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Pre-season Chelsea Chat: Stoke City

 

 

Day four of the pre-season chats and today, TheChelseaBlog poses the questions to Ryan from Vital Stoke.

 

TheChelseaBlog: So, a new season awaits – what are you hoping to get from it?

VitalStoke: We’ve surpassed the supposed 3-year-establishment-plan Tony Pulis conjured up, so the question now for a number of Potters fans is what’s the next step? What we have done so far for the money we’ve spent has been phenomenal and we’ve made a profit along the way, which is credit to Tony and our Owner/Chairman Peter Coates. They run the club like a business and never make huge risks to sign wishy-washy players who have big names (and usually big hair) for ridiculous sums of money. No doubt, we could afford to do it if we really wanted to; Coates’ Bet365 business is thriving making him the 25th richest person in British football, so at the age of 73, he’s hardly going to take the money up with him is? But if there’s no need to spend big, then there’s no point. It’s a slightly boring perspective for fans who are eager to see new faces, but realistically in the long run, it’s for the good of the club. It’s a model that other Premier League clubs should use as a baseline, unless you are Manchester Moneybags City who only need to worry about finances once in a blue moon, especially after buying the FA Cup (no bitterness of course). Based on all that, the answer really is to continue what we have been doing, and that is gradually improving. I want to improve just that little bit more so that we can push for a top ten finish. I believe we are a sleeping giant ready to explode, displaying our true colours and showing our critics what we really are capable of achieving, but for now we must build ourselves up gradually just like we have been doing for the past three years. We’ll all be happy if we were to do that, and then maybe next year we can push to be a part of the ‘best of the rest’ teams along with Villa, Everton ect.

 

TCB:What do you realistically expect?

VS: Even though I said that I wanted to push for top ten, the Europa League will drain our fitness quicker, therefore making it potentially harder for us to compete in the Premier League. We saw that the magnificent FA Cup run last season wobbled our form slightly in the league, but we dealt with that well and managed to give 110% in both competitions. Assuming that we get to the group stages and further, with the limited squad we have I think it could be too much, especially if big teams are the next opponents. That’s why many Potters wouldn’t be sad if we lost out and fell out early. Don’t get us wrong, we are grateful for the magnificent opportunity to play at a bigger stage and show the world who we are, but I think this progress has come too early. We haven’t quite developed to the extent that we have a handful of quality on the sidelines big enough to cover most of the first team. We’ve got some budding youngsters and a couple of first team contenders, but we don’t have the amount of players needed at our disposal to cope with the extra demand of games. It’s a bit of fun on the side, because our main love affair is with the Premier League and we want to be secure with that. Therefore, realistically, I’d expect a top of the bottom half finish; somewhere in the region of 14th to 11th. However, that all depends on how long we are in Europe for, and whether players are fit enough for the extra challenge.

 

TCB: Do you think the transfer window has been kind to you?

VS: As of yet, no. We’ve only made one signing, and that’s Johnathan Woodgate on a free from Spurs. He’s a great player on his day and will be a useful asset to our defence, but we’ve got to make sure he is kept fit. We have fantastic facilities at Stoke after a recent £7million investment in a new training ground, so that and the highly qualified and proven physios working for the backrooms, we should be able to that and reignite his career (touch wood). However, a player that is in the pipeline is Wilson Palacios for a reported club record breaking £8million. Apparently he has signed, but then apparently he hasn’t and is still agreeing a signing on fee. All I know is that a bid has been excepted, and his car has been seen at the Britannia Stadium, so we’ll have to see. He would be the perfect midfield addition that we need if he was to come though. We play with two holding central midfielders that can regain possession and feed the wingers, and he has a prolific track record for doing just that. Not only that but he is has a big, physical presence that is also a strength we play to, quite literally. So he would welcomed by all and I hope a final and official agreement can be made. We have been linked to a number of other players, not least Nickolas Bendtner, but it’s all well and good being rumoured to be interested in them, but we need confirmations. What we need, and what Pulis promised, is at least 5 players, being of the defence, midfield and striking variety. I want to hear the scribbling of ink pens on contracts more than anybody, but the likelihood of that happening before our game with you is pretty slim. We’ll just have to see who Pulis can pull out of the bag during the final stages of the transfer window, which is when we usually bring players in.

 

TCB: Is there anyone you’d give your right arm to bring in?

VS: That’s a tough one. I think I’ll have to be lifeless and limbless before I manage to finish this question! We desperately need a striker, and most importantly a striker that can bang them away at a considerable rate. Afterall, our top goal scorer last season was defender and Berlin wall Robert Huth from corners or set-pieces. Before I state the one player I want, can I change it to my left arm? I need my right one for writing and… other mandatory needs. Anyway, I’ll go for Carlos Tevez. The Argentinean has incredible bursts of pace and energy, with a remarkable eye for goal, scoring 23 goals in 39 appearances for Man City last season. He’s built like a tank and runs like a cheetah, which combines to create the perfect forward in my eyes. Defenders really have a torrid and troublesome time taming him as he never seems to tire throughout the entire game. He would be an indispensable member of the squad and well worth my left arm, or if not my left, I’ll be prepared to give my right as before. I’ll just have to find someone else to do my writing.

 

TCB:Who are your most important players?

VS: Jermaine Pennant and Mathew Etherington are the ones I’d point out if I had to narrow it down, otherwise I would point out the obvious and say the whole first team; they all have a part to play after all! Both of them are of pedigree class and equally tear up their side of the pitch. Pennant has exceptional trickery to stun defenders and Etherington has a sensational backward-curling low crossing ability that confuses goalkeepers and gives our strikers the advantage. They are a pair of wingers that are a pair of blinding bargains, coming on leaps and bounds since donning the red and white strip. They must surely be in contention for an England cap, especially Etherington who is a natural left-footed winger; a rarity these days for English players. They are both play a vital role in the team and provide that extra bit of quality across the ground that we are becoming more and more accustomed to playing with. They a couple are the first signs of true development for the club and I hope more players of their calibre can be brought to the Brit.

 

TCB: What about opposition players? Which PL player worries you most?

VS: Danny Murphy worries me, not because he’s intimidating or exceptionally good, but it’s his wellbeing when he next makes the trip to the Britannia Stadium that worries me. He has made it abundantly clear that he doesn’t like us and thinks that we go into games with the mentality to injure on purpose. His claims were laughed off though as his evidence was none existent, and he also stated that ‘it never used to be like this’, which if you cast your memories back to the seventies and dirty Leeds United, contradicts that completely. All in all, he’s just a hypocrite as he can be just as dirty when he jolly well wants to be. He is a hate figure, just like all others who take an immediately disliking to us, such as Arsene Wenger who astonishingly stated that we were a rugby team! Of all the cheek! It seems that stereotype Stoke City is all people like them pair of planks see, and not the underdog success story that many have come to appreciate. We are not vicious at all, yes we’re physical, but we’re hardly going to brutally murder you single-footidly! Anyway, Murphy will feel the full force of the jeering, jibes and victory signs next time his pops over for a kick-about. It might well be a bad idea to publically insult Stoke without due care and attention, or hard evidence. To answer the question properly, I’d say Javier Hernández, or Chicharito as he likes to call himself. The ‘little pea’ – as his nickname translates as – is certainly a major threat for Manchester United, scoring 13 goals in 27 games. He’ll be one to watch this coming season because I think he has more up his sleeve!

 

TCB: How do you think your manager stands up against the rest?

VS: Do I even have the words to describe this man? I could probably find some… Tony Pulis is a prolific manager who hasn’t had the credit he deserves. He has taken the club to dizzy heights and is determined to recreate the glory days of the 70’s, or at least get us as close as possible. His continuing hard efforts have resulted in the construction of a versatile team that prove to be a challenge for any opposition we play against. As I mentioned before, he’s managed to do all that without spending much at all, in fact, we haven’t bought anybody over £10million so far, with our record signing being a total of £5million in 2008. The fact that Dave Kitson was a firey-haired flop doesn’t count. Pulis has squeezed the best from players for as little as possible, I mean, just look at Matty Etherington; we snapped him up for £2million and what an amazing signing he turned out to be. Peter Coates paid off his gambling debt and Pulis helped him immensely to combat his addiction, and resurrect his career, for which his father has publically thanked the club for. Since his transfer, he has become a huge fan favourite, a key player in the team and has even won our Player of the Season award in his first year with us. What about Jermaine Pennant? A Premier League castaway joins us on a 4 month loan and then signs in the following January Transfer Window for an initial £1.725million, rising to £2.8million with games played. He is a calm and collected player now, displaying mesmerising trickery and tearing up the wings and defence. A remarkable signing for us! I think that shows how brilliant a man-manager Tony Pulis is. He takes waifs and strays, and turns them into pedigree front runners, all for a fantastic bargain. His business acumen, ambition and determination to form a team that he can call his own, further proves why he deserves the key to the city. He narrowly missed out on the Manager of the Season award last season, but that hasn’t affected him. He knows that every Stoke fan appreciates greatly what he has done for the club, and we are all looking to a brighter future with Pulis at the realm. If I had the opportunity to meet the man, I would be tempted to take off his trademark cap and kiss him on his bald genius head, but I don’t fancy tangling on the floor with security, so a hand shake and a thank you would suffice I think.

 

TCB: And your supporters – can they give the opposition a run for their money?

VS: Without a shadow of a doubt! The question is, would you give us a run for our money? We remain as the loudest and proudest, which makes The Britannia Stadium such an intimidating place to play in. The away fans can sing, shout, jeer and boo all they like, because it’ll soon be drowned out by a bellowing rendition of Delilah, or in your case, a repetitive ‘shit down shut up’ in a cockney dialect! But its banter isn’t it? We all do the same no matter who you support, and you’ll probably conjure up something for us! It’s all part of football matches and having a laugh, but most importantly, standing up for who you support and making sure the whole world and their dogs know. So I’m really looking forward to the first Premier League match and our first encounter of the season, both for the football, and for the opportunity to ruin my voice box again. There is always an amazing atmosphere at our ground, so watch out for the high decibels ratings echoing from the Boothen End and flooding through the other stands. Let the vocal duel begin!

 

TCB: Where do you think you’ll finish this season?

VS: Heart says 10th, head says 12th. Either way we’ll be hanging around in mid-table and that’s absolutely fine as far as I’m concerned.

 

TCB: Any predictions for the top four?

VS: Manchester Moneybags City will be looking to perch on the top spot, and could pose a problem for other challengers. But then again, if the Community Shield is anything to go by, they could lose out at the last minute and fall flat on their backsides, wiping tears away £50 notes. You guys will be a team to watch, especially with Villas-Boas in charge. It’ll be interesting to see what the 33-year-old manager can do for you and whether he’ll be able to motivate the likes of Terry and Lampard properly. I’ve seen one interview with him, and he certainly seems tactically minded with a unique vision of football, so he could be a dark horse. Arsenal, I would like to point out, are not in the running in my books, especially as Wenger currently seems occupied with bringing in attackers and not focusing on building a more solid defence. Liverpool are slowly building themselves up and I reckon they’ll prove to be difficult for the top teams. All I can say is watch this space for it seems it’ll be an interesting season!

 

My Predictions:

 

1st – Manchester United

2nd – Chelsea

3rd – Manchester City

4th – Liverpool

 

TCB: Cheers Ryan

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