Stoke City: Goal hero Jerome in Brit blast at lack of opportunities

“What planet is that weirdo Soccerfoot on, me personally attack Ricardo Fuller, what is this prize idiot on about. I love Ricardo Fuller, he's up there with the best Stoke players of all time for me and I've said so more times than I can remember. This from a guy who has a pop at almost every player in the team and then say's he would never launch a personal attack a player. Every time he writes he has a personal attack on someone. Tell me when I have ever made a personal attack on Fuller, it's a lie pure and simple. I will repeat myself, along with Hoekstra Ric Fuller is the most entertaing Stoke player of modern times. Jermaine Pennant is a proven idiot and that's as close as I get to a personal attack on any Stoke player.”

“Okay, I'm going to do my best to answer your comments soccerfoot.

I'm sure in recent weeks I've heard you refer to Walters as 'useless'. I class that as personal, rather than critical. It wasn't just you, hence why I haven't made a list as other names have been used to describe him lately, but that's the one that I'm 99% sure I've seen attached to your name. If someone called me useless, I'd be offended; that's the logic I'm working on. If you can prove to me it wasn't you, I'll retract my comment. Said it before, I don't mind being proven wrong.

As for the Wilson comment, it isn't surprising that a right-footed left-back kicks with his left-foot I know. What frustrates is that he aims for Pennant. Why not use his right and hoof down the wing to Etherington if he insists on hoofing. If he has to use his left, why not play a square ball to Huth or Upson? Hoofing with a weaker foot is not a sign of a good player in my opinion. Making accurate short passes with a weaker foot is a sign of a good player. Making accurate long-range passes (not hoofs that go out for a throw) is a sign of a great player. If he improves his accuracy he'll fit into the latter category. But at the moment I'm not sure how he'd cope if he was the hub of passing activity.”

“flint, come on, i expect better from you. i dont know why i do, but i do. I have NEVER EVER attacked players personally like johnson and jayenne have, and others for that matter. I criticize for poor performace plain and simple. never call them names, never say anything personal about them, just how they perform on the pitch !! But i had to laugh when yo usaid Wilson hoofs it with his left foot, thats because he plays on the left even though he is right footed and more often than not he has to use his left, hence the position !!”

“And you're saying you haven't been verbally attacking Walters recently soccerfoot? Or Whelan? Is it only players you don't like that can be criticised? Are Jerome and Wilson beyond criticism? Have you considered that there may be a reason why Jerome has been on the bench and why Wilson has been at left-back this season, that isn't simply just the manager choosing to fill round holes with square pegs?”

“I know johnson would never get onto a player for performing poorly, he prefers to attack them personally as he did with Fuller after the Chelsea debacle and just a few, short days ago with Pennant!
What a stand up guy he is!”

“Noonershome, I am not having a pop at Jerome as I never readily have a pop at any Stoke player but just making the point that I don't see him as the saviour that some seem to. Still think he deserved his chance but it was a bad miss. Ridiculous, pointless groundless comments from that eternal idiot Soccerfoot so I won't waste time giving a response. Suffice to say that Flint (who does not come across as someone who has mental issues) sees Wilson's tendency to hoof the ball to often as clearly as I do. Not having a pop at Wilson as he has generally done OK, just stating a fact.”

“soccerfoot, the reason why commentators and pundits are saying these things are most likely because they aren't managers at the moment! Just like we aren't! It's easy for them to say "Oh that Marc Wilson's can pick a pass" or whatever it is you refer to. I'm not bashing the guy for his performances at full-back as he has played well all season, as you said in another post a contender for player of the season. But there is still a question mark in my eyes whether he would be suited to a midfield role as he does hoof the ball a lot, notably with his left foot rather than his right.

As for the QPR game, I felt we were the better team in all honesty. I've said before I cannot attend away games and even though we lost it seemed like a good game to be at, compared to some games that we've heard about this season! If Jerome had scored that early chance it would have been a different game completely, but the biggest positive to take out of the game in my opinion is that TP knows that something is wrong! If he didn't know that having few chances on target (did we have any? haven't heard!) was a bad thing then I'd be concerned, but at least he knows and he'll have the summer to rectify it. I'm writing the Bolton game off now to be honest as I think they've got too much to play for whilst we've got too little. I'm not saying the players will give in but I can just see Bolton playing like the home team next week unfortunately as they need a win.

As for Walters I am confused on one thing. Why play him centrally when he used to play right (and left) wing for Ipswich? I know he does the Heskey thing of tiring a defence but surely it would be better having Jerome's pace down the centre, plus Jerome doesn't like playing on the wing so add those two up and you've got a problem-player!”

“more evidence that johnson never actually watches when we play because he is too busy having a sing song and a good day out. I honestly belive that at the end of the game he has to ask what the scores was because he wa too busy "having a good time" ! Marc Wilson on many occasion, by commentators and pundits alike has been praised for his ability to play football. This is a man who is a right footed player, put at left back by his manager and asked to do a good job. Well he has done a good job, and if yo uever actually watched him, you would know this !! for your information johnson, Fuller played well and Jerome did miss a sitter while both of them were being played out of position ! The amazing Walters was at fault for their goal as he stood watching the ball instead of Cisse as he slipped by him !”

“Dave.
Give the bloke a chance.He misses one sitter and you are on his back,Walters has been missing them all season and he is a great player,bit one sided mate, It would have been better if TP had left Walters on the bench and put Ethers on from the off to give them some width instead of always playing players out of position.One shot on goal says it all i am afraid,the one thing i am glad about is we did not go and waste 100 quid.and no moaning this week!!”

“We all got what we wanted today with Jerome and Fuller starting but I was disappointed that Dean Whitehead didn't start as he has been very good recently. Still no away goal and Jerome apparently missed a bit of a sitter early on. Perhaps this football management lark isn't as simple as we might think.”