Stoke......

[Jambo]

Not wanting to dwell on them but I do have a hatred for them.  Their Manager, their fans, their 2 centre halves, Wilkinson, Most of their midfield and above all their complete anti-football style of play.

How exactly do they manage to stay up (comfortably) every season?  I would like to know the stats of how many times a member of their back 4 and keeper punted an aimless long ball forward.  Its just so poor to watch a team of this level play that way.  I'm not a fan of Allardyce for similar reasons but at least he does try to inject some flair into his sides.  As much as it would kill me if Fulham had a Pulis type manager and played that brand of football I would seriously have to consider my season ticket for the first time in 19 years!!

[Airfix]

It's just Wimbledon #2, isn't it?  They'll get done eventually.

[A Humble Man]

We made Stoke look bad.  You have to give Jol credit for the way he organised the defence where either Hangleland or Senderos came forward to cut the long balls out so they rarely reached their target.  Now this emasculated Stoke and led to us getting so much of the ball.


If every team had a brilliant tactician like Jol, Stoke would be relegated as long ball tactic do not work against proper defending.

[Jambo]

It's just Wimbledon #2, isn't it?  They'll get done eventually.

Its quite interesting reading their board, not all Stoke fans think Pulis is a god as most media outlets would have you believe.

[CanadianCottager]

Stoke wouldn't be too out of place in the Sunday league I play in, just add in a couple of middle-aged hockey rejects in the midfield and I wouldn't be able to tell them apart from any other side

[Wingnut]

We were discussing them today after the game. Whelan in the centre of the field is the only one of them who gets the ball down and passes it. The rest are like Wimbledon II.

[Logicalman]

It's just Wimbledon #2, isn't it?  They'll get done eventually.

Its quite interesting reading their board, not all Stoke fans think Pulis is a god as most media outlets would have you believe.

On their main MB the majority (upwards of 66%) want TP gone, and soon. Also they have a thread where they believe that Huth should get a three match suspension for his fore-arm smash of Senderos.

[mangoputney]

Their mid table resilience is amazing when you consider the tripe they hoof up each week... Can only pray they soon drop

[Cravenawin]

Summed up their style of play when just 3 minutes into the second half, Begovic lumped a free kick into our box from 5 yards inside their own half. Could understand it if it was 3 minutes from the end. Horrible side managed by a anti-football pikey.

[Bassey the warrior]

We made Stoke look bad.  You have to give Jol credit for the way he organised the defence where either Hangleland or Senderos came forward to cut the long balls out so they rarely reached their target.  Now this emasculated Stoke and led to us getting so much of the ball.


If every team had a brilliant tactician like Jol, Stoke would be relegated as long ball tactic do not work against proper defending.

I have to agree, he's surpised me a little with the turn around defensively. It seems that ultimately he was just lacking the right player to make things work. He was desperate for Senderos to make the grade and finally he has. I think he's not really getting enough credit for the performance yesterday, I doubt there have been many better performances against Stoke over the past few years. Crouch was non-existent.

[Jack Fulham]

Problem Stoke have is Pulis has created a team that only works with his style of play. They try and bring someone different in, it probably wouldn't work.

[Airfix]

Problem Stoke have is Pulis has created a team that only works with his style of play. They try and bring someone different in, it probably wouldn't work.

Then I say "do it"!!

[A Humble Man]

Pulis has his way of playing and Jol has his.  Ultimately the Pulis method will not advance his Club (I hope), Jol has his method and it could advance us as if we could play the way we did yesterday and finish much better we will win a lot of games.

[tommy]

Interesting that I can't find anything to say that Robert Huth is going to be punished for his elbow on Senderos yesterday. I googled huth Elbow to check if anything had been said and you should see the amount of articles about him elbowing players and getting away with it.

[Logicalman]

Not too sure the FA works Sundays, do they?? LOL

[tommy]

I was more surprised about the tabloids not mentioning it. From past experience if the papers don't mention it, neither will the FA.

[Logicalman]

By all accounts, Sky made a meal of it (not saying it shouldn't have been a 3 courser), so perhaps the old men of the FA might hear of it.

[psand22]

  It's hard to believe, they are allowed by the refs to play such a physical game.  I realize there is always going to be physical play, but they are way over the line of fair play.  Hopefully, the FA will step up and penalize Huth for his blatant elbow to Senderos.