008 11:45:57 GMT
More excuses and spin. Why can't Pulis just gracefully accept that we were played off the park? And he wonders why so many can't stand him.
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Post by howard moon is a stokie on Jan 30, 2008 11:47:25 GMT
1-0. Played off the park?
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Post by stokesaint1 on Jan 30, 2008 12:01:32 GMT
Agree with Kinnell. It does sound like excuses and spin. I am chuffed we are where we are in the league and Pulis has surpassed my expectations with what has been delivered to date. But as all Stokies can see, we definitely need to improve our midfield and strike force. However as long as Pulis persists with his "try before you buy" policy (and then usually buys anyway, especially defenders) I can't see us getting the star quality we're crying out for, before the deadline, to enable us to make that final push for promotion. Come on Tone, prove us wrong and give us that vital injection of pure quality to turn us from also rans to real contenders. We may not have lost many in the last eight but we haven't actually won that many either, we just seem to come up a little short too often. Come on Stoke, show us you really mean business.
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Post by Stick It On Cort's Head on Jan 30, 2008 15:45:25 GMT
Surely we should be " bidding", not "enquiring" at this stage .
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Post by MrMagic on Jan 30, 2008 17:13:39 GMT
It's just more of the same old bullshit from Tony. I've been working away today, and have not been able to get to a PC to see any news, but I was not at all suprised at 17:10 to see that, once again nothing has happened. The fact that he does not seem to acknowledge the clear shortcomings in our squad is even more alarming.
You can bet your backside that if a Centre half got injured yesterday, he'd soon have found "the right player" to bring in.
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Post by jarhead on Jan 30, 2008 19:24:45 GMT
kinnell spot on
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dman
Academy Starlet
Posts: 153
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Post by dman on Jan 30, 2008 20:59:55 GMT
lmao, out comes negativity again. we all want more players, but at least we have sign the ones we have
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Post by kinnell on Jan 30, 2008 21:01:45 GMT
Yes, we've signed the ones we have. Genius!
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Post by Dannyboy on Jan 30, 2008 21:04:51 GMT
he said today that he cant wait to get sidibe back he put it in these words
( it will be like signing a new striker when mama returns )
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Post by Alvechurch Assassin on Jan 30, 2008 21:21:16 GMT
I doubt we'll sign anyone tomorrow, it will be loans now until the end of the season, and that deadline runs out in March.
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Post by MrMagic on Jan 30, 2008 22:04:35 GMT
he said today that he cant wait to get sidibe back he put it in these words ( it will be like signing a new striker when mama returns ) Isn't a Striker a forward in a football team chiefly employed to score goals?? How many has Mama scored so far? I forget. |
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Post by s8to on Jan 31, 2008 7:05:45 GMT
Well i guess we will see if there is any real intent forward wise today? Re run of last year (spin et al) or action on the transfer scene..
My guess is we will hear stories of possible last minute deals, midnight oil being burnt etc, but look to get loanees (how Parkin eventually arrived last season)..
I am not sure that will be enough to se us into the top 6 places TBH, a few suspensions and we are very exposed.
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Post by Pretty Little Boother on Jan 31, 2008 7:16:56 GMT
(Kinnell's a West Brom fan who comes fishing on here with great frequency) But yes, it sounds about right.  |
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Post by dexter97 on Jan 31, 2008 8:06:50 GMT
According to Radio Stoke this morning, Coates is "hopeful" that something will happen today.
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Post by u2oxeterstokie on Jan 31, 2008 8:20:41 GMT
Hope we offload some of the deadwood !
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Post by Pretty Little Boother on Jan 31, 2008 8:23:28 GMT
Beckham, anyone?
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Post by u2oxeterstokie on Jan 31, 2008 8:28:10 GMT
Der!
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