I know watching on the PC is not as good as TV and no comparison to being there but from what I saw I have never seen so many failed passes and if Shotton is "Young Player of the Year" then why waste £m's on improving the status of the Academy. Unless there is a major improvement in the squad over the Summer then there must be another Paddy Power sure bet for relegation Another 5 mins yesterday and we would have lost I am not violent but if i was going to the Brit I would struggle not to run on and confront Clulis / Pulis After 56 years as a Stokie I do not at the moment know if I can bear to watch next season SiS
The only thing I would say SIS, is that whilst our midfield is below par in general - I do think that some of them managed better would be able to do the basics needed to perform at this level. The main issue for me is that anyone playing in the centre for Stoke very rarely has anyone to pass to anyway! For me, its just as much the way we are set up to play and instructed, as it is the lack of quality some of the players demonstrate!
Fair point Smithers Having blamed Clulis/Pulis for so long you then look at the players who are paid more per week than the majority of fans earn in a year but as we have all said the majority with some exceptions would play better in their right position and with a proper manager SiS
There is still no excuse for not putting a shift in, however disheartened you may be. Some players have been guilty of that this year!
Well said Smithers, these players have played for other teams and have been able to pass a ball more than three feet prior to signing for us. they do need some one to pass to and more movement and enterprise around them, that seems to have been coached out of them. Saying that we need quality players in the left and right back positions as a high priority.
When Shotton first started playing, I thought he was going be good for us, but he seems to get worse and worse. I think it's still worth spending money on the acedemy though. Who knows why we ain't producing youth players, whether it's the staff there, whether we've had decent prospects, and Pulis has only wanted the big strong ones, or there just might not be many talented footballers around Stoke, so we need to scout other areas, which I reckon would be difficult, full players who earn **** loads don't want to come here, so why would an under 18?
Too many players have not performed this season,Matty has looked slow,and not interested in the game,drifting inside.Shawcross panics when the ball comes in the box,and just kicks it any where.Crouch played more on the wing,against bolton than any one else,he is the only player with any skill.Sorenson does not control the penalty area.Whelan could not pass wind.
Crazy Don't want to be too harsh on Etherington he is a very good winger. But IMO, yesterday I don't think he went outside their fullback more than once, he then stopped and instead of attacking area. He then passes it back too Huth who was just over the half way line.. WHY he and Walters didn't do that more often is not right. It's basic coaching.. They used to tell me to go at the defender and into the box as they won't dare touch you re a penalty.. both we're wasted yesterday and I'm sure it's down to being " Told to do x y or z" I never saw Conroy going backwards... food for thought TP? Eagles did it numerous times, at worst he won a corner and put some great crosses in, luckily for us no Bolton player's we're there to tap the ball in.
You know why the accademy isn't working? I'll give you an example. My son isn't bad little footballer (11 years) and plays in a competitive league and an accademy - I wont name it. In the league he plays upfront with a lad who is only 9 years old! My lad has scored 18 goals this year - pretty good return. This lad has scored 38!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'd like to say its because of the partnership, but this kid is sh4t hot!!!!!!!!! You know where he plays/played in the Stoke accademy, fukin RB and he hardly gets a game, but some other kid (who IMO is poor) plays every game! Needless to say his parents have pulled him out as the kid lost all confidence and even wanted to play another sport!
Some of my mates went to school with Shotton, he always used to be a striker apparently. Don't know how good he was at it, but it was the academy that had him playing RB too.
Same thing has happened with Louis Moult guys... I know his Grandfather and he's told me that SCFC told Louis to his face. They would never offer him a full time contract?? Same as the above he lost all confidence after being TOLD to play in another postion. Pleased to see he's doing well at another club but we've misssed out bigtime. I saw a lot of Louis and he a classy player for his age. And I'm still asking where the hell Arsismendi is Tony! Just worked out that according to Mr Coates we've spent 84 million on transfers, with only 15 million coming back.. i.e. If my maths are right, it's a net spend of a staggering 69 million minimum net spend. WITHOUT including wages.. it's feckin scary when you see how some perform every week. 20 million of that was Crouch and Jones. He's said, we will have to sell before buying. HOW much will we get for the rest of that squad. IMO no where near those figures quoted by Mr Coates. It looks like we the fans are hissing into the wind re we know we need quality. That does cost money so where exactly does Pulis go now? Quite a few of us said this the other day.. it's backwards. Thoughts?
Those figures fit with us being the 3rd highest NET spending club up to the last gtransfer window! Whilst we havent spent hugh amounts compared to the likes of the big 5 or 6 clubs, we simply have very little residual value in our squad compared to others! If you compate to the likes of Newcastle, Villa etc.... they have actually a more or less ZERO NET spend for the same period due to the sales they have made! Its frightening really that after all that we appear to have gone backwards in ability. The issue is that TP makes big losses on players!
But Newcastle did land themselves just over 40 million for Carroll and Enrique, and got a free striker.
PP, I think that is a large part of Smither's point, we buy players and force them into playing drivel, how can they show any creativity/skill, if everything is set up so negatively.
Had they got what Carroll was worth though, maybe 10 million, that's 25 less for them, plus if they had to pay what Ba was worth, minus another 7-10 million, and the stats don't look as good. Doesn't justify our transfers and that, but Newcaslte have been lucky.
I dont really see your point? If my Auntie had balls she would be my Uncle! So they did good business and ultimatly someone is worth what a clubs is willimng to pay! We buy players (in general) that few other clubs are interested in, pay over the odds, make them play sh4t football and wonder why no other club would give us tuppence for them. The fact is we are the 3rd highest NET spending team for a reason, because the players TP has sold have been wothless after his Battersea Dogs Home treatment.
I'm saying they were lucky, which isn't good business. Has no bearing on our transfers, but you can't praise someone for luck.
Well, maybe you make your own luck! If they hadn't got the big money for AC their NET spend would only have been about 20 million. Not sure why they were lucky with Demba Ba, he obvioulsy believed Newcastle was better than other clubs. Regardless of the fee, we had an equal chance to sign him as did every other club when he signed for Newcastle. I do agree that AC was overpriced, but so was Torres IMO.
We ****ed our chances with Ba, bit of a piss tke to say "your not fit, not worth £8 million, but well have you on loan", and West Ham had him off. When they got relegated they tried to keep hold of him, but he had a release clause, Castle weren't sure if they could actually get him because of contract issues, he said he was mfor free, west ham said they still owned him. Cabaye and Santon were good deals for good price though.
