May 5th 2008, yes I know it's a while ago but stick with me. Having seen his side beat QPR 2-0 and therefore capturing the Championship, Tony Mowbray declared his team would continue playing attractive, attacking football. No one could deny that it was this silky smooth attacking way of playing football, the Championship Arsenal if you will, that had won West Brom the title, 17 goals clear of the second top scorers in the league.
It inevitably led the media to question whether or not the Baggies would continue to play in the Premiership the way they had in the Championship. Mowbray quickly dispelled the questions “There's a great debate in football about whether it's all about winning or all about entertaining. There’s got to be a balance and we've got that balance right." And to his credit the ex Middlesbrough player stuck to his guns, more lovely 'pass and move football' has been played by West Brom this season than by any Sam Allardyce team ever!
Now I’ll point out Sam Allardyce got Bolton into Europe, kept them up season after season, also, contrary to popular belief, did not ruin Newcastle United or get them relegated, and this season has kept Blackburn Rovers in the Premiership. Tony Mowbray has not! Ok so this blog is not to have a go at Mowbray, nor am I here to suggest Sam Allardyce should be manager of the season, but one man who could take that title is Stoke manager Tony Pulis.
Pulis has never apologised for his teams style of play, and nor should he! In fact most managers and teams have not questioned them. Absolute genius exponents of the long ball game. And with big players such as Shawcross, Higginbotham, Sidibie, Fuller, Amdy and Abdoulaye Faye, it’s no wonder they like a long ball. Add the fact that Rory Delap has his defence splitting throw in and you’ve got a cocktail for mayhem. Not many have coped, especially at Fortress Britannia where Stoke played so well their poor away record meant nothing.
On a local note, Crumpsall FC, 3 years ago the whipping boys of our league have had an extremely successful season for the 2nd year running. Double cup winners this season and 6th in the table, they’ve started to shut everyone up! And how do they play? Long ball over the top and score. Ugly football? When you watch it work, it’s really beautiful.
Finally with success being relative Stoke have shown that they’re without doubt a more successful team than this week’s opposition, Arsenal. If Arsene could learn to play ugly sometimes then the success at The Emirates would be truly sexy!
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