Stoke ended up surviving comfortably last season, despite an inability to score goals (by a remarkable distance, they were the league's lowest scorers). But with a new manager in Mark Hughes, there is an opportunity to review the style of play adopted by the team. In this new article, the strategy of prioritising going on the attack and scoring goals is analysed as a means of surviving and prospering in the Premier League. http://hitrowz.com/2013/06/28/premier-league-survival-guide-part-3/ Do you guys think there are lessons here for Stoke? How can Hughes improve the firepower in the team? Does it require new signings? Please share and provide feedback - we're really keen to engage fans.
We didn't survive comfortably and were saved by others results. We have consistently been the lowest scorers and not just in the prem, but this isn't the whole story. It's not that we were unable to sore, just that in at least 50% of the games we played we never attempted to score - there is a significant difference!
Smithers is right, half our games last season we were sent out to defend, defend, defend, smash the ball upfield, if it bounces of Crouch and goes in, great, get back to defending. Our first 2 years (some might say 3) in the prem were brilliant, and could be an example to any newly promoted club. The last 2 years were an example of how a manager can bore and alienate the fans, which is what most likely lost the man his job. So yes, there are definalty lessons, hopefully football under Hughes will be more attacking, Pulis always had that 'underdog' mentality and it seemed he thought we always had to sneak a win, I don't think this will be the case with Hughes. As signing go, we could do with getting a few in, but with the Pennant and Pieters signing (the long awaited left back), that will give us a lot more shape and balance than last year, ad should go a long way to improving our game.
Sorry Ben Stoke stayed up last season because QPR and Reading were so poor! We got lucky and I have absolutely no doubts that, with Pulis in charge we would have gone down next season. Hughes (might) be a risk but IMO it's a risk worth taking. As Stoke fans, most of us just want to see more football regardless of the results. Attack? let's hope we do away from home Ben. I'll guarantee we might lose games but, we'll certainly gain more by (having a go) Pulis was too afraid to do that and last season it almost cost us. IF as promised Hughes let's the team attack more, I for one will be well pleased. It is after all, the best form of defence.
Ah Potts, you can't be that simplistic. We finished ahead of 7 teams last season, so you can't just blame it on the abject performances of Reading and QPR. We stayed up because before Christmas, we were great. We played a high-tempo game, didn't give the opposition any space, and were lethal from set pieces. Whether or not Pulis could have repeated that next season, we'll never know, but our survival was on merit, and not just because other teams messed up.
Point taken Peadar... you are right mate.. must be all that sun in Majorca scrambling my brain. TBH had we not had such a great start we would have been fooked IMO. Still, there was simply NO excuse for the loss of pts after Xmas? Do you think Hughes will be so negative next season? Re Pulis?
I think that everyone thought that we were for the drop late on last season, yes we were good before christmas but we were dire after and only pulled it out of the fire in the last few matches.
You can blame some of it on key players going out of form. That's an excuse for a bad January, maybe even February. There was no excuse to continue to fail to address the team's problems all the way through till April. I think if Pulis had done, he'd still be in a job right now. I think Hughes will play a more positive brand of football, and the more I think about it, the more I reckon he's probably the best man for the job of inheriting a Pulis squad and keeping it performing. Martinez or Di Matteo wouldn't know what to do with half the players we have, so we could have been in trouble.
If Pulis had stayed im 90% certain we would have been relegated as the players and fans had lost all respect and patience for Pulis
