http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22614097 Your link didn't work for me Vetch. (Your O should be 0)
Well it will be interesting to see if there's a change in direction at the Brittania next season with regard to playing style. They can't change that drastically with the type of players they have accrued over the years. Their 5 seasons in the Premier League have been remarkably consistent with almost no change in the final position or points gained.
Much has been made if Stokes football but I think Pulis going could be a big problem for them. It could be like Curbishly at Charlton all over again,expectation has risen up at Stoke but the football has stayed the same and Pulis has perhaps tried to change it too quick and forgotton what got them there in the first place. A good thing for Pulis,he was a dead man walking anyway. Could be bad for stoke though, it will be intresting to watch, any lower half team that changes manager could make a disasterous choice and mean its one less relegation place to worry about. Stoke are good enough though, I reckon I could manage them to mid table safety! Team talk would go along these lines . "Right boys listen up. crouch you work them channels son and try to keep hold of the ball and shield it until you can buy us some free kicks ,corners or throw ins Defence look to feed crouchy when ever you can, midfield be creative! look to feed crouch to feet so he can win us a free kick or put it down the channels but keep it tight lads ok ? remember a clean sheet means an extra 2k on your wage for the week. set pieces boys, huthy attack the near post crouchy attack the far post, adams anything that drops out just welly it into the goal ok ? right c'mon then boys be strong ...and enjoy it " There, easy
One reason why he's gone ( maybe the only one ) was a section of the fans were not slow in showing their displeasure in how his side was set up and how they played , they're an established PL side so they could be safe next year , now Mourinho's left Real it's all beginning to make sense.
Morinho to Stoke, Pulis to Madrid. Yep.. Martinez to chelsea and benitez to wigannill. Could happen. Laudrup to Swansea... nah that's just plain silly.
Heard from a bookie on Talk Sport that Benitez' odds are falling sharply. With respect to Stoke, I'm surprised that Rafa is even interested.
I admit I'm not an expert on Stoke but if it's true that their chairman wants the team to play a different way then I would imagine that there will need to be an influx of new players as well a new manager.A lot of change which could go either way
