Shaqiri to Stoke city
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Odd how Bojan and Arnautovic play there who at the age of Berardi couldn't cut it in Serie A, while the latter is ripping it up and will play for Juve next season, probably together with Zaza.
Nice logic.
Exactly. Never in a millon years will anyone that's not Barca or Madrid win La Liga, eh? As opposed to PL that could easily be won by Southampton or Tottenham.
The top 4/5 in the PL is predictable. You cannot narrow it down any further with any accuracy, especially now we are where we are. The top two in La Liga is predictable. Thats a big difference.
So predictable that a different team won the league last season.
Barcelona and Real Madrid would be streets ahead in England too. They are just this good currently. Back when they were around the level of current Chelsea and City (2002-2007 for instance) they were consistently challenged by teams like Sevilla, Villarreal, Valencia and Deportivo. If you put Stoke, Palace or Everton in La Liga they wouldn't be higher than they are in PL at all.
I don't get why the possibility of Stoke signing Shaqiri who has been crap for the 8th best team in Italy makes PL some sort of a wonder league.
Since Barca became this ridiculously good (2008-2009 and later) they have faced English teams in UCL 8 times (twice United, Chelsea, Arsenal and City) winning 7 out of those clashes. On the meantime, Real has faced English teams three times (Spurs, United and Liverpool) winning each time. So the record in these 11 clashes between the two Spanish teams and English teams they faced is 10-1 for them.
I don't know why is this ridiculous thinking on some people that Barca/Madrid would have any trouble on doing what they do in Spain if they played in England. If United, City, Chelsea and Arsenal cannot defeat them then how the likes of Stoke or Swansea would have any hope on doing so? If the likes of Chelsea and City (two recent English champions) were completely outclassed from Barca/Atletico on this and the previous year, then would West Ham have done better? If the runners up of England got humiliated against Madrid within the first half of the match, then would Sunderland do better? Or more concretly, why these weaker English teams get repeatedly beaten from weaker Spanish teams in Europa league?
It is crazy. EPL commentators are fantastic at brainwashing EPL fans. It is a sort of propaganda that would make even Florentino Perez proud.
Apparently still not a done deal yet. Spurs and Atletico looking to spoil the party.
Would be a shame if they lose N'Zonzi too. He'll probably go to Sevilla or Monaco.
I think Hughes has done a great job so far but they've got to hold on to their important players.
Would be a shame if they lose N'Zonzi too. He'll probably go to Sevilla or Monaco.
I think Hughes has done a great job so far but they've got to hold on to their important players.
Swiss Bojan and Bojan in one team would be great.
Deal is off:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/33488059
Shame for Stoke that... still, I'm sure signing Glen Johnson will help heel the wounds........
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/33488059
Shame for Stoke that... still, I'm sure signing Glen Johnson will help heel the wounds........
It did seem too good to be true for Stoke.
Glen Johnson is a typical Stoke signing.
How?
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/jul/14/xherdan-shaqiri-stoke-city-mark-hughes-inter
Mark Hughes decided to break things off with Shaqiri because he wasn't feeling it. It was totally not the other way around.
Mark Hughes decided to break things off with Shaqiri because he wasn't feeling it. It was totally not the other way around.
jesus, fair play to them
Finally. Good signing, as long as he gets regular game time here he'll probably be able to prove himself. Stoke has assembled a staggering number of players from overseas. It's been a change from the last couple of seasons.
Great signing for a club like Stoke.
I'm actually very surprised at Spurs not signing him or Payet. Haven't seen much of Shaqiri at Inter, but very surprised that he hasn't got a better club than Stoke.
Curious why Shaq would want to go to stoke... I didn't watch his time at Inter, did he do very poorly there? I thought at Bayern he was quite good, just way too much competition for his positions. I'd have figured a bigger team would have wanted his services.
Bojan, Affelay and Shaqiri
Going to be very interesting. I personally think it'll go wrong.
Going to be very interesting. I personally think it'll go wrong.
Great signing for them.
Seems to be mainly a case of Inter wanting him to leave and there not being many clubs interested. Was only really Schalke, Stoke and Everton interested. Schalke ended up pulling out due to Draxler seemingly staying there so didn't need him, leaving the two Prem clubs.
Got it done; Good on them.
A lot's been said here about what Hughes & Co have been building. They are building a team that could consistently bang around 10th-6th in the table and push for the Europa League.
A lot's been said here about what Hughes & Co have been building. They are building a team that could consistently bang around 10th-6th in the table and push for the Europa League.
Yeah, it's almost Hughes-Citeh 2.0. Granted, it looks like good buys with a mind to what fits vs spending cause you can. And Hughes does seem to fit a mid-level team with ambition vs. a top level team going for the title, so it could turn out well for all involved, especially since those brought in want to justify the high expectations that were heaped on them when they were younger.
The first season at Bayern when he still accepted his reserve role he was good on the wing when he got match time. After the second season when he remarked that he cannot break into the team - especially with added rival Götze - it went worse. At the end he was a liability on the field as it seemed that he just did not have the necessary match intelligence and he always tried to do things on his own. And the interviews off the pitch sounded like the stardom he has in the Swiss was strong in opposition to his role at Munich.
Mancini at Inter first wanted him badly - but he did not really give him match time. And the club told him that he can leave...
Quality signing. Who would have thought this a year ago
cannot wait to get him in my fantasy side!
But can he do it on a cold, windy night at Stoke though?
So watching Stoke on Sunday never put him off.Very nice bit of businesses by the club.
Looked fantastic for Switzerland at the last World Cup as their star man. Big fish in a small pond, could work. Will have to get past John Walters first though.
Our team is looking great if this transfer eventually goes through. With everyone fit it looks like this...
Butland
Johnson - Shawcross - Muniesa - Pieters
Whelan - Van Ginkel
Shaqiri - Bojan - Arnautovic
Diouf
Walters, Odemwingie, Ireland, Adam, Josulu, Afellay, Crouch, Cameron, Bardsley, Wollscheid, Given, Wilson and Sidwell is an impressive squad to back up a strong starting XI.Johnson - Shawcross - Muniesa - Pieters
Whelan - Van Ginkel
Shaqiri - Bojan - Arnautovic
Diouf
Definitely come a long way. It's a pity about N'Zonzi because Whelan is absolutely shit. Attack looks good and if you guys can get along without Begovic you may well challenge for 7 or 8 with a bit of luck.
Off topic I really hope Bojan comes back ok from the injury. He was a joy to watch at times last season and seemed to finally be fulfilling some of his potential. Always liked him and felt the talent was always there and he just needed to toughen up mentally, which he seems to be doing at Stoke. Funny how quickly Stoke have gone from being long ball merchants to having the looks of an entertaining side. Is this all down to Pulis leaving?
Wow... who would have thought Afellay (Dutch talent snapped up by Barcelona), Bojan (touted as the next Messi at one point) and Shaqiri (won treble with Bayern) would all end up at Stoke...
Who's next? We should take bets
Who's next? We should take bets
Balotelli
Whelan is decent, improved a hell of a lot playing by N'Zonzi so will be interesting to see how he does without him. That's the position I hope we focus on after securing Shaqiri.
And yeah the complete change in style is because of Pulis leaving. He's still arguably the best manager in the club's history and he provided us with the foundations on which to build this current squad from - some important Pulis players in that squad I listed above. Hughes came in, bought very good players on the cheap and focussed on switching us into the more possession based side we are today. He's a VERY popular man now, whereas many (myself included) weren't convinced when it was announced he was our new manager.
Let's see how he does. The talent is certainly there but he failed to make an impact at Inter who are quite poor now and Bayern did not hesitate to let him go. Now obviously Stoke standards are much lower than Bayern standards but his failure at Inter points to the fact that he might not be that great actually.
Balotelli, Robinho, Rodwell.
It will be Messi - to finally prove he can do it on a wet Wednesday night
Talking of Balotelli, Shaqiri may well be the next version.
What I read is that the coach at Inter wasn't impressed with his work rate.
What I personally think is that he's ego is way too big, that he's not as good as he thinks he is, but that because he got a big transfer to Bayern relatively young he felt he had made it, when in fact that's the time when the really hard work should start.
I think he'll show flashes of his talent, but unless someone brings him back down to earth, he'll never be what perhaps he could be, which is no more really than a good player - certainly not a superstar type.
What I read is that the coach at Inter wasn't impressed with his work rate.
What I personally think is that he's ego is way too big, that he's not as good as he thinks he is, but that because he got a big transfer to Bayern relatively young he felt he had made it, when in fact that's the time when the really hard work should start.
I think he'll show flashes of his talent, but unless someone brings him back down to earth, he'll never be what perhaps he could be, which is no more really than a good player - certainly not a superstar type.
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