Stoked up for survival
It seems my comments about Stoke didn't go down too well in the Potteries.
Too bad.
But, first, let's have a history lesson before we move onto football.
I seem to recall hearing a succession of calls to Five Live and Talksport last summer from Potters fans demanding the departure of Tony Pulis. 'Too negative', 'long ball', 'tactically naive', were among the more tolerant calls.
And now, it seems, he can do no wrong.
So is he a good manager or isn't he? Or are memories set to 'short' over in Staffordshire?
My comments weren't designed to stoke-up (no pun...) any animosity. Far from it. Despite some of the hateful and venomous comments I've received - few, it seems, have tried to make any constructive points without the need to hurl abuse - I stand by my comments that Tony Mowbray, following by Phil Brown and Gary Johnson (and even Neil Warnock) all deserved more credit than Tony Pulis.
Don't get me wrong, Pulis has done a very good job - but the others more so, for all kinds of reasons.
From Albion's point of view, Mowbray rebuilt a side that was decimated by last season's Play Off defeat. Few clubs bounce back from such adversity - effectively losing the spine of the side and many more key players - yet Albion did. And he did so in style. Bristol, Hull and Palace have also had outstanding campaigns, for their own reasons.
The Stoke fans will need to get used to hearing pundits and observers being critical or dismissive of their club's chances next season - like Albion, they're a promoted club and, like it or not, they will be tipped to go down. No amount of spirit, clenched fists, bulging veins or strikers running down channels in pursuit of long balls will change that.
As someone who has covered Albion for many years, I should know - I watched Gary Megson's energetic and robust side pound away at Premier League defences, with little joy, back in 2002/03. There is only so far a direct style of football will get you in the top flight. Bolton have managed it for years, but take a look at their squads over the years. Stoke will not have Nolan, Speed, Davies, Anelka, Okocha, Djorkaeff, etc to call upon. I hear Stoke are now planning to reduce the size of the pitch. Good luck to them - they'll need it.
If I'm wrong about all of this, then I'll be back next year and will happily admit so...
(10) comments so far add yours here
Share:
Older/Newer
10 Comments
Leave a comment
Keep up to date
Technorati
Authors
Chris Lepkowski
Mail man Chris Lepkowski’s view of what’s going on at West Bromwich Albion FC.
Another half baked, muddled piece of work, some of which totally contradicts what the author wrote in his original piece and some which confirms his pig ignorance in all matters football.
I genuinely feel sorry for the natives of the Black Country who have to put up with this bitter misinformed drivel on a regular basis and surely they must be wondering why they have to listen to this character's hatred of Stoke and Tony Pulis on such a regular basis.
Not once in any of his vile pieces has he managed to explain why such a cultured outfit as West Brom only just managed to pip us to the title and were clearly played off the park at the Brit last December by one of the most skillful players in the division.
Frankly his views go way beyond typical lazy parochial local reporting and fully enter the realms of idiocy.
you really do miss the point chris, to get out of the championship has been achieved by stoke playing whatever way they played. staying in the premiership requires another approach which stoke will take.All the championship clubs set out to achieve promotion only 3 will, stoke are one of them.
Stoke fans are happy and so they should be, you arent happy because your beloved albion looking at the history you mention will mean you should hand over 6 points to stoke as per usual.Stop your cheap Lazy critical safe approach trying to whip up the predicted support of albion fans and designed to annoy stoke fans,If you say well done albion & stoke then perhaps you will be seen to be a normal individual rather than a
total amateur which having read your reports
you certainly are.
You just can't help yourself can you? You are an embarrassment to the club you have attached yourself to. I'm sure most Albion fans won't thank you for your brainless campaign. Can't you just accept that Stoke were promoted on merit?
Albion used the parachute payments to get promoted, big deal, I'm sure if we went down and up again the same way we would get as little credit for it as Albion deserve.
You mention Megson but fail to realise that that is the way to get out of the championship with a limited team as Stoke did and then go on to use the money to buy better players, SURELY EVEN YOU CAN WORK THAT OUT?
Nobody denies West Brom (and for that matter Hull, Bristol and Palace) have had good seasons, but to dismiss the efforts of Tony Pulis's efforts this year is a little bit churlish (your argument for which seem to fizzle out in the above "blog", so feel free to explain further in your next update).
You clearly object to Stoke's alleged direct, physical style of play (how many Stoke games have you seen this year by the way?), but is there really any evidence that playing pretty football has kept many promoted teams in the Premier League. You stay up by making good signings, and finding a system that works for you - there is no magic formula.
I wish WBA the best of luck next year, but don't kid yourself that there is a gulf in class between yourselves and Stoke, just check the final league table for evidence of that.
Tony Pulis did a far better job than Mowbray. He didn't have the resources or the players. He built a team that got the job done. Mowbray and Albion bottled it when they had all the best players a couple of seasons ago. I hope you enjoy the Premiership where Albion will be found wanting as much as Stoke will. Pretty football means jot, you need to win games not look nice.
I love the way the above Stoke fans ignore Chris's point about fans wanting Pulis out earlier in the season!
But anyway, the point is Stoke's style of football is awful. Just because it's has brought them success doesn't make it acceptable. And teams who can't play proper football always get found out in the end (look at the hard working but dull and direct Rangers against the classier, footballing Zenit St Petersburg).
It's why England always get found out at major tournaments...sooner or later they meet a team who enjoys keeping the ball, passing to feet and actually entertaining the watching masses with style and panache whereas the tactic of "give it to over-rated Beckham to punt a long ball for Sicknote Owen to chase" sees the Three Lions get nowhere.
Albion will at least have neutrals wanting them to succeed. People will be praying even Man Utd embarrass and thrash the anti-football Potteries mob...
good comment mad mark. it seems stoke fans turn more easier than a pint of milk left in the sun.
Im an albion fan living near stoke and I couldnt move for Stoke fans slagging off Pulis last year. Now they are all massive pulis fans.
They are hypocrites of the highest order.
You and CL are spot on. It's teams like stoke who drag down other football clubs. You cant play football like that and get away with it at the highest level.
The fact stoke are being criticised for it yet couldnt abide that kind of football themselves last year tells you all you need to know about them as people and as a club.
Ill be turning off MOTD before Stoke come on next year.
I look forward to Bolton v Stoke being the worst-ever premier league game.
Just read your comments again Joe Massey and see why it is that a club in Wes Brom that a lot of Stoke fans had a fondness for is now roundly ridiculed and despised for it's arrogant and deluded fan base.
Come on, lads, you must admit it's strange having Stoke in the Premiership. Stoke? It's such a backward place. It reminds one of the 1950s to say it. Dull, smoky, ugly. And that kit?
They will be straight back down.
The only reason we slated Pulis on his return is because he used to play high, long, boring football with a adverage team but that was under the tightest idiots of iclandic owners who used to hide from january to febuary! Don't forget Pulis also had to rebuild a completely new team this season aswell, Heofkens, Higginbottam, Dubbery, Fortune, Griffin (kind of), Russel and probably more who i can't think of left! Look at our midfield now, Cresswell (attacking), Whelan and Delap (both quality) and Lawrence (14 or 15 goals at right midfield)! We are getting goals from everywhere!
At the end of the day I couldn't care less about this arguement because WE ARE PREMIER LEAGUE!!!!!!!