Stoke City - The Beauty in the Beast

Background

I am a Stoke City fan, and have been watching Stoke since I was 4 (I'm 21.) And have witnessed Stoke's rise from a league one top 6 team to a side that (bar this season's collapse, were a stalwart in the Premier League. The fans ridicule baffles me as we're never going to do any better than we are and the loss of Pulis will be Curbishley leaving Charlton, Allardyce leaving Bolton esque.

My dad however remembers a different time. A time where Stoke were one of the 6/7 best teams in the country. Denis Smith, Terry Conroy, Jimmy Greenhoff, Gordon Banks, Peter Shilton, John Ritchie, I could go on. This was a time when Stoke consistently challenged for trophies. A time that seems so far away with big money football.

Until...


Tony Pulis Leaves Stoke
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01787/Tony_Pulis_1787421b.jpg
Tony Pulis has today ended his second tenure as Stoke City manager.

Pulis had re-taken over the Potters in 2006, having been re-appointed by new Chairman Peter Coates. Pulis led Stoke to promotion in his second season, and has managed to sustain the Potters in the mid-table of the top flight ever since. Stoke reached the FA Cup Final in 2011, losing 1-0 to Manchester City, and got to the knockout rounds in the Europa League the following season before being defeated by Valencia.

However, an aura of controversy has also followed Pulis during his time at Stoke. The Potters have been widely criticised by many pundits, notably Adrian Durham of TalkSport, for their direct style of play, which has drawn likenesses to the Wimbledon side of the early 1990s, and to Rugby teams. Pulis had initially failed to fold to pressure from the Stoke fans, but has finally succumbed.

"My aim was to establish this side as a Premier League Club." Said Pulis. "And I have done exactly what I set out to do. I'd like to thank Peter (Coates) for his commitment and financial investment to this club and what we tried to do here, which is terrific and will continue to be fantastic."

"The fans have been superb, but they want to see progress that I simply cannot offer, we'll see what happens. I'll do my best to help Pete find the right guy to replace me and try and give the fans the progress and the change in style that they want."

Early favourites for the job include Roberto Di Matteo, Ian Holloway and Marin O'Neill.

Good luck. ill be following

Potters Announce Hoekstra As Manager
http://www.wallcoo.net/sport/Premier_League_Stoke_City/images/Stoke%20City%203387409.jpg

Stoke City today unveiled their new manager as former Dutch International Peter Hoekstra.

Hoekstra had a glistening career as a player ahead of him until a horror injury at Euro '96 destroyed his career at Ajax and as a Dutch national player. 5 years later the left winger had found himself in the third tier of English football with Stoke City.

However, Hoekstra became a cult icon at the Potters, his trickery and genius inspiring the fans around him, an effect which must have been taken into account by the board to try and rejuvenate a dwindling and antagonised fan base.

Hoekstra, who had done some coaching and scouting for the Potters before taking a hiatus from football, was delighted to be appointed.

"I owe a lot to this football club." said Hoekstra at his press conference. "They gave me the chance that no-one else would, and I had the chance to enjoy football once again and strike up a great relationship with these wonderful fans. I will do everything I can to make them proud of their football team again."

Hoekstra Promises 'Youth and Excitement'

Peter Hoekstra today said Stoke fans can expect to see a new style of play and a new focus, following the departure of Dean Whitehad to QPR.

Whitehead, who leaves for 3.6 million, is expected to be the first in an exodus as Hoekstra tries to chop the wages and raise funds following Pulis' departure.

"There will be a lot of change this summer." Said the Dutchman. "We shall come back in August with a younger squad of players with more hunger, tenacity and a lot more exciting brand of football."

Hoekstra was coy on news of negotiations with Anderlecht's Belgian winger Massimo Bruno, who was spotted at the training ground yesterday. "Massimo is a talent that we want, but negotiations with the player is always tricky, but we will see what his agent says and what we can do."

Bruno is not the only Belgian stoke are associated with, as they seem to be chasing Jelle Vossen, with Kenwyne Jones and Cameron Jerome seemingly heading towards the exit door, potentially with Jonathan Walters.

Good start Travisio will definitely be following!

Stoke are a really hard team to play with - none of their midfielders can pick a pass with the exception of N'Zonzi! Will you turn Stoke into Barca or carry where Tony Pulis left off with his lumpball?

if you are looking at anderlecht players or belgian player look at Dennis Praet, Jordan Lukaku and Michael Heylen.

Great start mate! Jelle Vossen is a great player!

2013-04-03 09:03#89489 Arvind : Stoke are a really hard team to play with - none of their midfielders can pick a pass with the exception of N'Zonzi! Will you turn Stoke into Barca or carry where Tony Pulis left off with his lumpball?

The plan will be to change the style gradually over a period of a couple of seasons, starting with the forwards and then working my way back.

Great start Travisio, I'm really looking forward to doing this!

Hoektra Happy with Belgian Dealings
http://images19.levif.be/images/resized/400/021/094/012/9/500_0_KEEP_RATIO_SHRINK_CENTER_FFFFFF/image/Massimo-Bruno.jpg

Stoke today unveiled the signings of Massimo Bruno and Jelle Vossen from Anderlecht and Genk respectively.

The signings, belived to be for a combined £7 million, signals Peter Hoekstra's first foray into the transfer market. Bruno (pictured above), has only ever played one league game in Belgium, but Hoekstra is confident that the right winger is ready to surprise a few people.

"Some people will say that we've played a lot for such an inexperienced player." Hoekstra acknowledged. "But it isn't just a deal for now it is a deal for a few years. In a few years maybe fans will look and see how good Massimo has become and then maybe think that the deal was a very good one."

Vossen, 23, scored 20 league goals for Genk last season, and Hoekstra is confident that the Belgian International can carry this form to a higher level.

"Jelle is a fantastic player" Hoekstra said "He has this clubs work ethic, paired with a raw talent that is very hard to find in modern football."

Decent start mate! Good luck!

Two great signings there: try and get Dennis Praet from Anderlecht as well because he is a very good passer of the ball

Four Leave Potters.
http://www.90soccer.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/kenwyne-jones.jpg
Kenwyne Jones today sparked a mass exodus at Stoke, as 3 more players left the club.

Jones, who sealed a £3.6 million move to Swansea, was followed by Dean Whitehead, joining QPR for £3.6 million, Andy Wilkinson, joining Wolves for 2 million, and Ryan Shotton, joining Ipswich for 1.4 million.

These sales signal the first time Stoke have raised more than £10 million in player sales in one season. Jones and Whitehead both joined from Sunderland for a combined 12 million 3 years ago, but both had found themselves down the pecking order following the arrivals of Peter Crouch, Jelle Vossen, Charlie Adam and Steven N'Zonzi. Wilkinson and Shotton are both graduates of Stoke's youth system, but were deemed to be lacking of the quality needed to help Stoke make the next step forward by manager Peter Hoekstra.

Hoekstra coy over Praet interest, as Jerome and Palacios seal loan moves
http://images11.levif.be/images/resized/400/021/121/621/1/500_0_KEEP_RATIO_SHRINK_CENTER_FFFFFF/image/Dennis-Praet.jpg

Peter Hoekstra refused to confirm whether Dennis Praet was being approached, following recent transfer speculation.

Hoekstra had been linked with the Belgian, 18, and reports in the Belgian media had detailed a 4.7 million pound bid being accepted. However, Hoekstra was more secretive.

"I can confirm that we are speaking to 3 or 4 players, and we will see which offers are found more suitable to us." Said the Dutchman, who was speaking to the media following the departure of Wilson Palacios and Cameron Jerome on season long loans.