Much was made about how it would be different when he brought in quality players. Little has changed. He has his tried and trusted system and fears wavering from it. He has brought players to fit that system (except the Kitson signing which is mystifying), and has not strengthened the areas of weakness that do offer other creative outlets. A major criticism of mine is that in the two seasons prior to our promotion he should have been assembling a squad that had more Premiership quality about it, and establishing a scouting system abroad, something he now bemoans a lack of. Instead he went the loan route, leaving us with a thin squad of permanent players, and setting us back to square one at the start of each season. We should have entered the Premiership with about 7 or 8 Premiership quality players recruited over the previous seasons not just 3, and then wouldn’t have had to spend £20m and bring in 10 new faces just to have a basic squad that has some Premiership experience.

You are right. I think if Gerrard’s goal had stood Liverpool would have won, and by a hatful. The tactic of going and getting a draw would have been out of the window after 2 minutes. As OS said in the past Pulis is the only manager we’ve known that often plays for a 0-1 defeat, seeing a respectable loss as better than a larger one from risking getting back into the game. I also think that some of the “Johnny Come Lately” brigade who think the sun shines out of the Pulis posterior because he took us up but because they did not witness what went before, will change their tune if results continue in this way and Hull continue to surprise. I doubt it will happen but I’d like a manager with Premiership experience and respect in charge by Christmas so there’s more chance of signing the sort of players we need in the January window. I don’t trust Pulis to deliver for one reason or another. Whether Coates will be ruthless and say “thanks but goodbye” I don’t know. He’s done it in the past, but much is made of their “special relationship”. I look forward to a return to a balanced Oatcake messageboard, where valid criticism is allowed and not jumped upon by the Pulistas as some sort of treason. Slowly but surely I think those sorts of views are being expressed again. Maybe in a month “Pulis out” will be a popular cry!*

*You watch he’ll go and get a stuffy win at Pompey and all will be forgiven by the masses for a few more weeks!

Isn’t it strange that players only have to make one mistake and they are out — Shawcross and Simonsen. And yet Pulis can make mistake after mistake, actually it is the same mistake repeated over and over again, and yet no one gets rid of him.

Isn’t he doing exactly the same thing that got him fired from Portsmouth — buying players without really knowing how he is going to use them? I see Whelan can’t get a game and yet he was bought when Stoke looked likely to get promotion, so he must have been bought with a view to him being able to perform in the Prem.

And the fact that Cresswell and Sidibe are becoming regular choices, just about sums it all up. Pulis hasn’t got a fucking clue. His tactics are the same as they have always been. Previously, his excuse was lack of quality. What’s the excuse now? He hasn’t got one. The way we play is the only way he knows. Keep it tight, don’t commit men forward and hope to sneak a goal from a set-piece. If we go a goal down, game over. Oh we will huff and puff for 20 minutes to try and get back into the game but we all know the game is lost as soon as we go a goal down. If Gerrard’s goal had stood at Anfield, I don’t think anyone would be talking about our greatest triumph of recent times.

I think Hull’s win at Arsenal has probably woken up a few Stoke fans from their euphoric stupor. Give it a month of similar results and ‘Pulis Out’ will once again become a regular cry on the Oatcake.

If Chelsea had been sharper in front of goal it would have been 4 or 5 goals to nil even with our “plucky” display. Drogba and Lampard should have buried their chances.

So you hanged Pulis then?

Confirmed what I thought listening to the game on the radio. It sounded as if Chelsea coasted through the game in a lower gear. It doesn’t wash with me that they were playing Chelsea and because we didn’t get beaten 4-0, it was a great achievement by the Potters. We have a manager who hasn’t got a clue and will struggle throughout the season. Kitson is just the latest in a long line of square pegs in round holes. Is that management?

Pulis out!

The post mortem was as long as the meal took to arrive. ;)]

M.