Would Stoke really let us beat them?

[Bluemoon115]

Break it down.

You win games to hopefully achieve a position in the league to enable you to play European football the following year - thus resulting in millions of pounds.

The roles will actually be reversed when City play Stoke in the league.

If there is more benefit for you to lose a game would you not take it?

Exactly my point. If Stoke lose the FA Cup and by beating us in the league we're denied 4th spot, what have Stoke gained? Zilch. What have they lost? Potentially A LOT of money.

At this stage, lose to us in the league in the same scenario and that would probably guarantee us CL, if it's not already by then, and guarantee them Europe. The secret is making it look plausible.

If we win the Cup and have already secured 4th, Pulis can then afford to try and exact his revenge for '99.

-- Mon May 02, 2011 11:13 am --

If I had to pick one manager and one team who wouldn't lie down for anything it would be Pullis and Stoke.

So you think if the choice was ...

Beat City, get three points and finish 8th(ish) v lose to City, get into Europe and finish 8th(ish)

... you seriously think they would put pride and a meaningless result (to Stoke) before the guaranteed money for the club and the guaranteed excitement for the players and fans of playing in Europe for the first time in 37 YEARS!?

Winning the EL gets you roughly €6.06m. http://bundesliga.theoffside.com/in...y-game-champions-league-vs-europa-league.html

Hardly a "lot" of money. A decent domestic cup run will get you similar. Plus any extra places in the league results in an extra £800k. And with it being so tight, 3 points could easily be the difference of upto £3.2m.

 

[Rammyblues]

Come on though Rammy, If we win the FA Cup, what else do Stoke have to play for? I really respect you as a BM poster but you've got to admit this could be a real quandry for Pulis and Stoke, especially considering the potential revenue at stake.

1) The FA/Prem have been allerted to this by Rednapp and Stoke will want to ensure that there is no suggestion of bribery/corruption. On the contrary I believe they will want to beat us either in revenge if they lose the cup or simply to shut Rednapp up.
2) Don't think it is in Pullis's nature
3) They are professionals.
4) It would be a let down to any travelling fans simply to go through the motions.
5) The higher up the league they finish te more money they get from sky.
6) If they acquit themselves the whole of the press and media will laud the fact that te prem league is free from scandal, corruption bribery.
7) Stoke themselves might not want to be in EL, means a lot of travelling, thursday and sunday games, don't know the size of their squad every time I have read anything about Stoke prem survival is the priority.


Just my opinion.

 

[lozzi_mcfc_xx]

why wouldnt they, they'ed be stupid not to but they will have to carefull doing it. anyway were hard to beat at home !! xx

 

[Carstairs]

After we win the cup, when we play them in the week, will the Stoke fans do the poznam when NDJ rifles another one in??

 

[Howling Wolf]

i doubt that anything would be said between management and players, but the players themselves will treat it like a training session, not roll over, but you arent gonna aee any passion or commitment. why the fuck would they when winning would mean missing a once in a life opputunity for a large proportion of the side. it doesn't really matter what pulis wants or says, there certainly wouldnt be an official instruction to lose cause it would be leaked and there will be hell to pay

 

[20sbc07]

Ofcourse they will!
If their choice is win and get nothing or lose and get europa league football, thats an easy decision imo.

 

[Dubai Blue]

4) It would be a let down to any travelling fans simply to go through the motions.

Those travelling fans would be much more bothered about being able to go to a few European aways next season than losing to City in a meaningless league game.

 

[law74]

I dont believe that Stoke could roll over to any side, but after the Final they may well be psychologically "on the beach" with nothing left for them to play for in their last two games, however we could also be mentally drained after the exertions of the final and hopefully winning our first major trophy for a generation.

Lets just beat everton next saturday and at least a point against spuds the tuesday before the final.

 

[ctid.71]

Absolutely they would. Because, it would be about the money which European football would bring to the club. In fact I can see the chairman making it perfectly clear to the manager that they lose, in order that city finish 4th. In fact, he would probably be told he will be sacked if they beat us and we finish 5th as their guaranteed place in the Europa league will be gone. The only way they will come and try to beat us would be if we have already guaranteed 4th place. That way the are guaranteed European football whatever the result against city is.

 

[Project]

Its not really about money. Most teams in the EL make nothing from it when you tally up the extra transport, policing costs etc.

But its more an issue with pride, prestige. For the likes of ourselves and Spurs, the EL may now be a hindrance. But for a club like Stoke, it represents a nice opportunity for their manager and many of their players, who are yet to taste European football.

I have zero doubt in my mind that if Stoke lost the FA Cup final and needed us to finish 4th, they would lose that match.