Simon Lowe: TP's top New Year mission has got to be to keep Begovic
TIS the season to be jolly.
With my cup of Yuletide joy running over, Christmas is as good a time as any to plot the inexorable progress Stoke City have made in their five years up with the big boys.
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SAFE HANDS: Stoke keeper Asmir Begovic is quite possibly the best in the Premier League at the moment.
By Christmas in 2008, Stoke had amassed 20 points, the following year it was 21, then 22 and for the last campaign it was 24.
This time round Stoke have 25, half way to the fabled 50-point barrier which really is our benchmark for improvement this season.
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Anything over the half-century of points coupled with a top-10 finish has to be seen as a decent season for Stoke.
It is clear the way in which Tony Pulis is hell bent on getting to that target – by not conceding goals.
Nine clean sheets – that's half Stoke's Premier League matches in which Asmir Begovic has not had to pick the ball out of his net.
A goalless draw and point at Spurs was a fabulous Christmas present for Stokies, who roared City on dressed as Santa's reindeer and, er, Penguins!
Begovic pulled off a tremendous stop late on at White Hart Lane. Many have eulogised it, even comparing it to Gordon Banks's astonishing save from Pele in Mexico in 1970.
It was good, in fact very good, but Bego has now got to such a level that I would have been disappointed had he not saved it.
Perhaps that's a mark of just how well he has played this season, but I rarely feel worried that he is going to be beaten on the few occasions any attackers do get past the clutches of Ryan Shawcross and Robert Huth.
Is Begovic the best goalkeeper in the Premier League?
Quite possibly. He is certainly in the best current form, and playing as part of the best defence in Europe at the moment.
Would you swap him for the current incumbent between the posts at Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United or even Real Madrid, for whom Iker Casillas was dropped at the weekend.
Not on your nelly.
And that means that one of the January transfer window's key priorities is to keep hold of him ... and our central defenders. They are the backbone of our team.
Progress of another kind can be measured by the begrudging respect being shown by some of the national media in writing about Stoke's incredible defensive performances in this season of generally awful defensive play.
And also by the continual moaning from some quarters who just cannot accept that the approach of a so-called football genius such as Arsene Wenger can be exposed as being fatally flawed by little old Stoke City.
So Stokies can unwrap their presents and enjoy some festive cheer safe in the knowledge that while we make slow and steady progress, others struggle against decline.
None of the top six clubs are as strong this season as they have been in our previous campaigns. Only Everton, West Brom and West Ham of the clubs around Stoke are improving.
These are great times, to be enjoyed and celebrated.
Comments
by Stars-stripes
Monday, December 24 2012, 11:51PM
“Obviously I meant you're.
God truly has been gracious in his gifts that neither of us sit close together”
by Stars-stripes
Monday, December 24 2012, 11:48PM
“At least you admit your a vale fan”
by jswords
Monday, December 24 2012, 11:36PM
“And I am with you AMoody
and I pay to support both Vale and Stoke
and thank God I sit nowhere near the blinkered Stripes.
With regard to this article :
'Many have eulogised it, even comparing it to Gordon Banks's astonishing save from Pele in Mexico in 1970'.
What a joke, in your dreams Simon Lowe.
Who are these many ? can you name them
and no, he is not the best goalkeeper in the Premier.
A very good keeper but not the best and he didn't
do so well at Old Trafford did he, or was that all
down to the back four.”
by defjamrcs
Monday, December 24 2012, 10:53PM
“Im with you Stars
Merry Xmas Stokie”
by Stars-stripes
Monday, December 24 2012, 9:49PM
“The vale fans are back with their usual diatribe. Yawn, why do these people insist on boring us to death with their relentless moaning and negative outlook. Thank god neither of them go to the games. Can you imagine what it must be like if you had to sit next to them. On and on moaning and complaining this isn't right, he can't play, I'm cold, the price of a pie,can't get off the car park, Begovic only looks good because of the defenders the defenders only look good because we've got no attackers.
Thank you god for my great seat and all the wonderful supporters who surround me”
by AMOODY_72
Monday, December 24 2012, 7:48PM
“According to the writer of this article, the top six clubs are not has strong this season, which I totally agree, you only have to look at the English clubs in the Champions League. Our manager though has stated that this is the strongest Premier League we have played in, this is yet more garbage from Pulis, to justify his negative and boring tactics. If like we say, the league is weaker this season, then why has our manager not tried to evolve and be more attack minded. All we ever read and hear about is our clean sheets, but what about our complete lack of chances and our failure to score yet again away from home. It is much easier to keep clean sheets when you play with ten men beind the ball every away game. On Saturday we had nine out of eleven players who were there just to defend, only Etherington and Jones are attacking players who might have created or scored a goal. Almost every other manager actually tries to attack and win the game, our manager just wants to defend his way to forty points. Tony Pulis is hiding behind his negative tactics and dross football, because he knows he can't play any other way. Yes he will keep us up, basically by stopping the oppositon from scoring, but how about trying to score a few goals ourselves. After four and a half seasons and around eighty million spent, forgive me if I don't go too overboard with the praise and celebrations.”
by summertime
Monday, December 24 2012, 2:11PM
“Simon Lowe come on, I understand it benefits you to write nice things about Stoke City but when did you get into fiction writing ??
According to you in 5 years we have added 5 points from 2008 and to you that is inexorable progress ?? We are scoring less goals than back then, but conceding fewer. the last 2 seasons, we were worse off than the first 2 and this season we are lower in the league than we were this time last season. Why make things up to make us look better than we are? Would it not be more beneficial to the team to show reality and not make things up so they can have more incentive to do better ? We drew at Spurs last season 1-1 when they had a much stronger team than they have now. If you look at Begovic, we are all happy to have one of the best goalies on our team, but isn't it the fantastic players in front of him making him look good ? Let's face it, due to such amazing defending, he spends most of his time looking around for something to do. even against Spurs besides that one amazing save, he spent most of his time standing around thinking if he could get in some shopping time in London before he went back to Stoke.
Nobody is questioning how good our defending is, how could they? But as the long season goes on through the cold months and players get tired, our inability to score will become just as much of a story as our ability to stop the opposition from scoring.”
by MyVince
Monday, December 24 2012, 12:31PM
“Quite right Bexhill,
we are grateful for Micky Adams and the Vale team”
by bexhillpotter
Monday, December 24 2012, 11:39AM
“Merry Xmas to all Potters and Valiants (well it is the season of goodwill). Let's be grateful for a great team with a great manager!”