Stoke think a lot of themselves


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Why don't you sign up and ask, if you'd "love" to? Someone might educate you!

I cant think of nothing worse, ive glanced at their threads already and its a mix of Pulis is the new Clough, Coates the new Jack Walker and theyre gonna finish 6th.
 
I like Stoke, unless we’re playing against them. They’re an excellent example of the variety of football. There’s this notion that football has always been played the same way, or that there is only one way of playing it, pass and move, but that’s complete bollocks. It's the one which is most in vogue just now, but it's far from being the only or best way football has been played. It's just another variation of many.

They’re also an antidote to the idea that football should be played to look beautiful and to hell with the results, which again, is only one of many ways of looking at it. In their way, Stoke are as tactically excellent as Barcelona, it’s just a very dour sort of football they play. But it requires as much an understanding of shape, position, moves and routine to work. If it was just a simple case of hoofing the ball up to a big person in the box then they would be no more successful than most.

But they won’t be changing the way they play. They have no need, as it’s worked well for them, and noone has really worked out how to stop it yet. In that sense, Pulis is a genius. But he’s had the players to play football in the pass and move, fluid sense, and they have been completely rejected in favour of the big lads. Pulis is enforcing the system that works for him, he’s not progressing or graduating or changing to playing on the floor. There’s no reason whatever why he should though.

They do cheat sometimes, but so do most teams when they get the chance. Unlike other teams though they pile on the pressure throughout which makes it seem worse than the isolated dive in the box or push you get from other teams.

No, they are a team of thugs that specialise is hoofball and are an embarrassment to the league and the game.
 
You're either on the wind up or genuinely f***ing stupid, hoofball is not football.

We played more hoofball than Stoke last season. I'd wager quite a few teams did, especially Newcastle.

It is football. It's not a different sport, or even like any other sport. It's not cricket. It's not rugby. They don't pick the ball up with their hands and run with it. They kick it around with the intention of scoring a goal. It might not be as slick or geometrically pleasing as Holland in 74, but it is football. That's a fact mate. The rules are there, they play within them and interpret a style of football that doesn't contravene them that they think will see them win. It's football alright. And I think it's a clever way of going about it because it seems to work. I'd rather play on or support a team than won stuff than played great but lost all the time.

There are lots of teams play nice football but lose. Not so many play hoofball and win mind. So say what you like about Stoke, they're pretty clever.
 
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We played more hoofball than Stoke last season. I'd wager quite a few teams did, especially Newcastle.

It is football. It's not a different sport, or even like any other sport. It's not cricket. It's not rugby. They don't pick the ball up with their hands and run with it. They kick it around with the intention of scoring a goal. It might not be as slick or geometrically pleasing as Holland in 74, but it is football. That's a fact mate. The rules are there, they play within them and interpret a style of football that doesn't contravene them that they think will see them win. It's football alright.

Its f***ing rough. Pulis has just mastered and refined pub football.
 
No, they are a team of thugs that specialise is hoofball and are an embarrassment to the league and the game.

Many say the same about SAFC, to be fair. Cattermole (rightly or wrongly) is regarded as one of the biggest thugs in the league. Many would argue that it's "an embarrassment to the league" for an established Premier League side to be dumped out of cup competitions by League 1 and Championship opposition.
 
Its f***ing rough. Pulis has just mastered and refined pub football.

So what if it's rough? West Indies fast bowling was rough beyond a level never seen before in the sport. They were undefeated for 14 years and are regarded as one of the greatest teams, in any sport, of all time.

Can't take the heat, get out the kitchen. This is the very top tier of the game, I'd expect it to be rough. And they're not the only team that's rough either.

And it's a challenge too. If Hoofball or rough football is so stupid, or philsitine, or whatever, then beat it, outhink it, outpass it, whatever, the parameters and options available for doing so are huge. The fact that alot of teams can't do this suggest it's more than just thuggish. If thuggish football was all it was then by extension it would always be the biggest teams playing long balls who win stuff, and who have done in the past, but for the most part they don't. Like I said, not many teams play longball or rely on size and win. So Stoke are doing something else than just pub football.
 
So what if it's rough? West Indies fast bowling was rough beyond a level never seen before in the sport. They were undefeated for 14 years and are regarded as one of the greatest teams, in any sport, of all time.

Can't take the heat, get out the kitchen. This is the very top tier of the game, I'd expect it to be rough. And they're not the only team that's rough either.

And it's a challenge too. If Hoofball or rough football is so stupid, or philsitine, or whatever, then beat it, outhink it, outpass it, whatever, the parameters and options available for doing so are huge. The fact that alot of teams can't do this suggest it's more than just thuggish. If thuggish football was all it was then by extension it would always be the biggest teams playing long balls who win stuff, and who have done in the past, but for the most part they don't. Like I said, not many teams play longball or rely on size and win. So Stoke are doing something else than just pub football.

I agree with you. When you consider how they beat us last season and reached a cup final it sounds hollow and a bit sad people here slagging them off all the time. I'd be a lot happier laughing at them if we'd won.
 
Wheres the evidence we played more long balls than Stoke? All I can find is febuary stats and were a good 5% below Stoke who are top of the table
 
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