Nationwider Posted 17 May 2008 Posted 17 May 2008 Link Stoke City could make their pitch smaller next season as they prepare for life in the Premier League. The playing surface will be relayed to install a new irrigation system and, at the same time, the pitch could be made shorter and narrower. Manager Tony Pulis told BBC Radio Stoke: "Shortening it, narrowing it, growing the grass a bit longer, I've had it all thrown at me. It's important that we make the Britannia Stadium a fortress." It is thought the pitch could be made as small as the Premier League will allow, to stifle the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool next season. Chief executive Tony Scholes added: "It's the manager's decision, we have certain parameters we have to work within. He might decide to change things a little, but that's up to him." It underlines the problems facing newly-promoted teams when you start considering making the pitch as small as it can get, and never cutting the grass. Good luck to them anyway. Pulis is going to ruffle a few feathers next year.
SamL Posted 17 May 2008 Posted 17 May 2008 I can't really blame them, they're home form will have to be supreme if they're to stand a chance. Personally, I think they'll still go down.
Jay Posted 17 May 2008 Posted 17 May 2008 I can't really blame them, they're home form will have to be supreme if they're to stand a chance. Personally, I think they'll still go down. it's going to be extremely difficult for any team to stay up this season or in the future. The difference is becoming so vast that it's almost impossible to stay up without putting the future of the club on the line, it's becoming more and more of a closed shop imo I can't really see any of the promoted teams this season staying up, straight back down for them all including West Brom is the only way I can see it going which is a shame but a sign of things to come.
SamL Posted 17 May 2008 Posted 17 May 2008 it's going to be extremely difficult for any team to stay up this season or in the future.The difference is becoming so vast that it's almost impossible to stay up without putting the future of the club on the line, it's becoming more and more of a closed shop imo I can't really see any of the promoted teams this season staying up, straight back down for them all including West Brom is the only way I can see it going which is a shame but a sign of things to come. I agree. Sunderland did very well to stay up this season, I'm not sure whether they'll so well next year though. Out of the three promoted teams, I think West Brom will stand the best chance of staying up.
Jay Posted 17 May 2008 Posted 17 May 2008 I agree. Sunderland did very well to stay up this season, I'm not sure whether they'll so well next year though. Out of the three promoted teams, I think West Brom will stand the best chance of staying up. And they have spent including wages I would imagine well over £50million to finish only 3points off relegation!!! for the majority of clubs that's verging on suicide for the future!! the gap is just to big and is only going to get bigger it's pretty scary to be honest.
dandannieldanok Posted 17 May 2008 Posted 17 May 2008 Sensible thing to do, if a touch unsporting.........
Ultra Posted 18 May 2008 Posted 18 May 2008 I agree. Sunderland did very well to stay up this season, I'm not sure whether they'll so well next year though. Out of the three promoted teams, I think West Brom will stand the best chance of staying up. Sunderland will improve next season. Keane will learn from the mistakes he made this time around. West Brom are the only promoted team who have a realistic chance of staying up, and even then, they'll need to make quality signings, especially in defence.
Bert Posted 18 May 2008 Posted 18 May 2008 Hull or Bristol City have a good chance of becoming the worse team ever next season. Gonna have a wager on it. Both have worse squads than Derby. Especially Bristol City.
Fez of Mahrez Posted 18 May 2008 Posted 18 May 2008 Hull or Bristol City have a good chance of becoming the worse team ever next season.Gonna have a wager on it. Both have worse squads than Derby. Especially Bristol City. I'm not convinced they will be worse than Derby. You would have to imagine either of them would win more than one game for a start. Phil Brown and Gary Johnson both seem to be canny managers who will have noticed Derby's creaking defence getting slaughtered every week. They'd bring a bit of pace in at the back and try to make their home grounds a fortress rather than Derby's sandcastle we saw getting demolished by a tide of world-class players every Saturday. Same goes for Stoke who I think could even avoid relegation if they can bully teams coming to the Britannia in the same way they did this year. There are a lot of teams in that league of the same standard (all finished around 12th to 17th last season) who are there to be beaten at home.
Finnegan Posted 18 May 2008 Posted 18 May 2008 3 guarenteed points from Arsenal then Y'joking? Took 'em six months "to get used to" the bigger pitch. It'll take 'em years to work it out backwards.
Number 6 Posted 18 May 2008 Posted 18 May 2008 people stay WBA have the best chance of staying up, but I'm not sure this is the case. They play the best football by far, but will their strike force really out-do most prem defences? They also have a horrible ability to concede a fair few, not going to help them much.
sdb Posted 18 May 2008 Posted 18 May 2008 Hull or Bristol City have a good chance of becoming the worse team ever next season.Gonna have a wager on it. Both have worse squads than Derby. Especially Bristol City. i think they'll buy some players though!! and they've 2 very good managers. they'll struggle but no way will they do a derby
Bert Posted 18 May 2008 Posted 18 May 2008 i think they'll buy some players though!! and they've 2 very good managers. they'll struggle but no way will they do a derby Derby brought some players. Derby had Billy Davies and Paul Jewell. Two good managers imo.
Scow Posted 18 May 2008 Posted 18 May 2008 The likes of Ipswich, Wigan, West Ham and Reading all did well in their first season up because they all played a good style of football. I can see West Brom surviving, providing they strengthen, particularly in defence. However, all four sides struggled in their second season - Ipswich and Reading were relegated, Wigan survived on the last day and West Ham had the great escape.. A classic case of second season syndrome perhaps. I think Stoke will struggle - they are a very direct side and you can't get away with that in the Premiership. Pulis won't change his ways. Watford under Boothroyd showed you how far that style of football will get you.
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