A up lads, now as you know im NOT a TP fan (far from it) but lets look at whats happened in the last 4 games. Firstly we played Liverpool ( at Anfield) and we played well for the first half especially. Next we played Spurs and we were very very good IMO and actually played some good stuff at times (could have got 3 points), after that came Man city when again we were brilliant and could have easily won the 3 points. As we all know last Saturday we played Wigan and lost 2-0, now im not going to come on here and say "we played well" because we were IMO very poor, however I watched Wigan v LIverpool a couple of weeks back and I was very impressed with Wigan and IMO they deserved the win. As you all know Icome on here and moan about TP when things are bad but for goodness sake lads look at the performances of the few games before, when things go wrong for a time then I dont blame you for having a go (and I will probably too), but lets be a bit more positve. We cant just start having a go after we have played well against the three teams mentioned above and then have a poor game against Wigan. We are going to have slip ups and for me the past month or so (apart from the Wigan game) has been a big improvement. There just never seem to be any positive threads on here anymore even when we play well. No offense intended to anyone. UTPSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Sorry Ric, understand where you are coming from. I always try a bit of humour when having a go!! BUT, it is not the last 4 games with me, it is the last 4 years, just do not like him as a manager of Stoke City, for reasons well documented on here. But yes UTP
Ric Fair enough, I will not have another go at T.P. for the rest of this season.. For 2 reasons as I said last night. 1. I'm old enough to remember when we could/did play well almost every week and yes against very, very good teams, many who once posted on here can not. I will never accept the negative approach T.P. put's our fans through almost every away game.. I give you the last few away games Ric, we DID actually try. Wigan accepted. 2. Like a few more posters, maybe, just maybe I'm asking for too much from Tony Pulis and " Our Squad of player's", if that's the case then all I can only say is i'm sorry to all the Stoke fans on here for seeming too negative. So from now on in I will just post now and again when I have something postive to say. KTF Ric and you see the away games apart from Sunderland away I have not. Good positive post though Ric
To be fair Ric I have not moaned about the Wigan game, although the performance was poor and there appears some unrest amongst the team over how they were asked to play. I also commented on another thread that Man City/Spurs were excellent results and the Liverpool/Chelsea performances were spirited! However, I have always said that it is pointless putting in good perfromances against top 5/6 opposition if you cant win the games that matter - its always been our flaw. I have not criticised TP for those performances, my criticisim is leveled at the fact that we are likely to finsh as low as we have ever done and the football by and large is no different to the "Binary" Season - oh and there still appears to be conduct issues within the team. Is that a lack of respect fr the gaffer or is he just really unlucky?
Ricc, I can not stand TP's approach to the game in general, and on that basis my opinions can quite easily be ignored. I would just point out that we have won NONE of the games mentioned - scored 3 goals, one of which we are unlikely to see the like of again, lost to a team who has lost 6 of its last 7, lost to a team that had won 1 of its last 15 home games, and if I was really arguementative, drew with a side who have taken 8 pts from their last 21 away from home. Does not read quite so good, if you are as anti-TP as I am, does it?
lost to a team that had won 1 of its last 15 home games- But have had more attempts on goal than most other teams. lost to a team who has lost 6 of its last 7- Had a terrible run of form, and for money spent:results are even worse than we are. drew with a side who have taken 8 pts from their last 21 away from home I assume this is Spurs, 4th in the league, had a bad patch since the whole England job thing. scored 3 goals, one of which we are unlikely to see the like of again May never see a goal like that again, in that game we also played better than I've seen us in ages, or even ever. You can use isolated bits of stats to put whatever slant you want on things, for example, Man City have drawn their last 2, against teams with over than 30 points less than them. And Everton won 3 of their first 10 Prem matches and were lurking round the bottom til about mid season, and are now 7th. I can't argue with your opinion about unattractive football and negative tactics, but points wise, the season is nearing an end, we are around mid-table, 5 points from 7th place, 1 point off top 10, and none of our last 7 are un-winnable.
I dont like TPs approach to the game either but everyone was asking (including me) for an improvement in performance and football?, and apart from the Wigan game (who again battered Liverpool and beat them 2-1 and are fighting for their lives) we have been much much better. I have absolutely slated TP on here but I can also give praise for the performances against the teams mentioned. If we are not going to praise those 3 performancs and just slate the bad ONE then can we really call ourselves SUPPORTERS?.
Pistol Which is exactly why I said.. 1. I will not post another anti/negative/selecion approach by Tony Pulis.. what's the point we just get shot down. BUT every single one of the so called negative posters (me included) are not so blind that surly, we're not all seeing a different game. Cos they are all winnable, let's see where we finish and I will be the first to say well done Tony Pulis if, if we can finish in the top half. I honestly believe always have that we CAN beat any team, since promotion only two have eluded us, Utd and Chelsea. So come on let's just go for it and win every game from now on in. For once you have.... A positive Pott's and KTF
Ricc and Pistol, I am both consistant AND positive. I have positively and consistantly supported Stoke for 60 years I have positively and consistantly been anti Pulis both in his first spell with us and this current reign (of terror). Of course there have been highs, promotion and the subsequent season, some good results, some absolutely fantastic results, but the greater percentage has been at best - dross. Its all a matter of opinion, I have NEVER rubbished anybody for being pro Pulis, poked a bit of fun at times, but I have been hammered on here for my opinion. But as our old centre forward - Rhett Butler said: Frankly ( or was it Franklin) my dear, I don't give a damn
Mate, im not saying people cant have a go (God knows I have many times), I just cant understand why people are doing it when we have been better. If you look at my posts ive said pulis is a negative ****** and I HATE his style of play, but like I said we have been better. Ive never mentioned anything like this before on here, however I think that the slating of TP this time is not justified to be honest, but thats just my opinion. UTPsssssssssssssss
I actually think we have been ok lately - except for the Wigan game. The only stats that really worry me are our Goals For and at around 0.93 per game is pittyful! The other stat that I watch (with fear) is the form league and this is something we have consistently been in the bottom 4 or 5 since our lofty heights in the early part of the season - hence why we now sit 13th looking down rather than up! Over the last 8 Prem games we are currently 5th from bottom on 8 points and -2 GD and thats with our back to back wins over Norwich & Swansea - something that saved our season! So on the plus we are playing better but on the minus, our form has consistently been on the dotted line above the relegation zone - JUST! Thank God we are not Liverpool, because Fuk knows whats happend to them?
Ric My last post wasn't meant to be personally aimed at you no way! Someone above said it's all oppinions and that is how it should be. Without saying too much more.. I've just read through Smither's last comments.. Smither's re Liverpool... I think? it's their worst season since the 1950s. Scary if you happen to support them.
I like to think nobody will get shot down if they are pro or anti TP. We do need more balance on here because IMO after poor performaces there are a good number of us and possibly myself included that are too negative. I wll continue to write as I see it and previous comments that we do not have enough possession, we do not have enough shots, attempts still are valid We also do not pass.This is because the man in possession too often is not given options or sometimes he does not have the confidence to take the correct decision. This happens not only at home but also away! It is still good to think that we are so close to being in the top half but IMO that is where we should be if the team had been allowed to be more attacking, not gung ho but allowing them more freedom. I get the feeling that Wolves are for the taking and the 1st goal will be crucial. Villa away 48 hours later will be interesting to see if we go for it. If we can achieve 10 points from the last 7 games I do not think we will have any right to moan about the season as a whole. However, I still think there has been some real dross played at times and nothing will change my mind on that one! I also think that Coates will be telling TP finish 'in the top half or else!' Cheers
No mat I didnt think it was aimed at me at all. On the Liverpool topic look at the amount of money they have spent, I think about £130 million, anyone here think Dalglish will be sacked?, personally I cant see any chance. UTPssssss
Liverpool are flattered by their net spending, with sales they are 60-75 million lower than the 130 million spent, largely down to Floress! Either way they have bought some **** at over inflated prices (even if it is monolopy money) and if I was Liverpool I would be in my garage with hosepipe and all the windows closed! At least we know we are a mid table team and are just a bit pissed in how we are achieving it!
Hi All, Anti TP poster again- Pistol, I was referring to Man C, not Spurs but that is by the by. I support the tema not TP -in my honest opinion our defeat at Liverpool (underlined by what Wigan then did at Liverpool) was entirely due to the change of approach that took place at half time - we went form a side comfortable on the ball and pushing into the Liverpool half, to one that did the normal TP thing of "hang on to what we have got". As I say it is not a go at the team, which clearly plays to a pattern that the manager establishes. I f you think that I turn up every week and slate the team while it is on the pitch, then you are sadly mistaken, even at Wigan, the most negative I got was in the 92nd minute when Wilko forgot to kick the ball and let Moses run through for a goal. Any team can lose, and lose pretty regularly (which we do ), but it is the nature of defeat that hurts, and then listening to the excuses that TP manages to come up with. I admit he has yet to reach the depths of Mick Mills, who once really cheered me up, when on the way back from a 6-0 drubbing at Plymouth, he came on National Radio and said "we were the better team until the 4th goal went in", although he did come close with his "we played with 2 out and out wingers at Wigan". Forgive me, but wingers usually operate in the opposition half, anybody at Wigan could see that Pennant and Etherington were primarily expected to operate within 25 yards of their own box. I go to every game in a positive frame of mind, but it is usually beaten out of me after an hour of Mogadon Man's tactical incompetence.
The point im trying to makeis that we player WELL for 3 games (against 3 top teams), nothing was said, then we lost to Wigan and all hell breaks out. Just becasuse people dont like TP (for the record I dont like TPs tactics) doesnt mean that we cant praise when we play well. Its Stoke city we are bothered about and NOT TP. I would prefer TP to walk out the door and never come back, but I will tell you now lads TP will be here for a few years yet (unfortunately).
I would just like to add another point Ric (and ist not a dig because I know you are constructive in your points and views) but its diffiuclt to get over excited sometimes with a reasonable/decent performance, because we are really of the standing now where those performances should pretty much the norm as opposed to a pleasant suprise.
I agree mate with everything in this post, except we THINK we are too good to go down nowadays, take a look at Newcastle a few years ago!!!. We have a poor team and squad IMO and im just glad we are safe for this season, we need to strengthen or else we might be back in the championship!! UTPsssssssssssssss
