Stoke City at home match thread

[petehinton]

1 minute ago, One Team said:

Pearson quite clearly saying he trusts Andy King more than Rob Atkinson. 

That L is firmly on him if that is the case

[Redrascal2]

9 minutes ago, headhunter said:

Two seasons actually:13/14 & 14/15

Btw, twas the pits today

Your brain works a lot better than mine and you are spot on. I was thinking about 98/99. I think it took us 8 years to get back up then. But at my age it is all getting to be a blur like City's chances of survival this season!!

[1960maaan]

That was interesting.
I thought Stoke were one of the worst teams I've seen this year.
I thought the. Ref was terrible.

Yet we managed to lose and couldn't blame the Ref.
 

[italian dave]

1 hour ago, AshtonRobin21 said:

Prepare for 5 strikers on the pitch, and attempting long-balls to Martin, up against Soutter.

Spot on. Although sadly not hard to have predicted. 

It’s not the first time recently, but when we’re behind going into the last quarter of the game opponents look to disrupt the game and break up patterns of play. There’s really no need for them to bother because we do it quite effectively ourselves. 

Utterly clueless: no pattern, no shape, no-one knows what they or anyone else are supposed to be doing.

We often complain that we’re poor at managing out a game when we’re ahead. Well we’re even worse at managing a recovery when we’re behind. It was pathetic. 

[The Dolman Pragmatist]

So according to Pearson’s post-match interview, Atkinson wasn’t in the squad because he doesn’t trust him.  What the hell is that all about?  Before the break he was our best player.  It begs the question, what does he trust Andy King to do?

Edited December 17, 2022 by The Dolman Pragmatist

[pongo88]

1 hour ago, Dan Robin said:

Part or our trouble is due to referees giving us nothing and other teams something. The rest is a mix of our faults and some injuries.

Come off it Dan, it’s not partly the referees’ fault that the team is  where it is. All fans blame the referee when decisions go to the opposition. We’ve had some poor refs, but I’m sure fans of every team in the league say the same thing. 

[Super]

1 minute ago, The Dolman Pragmatist said:

So according to Pearson’s post-match interview, Atkinson wasn’t in the squad because he doesn’t trust him.  What the hell is that all about?  Before the break he was our best player.  It begs the question, what does he trust Andy King to do?

Atkinson wasn't injured?

[AppyDAZE]

3 minutes ago, The Dolman Pragmatist said:

So according to Pearson’s post-match interview, Atkinson wasn’t in the squad because he doesn’t trust him.  What the hell is that all about?  Before the break he was our best player.  It begs the question, what does he trust Andy King to do?

Sounds a very strange thing to say. Has he actually said this?

[The Dolman Pragmatist]

1 minute ago, Super said:

Atkinson wasn't injured?

Apparently not.  Pearson made it clear he was not in the squad because he ‘didn’t trust him’.

[The Dolman Pragmatist]

Just now, AppyDAZE said:

Sounds a very strange thing to say. Has he actually said this?

Check out the interview if you can: about 5.45 on Radio Bristol.  The interviewer asked him about Andy King’s performance and Pearson told him he ‘wasn’t asking the right questions’.  He then asked about Atkinson and Pearson said that he picked the players he can trust, and his selection today should say it all.

[Super]

Just now, The Dolman Pragmatist said:

Check out the interview if you can: about 5.45 on Radio Bristol.  The interviewer asked him about Andy King’s performance and Pearson told him he ‘wasn’t asking the right questions’.  He then asked about Atkinson and Pearson said that he picked the players he can trust, and his selection today should say it all.

That's Bizarre. 

[AppyDAZE]

1 minute ago, The Dolman Pragmatist said:

Check out the interview if you can: about 5.45 on Radio Bristol.  The interviewer asked him about Andy King’s performance and Pearson told him he ‘wasn’t asking the right questions’.  He then asked about Atkinson and Pearson said that he picked the players he can trust, and his selection today should say it all.

Cheers. So it's like I thought, he said it without actually naming Atkinson and trust.

Secondly, do we know for certain Rob was fully fit and well?

If he was, and he isn't in the squad, that is piss poor from Nigel imo

 

[AppyDAZE]

PS regarding trust,    who the **** plays next game then? Becasue we're struggling to field a full team, based on this.

Edited December 17, 2022 by AppyDAZE

[Jacki]

5 minutes ago, The Dolman Pragmatist said:

Check out the interview if you can: about 5.45 on Radio Bristol.  The interviewer asked him about Andy King’s performance and Pearson told him he ‘wasn’t asking the right questions’.  He then asked about Atkinson and Pearson said that he picked the players he can trust, and his selection today should say it all.

Is that right? If it is, then it appears another decent player is about to spend time in the wilderness as has happened with Pring and others.

I’ve always been a big supporter of Pearson but falling out with players like this is costing us now. Unless something has happened in training or around the club over the last few weeks, this is bizarre

[Edgy Red]

3 minutes ago, The Dolman Pragmatist said:

Apparently not.  Pearson made it clear he was not in the squad because he ‘didn’t trust him’.

I think this is one of my biggest concerns with Nige.

When finances are so tight, the recruitment has to be spot on, and to date, Nige has a pretty poor record.

Klose has fallen out of favour  Atkinson appears to have fallen out of favour, Tanner is still raw, Sykes has been 50/50, Kane Wilson couldn't get a look in when he was fit and Andy King (sadly) is way past his best.

For what its worth, i think Atkinson is a decent centre back and is certainly the most physically dominant option we currently have available. If Nige is saying that he doesn't trust him, i find that very worrying

[slartibartfast]

7 minutes ago, The Dolman Pragmatist said:

Check out the interview if you can: about 5.45 on Radio Bristol.  The interviewer asked him about Andy King’s performance and Pearson told him he ‘wasn’t asking the right questions’.  He then asked about Atkinson and Pearson said that he picked the players he can trust, and his selection today should say it all.

As much as I like Nige, I fear he is somewhat losing the plot !

[Dan Robin]

17 minutes ago, pongo88 said:

Come off it Dan, it’s not partly the referees’ fault that the team is  where it is. All fans blame the referee when decisions go to the opposition. We’ve had some poor refs, but I’m sure fans of every team in the league say the same thing. 

They can say what they want, but the reality is that their teams have gained points also  from penalties, red cards, offside decisions, etc. whereas our team simply CAN'T.  Surely other teams make defensive mistakes too or fail to score, but our errors are more costly because we have to do more than others.

The players and Pearson's weaknesses are a different matter, and DON'T JUSTIFY referees behaviour and the constant decisions against us. 

Only a naif/blind football supporter can think that this element is not having an impact on our results/table.

 

Edited December 17, 2022 by Dan Robin

[Northern Red]

And, lo, the narrative was set.

As I said earlier, manna from heaven for certain people. Absolutely revelling in it.

Edited December 17, 2022 by Northern Red

[Floatn Over]

I thought that was just a very worrying uncomfortable interview.

[headhunter]

18 minutes ago, italian dave said:

 

Utterly clueless: no pattern, no shape, no-one knows what they or anyone else are supposed to be doing.

 

Is this not a poor indictment of Pearson managerial capability 88 games into his time as boss? The alternative view is that the players are a bunch of wasters just picking up a wage

[Ska Junkie]

What a bizarre comment from Nige!

[AppyDAZE]

Atkinson's not been "asking the right questions" **** me, for a moment I thought LJ had come back.

After all, how hard is it Rob? Ask the right questions ffs. Things like..

What came BEFORE the big bang?

Is there anything after we die?

How long is it before the sun finally burns up?

Is it ethical to have children?

Easy peasy

Edited December 17, 2022 by AppyDAZE

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, slartibartfast said:

As much as I like Nige, I fear he is somewhat losing the plot !

I’m with you, very pleased when Nige took charge, have supported him from day one, but am genuinely concerned about his thinking.

Fine margins agreed between good and bad results, but I think the people upstairs may well be considering their options.

[sephjnr]

Yet again we're in the spot where we had an extended mid-season layoff and in that time learned very little about ourselves, on the pitch and in the dugout. LJ went through that and paid for it. Nigel is starting to worry me.

Edited December 17, 2022 by sephjnr

[red colin]

1 minute ago, Countryfile said:

I’m with you, very pleased when Nige took charge, have supported him from day one, but am genuinely concerned about his thinking.

Fine margins agreed between good and bad results, but I think the people upstairs may well be considering their options.

 

[Kingswood Robin]

We've reached Christmas and that's one home win since August, including getting embarrassed at home to Lincoln in the cup. We know what happens to teams that don't win at home.

You can't keep serving that up to your home fans week in week out. A thumping at home to West Brom and Pearson could be for the chop, but then again are the money men interested anymore? Doesn't feel like anyone cares what happens and they are taking me down with them.

[Mr Popodopolous]

Just on the new owner point, we're under FFP anyway.

The position stays with the club irrespective of a change of ownership or fresh investment.

[bexhill reds]

40 minutes ago, Andy082005 said:

No it isn’t all that relevant, however this is a forum….a place for opinions and thoughts to be discussed 

As for who I would want. I genuinely don’t know, but as I mentioned before - I would happily give someone a go now who is young and fresh in the game. We’ve seen both QPR and Preston take a punt with someone younger and ambitious

I was over the moon with Pearson, however he is very much a yesterday manager. We have not progressed one bit. I’d argue that the only areas we have progressed is down to the unbelievable work Tinnion and the academy coaches are doing 

Get your point about young and upcoming managers, we recently had 2 of those, but it is a massive punt and at the time Pearson was appointed we perhaps needed an experienced head to calm things down and steady the ship. If we were going to change then it should have been at the start of the WC break, I’m not sure a change so soon to the start of the transfer window makes sense, there are obviously some plans made, for me he’s got this window and until the end of the season, unless form totally drops away and we go into free fall.

[exAtyeoMax]

1 hour ago, Marina's Rolls Royce said:

And there it is.

So- when suggesting a new manager is advisable, it seems only credible if it is accompanied by the name of the individual whereas suggesting a new owner does not require the same. 

The discussions are identical- it's about change.

No it’s not. It could be any Tom, Dick or Harry buying the club. 
 

has there been any news as to who is replacing Richard Gould?

[italian dave]

20 minutes ago, headhunter said:

Is this not a poor indictment of Pearson managerial capability 88 games into his time as boss? The alternative view is that the players are a bunch of wasters just picking up a wage

And I think the alternative view raises questions about how they’re managed too. 

I’m not “anti” any City manager. But I’m f###ing angry after that pile of shite today. And bizarre comments in uncomfortable interviews don’t help.