Tony Pulis: 'We'll work our socks off' PULIS PROMISES STOKE WILL FIGHT QPR and Bolton's fellow strugglers need have no doubts about Stoke's appetite to win their final two Barclays Premier League games of the season, according to manager Tony Pulis. The Potters are safe in mid-table but will have a potentially decisive say in who goes down as they prepare to face Rangers on Sunday and Bolton next weekend. Those two teams and Blackburn appear in the most danger of joining Wolves in the npower Championship next season, but Wigan and Aston Villa are not safe yet. Stoke could be forgiven for winding down at the end of a season that started in July, but they still have targets of their own to strive for, with a top-10 finish not yet out of reach. Pulis said of Sunday's clash: "It's going to be a big game. It's important we approach it in the right manner. We want to get as many points as we possibly can. "Obviously it's very important for QPR and the teams at the bottom of the table and I understand we have a responsibility, but as a football club we want to do well ourselves. We have a responsibility to ourselves first and foremost, never mind anybody else. "I know all the emphasis will be on QPR and Bolton but, as a football club we have to have the respect, dedication and determination to go on and do as well as we can. "We've still got a chance of getting 50 points so we'll work our socks off to do that. It'll be like a cup final for them, it has to be, and we have to be ready for it." QPR go into the match outside the bottom three on goal difference but, with a trip to Manchester City to come on the final day of the season, anything but victory would leave them looking very vulnerable. No team has a starker contrast between their home and away form of late, with last weekend's 6-1 hammering at Chelsea their sixth away defeat in succession, while their last four home games have brought wins over Liverpool, Arsenal, Swansea and Tottenham. Pulis admitted he is surprised Rangers are in the relegation scrap, and he added: "We're absolutely delighted not to be in that position. It's a tough position to be in, now it's a two-game season for some of them. "It'll be tough down at Loftus Road with a full house. They know everything is determined by their next two performances, and so do Bolton. "QPR have got good players. If you look at their squad they're most probably disappointed to be where they are. But they are where they are and they have to get out of it. "Their home form has kept them in the league so far. If you look at their last four home results, they're phenomenal results against four top teams." Sunday's match will be Stoke's 55th of the season and third in eight days but, aside from confirming Thomas Sorensen will play in goal as part of his European Championship preparations, Pulis has no firm plans to shuffle his squad. He said: "I'll see how the players are. Everybody in the squad still wants to play and that's why they're here. If we leave people out, they're disappointed."
He is not going to say, 'we're already on holiday and don't give a monkeys'! It's an interesting ethical question. For example, will Peter Crouch, boyhood QPR fan, try just as hard against QPR as he might against Bolton. Hmm, I wonder.
Imagine if he committed a foul to give us a penalty and then goes on to score the winner against Bolton. He would be a legend for that.
We should be beating Stoke regardless with the players we now have. We have to assume their attitude will be top notch although their form suggests they've been on the beach since hitting 40 points. Their midfield is about as mobile as Bob Malcolm on valium.
Hope. Now there's a word QPR fans are well used to! We do indeed hope that he would not do that to us. I strongly prefer Flyer's scenario!!
It's a straight forward answer. If he doesn't he'll disgrace the Club and the fans that pay him obscene amounts of money not to mention the integrity of the sport.
Reminds me of the Kevin Gallen story i put here a while back: I'm sure I've posted this before but my favourite memory of Kevin Gallen's days in the team was when we were so skint we sold him to Huddersfield. He was in their team one wet Tuesday night and they got a penalty in front of the loft. He stepped up to take it and blasted it miles wide - and the whole ground sang that song about the magic hat for the rest of the game. Huddersfield sold him back to us after that.
I know its a funny story and I sound like a grumpy cu*t but if a player does that on purpose he should be banned for life.
Out of the woodwork they come a-crawling. You've only got 3 posts on your profile. Find it hard to write do ya?
As i stoke supporter myself i hope you stay up its good to see promoted sides holding their own, i think blackburn have gone and cannot see bolton getting anymore points to be honest so you will be fine, good luck lads.
I think the most optimistic of Stoke fans acknowledges that Stoke are heading towards a downward curve and Pulis is too set in his ways to change it. Another contract for Delap says it all. I honestly think it's a big game for Stoke in that if we stay up there's more chance of them going down next year than if Bolton do.
We had some good banter with the Stoke fans before the away game. They weren't happy even before we beat them. Be interesting to see if safety is enough to change that view.
Stoke have been in the prem for 4 yrs now and never once have we struggled to stay up cannot see that changing anytime soon, as i said i hope you stay up i have no problem with your team and i hope you stay up once again good luck.
