Stoke, setting the example

[Chief_Froley]

A comma btl. A simple flippn' comma would have saved us all this hassle.
What's the matter with folk round here?



 

[Yewsman]

The fact is that despite all the media hype the PL is a boring competition. Apart from the Leicester experience (which frankly will never be repeated) there are only probably 6 clubs (if that) who can win the League each year due to their financial resources. The rest are just there to make up the numbers and have only one objective - to stay in the PL - because of the money. That's why they play reserve players in the Cup competitions until if they are lucky they get to the quarter final stages. Last season the winners of the PL were known with about 4 matches to go. On the last day of the season nothing was decided except whether Manure got into the Europa Cup and frankly I don't suppose even their supporters were bothered one way or another. Certainty no one else was.
Stoke have "survived" in the PL which is the limit of their ambitions and capabilities. Such an achievement however does require the club being well run and in particular having a good manager. There are plenty of examples of clubs losing the manager who got them promoted, choosing the wrong successor and then getting relegated. Sometimes they get relegated and it is not really the manger's fault so they stick with him and he gets them back up e,g, Burnley.
Realistically if we got back to the PL we could only ever hope to emulate Stoke, West Brom or what would be nice to think Southampton. I believe we have the manager who could take us there and keep us there. The test would come if and when he left. Would we be able to do a Southampton and get the right new manager or would we make the big mistake we did before and appoint "a Bryan Robson" who would get us relegated and in free fall.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

I doubt there's one FL manager in modern times who has survived that long with his such a record..
Chuff's managerial record at Derby was just appalling It is ONLY 1.22 points per game- this for nearly 5 years work!!
For such a big club it was woeful.

Derby were way to patient with chuff. Sacked when they were 14th a country mile away from ever looking a decent outfit they finished the season 3rd under McClaren.
A rapid vast improvement, just like we got; thank fuck we weren't stupidly patient with him.

Clough had to drastically cut the squad from a bloated and useless team that got relegated from the Prem with a record low tally of 11.

It's not as if anyone else has done owt with Derby since - despite spending bucket loads. Just perhaps if Clough had this money he might have achieved something? Not defending Clough (too much) but he started with a truly useless bunch of players.

UTB