Daniro

The Robins TV commentary team are getting excited - understandably I guess - but all these stupid mistakes are worrying me - We are excellent at taking these lightning chances but we will get found out one of these days if we don't cut the defensive errors out.  

I think Klose is one of the best defenders we've had for a while .   Very reassuring presence when he comes on as sub and will no doubt start a lot of games too over the season 

9 minutes ago, Marcus Aurelius said:

With Kalas & Semenyo (unfair to drop any forward) in the team we may be able to push for the play offs. Oh the killing hope of football…

Not forgetting Klose!

Thought last night was very exciting and a sustained glimpse of what NP has been promising for what seems like a very, very long time - so I'm delighted.   Great to see the new players performing so well and for the likes of Nakhi and Zak to show what they are capable of.   Very encouraging 

I do find arguments about refs very circular.   

Refs weren't any better or worse before - what has happened is that every decision is now recorded for everyone to pore over ad infinitum.   In the old days you just forgot about it.

Yes it is statistically possible that 80000 Chelsea fans are right and that one particular ref has made an unusually high number of decisions against Chelsea.   But anything is statistically possible in an expanding universe.   Surely nobody really thinks that a ref would deliberately set out to do it?    And banging  on about it and signing petitions is only likely to put pressure on him and make him more likely to make unconsciously biased decisions.    And yes, we may have had more bad decisions against us this season , but that's always going to happen to some club.   SH1t happens.    Maybe we've had fewer pens than any other team.     Really - are they all ganging up on us?   That's so mean.    Diddums.  Move on.

I even think that if a ref proves to make more mistakes than others he should still play the whole season so all teams get subjected to the same below par reffing.   Unfair to drop them until everybody has suffered!    

Poor refereeing is like life.    We all have bad days and sh1tty times.    With performances like last night, I think we can all now hope for some good days at last and we won't be relying on refereeing decisions to keep us happy

Best 90 minutes I've seen from us since ....   to be honest I can't remember!    Excellent all round.    

Interesting the tractor boy focuses on our likely reaction to him showboating like that , but do they really think it's a good look for a CEO?    

And, autographs aside, what was the worst signing MA made while he was here?     

3 hours ago, CyderInACan said:

Quite. It’s corporate horseshit. And poorly crafted horseshit, at that. 

Did you not listen to what he said?  He says quite  clearly that it's not just any old corporate slogan - it actually runs through the whole football club - because they're owned by a lot of old Arizona firemen.  Do keep up.  

3 hours ago, BTRFTG said:

Yes. When The Fourth Estate was worth a light or in the rare exceptions where it still exists, salaried journalists have freedom and scope to investigate and build relationships.

In his case the problem is his ex employers now only use UGC, with as few untrained staffs as possible compiling that and even on agency fill-in that's covering roles where experienced hacks of a certain generation and quality have taken the shekel and retired.

So silly season, or in his case where sources have run dry, it's a case of invent to survive. Lost count of the number of his invented 'scoops' that come to nothing.

Reminds me of a certain PM who was paid to make up stories about EU bananas and got sacked by the Times.   

59 minutes ago, BTRFTG said:

It's not an interview with me given he's blocked me on social media for reminding, as now a freelance, he's in the business of generating (aka manufacturing) his own stories for personal gain.

One story he's reluctant to promote is why he's so ostracized from the present set-up at AG, tough read his output and that answers itself.

Is a freelance journalist is more likely to "generate (aka manafacture) their own stories"  than an employed journalist?       A salary is personal gain too?

Makes me wonder what we might actually get for HNM and what club would be prepared to buy him??? - they have him as our second most valuable player at £3.6M  after Kalas at £4M.          

2 minutes ago, Bristol Rob said:

Not just me then. I had plans to season a wok as well whilst watching the game. 

#Info

Is that the modern day equivalent of qatching paint dry?

9 hours ago, Jerseybean said:

Easter greetings fellow-Reds, are we in for a good or bad Friday as far as todays game is concerned? As of Tuesday more than 600 tickets had been sold to traveling fans. There is  no pay on the day for todays 3 pm kick off.

I asked my Stoke City supporting friend, Bill, for a view, he had this to say:

‘It all started so well. In the first two months of the season we had played 10, won 6, drawn 2, lost 2. Ok, so one of those losses was to Fulham 3-0, but we felt we were right up there, play-offs certainly, automatic promotion possibly.

It was great teasing my Bristol City mate and even better listening to Nigel Pearson doing almost weekly squirms. And then our young, towering, majestic centre back Harry Souttar, playing for Australia, did his ACL. Suddenly, the decision to sell our other young centre back protégé, Nathan Collins to Burnley for £15 million looked a bit shortsighted. But we needed some income because we were hemorrhaging money and the Fair Play regulations were looking extremely problematic. We were some £170 million in debt and clearly the exorbitant, reckless and ill-judged spending on players at the end of the Mark Hughes era was coming home to roost.  We were in fact right up there (and beyond) the likes of Sheffield Wednesday, Derby County and Wigan. Points deductions and relegation beckoned.  If we were a real business we would have been trading while insolvent.

But maybe, just maybe we could get out of this approaching doomsday by getting promoted. We were still there or thereabouts in January. A strong finish would see us home. In the next ten games, we won 1, drew 4 and lost 6. We were abysmal. We couldn’t hold on to winning positions. All our losses were by one goal; often conceded in the last ten minutes of the game. We were out ‘Bristol Citying’ Bristol City. We even lost to you.

Our manager Michael O’Neil started lamenting about not getting what we deserved, about individual errors, about injuries and terrible referring. Unlike Nigel Pearson he doesn’t see what the real truth is which is that we are not good enough.

We are currently mid-table, but if it hadn’t been for our good start we would be down there with Reading (who we have just lost to) Peterborough and Barnsley; another two teams that in the last month we could not beat. You can visit us with hope in your hearts. Let us score an early goal and we will readily give you two in return.

However, it’s not all bad. Stoke City have recently sold their stadium and training ground to our sponsor BET 365. BET 365 also agreed to turn another £75 million of debt into shares. So Stoke City has no Fair Play problems! We are a profitable football club with absolutely no debt! Hurrah! Hallelujah! With one leap we are free. Oh, the owners of Stoke City football club just happen to be the Coates family who, just a bit co-incidentally, also own BET 365. Now there’s some glorious insider trading.’

Neither side has anything to play for, other than finishing this season with a bit of momentum. We do have the opportunity of a rare double having won 1-0 at Ashton Gate back in November: https://www.bcfc.co.uk/news/highlights-bristol-city-1-0-stoke-city/ Michael O’Neil certainly wasn’t happy with the ref: https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/stoke-city-penalties-red-bristol-6258420

Remarkably we are joint top in the Championship with Fulham for taking the lead (33 times). Unfortunately we're also top for giving away equalisers (21 times).

Over the years they’ve beaten us 26 times, we’ve won 18 and drawn 15.

While we were playing so poorly last weekend they were beating WBA 3-1 at the Hawthorns. They are expected to start with the same eleven today. We are without all recent absentees, although Tanner and King are seemingly nearing a return.  With both teams having five remaining games they have ten more points than us. They’ve taken 10 points from their last six games.

Todays ref is  Matthew Donohue, who has taken charge of 26 Championship games this season issuing 110 yellows and 10 reds, he’s not been in charge of a game involving us, the last time he was in the middle at the bet365 Stoke lost 2-1 to Derby.

They have suffered from lots of injuries this season with players such as  Harry Souttar, Nick Powell, Liam Moore, Lewis Baker and Jordan Thompson all missing for extended periods.

History

Stoke City claim to be the world's oldest professional Football League club. From the early days as an amateur side playing against other teams in the local area, through to becoming a competitive force in England's world famous Premier League, the Club are very proud of it's football heritage.

Whilst mystery surrounds the exact minor details of the formative years, the same cannot be said about recent times with a first-ever FA Cup Final appearance and the subsequent journey in the UEFA Europa League widening the exposure of Stoke City to football fans around the globe.

1863 - 1888 (In The Beginning)

Record books say City were founded in 1863.

1888 - 1899 (Election Fever)

The Potters were heavily involved in the formation of the Football League and were founder members for it's inaugural season.

1900 - 1909 (Win Or Bust)

Stoke suffered major financial problems with relegation and player wages that exceeded gate receipts leading to an inevitable conclusion.

1910 - 1919 (Rebirth Out Of The Football League)

Although not involved within the major league in English football, the Club did pick up several honours in the Birmingham and District and Southern Leagues.

1920 - 1929 (Yo-Yo Club)

The heights of Division One and depths of Division Three were visited in a rollercoaster decade.

1930 - 1939 (Stan's The Man)

The emergence of one player, more than any other, was destined to go down in history.

1940 - 1949 (So Near Yet So Far)

Stoke City were all set for some golden years before the Second World War intervened.

1950 - 1959 (A Foreign Affair)

Off the field problems marred the Fifties but there was some light at the end of the tunnel.

1960 - 1969 (The Swinging Sixties)

Just as the music scene revived Britain, a man by the name of Tony Waddington arrived at the Victoria Ground to turn things around.

1970 - 1979 (Waddo Believe It!)

An astonishing decade in which City captured a first major honour, flirted with winning the Division One Championship and played in Europe for the first ever time.

1980 - 1989 (Five Managers, Five Chairmen)

Football had it rough in the Eighties and the headline says it all about City's fortunes.

1990 - 1999 (Two Relegations, A Trophy, A Promotion, A New Stadium and A Takeover)

Everything conceivable happens in the turbulent final decade of the Twentieth Century. Never a dull moment at Stoke City Football Club. The Bet365 Stadium (formerly known as the Britannia Stadium) has been home to Stoke City since 1997 after they moved from the Victoria Ground.

2000 - 2009 (The Decade Of Success)

Wembley Final and Play-Off Final victories followed by the arrival of Tony Pulis see Stoke rise from the third tier of English football to return to the top flight after a wait of 23 years.

2010 - Present Day (Going Global)

Successful seasons against the odds in the Premier League, as well as FA Cup Final and UEFA Europa League appearances see the Club's name spread around the world.

Manager Michael O’Neil has been under pressure from the fans as their season has not gone as well as hoped: https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/stoke-city-boss-michael-oneill-23306560

As mentioned they sold their stadium just in time! The bet365 Stadium was bought by bet365 on May 28, 2021 for £70.25m. Crucially, that was just over one month before an EFL vote to change the rules and stop clubs selling stadiums at a profit. That kicked in on July 1, 2021 for the 2021/22 season. https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/stoke-city-financial-fair-play-6800769

Pubs

Stoke on Trent is renowned for brewing for a few reasons. First, the water: Due to the water's hardness and mineral content which is formed on its journey through the Trent valley, it is ideal for brewing pale ale. Second, transport: The River Trent connects a number of towns and cities in Britain making it perfect for transporting beer.

• Power League Sports Club - Dennis Viollet Avenue, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 4TN
• Harvester - Trentham Lakes District Centre, Stanley Matthews Way, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 4TL. https://www.harvester.co.uk/restaurants/eastandwestmidlands/harvestertrenthamlakesstokeontrent
• The Gardeners Retreat - 6 Sideway Rd, Boothen Green, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 4BJ. https://the-gardeners-retreat.business.site/?utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=referral
• The Terrace -185 Leek Road, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 2BW
• Masons Arms - Far Green Dilke Street Northwood, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent ST1 2LJ (about a 10 minute drive from the ground) https://www.facebook.com/MasonArmsNorthwood

Wishing fellow-Reds everywhere a happy Easter and hoping from some points to go with the eggs.

 

Brilliant intro as ever.  Only complaint is that I saw no mention of Gordon Banks , best goalie ever, who played for them when I first started watching football 

that's £75 I won't see again 

2 hours ago, Mendip City said:

That all makes a lot of sense to me…. Trouble is, consolidation feels a long way off to me and I fear it’ll happen in League One. Papa John Pizza Cup and a Bristol Derby anyone?????  

i tell you what - I would not fancy a local derby at the moment.    Hate to say it but what is happening over there shows what can be done with a certain mentality of leadership and Nige could do with a bit more fire in the belly.

4 minutes ago, mozo said:

What we haven't mentioned is that we're to some extent up for sale.

So while it does seem that City are going to trapped in bottom half purgatory for the foreseeable future, things still could change.

That might involve spending power (or just a promise of spending power!)

It could involve a new management team, or the support NP needs.

There could be a new buzz of excitement at Ashton Gate but could also further desenfranchise the purist City fans.

But surely the Lansdowns will eventually find a buyer, albeit they may need to change their own terms of that deal to get it done 

In the meantime, with the current state of our squad and finances, I don't see much point in changing the gaffer.

Good point.   New ownership might create a more positive optimistic feel about the club and is urgently needed.    Lansdown Junior is an accident waiting to happen and his dad has surely made enough from the real estate wheeler dealing to exit gracefully and wealthily.

1 hour ago, Davefevs said:

When you put it like that, it makes you wonder whether he might walk at some point.  

When he made that comment about being bored of saying the same things and how the fans must be bored of hearing him saying the same things,  I did start to wonder and worry.    I don't love Nige as much as I did,  but  he's done an alright job given the mess he inherited and I don't think he or any one else wants to go through  yet another miserable damp squib of a season where so few of the players seem to be prepared / capable of putting back to back solid performances.

We just  have to hope that he and Gould have struck up enough of a relationship and that SL backs them to get on with some smart transfer business over the Summer.     I'm not desperate to hang on to any of the current squad really, although it would be nice to hang on to the Academy stars for another year and make some more £££ later.   They should be able to make a few quid , offload some cost and get some fresh faces in.       We really need much more sense of team pulling together rather than a bunch of ill fitting individuals.

As far as the Lansdowns are concerned,  we have enough data going back enough years to be able to make an assessment of their ability to make decisions about football related matters.     We are where are because of their judgements.    They should now be encouraged to restrict their activities to signing cheques and spending more of their tax free billions on football rather than real estate or rugby.   

Looks like a good day - thanks for posting

Good question!   I'm wondering the same thing.

I very recently bought a months sky sports pass  from Now TV - I wanted to watch the Spurs v Arsenal game and I went for the 30 odd quid for a month rather than the tenner for the day pass.     (must admit I assumed the WIndies Test match would be on Sky so I screwed that bit up!)

The London derby was a brilliant game, end to end stuff and really exciting.     I have to say that as I watched,  I noticed how much I was enjoying it and wondered why I put myself through the misery of watching Robins TV (which costs about the same per match).      

I've always been very cynical about people not supporting their local team.    I've got a mate who has lived all his life less than a mile from Ashton Gate but he supports Man United (pays a lot to go and see them).      I don't have any particular preferences out of the top teams but I guess I'd got for Liverpool if I had to make a pick now.

But I have to say,  watching really good football on Sky does make me wonder about where the heck City have got to.        You can accept not having world class talent (although having one of the richest people in the world as an owner surely means we should expect better?).    But you do expect some sort of team spirit, some sort of pulling together as one, giving the crowd something to get behind.    Supporting your local team is tribal.   I've been really proud and impressed by our fans, home and away, this season - they've been immense.     But the team and the staff,  don't seem to be able to generate the same enthusiasm.     Exactly like last year, and many before, we end up expecting our best players to leave,  nursing long term wounded, waiting for the rest of the contracts to run down, and hoping like heck there are some good youngsters who can make it at this level.       It's a terrible (sinful ?) thing to say but there are teams not a million miles from AG that have been able to get some team spirit going to great effect.    It's kind of essential for success.

SO, I think I will keep the pass for another month to see the season out and might even skip Robins TV for the next few away games to pay for it.

On 20/03/2022 at 13:21, Cowshed said:

The interviewer could have responded with its not a totally different system/complete change because literally it is not. The alterations are significant but not total or a complete change in system. You pulled a player out of here to create more obvious numerical superiority here, but why is that?  

Information sharing with fans, getting fans to buy into and support playing approach (team identity?) is a good thing. Zonal marking - Defending masters Arsenal under Graham marked zonally at set pieces. A point there for Mr Pearson as Arsenal fans knew what their team was about.

 

The interviewer could also have responded,

" If you're such an expert, why have your teams conceded so many goals at corners?" 

or

"If you're such an expert, why do your teams always concede in injury time?"

I've been a fan of NP but being snarky when he really has yet to prove anything to anybody is not a good look.

2 hours ago, Alan Dicks said:

Proper shorts

Got his half time banana tucked in there 

11 minutes ago, Port Said Red said:

I think the replies from our more technically minded posters confirm what I was saying, we have gone from what looked a reasonably organised defence at set pieces to players standing around aimlessly and unsure of their individual task. 

I can see why the players have to take some of the blame, if they are not supposed to be so deep then no one is taking responsibility to remind everyone of where they should be. My question is, if they are not changing things is that because the coaches are telling them to defend that deep?

Yes - I really appreciate the technical expertise we have at our disposal on this forum.   As someone who never played at any serious level, it can be difficult to know exactly what is going wrong.   I was fuming when those corners went in but it wasn't just that nobody seemed to know what they were supposed to be doing - it was more that none of them seemed to want to get to the ball first.    That's about desire and will to win.    They looked like they couldn't be bothered.

Well, as I said at the time on the match day thread, I can't remember being as angry with a City team as I was when that second soft corner went in last night.  Schoolboy defending.     

What is so annoying is that they are capable of better.   It's as if they can't be bothered and it feels like the end of last season all over again.

Got to agree with all this.

James and Massengo were very poor indeed.   I don't see the point of James at all and HNM was muscled off the ball whenever he got near it and he keeps giving the ball away.   Weimann hardly got a touch and scuffed it when he did.

Cundy and Atkinson are big question marks for me at this level.  Barnsley are not a good team and they ran us ragged whenever they felt like it.

28 minutes ago, Red-Robbo said:

That said, my main gripe with Nigel Pearson is why the f- can't a former professional defender get our back line organised to defend corners. 

Same!   It's insane

I thought he sounded like he's had enough in the post match interview.   He's bored of saying the same thing time and time again.    He's run out of steam.