Stoke City

[The2ndMouse]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/t...ity/7516186.stm

Dave Kitson - 5.5 M Quid

[DUDE]

Probably the worst buy of the season! If a team like Stoke wants to spend that amount, buy players that can keep you up.

If this team finishes anywhere but bottom of the league I'll be stunned.

[The2ndMouse]

Stoke Just Secured a spot in next years Premiership :nw:

The Potters were expected to suffer immediate relegation from the top flight after winning promotion from the Championship last term.

However, Saturday's 2-1 victory at Hull City guaranteed survival in England's pinnacle division, while pushing the Tigers further towards the drop.

And - after watching Ricardo Fuller and Liam Lawrence score at the KC Stadium, while Andy Dawson responded with an injury-time free-kick - Pulis feels his side have underlined their status and ability.

"It has been a tough season for us but we have kept going. We have been battle-hardened," he said.

Hard work

"We have got a little bit more than people have given us credit for, and I can talk about that now we have stayed up."

He added: "It is the first time I have managed in the Premier League. To prove a lot of people wrong is nice.

"I have worked very hard in my career as a player and a manager. I always get up every morning and try and do my best.

"That is what we have all tried to do and every game the players have been smashing.

"The most important thing is yourselves. It is not proving other people wrong, it is proving we can do it. That is the big thing.

Outsiders

"Until you do, you can talk all you want, but you have to do it. We have done it and it is a lovely badge that they (the players) can wear.

"They have been rank outsiders at the beginning, in the middle and right at the end."

But Pulis insists that, with games against Wigan and Arsenal still to come, he will not be getting carried away.

"A big thing in football is that you have to keep your feet on the ground. As soon as you start getting carried away it will kick you right in the backside," he said.

source --> http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,117...5306202,00.html

[Euro2004]

Stoke great this year. They haven't played the most beautiful football, but it's effective and i'm happy they've survived.

[The2ndMouse]

I think that this guy, Pulis, is doing a good job with the players he has.

In the Championship (the lower division) he was working a lot with loaned players in order to test them in the forefront of the battle and see it they were worth buying,

now he has to prove he can spend wisely the larger budget to stay afloat in one of the most demanding championships (the premiership) in the world ...

Great job up to now

[The2ndMouse]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,117...6018239,00.html

(After the goalless draw with Villa Stoke now has +1 point to add to the total in the article above and 9 games to play...)

[Euro2004]

I know they're unpopular for their ugly style but I respect Stoke. They aren't as one dimensional as everyone says. In Etherington and Tuncay they have good footballers with a creative spark. The rest of the team is very well put together by Pulis to create a big, strong solid team. I'm a big fan of Faye at the back and he marshalls them at the back (along with the highly rated Shawcross, who i do think is a little overrated but still a good young defender). In short, Pulis has found a great balance and they're a decent Premiership team.