|
|
Post by M on Feb 16, 2008 4:35:55 GMT
Now, on his day, he is one of the best midfielders in the league. I'm just confused why he's being picked recently.
He's half the player he was last season. Is that because he's spent so long without football, or is it because he was playing to get another club last season....?
We are now at a really important time of the season. Now more than ever, each point counts....
He was ran ragged today, and in my opinion looked shit. Why...? If it's because he's unfit, why is TP risking it.... Is it that he wants him fitter for when whelan gets suspended, or that he thinks he's the best guy to put there.....
I'm unsure.... I'm confident he's the best for that position when fit, but think it's risky to play him when he's not, which must....? be the reason why he's looking poor???
I'm concerned that if he plays to that standard against Ipswitch, he'll. and we'll be fucked with their pace....
Thoughts.....?
I'm thinking that based on performances that delap should be put in the middle with Cressy out wide...
|
|
|
|
Post by Premiership Titanic Captain on Feb 16, 2008 5:09:35 GMT
We all know what Salif is capable of. Just stick by him, allow him to grow in fitness, sharpness and confidence and we will most definitely reap the benefits towards the latter stage of the season. He has that calming presence our team needs, we all know it, but we won't see it if we're on his back and not giving him the chance to come through.
Salif is a big player for us. We need to have faith.
|
|
|
|
Post by M on Feb 16, 2008 5:16:07 GMT
I agree... To a point.....
Is it worth... Possibly... Losing goals to get him fit.... Or shall we let him play with the reserves more..... He's not providing the calming influence at this time..... Is he?
|
|
|
|
Post by Thank you from Moorlander1 on Feb 16, 2008 8:34:21 GMT
Did we become so patient with SJE?
|
|
|
|
Post by slangking on Feb 16, 2008 8:59:08 GMT
ShitJE had a very long run of games, never did anything and was sold, about time he actually earnt a living.
|
|
|
|
Post by Northy on Feb 16, 2008 9:01:52 GMT
do we risk it against a good Ipswich side next week, or stick delap in with whelan and cresswell back left mid?
|
|
|
|
Post by northantsmike on Feb 16, 2008 9:03:42 GMT
manneh is correct, Salif needs the games to get fit for the last 10 game run in. However - after 8 months out asking him to play 3 games in 6 days was not a good decision - he should have sat out the Southampton game and then he would have been fine. He was good at Wolves - had a decent 45 against Southampton and not at the races last night.
|
|
|
|
Post by spooner on Feb 16, 2008 9:19:48 GMT
i agree that on his day he is an excellent player but he perhaps needs a few games in the reserves to sharpen up a bit. when pulis took him off last night it changed the game completely
|
|
|
|
Post by Lakeland Potter on Feb 16, 2008 9:24:20 GMT
He isn't ready for 180 minutes in a week let alone 270! Although we scored our first before he was subbed we looked a much better side with Delap and Whelan in the centre after Salif departed. Like when Delap took so long to get back to form after his injury, Salif needs time - hopefully he will be able to play a full part in the last half dozen games of the season, for the moment we should use him more sparingly than we are doing. For once we DO have options in midfield - let's use them
|
|
|
|
Post by armitagestokie on Feb 16, 2008 9:32:13 GMT
Can only get better--hopefully not at teams expense.
|
|
|
|
Post by potters 22 on Feb 16, 2008 9:37:20 GMT
Northantsmike-- did you go to wolves mate?
Cos if you did you would be saying salif was crap in that match.
Kept giving the ball away,was seriously off the pace.
He had a good 45 mins against southampton,but garbage again last night.
He needs a few reserve team matches to get his fitness levels up i think.
|
|
|
|
Post by Stick It On Cort's Head on Feb 16, 2008 11:09:42 GMT
he is fucking shit. we cant afford to wait 20 games to get him fit.
WE HAVE TO HAVE DELAP AND WHELAN IN THE MIDDLE, THOSE TWO WERE GREAT IN THE SECOND HALF....
|
|
|
|
Post by Fenparkpotter on Feb 16, 2008 11:12:07 GMT
He needs games to get fit, perhaps reserves are best for now. A fully fit Salif and suddenly our whole defence will be looking steadier in my opinion.
|
|
|
|
Post by Stick It On Cort's Head on Feb 16, 2008 11:17:44 GMT
we cant afford to wait though
we have 13 games between us and promotion and as far as im concerned this guy has been costing us goals already.
he wont get fully fit for at least another 10 games, as delap showed, when your out of football for a long time, especially when your 28 plus, it takes a LONG time to get back to your best.
luckily delap is hitting form, but i feel diao wont do it this time round....
He was strolling all the way through the match, they were battling and getting to every ball before him, tbh if eustace was in there instead of him we would not of been 2-0 down.
delap and whelan will give us a much better chance, both box to box players, who are are very good players at this level.
Waiting for salif to get fit this season might be the worst possible thing tone can do....
|
|
|
|
Post by y_oh_y_delilah on Feb 16, 2008 11:26:08 GMT
Unbelievable - Salif is one of the best midfielders in the league and the one thing he's missing right now is match fitness.
As the manager said in the post match interview, Salif hasn't played much football for about 9 months and what he desperately needs is match play and the only way to achieve that is .........!
|
|
|
|
Post by Fred Astaire on Feb 16, 2008 11:53:26 GMT
Salif's job in the team is to break up the opposition play and halp out with the defence. He offers nothing to the team in an attacking capacity.
At the moment he is not breaking up the opposition play and the defence is leaking goals at an alarming rate. We have a goals against total comparable with only teams near the bottom, and more than two of the teams currently occupying the relegation places.
He needs games to get fit, and we know how good he can be. Probably needs to be used in more of a rotational roll in the team, having full appearances and also coming on as a sub in games such as against Scunny. We can't afford to throw it away now, has i honestly don't think we'd go up if it came down to the playoffs.
|
|
|
|
Post by northantsmike on Feb 16, 2008 12:03:20 GMT
Potters22
Yes I was at Wolves buddy - missed just the one game this season - first at Cardiff. I thought he was fine at Wolves - but we should have rested him against Southampton. 8 months out then 3 games in 6 days - he has no chance.
I actually like Pugh in the middle - would like to see him with Whelan when Wilko is back.
|
|
|
|
Post by growler on Feb 16, 2008 14:02:49 GMT
Keep picking Salif, it will pay off in the run in. People forget he was probably our best player last season.
|
|
|
|
Post by mermaidsal on Feb 16, 2008 14:06:39 GMT
What growler said, unless maybe we hit a form crisis. It's the Tone way to do this, and to big struggling players up in interviews as well. And let's face it our reserves are a graveyard as far as pushing people on into the first team goes.
|
|
|
|
Post by LDE76 on Feb 16, 2008 14:07:32 GMT
I agree that he probably needs to start on the bench on Saturday. I'm also struggling to believe that posters can confuse "not match-fit" with "wank".  |
|
|
|
Post by ChesterStokie on Feb 16, 2008 14:11:55 GMT
'delap and whelan will give us a much better chance, both box to box players' I don't think Pulis allows his central midfield players to be box to box players, he wants them sitting in front of the back four. This won't get the best out of Whelan.  |
|
|
|
Post by dazthestokie69 on Feb 16, 2008 14:14:57 GMT
meows just short of matches and he will be so important to us in the final run in so really he needs the games. Yeah he's making a few mistakes throught the match simply because he's mentally not quick enough at the mo but games will give him this me thinks
|
|
|
|
Post by fca47 on Feb 16, 2008 14:23:29 GMT
It's simple we should be picking the best team for the run in. Quite simply he is a liability at the moment, for whatever reason. This is Stokes most important season in years and we can't afford to take a risk when it comes to automatic promotion or whether we end up in the lottery of the play offs.
|
|
|
|
Post by mermaidsal on Feb 16, 2008 14:24:02 GMT
Salif is definitely his own man though, I'd love to hear the real story some time of why he didn't sign earlier and what exactly was going on in Monaco - not saying it was dodgy or he was telling lies, I'm just being nosy I suppose and wondering what family things were more important than football, and thinking how we'd never hear that from a European player. Which really impresses me about Salif in a way.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2008 14:26:25 GMT
Bollocks Chester, Darel Russell was hardly renowned for sitting in front of the back four, his main positive attribute was that he covered every blade, and he was virtually ever-present for four years.
|
|
|
|
Post by Stick It On Cort's Head on Feb 16, 2008 14:37:15 GMT
fine then.
wait until diao is fit, it will take another 10 games and cost us promotion!
|
|
|
|
Post by davejohnno1 on Feb 16, 2008 16:10:54 GMT
Salif is a quality player, and some patience is required. I have been a long time knocker of Pulis, but this season, he has earnt the right to be trusted. He has certainly confounded my criticism of him. I couldn't stand Delap but it is absolutely obvious that our team has reaped the benefit of Pulis know how with him. Rory has been outstanding since that victory away at Scunthorpe, and was superb again yesterday. Salif needs games, and whilst it may frustrate us at times, watching him struggle, we just have to support ALL the players like we did as they came out of the tunnel after half time. I thought the support 2nd half, right from the outset, was superb and just what the players needed. I can't stand Cresswell, but again he has come on and done us a job. Maybe, just maybe, this Tony Pulis fella does know what he is doing afterall! As you all know, I never had a bad word to say about him!  |
|
|
|
Post by Stick It On Cort's Head on Feb 16, 2008 16:13:13 GMT
remember though, delap took around 20 games to get back to anything like to full fitness.
we have 13 games to go, and salif has a long way to go.
If i was tone, i would write his season off, if we get promoted, i would write his stoke career off.
|
|
|
|
Post by davejohnno1 on Feb 16, 2008 16:28:09 GMT
...and we kept winning.
Salif has played 3 games and we have won all 3.
I agree he is struggling, but to knock him is crazy!
|
|
|
|
Post by growler on Feb 16, 2008 16:48:06 GMT
Very harsh SIOCH. Pulis has shown patience with far worse players than Salif, like Mama and Vincent. I think the error was made when we sold Russell (who did Salif's running) without identifying a replacement. We have been lucky to get away with it only because the general standard of the league seems lower this season.
|
|
