Upson knocked out by Stoke's fighting spirit

Matthew Upson wishes his relegated West Ham side possessed the heart and fight he has found at new club Stoke.

The defender has signed up for what promises to be exhausting season by joining a Potters team that hopes to be battling it out in the Premier League and Europa League this term.

Stoke are 90 minutes away from the Europa League's group stage, after beating Switzerland's FC Thun 1-0 away last week in the first leg of their qualification play-off. The sides meet in the decider at the Britannia Stadium on Thursday.

Upson reckons they can cope with fighting on two front, though, because they have a spirit he felt was missing during the Hammers’ doomed attempt to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

"People will say on paper that the West Ham squad was better than what they had here [at Stoke] last season, in terms of players," he said.

"Talent is maybe about 15-20 per cent in a team. The rest of it is all the other areas: discipline, organisation, commitment, spirit. all these things that play a far bigger part, in my opinion, in a successful team.

"Stoke prove this, in a way. Stoke’s success far outweighed what happened at West Ham - and there has to be a reason for that.

"There was clearly something missing, otherwise the club wouldn’t have got relegated."

That relegation for Upson came on the back of a hugely disappointing World Cup campaign with England in South Africa.

But he is now ready to stop licking his wounds and start again, having signed as a free agent at Stoke.

He added: "It was a tough year, there’s not a lot I can look back on in a positive nature, coming all the way from last summer. So, it’s refreshing to have a change and be in an environment like Stoke City.

"You learn a lot more from having years like that than from winning things.

"I’ve seen a lot of good things and bad things, as a player you try to take note of those and analyse them, understand them, put them to one side and move on.

"It’s difficult to talk about a lot of things, I’d be dredging stuff up but this is a clean slate for me in terms of a new club and a different environment.

"I’m relishing the opportunity to prove myself at Stoke."

Honest And Encouraging Transfer Summary

Stoke fans are beginning to get hot under the collar.

The squad is looking threadbare and it's clear to everyone we need new faces.

On the surface, it's frustrating, we've only signed two players and there's less than a week to go before the transfer window slams shut - but I'm 100% confident it'll be a great window for the club and the resulting season will reflect that.

Tony Pulis accepts fans will be frustrated, but maintains what he always has, telling skysports.com he will not be bullied into deals :

'I think everybody knows we have to bring players in - I don't think there is any question from the top of the football club right down,' said Pulis.

'Even the youngest supporters will be looking and saying, 'Why haven't we brought players in?

'But it is about making sure we do it the way we do it as a football club - that is very important for us.

'We'll do our business the way we do - we will be open and honest with the clubs we are dealing with, and once we've done those deals, we'll let you all know. We are hoping to bring some in if we can.

'We've got a wage structure that we want to keep to. We miss out on deals, and we have to be big enough to accept that.

'If supporters get a little bit disappointed with it, then so be it - it won't be the first time we've missed out on deals because we've said no.'



Personally, I trust Pulis more than I ever have in terms of our transfer policy, the way he does business should always be judged on how well we do in the resulting season and in the past 4 or 5 years we couldn't have done any better. The evidence is there, yes he's made some shockers and it's not been without significant investment but he's more than proved he's a bit of a wizard in the transfer window.

Every year it's the same, every year, according to many, we 'leave' it too late and that's all Stoke's fault. It really gets on my nerves when people slate Pulis because of this.

The fact is, if he could sign all of the players he wanted today he would do it! If he could ship 6 top players in on a bus today he'd do it this minute, but it's not that easy, this is the real world, not football manager.

We're in quite an odd(and privileged) position as a football club, we've pushed on more than anyone could've imagined and now in order to go onto that next step (I.E, Consistently challenging for top 10 at least), we need to buy great players.

Great players who aren't on the wane or coming back from injury will not join Stoke early on in the window. They'll join when(unfortunately), we're the only option they have. Wilson Palacios has been heavily linked with the club, but you can't blame a player of his quality and pedigree holding out for a 'bigger' move than Stoke and that goes for all of our top targets.

In order to get players in who will 'improve' us, they'll have to be top drawer and top drawer players will wait until as late as they can.

People have to look at the humane element of the deals that Stoke, and indeed most clubs in the country at the moment are trying to do - agreeing a fee is a minuscule part of a deal. And whilst it is easy for a player to commit to a 100k a week contract at Man City or Man United, a move to Stoke is still unfashionable and it takes a lot of consideration. I still expect Carlton Cole to sign for Stoke, but even looking at that deal - straight away you realise Cole is a London lad and a move to Stoke may not be so attractive as you immediately may think, even if he is condemned to plying his trade in the Championship this season.

I see QPR are looking to sign Joey Barton and according to reports they're offering him more than what he's currently on at Newcastle United.

A few Stokies will be thinking 'What, we've let him slip under our fingers, what are we playing at?!'

But then you take a step back and actually realise, if reports are true, that QPR are offering a good but disruptive footballer £60k a week, whilst Barton is clearly a good footballer he's not worth £60k a week of anyone's money and that to me screams desperation.

We're very stable as a club, we don't need to destroy our wage structure for a player of Barton's stature.

Sensible signings are needed and I have no doubt we'll be very happy come the end of the window.

Over the years we've seen the likes of Hull buy a whole new team only to get relegated and become financially ruined, and it seems like the transfer window brings a separate league whereby the teams who buy the most are doing the best, irrespective of the fees or wages they are paying.

I see Palacios and Crouch were left out of the squad for Spurs' game away at Man United on monday, so perhaps we might start to see some movement on a double deal, I think we all know Pulis wants both of them in though and it's encouraging we're looking to sign players of this quality.

Darron Gibson has also been nowhere near the Man United squad for a while now and it's all gone quiet on that one - I wouldn't be at all surprised if he made the move to The Brit.

Pure gut feeling is telling me Jerome, Cole, Palacios & Gibson are the most likely to join Stoke this window.



The only slight criticism I can aim at Pulis is that he's reluctant in doing deals for foreign players who are currently playing abroad, but you can't blame the man in attempting to buy proven players instead of splashing out big bucks on a player who'd be a risk. Perhaps if we're struggling in January then we may need to take risks but solid signings will do this year, we've got a very good first 11 and it needs padding out with quality.

Let us know what you think about Stoke's transfer policy, is Pulis doing the right thing or is it time he shunned his principles and budged our wage structure up a couple of notches in order to attract big names?

Who do you think Pulis will sign by the end of the window?

Source: http://www.stoke.vitalfootball.co.uk/

'It's Not Done And Dusted' - Pugh

DANNY PUGH insists that Stoke City still have an almighty job on their hands to secure a spot in the Europa League Group Stages . . . despite holding the upper hand ahead of tomorrow's Play-Off Second Leg at the Britannia Stadium.

The former Manchester United protégé hit the only goal of the game in Switzerland six days ago to edge Tony Pulis' side into the driving seat ahead of the return tie.

But whilst pundits and supporters may feel the job has already been done, Pugh is adamant that the current Swiss Axpo Super League leaders will be determined to put their wrongs of last week right at the Britannia Stadium.

"It's not done and dusted by any means, no way," he told stokecityfc.com. "We have a huge job to finish off and we know from last week that they are a pretty decent team who like to get the ball down and play a little bit.

"We do have the advantage, but in two legged affairs that doesn't make any difference really. We still have to go out there on Thursday, be professional and play the game like it is still 0-0.

He added: "They are going extremely well in their league so we can't afford to underestimate them one single bit. It will be tough, but we have the belief that if we can play to our strengths then we can finish the job off."

The 28-year old midfielder remains one of the Club's longest serving players, having joined the Potters from Preston for an undisclosed fee almost four years ago, and he says the success the Club has enjoyed over that time has been astronomical.

"We thought it was a monumental achievement in just reaching the Premier League, so for us to push on like we have and for the Manager and Chairman to ensure we haven't stood still is pretty special.

"Every year since I have been here the Football Club has grown and grown. If we can get into the Group Stages of the Europa League then that will be another feather in the cap of the Club.

"We will strive to make sure that happens on Thursday night, but we are fully aware that it won't be easy."

Pulis "Won't break the bank"

Pulis says there is "no question" that his squad needs further strengthening before next week's transfer deadline, but he would rather miss out on deals than force the club into upping their wage structure.

Jonathan Woodgate and Matthew Upson - both of whom were previously free agents - remain the only new arrivals at the Britannia Stadium this summer.

Pulis revealed that he recently missed out on a signing at the last minute, but he is willing to accept knockbacks if players are unwilling to sign on Stoke's terms. Pulis is, however, still hopeful of adding up to five new players before the deadline.

"I think everybody knows we have to bring players in - I don't think there is any question from the top of the football club right down," Pulis said.

"Even the youngest supporters will be looking and saying, 'Why haven't we brought players in?'.

"But it is about making sure we do it the way we do it as a football club - that is very important for us.

"We'll do our business the way we do - we will be open and honest with the clubs we are dealing with, and once we've done those deals, we'll let you all know. We are hoping to bring some in if we can.

"We've got a wage structure that we want to keep to. We miss out on deals, and we have to be big enough to accept that.

"If supporters get a little bit disappointed with it, then so be it - it won't be the first time we've missed out on deals because we've said no."

Stoke have the demands of a Europa League campaign to deal with this season, with at least six more fixtures in the competition guaranteed for them if they emerge victorious from their play-off tie against FC Thun to qualify for the group stage.

The Potters go into the second leg at home on Thursday night with a 1-0 advantage from last week's initial meeting in Switzerland.

It is the scoreline by which they have won all three of their games in the tournament so far, and Pulis feels Stoke's commitment to playing in Europe is clear.

Asked if he really wanted to get into the Europa League group stage, Pulis said: "Have a look at the results - we are unbeaten in three games and have picked strong teams for all of them. That should answer your question."

Upson made his Stoke debut in the contest against Thun last week and is looking to force his way into the reckoning for the Potters' Premier League matches.

"I want to play as many games as I can," Upson said.

"I've had a bit of a slow start in terms of what my pre-season consisted of.

"I worked pretty hard by myself but I haven't the minutes on the pitch that you would get in pre-season friendlies together with the squad.

"But I'm pleased with what shape I am in."

Loaning Lukaku?

The Belgian, a recent signing from Anderlecht, is being lined up for a spell with Tony Pulis's side in order to get first-team football in the Premier League.

Sport 360 in the UAE suggest that Portuguese giants Benfica are also interested in taking the striker on loan, although it is believed that a spell in England would be preferred by Chelsea.
A source told the sports newspaper that Lukaku will be given six months to acclimatise to life at Stamford Bridge before a deal is agreed in January.
The 18-year-old is likely to find his route to the Chelsea first team blocked by his idol Didier Drogba, £50 million man Fernando Torres, Nicolas Anelka, Saloman Kalou and Daniel Sturridge

Speaking at his unveiling, Lukaku said that he is up to the challenge of playing for Chelsea: 'The English Premier League is the biggest competition in the world so it will not be as easy as Belgium. But first of all I want to learn from the players that are here and after that I want to show to the coach that whenever he needs me I am ready.'
Lukaku could be joined at Stamford Bridge before the transfer window closes by Porto wing-back Alvaro Pereira, with the Guardian reporting that a £16.6 million bid has been lodged by Chelsea.

Potters dealt double blow for Thursday

STOKE CITY have been dealt a double blow to their plans for the second leg of their Europa League Play-Off tie against FC Thun . . . with both Robert Huth and Matthew Etherington missing Thursday's game at the Britannia Stadium.


The Club have received confirmation from UEFA that the influential pair will be suspended for the game after picking up bookings in Switzerland.

Huth and Etherington both received their second cautions of the Europa League campaign in the 1-0 triumph at the Arena Thun last Thursday.

Therefore, they will serve one match suspensions as the Potters look to secure their passage through to the Group Stages of the competition.

Their opponents FC Thun also have one notable absentee, with goalkeeper David Da Costa suspended due to his sending off in the first leg after bringing down Jon Walters in the closing stages of the game in the Arena Thun.

The absences of Huth and Etherington mean that manager Tony Pulis will be hoping winger Jermaine Pennant and midfielder Rory Delap recover from their injury problems in time to feature against the Swiss Axpo Super League leaders.

Pennant limped out of Sunday's draw at Norwich with a thigh injury, while Delap has been nursing a hamstring problem which he aggravated in the Chelsea match.


Source: Official Site

Pulis Wants Crouch In Before Going For Palacios

Tony Pulis says he wants Peter Crouch in the Britannia door before he goes for Spurs's midfield man Wilson  Palacios. 

The People says Pulis is keen to land the Spurs pair in an ambitious £20m swoop and has been offered the Houduran international, Palacios, on his own as Harry Redkanpp wants to keep Crouch until he lands a replacement. Most likely to be Adebayor.

But Stoke have declined the chance to get Palacios in a £10m deal as Pulis is insisting he wants both players.

Shaun is Wright for us

STOKE midfielder Glenn Whelan is convinced his former team-mate Shaun Wright-Phillips would be a hit at the Britannia – if City can beat Bolton and QPR to his signature.
However, Bolton are reportedly waiting for the England international to decide whether to take a wage cut to join them after having a £2.5m offer accepted by Manchester City.

Wright-Phillip's wages of around £60,000 a week would also be too much for Stoke, who would hope to do a deal on his contract with the Eastlands club.

They are also likely to bank on the player taking a pay cut in order to play first-team football and increase his chances of adding to his 36 England caps.

Whelan came though Manchester City's academy with Wright-Phillips.

The winger was sold to Chelsea for £21m in 2005 before returning to Eastlands three years later for £9m.

Whelan said: "Shaun is a top player and would maybe be in the England side if he was playing a lot more.

"You don't go to Chelsea for as much as he did unless you are a good player.

"If he signed for us it would be great – but we'll wait and see who comes in.

"Ask anyone here and they will tell you the better the players who come in, the better it is for us because we will have to raise our game to stay in the team or get back in."

Whelan has no doubt that Wright-Phillips would be a popular member of the dressing room.

He added: "He's a top boy and a funny lad. We have a couple of jokers here and he would be another to add to the team."

Stoke are keen to bring in competition for their established wide-men Matthew Etherington and Jermaine Pennant as they try to deal with the dual demands of the Premier League and Europe.

Right-winger Pennant is an early doubt for Thursday's Europa League second leg against FC Thun at the Britannia having been forced off during the first half of Sunday's 1-1 draw at Norwich with a knee problem.

Stoke take a 1-0 lead into the Thun game as they try to qualify for the Europa League group stages.

Qualification would mean Stoke's squad would be tested by at least six more European games – but Whelan says City will embrace that challenge.

He said: "We want to play in Europe. People here and the players relish this, so we want to stay in it for as long as we can.

"If we get to the group stages we will be playing every second week, but the manager knows that and he is probably going to bring a few players in."

source: Thisisstaffordshire.co.uk

Stoke are interested in the 29-year-old as they try to bring in a winger before next Wednesday's transfer deadline.

Good Luck Louis

Accrington Manager John Coleman has snapped up Stoke City youngster Louis Moult on an initial one month loan deal, that could be extended until January and then again until the end of the current campaign, should both clubs see fit.

The 19-year-old frontman who has already been called upon in Tony Pulis' first team squad linked up with Accrington Stanley in time to make his debut in the 4-1 defeat away at Stoke's neighbours Port Vale on Saturday.

Source: http://www.accrington.vitalfootball.co.uk

The Palacios saga continues

Stoke are closing in on Tottenham midfielder Wilson Palacios for a club record fee of £8million.
The Honduras international did not play against Manchester United on Monday night because of injury but Stoke manager Tony Pulis admitted he is trying to bring the player to the Britannia stadium.

He said: ‘We haven’t had Palacios in our club to tell us whether he’s fit, injured or whatever.
‘But fingers crossed we will get some new players in. We know we’ve got to get some in to give the squad a lift. I’m not getting desperate – I’m a cool head.’

Palacios would provide competition for Rory Delap and Glenn Whelan in the centre of the Stoke midfield.
Having joined Spurs from Wigan for £12m in Jan 2009, he has found first-team opportunities at White Hart Lane limited this year.



GO GET HIM TONE!

Shane Long - WE MUST PUNISH POTTERS

'WEST BROM! WE ALWAYS BEAT WEST BROM, WE ALWAYS BEAT WEST BROM, WE ALWAYS BEAT WEST BROM!!!'



Shane Long today admitted Albion must beat Stoke on Sunday to save themselves from a “bad start” to the Premier League season.

The in-form Republic of Ireland international revealed the Baggies are in high spirits despite two defeats at the start of the season to last year’s top-flight top two.

But, despite two encouraging performances, Long admitted only victory in Sunday’s Hawthorns clash with the Potters will salvage an acceptable start to the campaign.

He said: “I think we need to get three points against Stoke and then we can look back on the first three games and say ‘three good performances, we’re unlucky to not have more points but we can be proud of our work.’

“But unless we can get those three points it will be a bad start to the season. We have a big week ahead of us and we need to start making all these games count.

“It’s disappointing because we are playing very well and luck is going against us but I think that’s why big teams like Chelsea and Manchester United do so well in the league, because they grind out results and get three points when it matters.

“We need to start learning from the likes of them so, if we do go 1-0 up, we hold onto it and, at least, get one point.

“We need to start punishing them. In the first half on Saturday we could have got maybe two or three goals because they held a very high line and we got in behind them.”


Stoke have won seven of their last eight meetings against the baggies, with West Brom's last victory coming in 2003 and their last away win against Stoke way back in 1982.



source: express & star

Pulis Calls On Fans

TONY PULIS is urging Stoke City supporters to roar them into the Group Stages of the Europa League . . . following their excellent victory in Switzerland last week which has put them in an excellent position in the Play Off tie.

Pulis was full of praise for the backing which his side received at the Thun Arena as Danny Pugh's strike gave them a precious one-goal advantage that sets them up nicely for the home leg at the Britannia Stadium next Thursday evening.

But City's manager has warned that the tie is by no means over as they look to finish off the job in front of their own supporters, a fact which was underlined by the fact that FC Thun gained an excellent win at Young Boys yesterday.

"We've given ourselves an excellent chance of going through, but we will need to be at our best against a very good side," said Pulis. "It will be important therefore to have the backing of a big crowd when we return to our place.

"Knowing what magnificent support we've had once again so far this season, both at home and away, I am sure there'll be a fantastic atmosphere because it's a great opportunity to take another step on our incredible journey.

"It'll be our sixth game in a very tough first month of the season so the lads will need all the encouragement they can get."

Supporters have been advised to book early for Thursday with all seats now on general sale for the second leg at the Britannia Stadium.

The Club are anxious to avoid the long queue for collections at the home leg of their third qualifying round triumph over Hajduk Split recently after a record number of supporters opted to book their tickets online for the tie.

Therefore, fans are being urged to book as early as possible and take up the option of having their tickets posted to them.

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Norwich vs. Stoke Match Report

Stoke manager Tony Pulis will be left wondering how his team only managed to come away with one point.

There was quite a surprise for the fans to see that Norwich manager Paul Lambert had opted to place last week’s scorer Wes Hoolahan on the bench, especially after Zak Whitbread being sidelined with an injury. Anthony Pilkington, Elliott Bennettand and Kyle Naughton found themselves all starting after signing for Norwich in the Summer.

Stoke City, fresh from their midweek victory over FC Thun in their Europa League qualifier, made four changes, with Asmir Begovic, Jonathan Woodgate, Jermaine Pennant and Glenn Whelan being recalled.

Early in to the game, it was Stoke who were in control. Jermaine Pennant was instrumental with some piercing through balls and some quality crossing. There were worries in the Stoke camp when he started clutching his ankle but seemed to run it off moments later to help Kenwyne Jones terrorise the Norwich defence.

Norwich’s Leon Barnett went down in the penalty box after a mid-air collision with Robert Huth but replays showed that Barnett went down far too easily, and referee Swarbrick rightfully gave the freekick to Stoke.

Even:

Midway through the first half, it became a very even game, with both teams challenging each other’s defensive capabilities, but neither side had that final touch. Jonathan Woodgate had been the saviour for Stoke on more than one occasion.

Pilkington had the best chance early on for Norwich when his first time shot was blocked well by Ryan Shawcross. Begovic would not have stopped it had it not been for Shawcross.

Despite looking like it wasn’t going to bother him so much, it finally got too much for Pennant and he had to be taken off. This was a major blow to Stoke as he was arguably their best player for much of the game, and they will be hoping it’s just a slight knock.

de Laet:

It took seven minutes for Norwich to capitalise on the Stoke’s forced substitution, but they did remarkably well. Norwich were given a freekick after Woodgate brought down Bennett in a rash challenge, of which he received a yellow card. Bradley Johnson sends the ball toward Ritchie de Laet who heads it past Begovic to give Norwich the lead.

After the goal, confidence was high in the Norwich team and it showed on the pitch. If not for Begovic, Norwich could have been two or three up just before half-time. Stoke’s defence seemed to get really shakey and Stoke boss Tony Pulis would have been glad for the break.

Second Half:

The second half brought much of the same equal playing field, with Stoke having the earliest chance even though Norwich were the team pressing the most. Danny Pugh was free at the far post but had to really stretch to reach the oncoming ball shooting over the bar. Norwich responded well straight away however with a shot by Chri Martin which Begovic stopped with both hands.

This game will be known more for the wasted chances that the great skill shown by both teams. A number of great shooting chances appeared but were wasted. Bradley Johnson shot from range only for it to go massively wide, moments before Shawcross failed to hit the net from a Matthew Etherington cross.

Heroics:

Etherington later threatened with a ferocious freekick when Grant Holt fouled Whelen. Norwich keeper John Ruddy was well up to the challenge however and made a great save.

Leon Barnett earned a valuable lesson in penalty box defending after bringing down Jonathan Walters, resulting in a red card for him, and a Stoke penalty. Walters himself took the spot kick only to have it saved by Ruddy, sending the Norwich fans in to raptures. Further looks on the replay show that there is a string case for the initial challenge being outside the box.

Norwich started to sink away after the penalty, and Stoke were showing why they are such a difficult team to beat. Norwich made three substitutions but that did not make much of a difference as Stoke continued to press and show their dominance.

Ruddy was the hero for Norwich time and time again as he put in a fine performance while the defenders in front of him didn’t seem to know what to do. The last 15 minutes was a very busy time for him, saving chances from Ryan Shotton, Huth, Jones and Walters.

Agony:

Closing in on 90 minutes and Norwich fans might have felt they could relax a bit, comfortable with the three points they would receive, but to their dismay, the fourth official decided on five minutes of injury time. Despite the heroics of Ruddy, de Laet, Shawcross and Ayala (who came on as a second half substitute), Stoke finally got their equaliser in the fourth minute of injury time. Whelan showed excellent vision as he crossed in to Jones who smashed the header in to the corner.

Norwich had a very quick last chance in the final minute of play when a freekick was launched in to the area which Begovic didn’t deal with properly after dropping the ball. Nothing came from it though as the referee blew for a foul, and then for full-time.

Despite the dubious red card, the game was very clean and professional one. Only two yellow cards, both in the first half, were given to Stoke’s Woodgate and Shawcross. Stoke had the most shots with 13 to Norwich’s five. Stoke had more of the possession and had a more successful pass rate throughout the game, this match really should have belonged to The Potters. Norwich now lay 10th in the table, while Stoke rest in 12th.

Stoke Players Tell Pulis To Sign The Toon Bad Boy

The Sunday Mirror says Tony Pulis has got the backing of his dressing room to sign Newcastle’s controversial midfielder Joey Barton.

Stoke boss Pulis will make a fresh move this week to sign the 28-year-old who was told he could leave St James’ Park on a free following his Twitter row.

With the transfer deadline approaching, Pulis still wants to beef up his midfield – and bring in another striker – to make his squad strong enough to deal with Stoke’s ­Europa League and ­Premier League ­fixture list .

Experienced defender ­Danny Higginbotham said: “I don’t know about the manager’s plans, but I do know that Joey is a very good player.

“He is one of those who are awful to play against because he’s always in the thick of the game, and to have him as a team-mate would be something that a lot of players would be very happy about.”