Topic: Tony Pulis has left Stoke (and Palace now)

[Davidbowie]

Good riddance to the cap-wearing idiot. (Always hated the way he wears that cap, not fitting for a PL manager).

Whoever gets the Stoke job has got a lot of work to do to change the style they've had for so long and to get rid of all the awful anti-footballers in the squad.

[johnny74]

Bloody good-riddance to Pooh-less. We hoped for a Stoke relegation and this is about as good as that. Perhaps it's even better?

[DanA]

I think if a manager can survive in the premier league while reinvigorating the Stoke list they're doing well. I probably wouldn't change the defence though until the attack is fixed. I'd maybe try and get young guys like Shelvey or Sinclair that are surplus to requirements at big clubs and might come cheap.

[Aristotle]

/snip

I think Stoke is a very solid club to take over, albeit one with a bad reputation. Like you said they've got money to spend, even if Pulis was somewhat silly with it and at times very clever. They've got a defence that doesn't concede many goals. An owner willing to invest. A relatively solid foundation to build on. If they can shift the balance (i.e. not buy 3 strikers for 20 million pounds and not use them). Get in some grinders from overseas they could be a very exciting prospect to take over for any manager with ambition (albeit on the English model)

[stevieG786]

They have a shit batch of strikers, Jerome has got to be one of the worst in the league surely?

[KERRYKOP]

Good riddance to the cap-wearing idiot. (Always hated the way he wears that cap, not fitting for a PL manager).

[sinnermichael]

since arsenal last won a trophy, allother 91 league clubs have now changed their manager. pardew is now the second longest serving manager at a premier league club. madness.

he won't be missed. biggest hypocrite in the league. even worse than ferguson at times. the fact mark hughes is favourite for the job sums up the tedium of the managerial merry go round these days though.

[Red Beret]

Heard today they've spoken with Mark Huges. 

[Carly]

Heard today they've spoken with Mark Huges. 

Acutally feel sorry for them now.  They finally get rid of Pulis and his Long ball Rugby kicking tactics only to be strongly linked with Mark Hughes.  Why the hell is Mark Hughes still taken seriously by some PL clubs il never know.

Think im more annoyed by the fact I was hoping Everton would take him on as manager   ,, and now Stoke have ruined that dream.

[sinnermichael]

hughes is an utter myth. did ok at blackburn and wales. other than that has failed at fulham, man city and QPR in the space of three years. don't get it.

[Red Beret]

I can't imagine why anybody at Stoke would think Hughes' brand of football would be a step up from Pulis'. 

[thegoodfella]

They have a shit batch of strikers, Jerome has got to be one of the worst in the league surely?

Taken over the mantle from Carlton Cole surely? Funny story though, he was one of the best prospects in one of the football manager games, probably 06 or 07.

And Hughes will take Stoke from struggling in the bottom half to the bottom three very easily.

[Mashy-rawr!nooo]

Hughes is fucking suicidal. Poor footballing ethic, can't spend money for shit and is just a generally bad manager.

They need someone smarting on signings at least, since they need to be bringing in alot of new players unless they intend to continue with Pulis' style.

[OsirisMVZ]

Mark Hughes. The hilarity.

[sinnermichael]

Stephen Nzonzi's transfer request

[youll never walk alone it]

Impartial on hughes, but did he actually fail at city?  was he given long enough?

[MagicHat]

Impartial on hughes, but did he actually fail at city?  was he given long enough?

Yes. He struggled to handle the squad and under him, Man City defended... well they didn't actually defend at all.

A "safe" choice but at best, Hughes puts them up a few places, at worst he does as badly as he did at QPR.

[ManchesterBlue]

Impartial on hughes, but did he actually fail at city?  was he given long enough?

Failed. Did exactly what he did at QPR when he was with us and spent a load of money on average players who he couldn't mould into a team.

We couldn't defend to save our lives and if he does that to Stoke they'll be relegated.

He bought players like Kompany and Zabaleta then played the former in midfield and rarely played the latter. Also bought Santa Cruz, Bridge, Adebayor. Wasn't a Mancini fan but a lot of players improved significantly under him. Bit too close to Kia Joorabchian as well and that always leads to trouble.

[rafathegaffa83]

He did well at Fulham and Blackburn when he had no money to spend, but was awful when given cash at QPR and Man City. Hiring Hughes would be a backwards move. It's understandable why their fans are angry. Additionally, they'll likely have to deal with Joorabchian. I'm actually surprised any PL team would want him as an immediate choice post-QPR. And let's not forget the way he binned Fulham, which partially prompted Villa to look elsewhere

[Clayton Bigsby]

If they go for hughes they deserve evetything they get

This managerial merry go round really is silly. Think outside the box for christ sake

[Frank.]

The thing is, with their finances, Stoke could actually get a half decent manager if they tried.

[surfer. Fuck you generator.]

Oh no Stoke, you don't get Rafa.

The Welsh testicle grinder will sort you out boys.

[gamble]

That's some agent Mark Hughes has, can't see the point in removing pulis if he joins.

[CHOPPER]

Fantastic thighs.

[Mercer]

I could see Alex Mcleish ending up there.

[No666]

Proves the point. It's the way it's worn that counts.

[Cork Red]

If you took Fergie and removed the managerial talent you'd be left with Mark Hughes.

A horrible c*nt of a man.

Stoke should take a leaf out of Swansea's book and appoint someone with decent coaching credentials.

[Drinks Sangria]

Hughes does ok when he doesn't have money to spend - Fulham, Blackburn. When he's got a transfer budget, like he did at Man City and QPR and would have at Stoke, he drags the club into a chasm-like downward spiral. He also plays shit football. Stoke really do need to make a progressive appointment. Pulis's two biggest critics during his time at the club were Peter Coates's son and daughter, who have a fair amount of influence. I would suspect they put the wheels in motion on the Pulis sacking and would make a progressive appointment if it's left to them. Tony Scholes though is a damn fool without an iota of footballing sense.

He'll look at what Hughes achieved with similar sized clubs and be dazzled. The Chairman is well meaning but not really that knowledgeable. He needs to have an ear to the ground as to fan reaction, Stokies are going mad at the link to Hughes. I think the general order of preference amongst the fans is - 1. Rafa 2. Martinez 3. Di Matteo (If he brings Steve Holland with him). I think the likes of Steve Davis at Crewe and maybe one or two particular continental managers deserve at least an interview.

[sinnermichael]

[surfer. Fuck you generator.]

Hughes does ok when he doesn't have money to spend - Fulham, Blackburn. When he's got a transfer budget, like he did at Man City and QPR and would have at Stoke, he drags the club into a chasm-like downward spiral. He also plays shit football. Stoke really do need to make a progressive appointment. Pulis's two biggest critics during his time at the club were Peter Coates's son and daughter, who have a fair amount of influence. I would suspect they put the wheels in motion on the Pulis sacking and would make a progressive appointment if it's left to them. Tony Scholes though is a damn fool without an iota of footballing sense.

He'll look at what Hughes achieved with similar sized clubs and be dazzled. The Chairman is well meaning but not really that knowledgeable. He needs to have an ear to the ground as to fan reaction, Stokies are going mad at the link to Hughes. I think the general order of preference amongst the fans is - 1. Rafa 2. Martinez 3. Di Matteo (If he brings Steve Holland with him). I think the likes of Steve Davis at Crewe and maybe one or two particular continental managers deserve at least an interview.

On the people of influence at Stoke, you're missing probably the the biggest new influence on the club, the 'technical director' Cartwright. A Man City loving, former lower league goalie turned agent in charge of a Premiership club's football blueprint.

Initially thought Stoke would actually be something to consider for Rafa, then did some digging and this guy turned up. Nah, not gonna work. Another English club who's going down the route of technical directors to safeguard against errant managers.

[PhaseOfPlay]

On the people of influence at Stoke, you're missing probably the the biggest new influence on the club, the 'technical director' Cartwright. A Man City loving, former lower league goalie turned agent in charge of a Premiership club's football blueprint.

Initially thought Stoke would actually be something to consider for Rafa, then did some digging and this guy turned up. Nah, not gonna work. Another English club who's going down the route of technical directors to safeguard against errant managers.

What issue do you have with him?

[surfer. Fuck you generator.]

What issue do you have with him?

I don't believe Rafa is the kind of manager who will work to his best long term (say 5  to eight) years under a 'technical director'. Short term, he'll compromise; at a rich club like Chelsea, where with the funding you have access to trophy winning players, he may compromise; but if you want him as part of a long term plan, to build a club with average resources into something bigger, it won't be under a director for Rafa.

[please, I have my reasons for it but...]

It is amazing how blind some Premier League chairmen can be. Look at QPR for example, had they been smart when sacking Hughes, they could have taken Laurent Blanc or even Unai Emery (who had just left Spartak Moscow at the time) yet they went for a dinosaur in Redknapp who to the surprise of no one kept them where they are and took no blame for it whatsoever.

Now you got Stoke, a team that was criticized for not evolving since their promotion to the Premier League five years ago, they sack their manager for that same reason, yet hire a man, who has an appalling record with teams who has got some cash like Stoke, even more, has proved that he'd jump at the first chance he'd get to go to somewhere else to prolong his career as evident when he left Fulham to join Aston Villa, something that turned Villa off signing him in the first place.

They could go for Di Matteo, Blanc or Felix Magath, all on a free, yet they go for someone like Mark fucking Hughes as their manager. Southampton didn't do too badly when signing a manager from La Liga you know.

[Drinks Sangria]

On the people of influence at Stoke, you're missing probably the the biggest new influence on the club, the 'technical director' Cartwright. A Man City loving, former lower league goalie turned agent in charge of a Premiership club's football blueprint.

Initially thought Stoke would actually be something to consider for Rafa, then did some digging and this guy turned up. Nah, not gonna work. Another English club who's going down the route of technical directors to safeguard against errant managers.

I left Cartwright out because he struck me as a no-influence boardroom politicking bovver-boy who didn't have much of a clue. Much like Scholes, to an extent. He seems to have an ill-defined role and when he was interviewed the other night on Radio Stoke, he cam across as having no actual clue as to what his own role was. How do these types of people get influential roles in Premier League Clubs?

[Libertine]

Wow, got to feel for the Stoke fans. They see a manager who was reasonably successful (if through fairly awful methods) let go. They then see some tentative links to Rafa Benitez. And end up with Mark Hughes.

 

Nobody deserves that.

No doubt the appointment will be greeted with near universal praise in the press. A top quality manager, quietly ignoring all his past failures, just like they do with Redknapp, Bruce, O'Neill etc etc etc.

[EmotionalCitrus]

Wow, got to feel for the Stoke fans. They see a manager who was reasonably successful (if through fairly awful methods) let go. They then see some tentative links to Rafa Benitez. And end up with Mark Hughes.

 

Nobody deserves that.

No doubt the appointment will be greeted with near universal praise in the press. A top quality manager, quietly ignoring all his past failures, just like they do with Redknapp, Bruce, O'Neill etc etc etc.

Stoke fans do.

[MagicHat]

Anybody know why Steven Nzonzi put in a transfer request?

[Max_powers]

Anybody know why Steven Nzonzi put in a transfer request?

Maybe he is sad to see Pulis leave? He probably isn't going to find a manager that plays to his strengths like Pulis did.

[Camarero25]

Anybody know why Steven Nzonzi put in a transfer request?

He plays for Stoke.

[MagicHat]

Maybe he is sad to see Pulis leave? He probably isn't going to find a manager that plays to his strengths like Pulis did.

Apparently the request was put in before Pulis left but then, it was hardly a secret Pulis was in trouble so you might be right.