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Realistic Expectations for Stoke City
TheEdge949
Member Posts: 5,261
Now that all the hullabaloo from Alex Neils departure from the cold desolation of 1950's era Wearside, to the even colder reaches of Stoke on a wet and windy Tuesday allow me as a Stoke fan of over 50 years standing to offer a little perspective.
Firstly, this appointment has not been received with universal joy by some Stoke fans but what really are they expecting? We are a club still trying to come to terms with reducing a wage bill from £40m to £20m, lowering the average age of the squad and all whilst juggling to meet FFP. We were never going to get Dyche and of the rest Neil is for me a decent fit.
Fans expecting instant success should get a grip, he has walked in, to a newly assembled squad, none of which are his players with no time to get his ideas into practice on the training paddock, so those fans moaning about a draw and a defeat in the first two games should wind their necks in and get real.
I don't expect any real significant improvement until after the World Cup break, when he will have the chance to get down and grind out some work in training with the squad so let's be realistic eh.
I will be quite happy to just see an improvement to a top half finish, a more solid defensive set up and a sense of purpose and direction for both team and supporters. The Bet 365 needs to become a bear pit once again, the fans need to be loud and passionate, and the team needs to realise that we will tolerate losing but we will never tolerate a lack of effort.
The identity we had has diminished, the bear pit transformed into a genteel boule areana and the loudest fans in the country almost muted to levels of a poorly attended non league game.
Alex Neil has a big job so he should be allowed this season to get his style and ideas taken on board with the aim of smashing the Granny out of it next season. Anything more than that will be a huge bonus.
Are Stoke a big club ? depends on your perspective. We are certainly bigger than Fulham, Brentford, Bournemouth and Brighton, and as big as Wolves and Forrest, Watford and Burnley, Cardiff and Swansea and WBA and Sheff Utd. The great challenge that Alex Neil faces is proving it.
As much as we would like to think that we are a Premier League team in all but name, at the moment we are a shadow of a Prem side. Fans of the club have to accept that and change their mindset, much as I had to after the 4-5 years of the early to mid 70's when Stoke were a major force with 2 top 6 finishes 2 FA Cup semis (fk Arsenal) and a League Cup win with European nights against Kaiserslautern and Ajax.
However, Alex Neil is the man for the job.
Firstly, this appointment has not been received with universal joy by some Stoke fans but what really are they expecting? We are a club still trying to come to terms with reducing a wage bill from £40m to £20m, lowering the average age of the squad and all whilst juggling to meet FFP. We were never going to get Dyche and of the rest Neil is for me a decent fit.
Fans expecting instant success should get a grip, he has walked in, to a newly assembled squad, none of which are his players with no time to get his ideas into practice on the training paddock, so those fans moaning about a draw and a defeat in the first two games should wind their necks in and get real.
I don't expect any real significant improvement until after the World Cup break, when he will have the chance to get down and grind out some work in training with the squad so let's be realistic eh.
I will be quite happy to just see an improvement to a top half finish, a more solid defensive set up and a sense of purpose and direction for both team and supporters. The Bet 365 needs to become a bear pit once again, the fans need to be loud and passionate, and the team needs to realise that we will tolerate losing but we will never tolerate a lack of effort.
The identity we had has diminished, the bear pit transformed into a genteel boule areana and the loudest fans in the country almost muted to levels of a poorly attended non league game.
Alex Neil has a big job so he should be allowed this season to get his style and ideas taken on board with the aim of smashing the Granny out of it next season. Anything more than that will be a huge bonus.
Are Stoke a big club ? depends on your perspective. We are certainly bigger than Fulham, Brentford, Bournemouth and Brighton, and as big as Wolves and Forrest, Watford and Burnley, Cardiff and Swansea and WBA and Sheff Utd. The great challenge that Alex Neil faces is proving it.
As much as we would like to think that we are a Premier League team in all but name, at the moment we are a shadow of a Prem side. Fans of the club have to accept that and change their mindset, much as I had to after the 4-5 years of the early to mid 70's when Stoke were a major force with 2 top 6 finishes 2 FA Cup semis (fk Arsenal) and a League Cup win with European nights against Kaiserslautern and Ajax.
However, Alex Neil is the man for the job.
Comments
"We are certainly bigger than Brentford"
Behave.
UTMP