|
Post by greyman on Apr 5, 2017 5:41:56 GMT
This has been a truly dull and disappointing season and one where we have gone backwards. Would another manager be able to light the spark and get us going in the right direction again? Can Hughes start getting the most out of his expensive team or build a better one? This manager like the last one polarises opinion maybe he polarises opinion because the last one polarised opinion. It would be great to have a manager that we can ALL get behind, it seems a generation ago that we had that! Maybe we are coming to the end of the polarisation years. The tide seems to be turning against polarisation manager 2 and could end on a sunny day in Southampton just as it did for polarisation manager 1. BM There are clearly still a few people who want Hughes to fail to prove themselves right about Pulis. So on that score alone, a new manager may be able to unite more people. Aside from that, Hughes seems to be digging his own grave and he's doing it in an amazingly short amount of time given where we were as a team at Christmas 2015.
|
|
|
Post by greyman on Apr 3, 2017 23:38:47 GMT
Is this all because it's happened to a woman? Stop making it worse by saying stuff like "bantz" and "innit" it's not just an immature teenager thing here, I also hate all that bollocks but I used the word "banter" because most people can relate to it. It was a harmless joke, the reason he apologized is because he has to, I don't think he'd apologize if it happened outside of football. you simply cannot compare the situation between your mum and this he's said it was 'heat of the moment' and she's accepted his apology privately. That to me, doesn't sound like a joke. I still think the laughter in the video is nervousness, not 'haha' funny you're right about him not apologising outside of football, he'd have been sacked straight away violence against women is deplorable, and when you have to pick up teeth and hold faces back together, the humour soon wears off it wasn't, still isn't or ever will be funny Except she had no problem with it. So you're wrong. She knew it was a joke.
|
|
|
Post by greyman on Apr 3, 2017 17:52:54 GMT
Are you serious? If he said that to a man it would be top banter from Moyes, but because it's a woman they feel the need to bring out the "Oh I'm a woman I'm the victim again" bollocks. He's done nothing wrong at all. jesus wept, is that your honest thoughts on it?? a man who threatens a woman is no man at all, quite the opposite a famous man who is obviously insecure with himself and his own ineptitude, threatens to hit a woman journalist who only doing her job, well, it's utterly is disgraceful if he said it to a man, it wouldn't be 'top banter' (and i fucking hate the word banter - it's for those without a real sense of humour), it would still be highly inflammatory, as Moyes is a man in a position of power to encourage others for ore acts of violence there's no 'victim' mentality, he said the words, therefore he is the aggressor. Him and his stupidity can have no complaints Also, if you think there is 'nothing wrong' with it, please have a think about your own morals and what you consider right or wrong Listen to the tape. He was joking and she knew it, which is why there was no complaint.
|
|
|
Post by greyman on Apr 1, 2017 15:49:23 GMT
It's arguably one of the worst seasons we have had. Early knock outs in both cups. Turgid boring football. Heavy defeats. No atmosphere. Bojan gone, Shaq and Imbula all but gone. Old players, no replacements, clueless manager. I honestly can't think of a worse one. Arf.
|
|
|
Post by greyman on Apr 1, 2017 11:02:18 GMT
Stoke is definitely where the north meets the Midlands. I see myself as a northerner over a Midlander. My old boss from Portsmouth considered Stoke as where the north starts. And let's be honest Birmingham is the biggest shithole in the country so it's best not to be associated with it. Stoke is England's Istanbul.
|
|
|
Post by greyman on Mar 27, 2017 17:03:22 GMT
I remember the fecker who started that blog! What happened to him? Did he go on to bigger and better things or did he feck off down the Vale? Gave up just in time I reckon, whoever it was. It was all getting boring in 2011 so God knows what people think they're doing talking about it now.
|
|
|
Post by greyman on Mar 27, 2017 16:25:44 GMT
Back when the whole Shawcross Ramsey thing was in full flood, some twat set up this blog. playfootballthearsenalway.wordpress.com/It's got some broken links now because the lazy sod can't be arsed to update it, but you get the gist. porn said August 16, 2014 at 8:58 pm I do not even understand how I ended up right here, but I assumed this submit used to be great. I don’t know who you are however certainly you are going to a well-known blogger if you happen to are not already. Cheers!There's no answer to that! The perils of blogs
|
|
|
Post by greyman on Mar 27, 2017 13:23:24 GMT
Back when the whole Shawcross Ramsey thing was in full flood, some twat set up this blog. playfootballthearsenalway.wordpress.com/It's got some broken links now because the lazy sod can't be arsed to update it, but you get the gist.
|
|
|
Post by greyman on Mar 14, 2017 11:19:36 GMT
This is probably going to go off tonight. The end product of the most shameful decision in the recent history of the English game. You can say what you like about bad blood between clubs, but this is genuinely toxic.
|
|
|
Post by greyman on Mar 10, 2017 17:22:52 GMT
I always come back to the idea that the problem with some people is they haven't worked out there's a difference between what they do on FIFA and Football Manager and what real people have to do in the real world. So everyone who shares the same opinion just plays FIFA and Football Manager? No. But they might be wrong for another reason.
|
|
|
Post by greyman on Mar 10, 2017 6:29:07 GMT
If we bring in the right manager that brings in the right players we can finish anywhere. There is nothing set in stone that we are a mid table club and always will be, I just don't buy into that. In a world where Leicester can win the Premier League, yes, anything is possible- but what are the chances of us finishing, say, in the top 6? How often has a club outside the usual suspects done that in the past 20 years? The odds, the probablility, the percentages, call it what you will, are pretty fucking low. And this is what you don't seem to understand: what you are continually crapping on about, and beating Hughes over the head for failing to do, is something that every other club wants to do too- West Ham, Southampton, Watford, West Brom etc etc. They're all competing to finish as high as possible too, but how many of them have actually done it and how often? It's extremely rare. However, how many similar sized clubs to us have gone tumbling down the league, or even out of it? Shitloads. The margins between stability and crisis are pretty fucking slim in this league, and you'd willingly ditch a manager who has an amazing track record of guiding mid-sized clubs to top-half finishes, thus sacrificing that stability, in the hope that we can somehow land some absolute managerial genius, who then somehow signs a load of world-class players on a mid-table budget? It's insane. I always come back to the idea that the problem with some people is they haven't worked out there's a difference between what they do on FIFA and Football Manager and what real people have to do in the real world.
|
|
|
Post by greyman on Mar 8, 2017 12:32:27 GMT
Hughes has to learn to be sure of a player before spending fortunes on him.It was the same at Qpr. You just end up with a lot of highly paid misfits staying on high wages.The policy of buying 'damaged' names from big clubs has only worked with Marko in my opinion.The others and (braces himself)I include Bojan,Shaquiri,Imbula have just shown why they can't hack it at top clubs.You then have the Tex's,Wollscheid's etc who were simply never good enough. They all clog up the squad and block off new signings and youth players. Fair play on Grant and Bruno though. He really has to be more circumspect and hopefully has learned because as a Manager I like the guy and hope he can take us forward from mid table.He does have a weakness for a cheap 'names'though. Take us from mid table to where? If we can consistently finish top ten and make progress as a club in other areas such as youth development and challenging for cups, that would do me just fine
|
|
|
Post by greyman on Mar 8, 2017 11:10:39 GMT
Well seeing as those two look like one season wonders, we're already doing better with Marko Arnautovic and Ramadan Sobhi Arnautovic is one of Hughes better signings but he'd have been on his way if a bigger club had come in for him in the close season. They didn't. Two-footed and strong but not much pace. Sorry. Could you just point out the two bigger clubs that bought Vardy and Mahrez after their flash in the pan. They could have snapped them up in January. As you would say. I won't hold my breath.
|
|
|
Post by greyman on Mar 8, 2017 11:09:13 GMT
Well seeing as those two look like one season wonders, we're already doing better with Marko Arnautovic and Ramadan Sobhi They've both looked pretty good to me since Ranieri got the boot. Most notably against Liverpool. Vardy will play for England again. Sure he will. Like Ricketts, Jeffers, Nugent, Ashton, Bothroyd, Davies and Jarvis before him. So not as a first choice like the two I mentioned.
|
|
|
Post by greyman on Mar 8, 2017 11:01:20 GMT
If Hughes ever digs up a Vardy or a Mahrez for peanuts. I might rate him. I wont be holding my breath. Well seeing as those two look like one season wonders, we're already doing better with Marko Arnautovic and Ramadan Sobhi
|
|
|
Post by greyman on Mar 8, 2017 10:53:53 GMT
I agree although I don't think the OP was attention seeking. There are some people who at some level or other want Hughes to fail so they can say 'I told you so' and they'd be prepared to wait years to say it. Sometime in the future, hopefully not soon, we will be relegated and there'll be somebody crawling out of the woodwork to say 'I told you so'. I just don't get the argument that its inevitable we will be relegated at any stage its not compulsory. I definitely don't want Hughes to fail but there are worrying signs. If the people running the club are proactive in avoiding crisis' there is no logical reason why we can't stay here for decades. It's not inevitable but it's likely.
|
|
|
Post by greyman on Mar 8, 2017 10:52:40 GMT
John you remember the Boothen how it was back in the 1930's though. Ah yes. The good old days when we regularly had 30,000 packed onto the old Boothen End! The days when it took so long to get out of the ground that we stayed there between matches and people were born, schooled, grew up and raised children of their own on the Boothen, before finally leaving in a coffin when death claimed them as they reached their biblical 3 score years and 10! Happy days! And of course, the place you met your wife Monica Hartland.
|
|
|
Post by greyman on Mar 8, 2017 10:45:52 GMT
The business element of the football club will ensure MH is here next season. A mid table Premier League finish is currently worth around £100 million per year, and will be for at least the next 2 years. Add to that "assets" like Ramadan, Shaqiri, Jack, even Bojan and sadly Marko too, and from a business point of view, things look good. From a commercial point of view, the risk of losing that revenue and huge profit is simply not worth the possible gains. I have to admit, I'm also optimistic from a football point of view. Ramadan is one of the most exciting new talents I've seen at Stoke for some time. Some of those surging runs were breath taking on Satdee - the Allen and Afellay chances he made all on his own, and his low header produced a great save from Valdes. The prospect of a fit and firing front 4 of Arnautovic, Shaqiri, Sobhi and Berahino is really exciting. There is still an outside possibility that Bojan and Imbula may comeback into the reckoning - both are such prodigious talents and both are on long contracts. As so often is the case with this team at the moment, I feel like we're so close to seeing something really special. We've seen glimpses a few times, and I can see it taking shape again. Why Deliah's ridiculous attention seeking post calling for Hughes to go (in no uncertain terms)after Saturday's easy and convincing win was quite frankly disrespectful and embarrassing. Mark Hughes will be here next season and will hopefully continue to develop the squad and the team. I think we're in for an entertaining end to this season and good times ahead. I agree although I don't think the OP was attention seeking. There are some people who at some level or other want Hughes to fail so they can say 'I told you so' and they'd be prepared to wait years to say it. Sometime in the future, hopefully not soon, we will be relegated and there'll be somebody crawling out of the woodwork to say 'I told you so'.
|
|
|
Post by greyman on Mar 3, 2017 7:47:30 GMT
Take this how you like. I remember the game and the decision not to send Neville off was in keeping with the behaviour of lots of refs back then. Interesting to hear him talk about it now.
|
|
|
Post by greyman on Feb 23, 2017 23:12:41 GMT
Does anyone have a link from after wilshires horror tackle on pennant when wilko cleaned him out. I'm going fishing to weirdos on the youtube of ryans tackle on ramsey Does this have to keep coming up. We can all agree that Wilshere was out to cripple somebody that day ahead of the Cup Final, but dragging it all up time and again?
|
|
|
Post by greyman on Feb 22, 2017 8:29:59 GMT
My understanding - you have to be 10yrds away from the penalty kick. Draw a 10yrd radius circle from penalty spot then part of the circle (ie the D) comes outside of the area by 4 yrds. Penalty area is 18yrds, penalty spot is 12 yrds, therefore if my maths is correct then distance from penalty spot to edge of the area is only 6 yrds. So if you stood on the edge of the area directly behind the penalty spot you would only be 6yrds away from the dead ball. Exactly this. A few weeks ago I watched at Stoke as a freekick was taken right from the line of the D. The idiot ref then paced ten steps to mark where the wall should be. It wasn't on the penalty spot, the bloody clown.
|
|
|
Post by greyman on Feb 21, 2017 14:52:32 GMT
Interesting longer term to see if it causes the authorities to look more closely at the current cosy relationship between football clubs and betting companies. Billy BunterIt won't get much higher than this. It's one thing taking on Sutton United's joke of a goalkeeping coach. Entirely another looking at spread betting and the involvement of players at major clubs.
|
|
|
Post by greyman on Feb 20, 2017 8:56:09 GMT
Someone owes me 1 million quid. If it was a bet about Barton behaving like a twat, nobody would have taken it on
|
|
|
Post by greyman on Feb 19, 2017 9:17:32 GMT
Everybody knows what Barton is. But the punditry by Trevor Sinclair about the incident on MOTD was disgraceful. Refusing to say anything bad about his blatant cheating because 'he's a mate' should see him out of a job.
|
|
|
Post by greyman on Feb 18, 2017 7:49:49 GMT
Argyle ball boy was in the process of throwing the ball towards the corner when he has been assaulted. Player should be banned Sine Die as he would be in local football. What happened is a criminal offence. A ban should be the least of his worries
|
|
|
Post by greyman on Feb 16, 2017 9:48:29 GMT
I guess your motivation for wanting to make your theory work, is that the alternative would be quite unpalatable to you, as it would ultimately mean that the Berahino link was made completely without provocation from anybody at Stoke City.
Really, taking into account the context (and that's the important part) of what Mark Hughes said, then I don't think that anybody would have batted an eyelid when he mentioned West Brom.
And how was he 'adding fuel to the fire'? There wasn't actually any fire burning at the point he said what he said.
It would take the most sensitive of souls to take offence to a most innocuous comment, indeed there wasn't anything to take offence to.
I think it's takes a massive leap to link the two incidents actually.
To be honest prior to the January window coming up I recall looking up what had happened with Berahino given he might be in the frame again. The story went that he'd been away to France to improve his fitness and come back in November (when I imagine his ban ended) and Pulis claimed he was nearing fitness for the squad. However when he returned he'd had a talk with the management team and they'd all come to a different conclusion between them. He alluded to the fact he'd been a bit down and lost a bit of confidence and they all agreed he wasn't fully fit and his head wasn't right as a result - so he was to go back to the camp. Berahino was very gushing however about the support he'd been afforded, how he appreciated the club, it was what he'd grown up knowing and was raring to repay their faith in him. At the time I figured ah well maybe they've turned his head around again but I also found it odd that if he was mentally suffering then why send him off back into some kind of isolation. Reading ex-player comments about being either in or obviously out with TP - I figured maybe a bit of the old school tough love was going on and he was being taught a life lesson. During his extended isolation they again tried to get to sign again and in the press expressed he still wasn't fit enough to join the squad. Berahino later sending an angry faced tweet to basically dispute that - which was quickly deleted. This was about 7-8 weeks later. In the same article TP stated it was going to be hard work getting him back to where he was 18 months ago but was happy about the fact he only had another month of this to go as his contract would expire and they would now be putting a final one in front of him. The wording of the story was that he'd been frozen out too. This fits with when he joined claiming he couldn't understand why they wanted him to sign as he was no longer made to feel to be part of their plans or future. I imagine this is what Hughes is alluding to when his fitness itself had been questioned by the press and it continually bandied about in the papers being unfit before we signed him. Berahino had also stated he had no issues personally with TP on leaving and wanted to move on and prove himself. He just seems bemused about where he stood and the constant inference he was just not bothering to get himself fit. So I agree with the poster above you'd have to be looking for a reason to blow the doors off the whole affair after a comment like that or bitter about the outcome of him going to Stoke. There are many cases where players have mysterious extended "injuries" that never get exposed and he won't have been the last - I imagine it's an unspoken rule professionally to keep court with it (as they did until 2 days before the game). Why just not say we felt mentally he wasn't ready or needed a new start (as they'd more or less stated before). For me it's a complete overreaction to go and construct that scenario via the press which I don't believe has been denied. I'm not sure fighting fire with fire is always the best plan but I also think it depends if you know who and what you're dealing with. In life sometimes you have to play people at their own game to put them back in their place. Exactly. Pulis has a big problem with Stoke. I think we've handled this whole thing poorly at times but we've also been put in a no win situation. The thing with Berahino was a low trick whoever pulled it but the call to Shawcross was puerile and beyond the pale. I'm glad we called Pulis out on it and glad he reacted like he did. Hopefully it will stop this nonsense next time we play them.
|
|
|
Post by greyman on Feb 14, 2017 17:12:37 GMT
Wow ! 27 pages and counting. I wish we could generate a fraction of this emotional energy and manufactured anger about some of the other issues which affect fans in football ! The recent Palace case showed that Tony P. is capable of telling untruths both to his employers and in court, so I wouldn't shake hands on deal with him unless I'd also got his signature on a piece of paper. That said, it doesn't mean that anyone he is having an argument with is telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Unfortunately, this is not an industry characterised by honesty, integrity and consistency. And all kinds of people in it are quite capable of trying to use the media to wind up supporters for their own purposes. In this case, our manager's statement that he didn't know why WBA hadn't been playing Berahino was bound to irritate WBA, given that they knew that he knew about the drugs suspension. I don't know why he talked about the past at WBA at all, rather than just talking about what he sees the player giving Stoke City in the future. So someone at WBA ( I cannot believe it was anyone at the FA) retaliates by leaking the drugs story to the press. That was deplorable and unprofessional. Was it done by Pulis, or with his knowledge ? Might have been, but might not have been. Who knows ? No-one has any evidence on that point. If Stoke City felt strongly enough about that (which they are entitled to) in my view the right response would have been to complain about it through the proper channels - CEO to CEO, Chairman to chairman or through a formal complaint to the FA ( for which there is a process). Then we have players, Ryan and Charlie, deciding to use the media to comment to criticise WBA. My advice to players would be to leave the PR stuff to the PR people. So Pulis makes a private phone call to Ryan in response, leaves a voicemail and uses the word 'loser'. Mark Hughes decides to put this in the media, even though he admits he hadn't actually listened to it. As FSF Chair I would never make a public comment about a voicemail unless I had heard it for myself, to judge context. But why did Hughes feel it was helpful to put it in the public domain - presumably to wind up Stoke fans, in which, if this Board is anything to go by, he has succeeded. So then yesterday, Pulis states in the Guardian that he is disgusted by the 'spin' Hughes has given to this which he says is completely wrong and out of context, and that so far from saying Ryan is a loser, he was actually saying the reverse. None of us can make a judgement on this unless we hear the voicemail for ourselves. And so the spat goes on. I'm afraid it all feels a bit like the playground to me. The end result might be that Pulis will get the kind of reception Wenger has had next time he comes to the Brit., and Ryan will get the kind of reception he gets at Arsenal next time we go the Hawthorns. And what will actually have been achieved by these 'professionals' ? My take on it is that Stoke's involvement could be described as ill-advised. Whereas Pulis has been malicious.
|
|
|
Post by greyman on Feb 14, 2017 11:33:45 GMT
It was always heading for trouble when we fired him and he didn't just retire. A lot of folks said he wouldn't get another top flight job but he did, twice in fact. He's a rival manager now and trouble is his teams keep giving us a bloody nose. We need to do a lot better against his sides, that is how we will find redemption, not churning this pointless shit around on a message board fun though it may be. What he's getting now is less than any manager would get for leaving messages for the club captain. On top of everything else, hopefully this now means we can recreate some of the old bearpit when he's next here.
|
|
|
Post by greyman on Feb 14, 2017 8:02:34 GMT
Pulis has a bad record of falling out with someone at every club he has been to. I wonder what went on with James Beattie ? Unfortunately there is a legal document preventing Beattie from talking about his Stoke exit. Can't be coincidence that Mr. Pulis is the common denominator in all these legal proceedings There's the liar pattern there too... Beattie Story. Like they say you shouldn't believe everything you read but it's hard to look past all the related information to date. The accusation of narcissism certainly echoes - having worked for one up close over an extended period you could say it's something you watch out for once you come out the other side of that relationship - so you NEVER go there again. That's not to say you can't have a good relationship with them - you just have to follow their lead and not perform any kind of betrayal in their eyes. I have to say there are many tendencies on display here in his public image and what has been documented through the courts. The indignation when people are perceived to step out of line, the outrage at begin found out, the not addressing or admitting the facts directly and turning a story, the in or out attitude with people that's a big part of his management style. They also won't deal with ego's because they need control. There's also the fear of abandonment by your perceived flock and need to show yourself in a good but unrelated light -plus disgust when that's not recognised (coates family/people of stoke/charity/steak and chips - look at all the things I did that were good and I did for you people how can I be a bad person!!). The sense of entitlement that steps outside normal boundaries (see Palace and the law in general). It's hard to look past all that - it's a bit like watching a less worrying Donald Trump. That's not to say he's as far gone or is - it's only based on some of his actions in the public eye. Part of me actually ends up feeling rather sorry for their type because they can't seem to rationalise until you shine a light on their actions. They constantly reinvent themselves. So it must be a lonely existence. They say the best way to deal with them is reflect their own behaviour back at them and they will retreat and think twice before they attempt it again. Hughes strikes me as a smart guy and if advised i'd say that's exactly what he's doing. Narcissists play dirty so you have to play dirty back and call them out - it's a surefire way they take notice and step back of their own behaviour and to get under their skin. The other is to uncover their self righteous attitude. If the tone of the Ryan "loser" comment is also true then it aligns - the Wenger turnaround just adds further fuel to the fire for some. i.e. they discard any close relationships once it's served it's value to them. They always seek to look down on people and only get off on having influence over them when they need it. I have to say in that regard it makes me smile when certain people on here make out he's laughing at Stoke and sitting pretty. Sure he'll be driven by it but he'll also tortured by the rejection he suffered at Stoke, it's like a perversity. One thing is for certain though a narcissist laughs and gets off on the type of person that is taken in by his perceived reality (and not on a wind up) because they've won you over by whatever means to their cause. That's what they really get off on in terms of power - it feeds the ego and control, getting caught out and shown their true colours now that is what gets to them. Like I say it's by no means a given all this but it's not really stacking up in his favour in the way he's seen to behave. That said they can make great leaders and can really go places when they are ticking and pull people together (siege mentality anyone?). On the flipside when the wheels come off or they lose control it inevitably goes up in flames in a bad way and obsess with what they think is stopping their cause (transfer control?) and lose focus on whats working elsewhere. It's an interesting theory. Coates is a wiley old business fox and would know about leadership styles. He would perhaps see that and have sought to use and work with that talent in whatever way he could. Perhaps he sought to nurture and bring it into a better light with its shortcomings until he couldn't any longer...and perhaps just perhaps he is just a bit of a victim in all this but boy is he a hapless and unlucky one. I remember after one poor home result, Nigel Johnson asked him what had gone wrong, a pretty mild and obvious question, and Pulis took his tie and 'straightened it'. That's pure, sublimated violence. If it had happened to one of my employees, I'd be dealing with it. He gets a very easy ride considering his behaviour and actions and I'm glad that more and more people are waking up to it.
|
|
|
Post by greyman on Feb 14, 2017 0:24:04 GMT
I marked the cards of geoff321 a long time ago. I'm surprised anyone enters into dialogue with such an impostor. I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out he was paid PR on the payroll of the capped one. A real piece of work. There's something not right about him. I get why Stoke fans have defended Pulis. Can't work out why geoff is even here. So maybe he is Comical Ali or Squealer for Pulis. Either way, admin should just bugger him off for good
|
|