No midfield and no recognised left and right backs - http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.u...: StokeCityFootballClubNews (Stoke City News) STOKE chairman Peter Coates says he's not expecting the club to bring in any players before Tuesday's transfer deadline. City have been linked with Wigan hit-man Hugo Rodallega and Queens Park Rangers forward DJ Campbell. But Stoke already have options up front with Peter Crouch, Jon Walters, Kenwyne Jones, Cameron Jerome and Ricardo Fuller competing for places. Coates says he's not anticipating reinforcements elsewhere in the squad after the club invested heavily in the summer to bolster their domestic and European campaigns. He said: "We are not expecting anything, unless something falls that we like the look of. "We have a quite a large squad, and feel we are well served with cover." The Coates family's backing helped City bring in Crouch, Jerome and Wilson Palacios for combined transfer fees of around £20m at the start of the season. England defenders Matthew Upson and Jonathan Woodgate were also added to the wage bill when they arrived on free transfers. City are more likely to get players out of the squad as they try to loan out midfielders Diego Arismendi, Florent Cuvelier and Matthew Lund. Tom Soares and Michael Tonge have already departed this week, joining Hibernian and Barnsley respectively. Winger Ben Marshall's future remains unresolved as he has yet to sign the three-year contract offered by City. Leicester City have been linked with a £500,000 move for the 20-year-old, who is out of contract at the end of the season. Stoke haven't received a bid from the Foxes, and Coates says they are keen to hang on to the youngster. Marshall has impressed on loan with League One promotion-chasers Sheffield Wednesday this season, and Coates added: "We are still in talks, but these things take time. Ben has done very well at Sheffield Wednesday. "We want to keep anyone who has come through our system and who we think can play in our first team." Marshall is back in training with Stoke after his five-month loan at Hillsborough. He scored twice last week in City Reserves' 7-0 win over Walsall.
All I can say if we don't sign anyone is OH S*** Another promising strart means we are IMO going backwards. And looking at our next away fixture Waddo, no doubt we will be in the bottom HALF, not where we wanted to be. At least I didn't. Fulham, Sunderland, Norwich, Swansea ALL looking good, playing very well and going in the right direction. For me it's hold on too your seats. It's going to get very interestiong when it should have been so easy. What was I thinking, silly me so I suppose I will go back to basics with my original sign off. By keeping the faith. How long before some of us start to worry about the R word. Thank God T.P. has never been relegated Silly me, nowt to worry about really is there. P.S. Almost forgotten to mention West Brom and QPR still... KTF one and all
I wish I had £90 million quid to splurge on mostly rubbish players, picked by a rubbish manager. As said elsewhere, Pulis is going nowhere with PC running the show. Like it or Lump it, as in lump it like our football
Doesn't look to be anything going on transfer wise, and I'd be surprised if we do sign anyone, but there's five days left yet! And I'm still not sure why we're moaning about midfield. Fullbacks and a winger is what's needed.
One thing I will say guys, is that I would rather sign nobody than go and pay over inflated prices for carp players in postions we dont need. However, I agree with the general worry that we do need a recognised RB that will play week in week out and offer more balance to our defense. I would also like to see that capture of a LB so we can see at least the 2 Wilsons in the iddle of our midfiled - outside of that I think we are fine - if managed correctly? If not (I said this on another thread) I can see a good half a dozen teams finishing above us and givent that a week or so ago we probably had a goood 9/10 points advantge that woyudl be criminal and not justify the money spent!
Personally I would not give TP any money to spend .In a previous article I tried to attach a golden donkey to the people who had been brought in by the Manager, 0 golden Donkeys equating to a brilliant signing, 5 golden donkeys equating to complete pants! Over 24 acquisitions the avwearge rating was 3 golden donkeys -i.e. he buys distinctly average players overall. For every good signing, there are probably 2 or more duff ones, or people who have not kicked a ball at Stoke (tonge ,Soares, Davies,Arisamendi,Collins, Sonko,Amdy Faye,Olifinjana,Tuncay,Kitson).Now we are talking about potentially losing Marshall,and putting Cuevalier out on loan? Pulis is a man who believes that only his way is the right way - spend £8m on a midfielder but not play him because it's too windy? Play a centre half with no pace and no attacking threat at right back? Play a centre -mid who cost in the region of £5 to £6m at left back? Christ, give him any more money and you seriously need to have your head looked at if you are PC!
I agree Swervy and I am sure that when TP spent his money in the summer (which would have big wages aswell) then he probably said spend wisely! Given that we sit on 30 points and probbaly only have to get 12 points from are remaining games to be safe i woudl imagine Mr Coates doesnt feel the need to invest further. However, if the case is that Coates doesnt see value for money in his transfers then why tolerate him as manager full stop? I wouldn't!
As I've said before about TP and his transfer market dabblings, he reminds me of a bloke that used to shop in Netto and now has a few quid to shop in Sainsbury's. He is wandering aimlessly up and down the aisles not having a clue what to buy! We don't need to spend big bucks as there are good players in lower divisions that would jump at a chance of prem football. Marshall on our books already should be one we are encouraging through the ranks!
Waddo Sorry to sound so negative but that is what I hate about Pulis. We HAVE Marshall so WHY pee about with a contract isssue if that's what it is. Then as we've all been told he going back to Wednesday on loan... does NOT make sense when we do need another pacey wide man ready made and would cost NOTHING. We'll see but I can fully understand Mr Coates saying what he has. Neither would I. I think? we have the player's to do well even now. IF Tony choose's to use them of course.
Personally, i think our squad is good enough to get a 5th year in the Prem, what we should not do is be held to ransom for players in this transfer window, that might be available for silly prices. I have every confidence in SCFC, to do what is right in the summer, when probably, we can better players in for certain positions, that we require, for a lot cheaper than the fees banded about in this window. TRUST SCFC & TRUST TP
Personally I think PC's money would be better off spent on getting TP on an advanced managers course this Summer to teach him a few basics about football and squad selection etc.
To all the Stokies on here, when the Fair Play rules come into effect, SCFC WILL start to compete with the Big Boys, our Club is run exceptionally well & because of this we will be able to compete with anybody. Coates is not an idiot. Trust in SCFC, we will have some amazing times to come.
Problem with Pulis is simple.. he does NOT see potential in certain player's.. One example Nicky Maynard mark my word that guy will mature into a kevin Phillis type player. Works hard and can score goals wherever he's played. We aslo sold Rooney IMO BAD mistake scored a hatrick last match of the season and T.P. thinks he's not good enough. Likes said above, there are plenty of talented player's out there. IF you know where to look and he will not do that..
You mean safe year after year, with the odd Cup Final thrown in? Europe for the first time in 40 years? Even though i agree the manager might be clueless(is he?), seems like results do not back up your presumptions. This guy has been the best thing to happen in the top flight since Waddo, you cannot deny his record. The only thing about this manager that we all agree on, is formations, tactics & his total bloody stubborness. Yes things were great in div 3 under lou, but in my eyes things are far,far,far better in this period of SCFC's history Just trust in the Manager guys, he will deliver.
Absolutly hit the nail on the head. At least a Manager like Lou would at the very least say. That was crap today or tell it how it is. NOT blame the wind and the FACT that he signed that player who would not have coped with what the others he played had to for 8 million quid. That, is the kind of Manager I like. Lou was IMO a great player, WANTED to WIN and entertain us and he was the same when he was here. He knew what it took and that team won promotion with not exactly world class players.
The frustrating thing with Pulis is that with the players and money we could be doing so much better and watching better quality football. I still say we need a decent assistant manager with premiership top flight experience and get shut of Kemp!
http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11095/7458354/? Manager Tony Pulis is not ruling out Stoke being involved in some transfer activity this month, despite chairman Peter Coates' claims to the contrary. The Potters' only movement in the current window has seen a handful of squad players go out on loan and Coates has indicated there may not be much more happening before next Tuesday's deadline. However, Pulis believes they could still see some business if the right opportunity comes along. Very open "Never believe chairmen! We'll see," he said. "We are very open to going either way. If there is an opportunity and we think it is a good one, that will never cease at this football club. "I think there is always that little bit of room to do some business, but it has to be the right bit of business." Meanwhile, Pulis has praised Cameron Jerome for the attitude the in-form forward has shown since arriving at the club. With Peter Crouch and Jon Walters being the Potters' first-choice pairing up front this term, Jerome - a summer signing from Birmingham - has had limited game time for the Staffordshire outfit so far, making only 10 starts. He has shown his worth by scoring three times in his last four games, though, and Pulis said of the 25-year-old: "He has been smashing. "Cammy has been unlucky not to play more often, but Crouchy and Jon have been exceptional. "They have really worked well together, but Cammy has done well in respect of his attitude towards training and the way he has worked in training. He has been a credit to himself." Alongside Crouch and Walters, Jerome also has Kenwyne Jones and the fit-again Ricardo Fuller to compete with for a place in the Stoke attack at the moment, and Pulis is delighted to see such healthy competition in his forward line. Needed "We've needed them," said Pulis, speaking ahead of Saturday's FA Cup fourth-round trip to Derby. "We have been fighting on four fronts and you need that. It is probably the most important place in anybody's group - the forwards. "We have needed those players and we will need them from now until the end of the season."
Waddo As usual we think well almost have identical views and of course personally I think that certainly would help.. I sat sut here thinking that this might work. Arry might just need a decent club and he does know how to get the best out of players. Future England boss? if papers and oppinion are anything to go by. But it seem's our honest Arry does not know how to text nor has he ever sent and e-mail. Apparantly this came out in court in his defence. Maybe not eh? Not nice picking the National team from a prison cell me thinks. Cos Waddo I'm having a laarf at Arrys expence Now i'm not saying Arry does not use or does not send e-mails but my 82 yr old mum texted us at least once a day.
