Stoke City: Tony Pulis tells critics to look at the big picture

“I have massive respect for TP, give him a knighthood, freedom of the City and so on. It's great to be in the Prem. But, these are times of adversity for him, fans aren't happy and the team looks tired at best. I reckon you judge a man by how he responds to adversity rather than by how he got there in the first place. I hope he pulls it around and would love to see us ripping into teams at a truly hostile Britannia. Just hope I'm not dreaming.”

“Deadlyscfc I always find your views fair, balanced and positive. I am amazed that you have 7 red arrows.”

“I sit here in sheer amazement at the quotes I have just read from the Clueless One! The fact he can actually look at the dire football played away from home (and at home in many cases) and tries to justify it by citing a half of football against Fulham (yes a half)a game against the Premier League newcomers Swansea who 5 years ago when we came into the Prem, were in god knows what division and a game against ManU where he claims we "gave them a game, yet lost 4 -2 and of 1 our 2 goals was scored by one of them ! There is no doubt we play better at home, but good god we have to because if we didn't put in a shift or 2 at home we would have been relegated our first season. This deluded man continues to pander to the thos who slobber all over him for getting us promoted and his continued speil of being "little Stoke" and we really should not have any expectations is quite frankly very insulting! He has no clue how to coach a team to do anything beyond not losing and parking the bus in the effort to do so ! The results and performances in most other games this season just go to show that the 3-1 belting we gave Liverpool was just a really lucky win , not anything to consider us being a better team. He continues to pull the wool over his Chairman's and the supporters eyes that he is doing a good job but not to have any high expectations, that the multi millions of pounds he has spent on players is just something he had to do and that using them in their wrong position or not at all is all part of his master plan ! We all thought that after the 3 year plan was up and more money was spent that that was all it would take for us to do to improve in the league, but were we wrong as nothing has changed whatsoever and we are on course t o score even fewer goals than last season's dire club record low. Obvioulsy, to he "we are just happy to be here crowd" as long as we don;t get relegated they will consider Pulis to be some managing genius, but to those of us with some ambition and passion for their team, he is just a hindrance to producing a great team in the potteries !”

“I see my response to Mel's "cowardly" post has been removed. The level of censorship on this site is a joke. Personal attacks on Tony Pulis on a daily basis seem to be acceptable but similar comments aimed at the sad individuals responsible are not. Still, I don't suppose Tony Pulis bothers with the "cowardly" act of bleating to the Sentinels "Big Brother". I don't like many of Mel's comments which I believe are the result of malice and a desire to give the impression that "he knows best". i quote from one of Mel's posts "I can well understand Ferguson extolling the virtues and brilliance of **** managers. Whilst they are in place it will always make his team more buoyant in the league". Does anyone really believe that's how Alex thinks ? I don't know what the censored word in Mel's post is but I think I can guess, so Mel thinks the Premiership has lot's of **** managers or maybe Mel just knows more than Sir Alex.”

“my lady has had a midlands journo looking at the Stats for us this season,and Stoke have actually had more possession away from home than at any time they have been in the top flight.Chelsea we had 50/50 at Man utd we had the second highest of any visiting team, It is also a fact the places we have had results we had low possession stats.So when we have attempted to push on we have lost.Our away form is not much different to most sides from 10 downwards.Whelan has given the ball away on less occasions than Nzonzi and has in fact made more successful forward passes over 15 yards than any one in the team.However these stats did improve after the arrival of Nzonzi.So in reality away from home we have tried to get more passing going,which suggests a change in style.also we are only 8 th in the long ball league table.of which we were second to Norwich last year.”

“Hope you are not calling several of us cowardly mel.We do not hide behind postings we pay hard earned cash to go home and away,often putting Stoke b4 family,and come rain or shine,good or bad we were always there in the past and will be in the future and whats more we do reveal who we are but you fail to mention who you are and exactly what you did at the club,like a certain american based poster that is cowardly,so lets not attack each other and just get on with talking football.”

“Speil, You're quite right there re away games. I dug out some figures the other day following the usual criticism of our away performances, which I must add are fully justifiable. The bottom 11 (including ourselves) have won c13% of their games, whilst the top 9 have won over 40%. That's why our impeccable home performances are so important to us.”

“Like it or not Mel is correct,The squad we have is a good squad,and i along with Johnson earlier in the season were sure we were going to give a few teams a good hiding.Well we were wrong, bar Liverpool,and a good day at United,(i know we lost,) performances have been abysmal. The squad we have in the hands of a manager with a clue about tactics would have us 6th or seventh in the league playing good football. Alas our manager only knows the 10 man defence and the hoof ball. I am not advocatining getting rid of Pulis,at least till the end of the season, Then move him upstairs, and bring in someone who knows how to coach the passing game.i watch a lot of lower league football,and a lot of the teams there put us to shame football wise. yes i know what you are going to say, but how would those managers go on with 80- or 90 million to spend.If i had been given 450 million at man city,I COULD HAVE WON THE BLEEDIN LEAGUE MYSELF. Pulis needs a good win tomorrow, as the atmosphere at the Brit is getting worse by the match.if the teams below us get a couple of wins,and we do not, we be down there amongst the dog fight.GOD HELP US.”

“Premier league football is becoming predictable. The bottom ten usually lose away from home (and even the once mighty Liverpool have yet to beat a top ten team home or away this season, according to Talksport).

It's becoming a bit like the SPL I am afraid.

As awful as our form away is, our home form is exceptional; one win away in a year but one defeat at home. With the exception of Wigan, most clubs in the bottom half rarely win away from home.

£90m spent in five years doesn't guarantee you Prem football year after year but no-one gave us a 'snowball in hell' chance of surviving that first season in the Prem, never mind still being there for what should tomorrow be a sixth season.The fact that we are still there should not be lost on us. Granted things need to change, but in a structured way, and if you don't trust TP to do it then can I suggest you place your trust in PC to do the right thing, as and when he sees fit?

(Welcome back Haleswales btw.)”

“So fed up of cowardly people with no ambition and no bottle who constantly whitter on about "look what happened to Charlton or Bolton". So what ? We are Stoke City and with a better manager and back room staff we will prosper. I want to see my team adopt more courageous tactics than the cowardly ones we use now where we attempt to steal points.”