Nigel Reo-Coker

[SoccerHQ]

Stoke City - Long throws, free kicks, corners, and hoofing the ball up the pitch - an absolute abomination of a football team. Up there with Wimbledon of old as the worst football teams ever to be seen in the top flight of English football.
They'll be relegated eventually.

Anyway, Reo Coker.....

Outplayed Bolton and Arsenal though in recent weeks.

[whydelilah]

Indeed, smashed 'em both 

[KevinGage]

Stoke are under no obligation to entertain opposition fans though, are they?

If you look at that squad you'd have to say that Pulis is over achieving big time to make them comfortably mid table in the top flight, for a few seasons in a row now.

None of our recent managers would know anything about overachieving.

[brontebilly]

Are a fair bit ahead of Roberto Martinez's Wigan this season and last. Yes the guy being linked with the Villa job. Stoke's method of football has evolved somewhat but I dont think Delap would get a game at any other EPL team. Wilkinson and Higginbottom as full backs dont exactly encourage keeping possession. Cant fault Pulis's results though.

[saunders_heroes]

Stoke City - Long throws, free kicks, corners, and hoofing the ball up the pitch - an absolute abomination of a football team. Up there with Wimbledon of old as the worst football teams ever to be seen in the top flight of English football.
They'll be relegated eventually.

Anyway, Reo Coker.....

Outplayed Bolton and Arsenal though in recent weeks.

Wimbledon outplayed teams occasionally as well.

[pauliewalnuts]

Stoke are under no obligation to entertain opposition fans though, are they?

If you look at that squad you'd have to say that Pulis is over achieving big time to make them comfortably mid table in the top flight, for a few seasons in a row now.

None of our recent managers would know anything about overachieving.

Pulis is doing a good job there, look at what he's achieved.

They're playing the way that suits them, and it has worked. In fact, when Wenger moans about the way they play, I'm always on Stoke's side, because as whydelilah said, it is their job to find a way to beat Stoke.

However, that's one thing.

The fact that I'd rather pluck my eyeballs out than watch that horrible combination of 1970s football / gamesmanship is a different one altogether.

It's not about the fact we failed to beat Stoke, either. As i said on the last page, we failed to beat lots of other teams this season as well.

It's about the fact they're horrible to watch. Their choice entirely to play like that, but it is still horrible anti-football nonsense.

[Rigadon]

Stoke are under no obligation to entertain opposition fans though, are they?

If you look at that squad you'd have to say that Pulis is over achieving big time to make them comfortably mid table in the top flight, for a few seasons in a row now.

None of our recent managers would know anything about overachieving.

Pulis is doing a good job there, look at what he's achieved.

They're playing the way that suits them, and it has worked. In fact, when Wenger moans about the way they play, I'm always on Stoke's side, because as whydelilah said, it is their job to find a way to beat Stoke.

However, that's one thing.

The fact that I'd rather pluck my eyeballs out than watch that horrible combination of 1970s football / gamesmanship is a different one altogether.

It's not about the fact we failed to beat Stoke, either. As i said on the last page, we failed to beat lots of other teams this season as well.

It's about the fact they're horrible to watch. Their choice entirely to play like that, but it is still horrible anti-football nonsense.

Indeed.  It's not out of spite that I'd describe them as being shite to watch, it's just true
(in my opinion of course).  Football ia supposed to be entertainment isn't it?  Otherwise what is the point of it all?  Grim loyalty maybe? 

[adrenachrome]

Stoke are under no obligation to entertain opposition fans though, are they?

If you look at that squad you'd have to say that Pulis is over achieving big time to make them comfortably mid table in the top flight, for a few seasons in a row now.

None of our recent managers would know anything about overachieving.

Pulis is doing a good job there, look at what he's achieved.

They're playing the way that suits them, and it has worked. In fact, when Wenger moans about the way they play, I'm always on Stoke's side, because as whydelilah said, it is their job to find a way to beat Stoke.

However, that's one thing.

The fact that I'd rather pluck my eyeballs out than watch that horrible combination of 1970s football / gamesmanship is a different one altogether.

It's not about the fact we failed to beat Stoke, either. As i said on the last page, we failed to beat lots of other teams this season as well.

It's about the fact they're horrible to watch. Their choice entirely to play like that, but it is still horrible anti-football nonsense.

Indeed.  It's not out of spite that I'd describe them as being shite to watch, it's just true
(in my opinion of course).  Football ia supposed to be entertainment isn't it?  Otherwise what is the point of it all?  Grim loyalty maybe? 

Yes. That game was the antithesis of anything that could remotely be called entertainment. And it goes beyond what is called styles of playing. Nor is is just sour grapes because we did not get a favourable result: quite a few direct/log ball teams have beaten us over the years at VP, and many of those games have been interesting to watch.

The last time I saw a game at VP in which the opposition started time wasting and deliberately breaking up play almost from the start was against Southgtate's Middlesbro, and I don't think they would have been considered a long ball team at the time.

[villanois]

One of the things that makes the English game what it is, is the stamina required to overcome the many obstacles a season presents. No winter breaks, in fact an increase in the number of games played over the winter months, bad weather, relentless games as injuries pile up, many differences in grounds, fan bases, and a wide range of footballing styles.

Stoke present a formidable obstacle for many "bigger clubs" not many of the other clubs like them because the way the team play and the atmosphere created by their fans. While their timewasting tactics is appalling and I feel bad for te game in general,they don't owe opposition fans anything, we only have to watch them twice a year. Their own fans are who they answer to and their passion and attendances don't appear to be dwindling. Looked down on by many and a banana skin for teams that underestimate them

Reminds me a lot of how the european sides in the 70's and early 80's would dismiss the English clubs as technically weak. May well have had a point and our game may have improved technically with the introduction of foreign managers and players but the English clubs sure had a good record through that period due to their ability to close down quickly and run for 90 minutes.

So yes Reo Coker is not the most technically gifted but does have some qualities that make a team difficult to beat. Is he worth his pay demands, can't see Pullis going for that.

[WALTERS WARRIORS]

Message to Reo`s agent. Where are all these italian Champions League teams after him ? Juventus, Inter, porky pies ?? ........

[whydelilah]

All this talk about "gamesmanship" - can you please clarify what you mean?

I'd say we are one of the most honest teams in the league. I'm not saying we are squaky clean, Pennant certainly knows how to win a free kick when he wants and I'm sure at times others perhaps have gone down a tad easy but on the whole our players adopt a "stay on your feet" philosophy.

I've seen plenty of teams and players dive and roll around like they've been shot since we've been in this league and I absolutely hate those kind of antics. I can honestly say I haven't seen a Stoke player blatantly dive since we've been in this league. As I said above, there may be some incidents where you can argue somebody has gone down too easily  but thats completely different to diving and trying to con the ref etc.

I absolutely detest the whole diving/surrounding refs/play acting ploys that seem to be more commonplace in the game today and I can honestly say, in my opinion of course, that as a team we don't buy into that and don't use such tactics as gamesmanship.

You can slate us all day long if you like for our style of play (heaven knows we are used to that) but don't compare us to the Arsenal/Man Utd/Chelsea/Barcelona's of this world that make you sick to the back teeth with some of the "tacticts" they use.

[Chris Smith]

Time wasting for the whole 90 minutes. Taking minutes over every dead ball; throws and goal kicks in particular. In effect trying to kill the game, to stop any football being played. You were fortunte that you had a weak and complicit referee who did next to fuck all about it. He finally booked your keeper after about 80 minutes when he could have done it numerous times before that but if he had he might have had to send him off eventually and lacked the bottle.

Each time Delap winds up for one of his throws the ref allows him to wait while the centre haldfs slowly lumber up field yet if a full back took as long over a defensive throw he'd get warned.

[Bad English]

USING A FUCKING TOWEL ON THE FUCKING BALL!

[whydelilah]

I agree with the throw in point.

It does take longer than most other teams as in effect it is a corner/set piece for us so we have to wait for the big guns at the back to come up.

I have to say that for 99% of games we don't set out from the first whistle to drag things out and take our time over everything possible. I'm sure, as every other team in the world, we've done it towards the end of games if we are trying to protect a lead or play out for a point etc.

As fans we wouldn't accept that kind of tactic from start to finish, game in game out.

[whydelilah]

USING A FUCKING TOWEL ON THE FUCKING BALL!

Not really gamesmanship though is it?