I can't get all this hatred of different styles, if thats the way they want to play then so be it, if the long ball was banned there would be something else to moan about, you have to have not so nice style to have a nice style, its the ying and the yang. if every club played like barca, football would become boring!
To me there is also 2 types of long ball styles, there is the whack it in the corner for the fast winger to chase, which to be fair is different to what Stoke and Wet Sham play, they play to a player so in effect they are passing the ball 40 yards direct to a player (i.e. Carroll) rather then into space.
Christ almighty, I agree with every single word 100%!!
I think I need to go and have a lie down![]()

I need to get this off my chest;
The media have a lot to answer for on this subject, Lawrenson, Shearer and the like, the so called experts!
They perpetuate and condone the cheating; there was "slight" contact so he had the perfect right to go down, or he felt it coming? or I've watched it on the slo-mo and I think the ball was over the line, or I've seen them given, or his left toe was playing him on-side!
I once saw Ryan Giggs place the ball 2 inches outside the quadrant for a corner, the expert opinion? You've got to gain any advantage you can! It's all bollocks it's all cheating and it's all wrong!!

I need to get this off my chest;
The media have a lot to answer for on this subject, Lawrenson, Shearer and the like, the so called experts!
They perpetuate and condone the cheating; there was "slight" contact so he had the perfect right to go down, or he felt it coming? or I've watched it on the slo-mo and I think the ball was over the line, or I've seen them given, or his left toe was playing him on-side!
I once saw Ryan Giggs place the ball 2 inches outside the quadrant for a corner, the expert opinion? You've got to gain any advantage you can! It's all bollocks it's all cheating and it's all wrong!!
It also astounds me when they seem to think it's alright for a certain team/player to do it but suddenly it's not alright for another team/player to do it.
i accept that the rules of the game allow innumerable variations of style, it wouldn't be the great game it is if that wasn't the case. But, just as those opposed to cheating are rightly also applying moral values to what happens on the pitch, I understand carrabuh when he argues that there are aesthetic values to be applied also. He is a fan of "the beautiful game", and I must say I agree with him. Played as I believe it should be, football is a form of ballet, with great skill combining with grace, physical power, creativity, imagination. The football played by teams like Stoke and West Ham under Allardyce is the antithesis of this, an affront to the sensibilities however many points it accrues.![]()
The bloke who says West Ham and Stoke don't play long ball is talking bollocks.Its not direct, its not fast counter attack, its not to relieve pressure, its smashing a ball upfield to play for the percentages. How these two teams can gain plaudits for the way they play just beggars belief, only in England.
Allardyce and Carrol, ideal partnership, both play as ugly as sin.
If Norwich were to win the Premier League adopting the Stoke tactic, or even worse, we would be hearing a different tune. We have played the passing game ever since Ron Saunders left and long may it continue.
But please, spare me the higher moral issues. Its bloody football! And I don't see WHU or Stoke having smaller crowds because of their style.

If Norwich were to win the Premier League adopting the Stoke tactic, or even worse, we would be hearing a different tune. We have played the passing game ever since Ron Saunders left and long may it continue.
But please, spare me the higher moral issues. Its bloody football! And I don't see WHU or Stoke having smaller crowds because of their style.

**** me, hold the front page! me and Thai agree on something!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ultimately success is what the supporters want, i bet you wouldn't say no to being in stoke's position as an established premier league side?
And to whoever said that Stoke and wet sham just whack it and play the percentages is talking out of their ass, you watch their games, they play a long pass 9 times out of 10 it will go straight to their big guy who doesn't have to move more than 5 yrds either side of where they are standing, that to me isn't longball, thats a long pass because they are directing to a player, if messi done that everybody would be creaming their pants about it.
A long ball to me is whacking it in the corner to a fast winger, or whacking over the top of the defence to a fast striker hoping he gets it before the keeper, there is a massive difference!

