Stoke City away match thread

[The Dolman Pragmatist]

1 hour ago, harvey54 said:

For me, it's completely appropriate that this embarrassing shambles of a season should finish with an embarrassing shambles of a scoreline against another relegation threatened side. 

I don't think that even the preseason signing of Mbappe would make me feel any expectations of hope for next season at the moment.

 

11th place finish.  Not great, but if we can finish in the top half after an embarrassing shambles of a season then think what we could do if we were bang average…

[chinapig]

Just now, Numero Uno said:

For me today is a good test of the hierarchy. Wake up call, what are you going to do? Need to add some good championship quality, three or four of them alongside those coming back from long term injury, not just Max Bird and that will do us…….

Dream on, we've been told we are looking to sign 1 or 2 and that we are going to have to be smarter than other clubs in "finding value", i.e.cheap signings.

Though given that Manning is practically begging to sign Twine there may not be much budget left.

 

[BigTone]

1 minute ago, Curr Avon said:

Tony Currie.

Mornington Crescent

[Ska Junkie]

That was crap but all credit to Stoke, too fast, too direct and we couldn't live with them.

Great turn out from our lot, including bananas, nuns, Mario and Luigi, Ali G, some blokes dressed in suits and Harry Cornick masks and a dinosaur.

Aat least Birmingham went down eh!

[1960maaan]

I hope Manning learns from that. 
How many times does Sykes have to struggle down the left ?
One change today means we have a fairly balanced team . McCrorie , Tanner and Dickie as CBs and Roberts to WB. At least then Sykes is on his right side.

Here's one , Night-Lebel plays in a meaningless game and we keep the same shape and we have 2 real WB's ?

Why not give Morrison a few minutes when the game is lost ?

Obviously he players have a lot to answer for, but it starts with Manning. 

At one stage, we were losing and getting caught on the break , yet the Commentator mentioned we had 10 players in the attacking third . This wasn't chasing an equaliser in the last few minutes , that is farcical . 

Stoke have picked up lately , but that City performance was so disjointed and lacking leadership we were lucky to only concede 4. No one closing the ball and letting them get shots off as they pleased , no wonder they racked up 20 attempts if no one was closing down. 

There were some lovely moments , let down at the end. The offside goal would have been one of the best of the season. We didn't seem to treat this as a game, this was so undisciplined it was almost like a celebrity game .

Pring was a big miss today , or maybe it was just a genuine WB , there was so much space for them to play in. Roberts is a good footballer , him and Pring have linked well , but he gets carried away at times. Bombing on today with a stand in LWB was reckless . Dickie was a bit off, though he had little support at times. 

It's good that the result meant nothing .The set up of the team , the lack of leadership to try and sort the mess and the gung ho attitude ( on and off the pitch) however, is worrying. 

Why not make changes at half time, send a message ?
No we have to wait until nearly 60 minutes, it's the law. 
When we play well ,we look like we can do something , but those games come with too many shit shows inbetween , for us to make a real challenge next year , not unless there are changes at the top. If not in a new head coach , which is never going to happen ( and for anyone getting their panties in a bunch I'm not suggesting it either) , then it has to be a change in thinking. 
Manning has tried juggling loads of players to keep his favourites in and now he's played someone in his worst position to keep 4 of a back 5 in place. His fear of playing Academy players is worrying , what's the point in having an academy or signing young players ? 

For me the Jury is still out. 

Next test is recruitment , we need to get it done early. Then we can start to see what we have. 

I think it will be a long summer. 

 

[W-S-M Seagull]

Finished last season 10 points off the play offs. Finished this season 11 points off the play offs. Progression

 

 

 

[Superjack]

21 minutes ago, BigTone said:

Major clearout required for next season else it looks bleak to me.

Yeah. 

But not the players.

[downendcity]

2 hours ago, TammyAB said:

Yet another medical emergency, this time at Birmingham

Pretty soon there will be fitness tests on fans before they attend a match!

[chinapig]

4 minutes ago, The Dolman Pragmatist said:

11th place finish.  Not great, but if we can finish in the top half after an embarrassing shambles of a season then think what we could do if we were bang average…

Jon will now say that 11th is exactly what he meant by "top end".

[ORANGE500]

3 minutes ago, Ska Junkie said:

That was crap but all credit to Stoke, too fast, too direct and we couldn't live with them.

Great turn out from our lot, including bananas, nuns, Mario and Luigi, Ali G, some blokes dressed in suits and Harry Cornick masks and a dinosaur.

Aat least Birmingham went down eh!

Who cares a completely meaningless game don't read anything into it.

[harvey54]

6 minutes ago, The Dolman Pragmatist said:

11th place finish.  Not great, but if we can finish in the top half after an embarrassing shambles of a season then think what we could do if we were bang average…

Or what we could have done if we'd kept Pearson and backed him in January? 

[Ska Junkie]

3 minutes ago, ORANGE500 said:

Who cares a completely meaningless game don't read anything into it.

Totally agree O500.

[ExiledAjax]

6 minutes ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

Finished last season 10 points off the play offs. Finished this season 11 points off the play offs. Progression 

6th place had 69 points last season.

73 this season. 

So it's not quite the same is it?

[The Coach]

Disappointing end of season. The club set out for top six and aim for promotion. Which we all know was a lie to cover Pearsons sacking.

JL then comes out at the senior reds meeting and then drops expectations to a top ten finish. We’ve failed that also.

So by that rule, Manning has failed this season. 

Edited May 4 by The Coach

[Sleepy1968]

11 minutes ago, The Dolman Pragmatist said:

11th place finish.  Not great, but if we can finish in the top half after an embarrassing shambles of a season then think what we could do if we were bang average…

It's been a mixed season, and we are the definition of bang average.

 

[W-S-M Seagull]

1 minute ago, ExiledAjax said:

6th place had 69 points last season.

73 this season. 

So it's not quite the same is it?

This isn't our first rodeo on this subject. Not sure why you've quoted me when it's already clear we have different views on this. 

For the avoidance of doubt if for example next season 68 points secures 6th place and we get 62 points, I'd consider that progression. 

[AshtonGreat]

20 minutes ago, The Dolman Pragmatist said:

11th place finish.  Not great, but if we can finish in the top half after an embarrassing shambles of a season then think what we could do if we were bang average…

It's not a bad finish when you consider who most of the teams above us are

[Mr Popodopolous]

Just now, AshtonGreat said:

It's not a bad finish when you consider who most of the teams above us are

Finish is okay, could be worse.. how we got there however.

[Corsham Ed]

Despite the result today, it has been a good day, Birmingham relegated and we finish above Cardiff

[ORANGE500]

14 minutes ago, 1960maaan said:

I hope Manning learns from that. 
How many times does Sykes have to struggle down the left ?
One change today means we have a fairly balanced team . McCrorie , Tanner and Dickie as CBs and Roberts to WB. At least then Sykes is on his right side.

Here's one , Night-Lebel plays in a meaningless game and we keep the same shape and we have 2 real WB's ?

Why not give Morrison a few minutes when the game is lost ?

Obviously he players have a lot to answer for, but it starts with Manning. 

At one stage, we were losing and getting caught on the break , yet the Commentator mentioned we had 10 players in the attacking third . This wasn't chasing an equaliser in the last few minutes , that is farcical . 

Stoke have picked up lately , but that City performance was so disjointed and lacking leadership we were lucky to only concede 4. No one closing the ball and letting them get shots off as they pleased , no wonder they racked up 20 attempts if no one was closing down. 

There were some lovely moments , let down at the end. The offside goal would have been one of the best of the season. We didn't seem to treat this as a game, this was so undisciplined it was almost like a celebrity game .

Pring was a big miss today , or maybe it was just a genuine WB , there was so much space for them to play in. Roberts is a good footballer , him and Pring have linked well , but he gets carried away at times. Bombing on today with a stand in LWB was reckless . Dickie was a bit off, though he had little support at times. 

It's good that the result meant nothing .The set up of the team , the lack of leadership to try and sort the mess and the gung ho attitude ( on and off the pitch) however, is worrying. 

Why not make changes at half time, send a message ?
No we have to wait until nearly 60 minutes, it's the law. 
When we play well ,we look like we can do something , but those games come with too many shit shows inbetween , for us to make a real challenge next year , not unless there are changes at the top. If not in a new head coach , which is never going to happen ( and for anyone getting their panties in a bunch I'm not suggesting it either) , then it has to be a change in thinking. 
Manning has tried juggling loads of players to keep his favourites in and now he's played someone in his worst position to keep 4 of a back 5 in place. His fear of playing Academy players is worrying , what's the point in having an academy or signing young players ? 

For me the Jury is still out. 

Next test is recruitment , we need to get it done early. Then we can start to see what we have. 

I think it will be a long summer. 

 

The Rotherham and Norwich managers whose knowledge of football might just be on a par with yours take a very different view and said City could be one to watch next season. Perhaps you could have taken a more rational view on this afternoons game and concluded it was completely meaningless and indeed means nothing, 

[W-S-M Seagull]

2 minutes ago, ORANGE500 said:

The Rotherham and Norwich managers whose knowledge of football might just be on a par with yours take a very different view and said City could be one to watch next season. Perhaps you could have taken a more rational view on this afternoons game and concluded it was completely meaningless and indeed means nothing, 

Earlier on in the season the West Brom manager said something along the lines of us being one of the best pressing teams in the division. We then abandoned the press for a big part of the season. 

Yea we may be 2 or 3 players away from challenging. But so are other teams. Firstly you need to replace the players that are leaving. You then need to bring in 2 or 3 more than you're competitors do and the recruitment needs to be right. 

[lenred]

7 minutes ago, Corsham Ed said:

Despite the result today, it has been a good day, Birmingham relegated and we finish above Cardiff

What a time to be alive! 

[Malago]

26 minutes ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

Finished last season 10 points off the play offs. Finished this season 11 points off the play offs. Progression

 

 

 

More points, finished higher the table.  Any idiot can pluck stats out of the air to suit their argument.

[Davefevs]

7 minutes ago, ORANGE500 said:

The Rotherham and Norwich managers whose knowledge of football might just be on a par with yours take a very different view and said City could be one to watch next season. Perhaps you could have taken a more rational view on this afternoons game and concluded it was completely meaningless and indeed means nothing, 

No game is meaningless.  You think LM thought it was meaningless?

Thats not to say go overboard in our reactions, but nor can you pick and choose either.  Mike’s critique is fine, and he raises a number of options of things that could’ve been differently.

[RedM]

1 hour ago, Super said:

Prob all off to Dubai or Las Vegas next week 

I saw them get off the coach when they arrived, several of them had more than their usual overnight bags. Very few were apparently getting the team coach back to Bristol so I'm told, so guessing they are straight off to the airport with friends and families.

[1960maaan]

15 minutes ago, ORANGE500 said:

The Rotherham and Norwich managers whose knowledge of football might just be on a par with yours take a very different view and said City could be one to watch next season.

Yes and I hope we are. 

But a manager saying nice things about another manager.
Rotherham , just got a lesson , so could be saving face by saying we were good.
Norwich , saying nice things and bigging us up as they were expected to win.
Because , hope this doesn't shock people on here, Managers sometimes have agendas .
Then again, they may just be being nice . What do you think the Stoke manager will be saying about our chances ?

15 minutes ago, ORANGE500 said:

Perhaps you could have taken a more rational view on this afternoons game and concluded it was completely meaningless and indeed means nothing, 

I'm judging this game, this game as a possible theme and the season. 

Do you think that Manning started his team talk with " This is a meaningless game lads" ? 
Then Half time;
" yeah we are getting our arses slapped, but it means nothing"?

It wasn't just a bad performance, it was clueless and lacking any organisation . ***
If I wasn't being rational I would have said something like.

That was a ******* shit show Manning is a *** and deserves the ******* sack the ******* ******.

But I didn't, I said , for me the Jury is out , having questioned his decisions. 

 

*** and I know that a large part of today is down to the players too 

Edited May 4 by 1960maaan

[GrahamC]

1 hour ago, Graham76 said:

What did Patch Warner say :laugh:?  He’s certainly king of the happy clappers 

Just stuff like “a few players have points to prove”, “next goal is key”, “hopefully we can score a couple for those who have travelled”, said something at half time about needing an early goal to get back into it, when it was obvious we’d given up.

Just embarrassing.

[W-S-M Seagull]

6 minutes ago, Malago said:

More points, finished higher the table.  Any idiot can pluck stats out of the air to suit their argument.

But more points away from the play offs. Fantastic. 

[pillred]

52 minutes ago, cityexile said:

Minor point, after Birmingham’s demise, us Preston and QPR now the longest continuous residents of this league now.

That manages to be both a plus and a minus.

[Sir Geoff]

42 minutes ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

Finished last season 10 points off the play offs. Finished this season 11 points off the play offs. Progression

 

 

 

That's the problem with "front foot, attacking football."