Stoke and referees

[parsonjohn]

Has anyone thought that Stoke are not getting referee decisions because of their style of play. They are always lumping the ball forward fouling everyone with niggling little heating things to get an advantage. Its awful to watch and a nightmare to referee.

Subconciously as a refree you are not going to want this club to do well, or maybe even conciously(as i hope, conspiracy theory or what) everyone else wants that style of play out of the premier league why not the referees as well

[Northern London Boy]

I couldnt help thinking a similar thing. They also put so many men into the box, challenging for the ball that it is almost impossible for refs to make a split second decision on fouls. One of the six decisions Pulis keeps talking about is a supposed handball by Zat Knight for Bolton, but he was knocked over by one of Stoke's thugs and the ball hit his hand. Equally well, for Catts at the weekend, perhaps the ref couldn't see because of the crush of Stoke players in our box.

They are fundamentally a dirty team, and so for them to complain about refereeing is a bit outrageous

[zebediah]

No Pulis is just whining due to pressure of his league position, the fans expect mid table at least now.
I honestly think he is trying to change their style, but it doesn't work and by half time at the latest they revert to type.

I know Neville should have been off against them for eg, but refs do that all the time to players on a yellow card, amazing how often they give a first yellow very easily but the second yellow is much rarer (unless you are Catts). Reckon Man U would have still won, but he has decided that if Neville got the second yellow the result would have been different.
I reckon Tiote should have gone against us for example (not just him either), maybe it would have changed it, but the way we played probably not.

In reality they have probably had 2 or 3 genuinely awful decisions against them, pretty sure most clubs have.

[KNGHTHOOD]

Ref's do it cos they're a nothing team. Is anybody bothered NO, is anybody listening to them NO

[Pete B]

I think Stoke get away with a lot because of how they play the game; Refs seem to think that if a Stoke defender manhandles a forward then thats ok cos thats how they play the game.

I think they are struggling cos they are changing how they play, less direct and more through midfield. In the first half they were less direct than some other long ball teams; like Blackburn or Newcastle

[marco1172000]

Originally Posted by Northern London Boy

I couldnt help thinking a similar thing. They also put so many men into the box, challenging for the ball that it is almost impossible for refs to make a split second decision on fouls. One of the six decisions Pulis keeps talking about is a supposed handball by Zat Knight for Bolton, but he was knocked over by one of Stoke's thugs and the ball hit his hand. Equally well, for Catts at the weekend, perhaps the ref couldn't see because of the crush of Stoke players in our box.

They are fundamentally a dirty team, and so for them to complain about refereeing is a bit outrageous

Agree with this like.... was just talking about that myself..... because of the way they play they are always creating situations where there are a lot of fouls in the box, and the ref must get a bit snow-blind to it all......

They are also a non-fashionable club like half the league.... possibly the biggest most obvious case of cheating in the league this season was NEville not getting sent off for Man Utd against Stoke.... purely cos he is Man Utd, nothing else. Compare that decision to the Cattermole/Shawcross sendings off......... Cheating.

I am surprised there wasn't actually more made of that at the time, as it was so obviously cheating by the ref.