Martin Smith: Stoke City have had a great start to season, but lack of goals is holding us back
WHEN we first saw the fixtures for this season, it’s fair to say most Stoke fans took a deep breath and anticipated a rough start to the season.
There was even talk of us even reaching the end of October with just three or four points to our name.
But after Sunday’s goalless draw at Anfield we’re on eight points from an extremely tricky first seven games.
Perhaps even more impressive is the fact we’ve only lost once during a run of fixtures which included games against Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and the not-so-mighty Reds of Liverpool.
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Even a defeat at Old Trafford in our next match a week on Saturday wouldn’t detract from our good start.
The draw on Merseyside highlighted the best qualities of the Potters, tenacity and superb team spirit thwarting Liverpool at every turn.
The team play for each other and give selflessly of their efforts – the foundations on which our Premier League adventure has been based.
I’d be the first person to admit our style of football is not to everyone’s taste, including some Stoke fans, but it is impossible not to admire the commitment of our players and their unity of purpose.
The rock on which another good season in the Premier League appears as though it’s going to be built is undoubtedly our back four and goalkeeper.
Geoff Cameron, Marc Wilson, Robert Huth and skipper Ryan Shawcross are all playing out of their skins at the moment, while Asmir Begovic is looking to be one of the very best goalkeepers in the league.
With this solid unit performing as they are right now, we have every reason to believe we can start to move onwards and upwards this season.
Tony Pulis always tries to make sure he has his defence sorted out each season as his first priority, and he certainly seems to have achieved that.
If there remain any doubts, then they continue to hover around the subject of goals and how many we look like scoring.
The draw at Anfield on Sunday was the third time in five Premier League visits we’ve come away from Liverpool with a 0-0 draw to our names, but also the fifth time we’ve failed to score there.
We actually had two great chances to score during the first half at the weekend, but both openings came from defensive and goalkeeping errors, rather than something we created ourselves.
In fact, we didn’t really manage to create anything ourselves, and the only other moment of real note came when Michael Kightly failed to pick out a team-mate in the Liverpool box when he got to the byline in the second half, with Stokies praying he’d square the ball to an unmarked Charlie Adam in the middle.
It seems to me that a lack of goals could be the only thing which holds us back again this season, and I’m not sure we’ve yet done enough to address this issue satisfactorily.
When at our most potent a couple of seasons ago, we were playing with Jon Walters and Kenwyne Jones in the middle, and with Matthew Etherington and Jermaine Pennant pinging the ball in from the flanks.
It was this combination which had the critics and pundits sitting up and taking notice at the way Stoke had developed.
Right now we have just Crouch in the middle and Walters and Kightly not delivering as many balls into the middle, while Adam seems to be playing a free wandering role as an attacking midfielder, which either doesn’t suit him or he hasn’t got to terms with yet.
I’m hopeful we’ll get there because the difficulty we seem to have in finding the back of the net may see us being one of the lowest scorers again.
It’s more of an observation than a moan because there is clearly a lot to admire about this current Stoke side and what it is capable of doing.
Of course, in the wake of our 0-0 draw at Liverpool it would be impossible not to mention the antics of Luis Suarez and his latest attempts to get his hands on a BAFTA.
His constant play-acting, diving and feigning injury is getting ridiculous, while his double dive in the second half on Sunday was an outright embarrassment.
We have a player here of undoubted technical ability and outstanding natural skill who could be an inspiration to everyone, but who instead seems obsessed with winning free-kicks and penalties.
It brings nothing but discredit to him and, it’s sad to say, to Liverpool fans as a whole, as they continue to treat him like a hero and, in doing so, defend the indefensible.
It’s a man’s game out there. Sometimes it’s tough and sometimes it’s not fair, but the least you should do is stand up and act like a man.
Take the hits, give some back yourself and look like you deserve the incredible sums of money you get paid each week to be in the firing line.
When you go out there with the premeditated intention to cheat, dive and feign injury you’re selling yourself short and you’re selling the game short too.
Those who do it are a blight on football, and if TP is the only manager currently banging on about it, then it suggests that many of his fellow bosses agree with what their theatrical players are getting up to.
IT’S annoying that we have to endure yet another international break this weekend, our second already this season, but I’m sure I speak for all Stoke fans when I wish our skipper, Ryan Shawcross, all the very best.
He is fully deserving of a first international cap and hopefully he’ll get it in either this Friday when England play San Marino at Wembley on next Tuesday when they take on Poland in Warsaw.
Shawcross is a glowing example of how footballers should conduct themselves on the field of play and we’ll all be so proud of him when he does finally take to the field with those three lions on his shirt.
Comments
by Latthink
Tuesday, October 16 2012, 9:11PM
“PEVAP! Agree with your sentiments except that Pulis should tell his players to go out and enjoy themselves, not stand on the touchline postulating and exercising quality control over them. I'm sure that most of the players have sufficient footballing intelligence to work things out for themselves on the pitch, and are quite able to extract a win entirely with their own efforts. Can Pulis be chained to the dugout for a change?”
by PeterPotter
Monday, October 15 2012, 10:58PM
“Obama4prez, it's so nice to read realistic posts on here for a change as opposed to the farcical ones that some write. What I'd give for an upset. Spurs have done it this season and Blackburn bloody Rovers did it last season! We have a good squad and with just a little imagination, determination and guile shown by Pulis, we could do the same !!
Let's hope so !”
by Obama4prez
Monday, October 15 2012, 8:04PM
“Martin,
i would say we have had a "good" start to the season given our very difficult opening 8 games. I had predicted 6 or 7 points but am pleased we have 8 with one game to go - albeit United away. Now nobody expects us to get anything at OT except a good hiding maybe but we are in a position now to go there and cause more than a few problems. We nearly nicked a point two seasons ago if not for Danny Collins inept display at full-back against Nani. Our defence is much better now and we have more tools at our disposal to create a few chances. Can we take them ? My belief is we are ready to cause an upset this week - and I dont mean just getting one point. it is high time we had the confidence to go there and have a right go at United - like Blackburn did last season. Now that would lead if not to a possible "great" start to the season at least to a "great" result.”
by jpj_58
Monday, October 15 2012, 3:48PM
“Potterforlife
why dont you get a life.
your never ending obsession with P.Potter is boring beyond belief.
Change the record, move on to something else or maybe just move on.
I couldnt care less if PP is Soccerfoot, so what.
His comments are more accurate and factual than many others on here.”
by PeterPotter
Monday, October 15 2012, 2:10PM
“ender, I really could not have stated those facts any simpler, I really couldn't. Yet you still don't get it. Yes they are facts, not my or anybody else's opinion. However, it was the opinion of your fellow fantasy believer that Stoke City are doing much better than last season and I said we are not and that nothing has really changed whatsoever and that the real life results and performances i made note of prove it very clearly. Now, I never stated we should be scoring more, winning more, losing less,drawing more or less, just pointed out the facts or results and performances. Facts are like kryptonite to people like you, reality just scares you to death because they are the opposite of what you spout and the fact that you can actually ask how results can prove anything. Well you also state we are playing much better, I would say we are playing differently and if we were playing much better our results would be different, but they are practically identical from last season when you claim we were not playing as well.”
by potterforlife
Monday, October 15 2012, 10:38AM
“All I am asking is the answer to simple questions, I have never attacked you soccerfoot, just given my opinion that you do not make sense in what you say and that you Love attacking the club, the players, the Manager and fellow supposrters on this sight, as is my right.
So I ask again, and I will keep asking until you answer the question soccerfoot,
Where have I insulted you this week?
Why do you lie to people about your identity?
To prove you attend matches as you state, what is the competition called at half time at the Brit?
Why? because nobody likes a liar!”
by boothernender
Monday, October 15 2012, 9:42AM
“It appears that the entire basis of Soccerfoots argument is that Stoke are rubbish because we did not hammer in numerous goals against Man City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. You just can't debate such a stupid point of view and I fail to see how listing results is suppossed to be some proof of anything. Any sane person will have noticed the diffeence in the quality of our play and will judge us over a reasonable number of games. It's the sensible thing to do and it doesn't take a post the size of "War and Peace" to say it.”
by jswords
Monday, October 15 2012, 8:03AM
“Unfortunately, PP, obvious facts are wasted on the select few. Whilst most Stoke fans can
accept and admit we are not the team we would like to be, and the main reason for
this is the Manager, nothing short of relegation will alter their view.
But never fear, once we have gone past the next game, there should be no
holding back, goals will be reigning in from inside and outside the box, the wingers
will be zig-zagging through opposing defenders, midfielders will be pushing forward,
no back passes from the half way line. Dull 0-0 results will be a thing of the past, 3 goals
and more each game will be the norm.
Yes, you have guessed it, there will be no holding back the plucky Valiants.”
by PeterPotter
Sunday, October 14 2012, 10:36PM
“I would have to say that a 'supporter' who makes up stories and fantasy to make his team look better than it really is and just completely ignores facts (not opinion)set in front of him, then attacks others who do see things realistically should be out right ashamed of themselves. At least I and others on here are real, show real concern for their team, look at the good and the bad, don't cover things up and wonder how someone can say we are doing far better than last year when I have proven that we are not at all. I would have thought a true supporter would have more concern for his team than to do that, go to sing and shout them on, but still be concerned when nothing changes game after game after game!
You never have anything to say back to me besides gibberish and one of you genius friends just responds with "what a knob" because he has nothing constructive or true to respond with either.
Personally I don't really care that you do attack me personally, I'm a big boy i just ignore it. However what does concern me is someone postulating about 'their club' when in all actuality, you don't care at all because you make up stores and lies to cover up the truth. I for one am looking for Pulis to buck up in 1 department, that is attacking and get something going before our next 26 games look like our last and we find ourselves looking up at mots of the other teams in the league ! He has the squad and personnel to do it, actually has had for 2 seasons now, but none better than he has now.He prefers to defend and defend and defend some more and some times it just takes a little imagination, and a little guts to get where you want to be.When he starts doing that and the players respond accordingly and a few wins start coming in, nobody will be screaming louder in his support than me!”
by potterforlife
Sunday, October 14 2012, 8:03PM
“What please was all that about?
In the previous post it is just your take on the results, nobody is arguing with that and I have given you my take, so what was that last post about? it does not make sense!
Answer the questions coward and stop hiding behind words, especially when they have nothing to do with the posts that go on before.
I have answered what I think, now answer the questions soccerfoot, or are you going to continue to lie about your true identity
Who the hell do you think you are kidding!”