Stoke chairman defends their tactics.

[paulchapo]

Taken from Sky.

Chairman Peter Coates has defended Stoke's style after Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini appeared angered by their approach in the sides' 1-1 draw.

Mancini failed to shake hands with Potters boss Tony Pulis after seeing his side drop crucial points in the title race and then sent No 2, David Platt, to speak to the media in his place.

The Italian made an elbow gesture during the game as David Silva was caught by Dean Whitehead but Coates rubbished talk of rough-house tactics - and said Stoke had grievances of their own.

"It's disappointing, we believe we are fair," Coates told Sky Sports News. "Records say we do OK in the Fair Play League.

"The incident with Whitehead was not intentional, he caught his ear. We could have had a penalty with the Gareth Barry incident but we get on with it.

"We don't lie down, we don't fall over, we're strong and physical but I don't accept we play the game anything other than in the right spirit.

"This idea we're a team of giants just doesn't bear relation to the facts - Chelsea are a big team, City are a big team."

They will always do ok in the fair play league if referee's like Webb never punish them!Oh and don't lie down?.......Take them away from the baying mob that support them and i think you'll find you are pretty gutless Coates!

 

[KolarovsLeftPeg]

To be fair, I don't think Stoke have a lot to answer for. Their fans for booing Silva maybe... but their actual team don't do a lot wrong. If anything it's the refs that let them get away with murder.

 

[paulchapo]

They push it as far as they are allowed.They are dirty and intimidating,cheat and it was a forearm smash in the face of Silva,he knew exactly what he was doing!The same as Huth's elbow in Mario's throat in the final.

As you say,if the refs let em do it they will and if you have limited talent and cash i can see why they do.

 

[prestwichpotter]

I think what Coates says there is pretty much bang on. Whitehead caught Silva of that there is no doubt but it was with his leading arm as he focused solely on the ball. Barry could have been sent off for what was potentially a leg breaking challenge but again in defence of Webb until I saw the replay I never really registered it as being that bad.

Stoke are not a dirty team at all, although I admit that the defenders are walking a tightrope with the shirt pulling as I'm sure we'll concede a penalty any time soon. But on the flip side several Man City players fell over several times a couple in pretty embarrassing circumstances. It's amazing how two different sets of fans see a game though I just thought it was a typical blood and thunder affair not bad tempered or dirty in any way.

 

[BertTrautmann'sParachute]

To be fair, I don't think Stoke have a lot to answer for. Their fans for booing Silva maybe... but their actual team don't do a lot wrong. If anything it's the refs that let them get away with murder.

They 'don't do a lot wrong' but the refs 'let them get away with murder'? Well, which is it?

 

[Nelly's Left Foot]

Only 3 things wrong with Stoke style of play;
1) they do get away with being over physical
2) they are boring as hell to watch
3) we cant cope with it at their ground

 

[Daveth]

To be fair, I don't think Stoke have a lot to answer for. Their fans for booing Silva maybe... but their actual team don't do a lot wrong. If anything it's the refs that let them get away with murder.

Disgraceful the abuse Silva got from them on that day, I expect nothing less from a bunch of inbred six fingered cuntholes. Was beginning to like them up until that game, they can get fucked now.

Bunch of cheating twats with scum fans.

 

[paulchapo]

Without our cash input we may have been doing something similar against the big boys.Get in their faces and unsettle them.I disagree with the forearm smash though he left it in he knew what he was doing,eye on the ball or not.

 

[KolarovsLeftPeg]

To be fair, I don't think Stoke have a lot to answer for. Their fans for booing Silva maybe... but their actual team don't do a lot wrong. If anything it's the refs that let them get away with murder.

They 'don't do a lot wrong' but the refs 'let them get away with murder'? Well, which is it?

The best way I can explain it is that I have this theory that a team's rep paves the way for decisions they get.

'Physical sides' like Stoke are allowed to play hard, and they do, but they don't cheat.
But for many other sides a lot of the hard tackles Stoke make would be fouls, because the refs IMO don't acknowledge them as physical sides.

For me it's simply a consistency problem, some teams are allowed to get amongst their opponent and others aren't.

Happens on an individual level too, Balotelli can't touch a man without it being a foul but if Tevez slides about it's 'hard work' and less likely to be penalised.

 

[MSP]

Without our cash input we may have been doing something similar against the big boys.Get in their faces and unsettle them.I disagree with the forearm smash though he left it in he knew what he was doing,eye on the ball or not.

there are lot of teams without cash and they still not play rugby instead of football