For example: Cornelius has gone to Cardiff Bentdner is likely to be going to Eintracht Frankfurt Bony could be going to Swansea However it looks like N'Zonzi is staying...
I would be happy with Nzonzi and Begovic staying and a fit and performing Palcious and Pennant. The addition of the new LB and Wilson potentialy being played in his natural position would be like having 6 new signings IMO. I know its not great but we all know that we have a good XI if played in their correct position and we only need a coupld of new faces and we should be ok.
Smithers is quite right IMHO, We re-signed Pennant have now signed two full backs re Left backs and IF Palacios and N'Zonzi can do the business next season we're not too far away from an excellent starting 11. P.S. Don't panick guys !!
I'm guessing that Mark Hughes, and his immediate colleagues that are new to the club, will be carrying out a thorough assessment of the current squad. Directly linked with this will be taking a close look at each player during next weeks' training sessions - these will surely help Hughes and Co to better determine the individuals' strengths/weaknesses and add this information to that already collated. It would seem logical that alot of time and energy will be being focused on the squad and what is required to improve it - similarly, they will no doubt be considering 'who' is surplus to requirements. It's a crucial time, and there are no guarantees.......let's hope that they get it right! Up the Potters!!!!!!
Cheers Jowlermonkey (& Ricc Full) Perhaps a bit more joined up thinking (!!) - I don't think that it would be a major surprise to see the new management team make a move for a QPR player. It would be interesting to see Taarbt or someone like that turning out for us! Your thoughts please.
I would like to see some promising youngsters more than anything. Lower price and lower wages than more established players and if we are going to play more football more to prove.
While I don't disagree with this as a concept, the combination of doing all this and staying in the Premiership might prove a little difficult - I guess it's very much a balancing act with umpteen things to balance. I would certainly like to see Florent Cuvelier given a chance in the first team, likewise any from the Academy that show that spark of promise given an opportunity, but again it's a balance. I wouldn't be surprised to see Crouch,Palacios and/or Edu move on to other clubs. I also tend to think that some of those that played regularly last season will either find themselves on the bench or squad players. Having signed two left-backs i.e. Erick Pieters and Marc Muniesa I am wondering who Hughes will play on the right side of the defence. Geoff Cameron was being played out of position, and although he did a good job, was on occasions found lacking in pace, etc. Huth is definitely not a full-back and is more suited to central defence role along with Shawcross. Much as I admire the style and tenacy of Wilkinson, I'm not sure he's the right choice, and hopefully Marc Wilson will be given a chance to show his talents in midfield........however, there's going to be alot of competition for places. Evolution, at whatever pace, brings interesting times.
I disagree, maybe have some younger players but not a full squad, as we will go down the same road Villa did in the 2012-2013 season....
you will never get young english players anywhere near as good as foreign as the English coaching is really poor and wont move on from kick and rush. in my opinion the 7 million or so we have spent on the youth academy/facilities have been a bigger waste of money than Palacious.
Welcome to the Stoke board Mahoney J Let's hope that you are right and MH knows who is good enough and whom is not! I'm sure that MH will sort the squad out, something that Pulis was incapable of doing. He will not suffer fools and as a player he was a winner and a bloody awful loser. That I like! IF we play any bad games, I have no doubts he will tell both the press and the team. "That simply was not good enough" or Visa Versa. A couple of great post by your good self by the way Mahoney. Well said.
Thanks for the welcome and your other comments Pottermouth. I agree with your comments about Mark Hughes (MH), and hope that he brings new dimensions, including perhaps some that were more akin to Tony Waddington than Tony Pulis (TP), in his quest for success. I tend to think that TP took us as far as he could and compliment him on all that he acheived - like most of us he had his limitations, and just maybe he had played most if not all of his cards! It will be interesting to see where he turns up and wish him well for the future. If (?) the comments (in the press) that are being made by MH and some of more immediate new staff are correct, then I like what I've read to date. I'm really pleased that J Pennant is being given another chance to show us his talents, and hope that he'll focus on his football and not be distracted by his private life, etc. I think that the next few weeks are going to be particularly interesting for everyone associated with the club, and can't wait for the season to begin. Up the Potters!!
I understand Ric's comments on the accademy but we have to start somehwere and we really only need one player to come out of it and it will repay itself. s a club we have to start somewhere and with the ever changing structure akin to europe it would appear that youth development will fall more in line with the Director of Football.
