[sing on our own]

From the Sun........
Stoke manager Mark Hughes has hinted Tottenham are in front of the Potters in the race to sign West Brom striker Saido Berahino.

Edit...
From the Telegraph.....
Stoke are ready to rival Tottenham in £20m chase for West Brom striker Saido Berahino.

I still don't get what people see in him to want to pay £20 million + ....you can see why chairmen and owners get fed up with jumped up managers throwing their money away on overpriced average players.

[BRIAN]

If Pulis "talks badly" about Berahino his value will decrease. Hopefully no team who are interested in buying him read this forum. Get off his back. He will only be here-hopefully- for a few weeks.

[liverbaggie]

Why is Mark Hughes talking about our player,shows disrespect you our club,no matter what you think of Bera.
If he did go to Stoke his career would dive-bomb.
It's not certain that he will leave is it.

[paulosull]

Looks like a different player to the one that burst onto the scene a couple of seasons back no great endorsement for pulis and his coaching skills or man management.

[tuamigos]

Looks like a different player to the one that burst onto the scene a couple of seasons back no great endorsement for pulis and his coaching skills or man management.

or for the player himself!

[B_H_Baggie]

Looks like a different player to the one that burst onto the scene a couple of seasons back no great endorsement for pulis and his coaching skills or man management.

I'm amazed that the fall from grace of Berahino is being blamed on the management/coaching staff but I suppose its just any old excuse to have a pop at them as it seems to be the popular thing to do these days.

He's got absolutely no one to blame but himself in my opinion. Saido was the only one that allowed his head to be turned and reacted very badly when he didn't get his big move and he was the only one that let his fitness levels drop dramatically in the fallout from that costing himself nearly a season of development.

[Jordie1471]

Why is Mark Hughes talking about our player,shows disrespect you our club,no matter what you think of Bera.
If he did go to Stoke his career would dive-bomb.
It's not certain that he will leave is it.

His career is already dive-bombing at our club

[B_H_Baggie]

His career is already dive-bombing at our club

He'll find it difficult to get his career back on track without a fresh start somewhere else, I personally don't think he will go on to realise his full potential regardless of where he ends up now.

He had his breakthrough season where he did well getting in the England squad, he followed that up with some great performances the following season. This season should have seen him building on those two seasons but he's regressed and its mainly all his own doing.

[Standaman]

I'm amazed that the fall from grace of Berahino is being blamed on the management/coaching staff but I suppose its just any old excuse to have a pop at them as it seems to be the popular thing to do these days.

He's got absolutely no one to blame but himself in my opinion. Saido was the only one that allowed his head to be turned and reacted very badly when he didn't get his big move and he was the only one that let his fitness levels drop dramatically in the fallout from that costing himself nearly a season of development.

Saido is responsible for his current situation where his star is rapidly fading to the point he might not get the move he  wants. During the first half of the season there was a chicken and egg situation where he wasn't match fit but wasn't getting playing time so couldn't get match fit.

Equally fitness is always TP's response when asked about a player he's not playing they aren't match fit, up to speed etc... It's a line that has been trotted out for McManaman Gnabry,Pritchard, Berahino and Chester at various times, now it might be true but I think it is TP's stock response to the question because if the player isn't fit it is reasonable not to play them it closes the discussion down.

However now that Berahino is getting a run of games there is no excuse for the fairly mediocre displays that we are seeing. His heart isn't in it he desperately does not want to get injured and the end of the season can't come quick enough.

[Lloydy]

How many problems did Saido have when Alan Irvine was Head Coach? He doesn't help himself but a lot of the problems have happened since Pulis took over, I don't think it's beyond the realms of possibility that he has handled Saido badly.

[smethwickw]

Had Berahino played as many games as Rondon in his natural position he'd have scored more goals. I don't see why we had to shift him to accommodate Rondon who IMO isn't anywhere near as good a finisher.

[Jordie1471]

Had Berahino played as many games as Rondon in his natural position he'd have scored more goals. I don't see why we had to shift him to accommodate Rondon who IMO isn't anywhere near as good a finisher.

I dont think so. When playing Pulis ball we need the loan striker to be someone who is stronger in the air and better at holding the ball up than Berahino is

[darbolina]

As others have said, Saido is at least 80% to blame for having had a poor season. Pulis maybe could've handled him better at times but nobody is perfect. 

In terms of Pulis' blame, I'd more so question why Lambert, Saido and Rondon have struggled so much this season - the team set up just hasn't enabled them to score as much. Strikers can't score in isolation. I think Lambert was finished, Rondon has promise and Berahino will score goals with the right support.

[smethwickw]

I dont think so. When playing Pulis ball we need the loan striker to be someone who is stronger in the air and better at holding the ball up than Berahino is

Berahino is only 1 goal behind Rondon despite spending half the season out of the side. I agree that Pulisball does need someone better at holding it up and in the air but Rondon isn't great at that either. At least with Berahino up top we see less Hoofball.

[WBArgo]

How many problems did Saido have when Alan Irvine was Head Coach? He doesn't help himself but a lot of the problems have happened since Pulis took over, I don't think it's beyond the realms of possibility that he has handled Saido badly.

He got caught speeding and got a driving ban. That's off the field but it still shows an attitude problem.

As mentioned prior, he's had a lot of coaching issues BEFORE Pulis. It's not Pulis that is the problem here.

[tuamigos]

I think 'trouble' will follow him wherever he goes, and it will always be someone else's fault

[darbolina]

He got caught speeding and got a driving ban. That's off the field but it still shows an attitude problem.

As mentioned prior, he's had a lot of coaching issues BEFORE Pulis. It's not Pulis that is the problem here.

Under Irvine, I recall there was a 'lateness' problem which continued during Pulis. He did play much better under Irvine though but you could argue he was trying to prove himself and by the time Pulis got here, there was talk of him (mainly from him of course) getting a big move and playing for England!

I'll stand by what I said before - I think he'll be 28/ 29 before he finally grows up and starts to show his true potential.  He'll get one or two moves to keep the wolves (not the Dogheads) at the door in the meantime.

[Lloydy]

He got caught speeding and got a driving ban. That's off the field but it still shows an attitude problem.

As mentioned prior, he's had a lot of coaching issues BEFORE Pulis. It's not Pulis that is the problem here.

How many people on this forum have been done for speeding? Hardly a misdemeanour of Flabby Agbonlahor proportions.

[fatboy_coach]

How many people on this forum have been done for speeding? Hardly a misdemeanour of Flabby Agbonlahor proportions.

Over a ton when inebriated is hardly 35 in a 30 zone though and I recall he kept the club in the dark until after his international call up.

[WBArgo]

How many people on this forum have been done for speeding? Hardly a misdemeanour of Flabby Agbonlahor proportions.

You cannot compare casual speeding and driving massively over the limit whilst drunk, one is stupid, the other is outrageous.

[tuamigos]

How many people on this forum have been done for speeding? Hardly a misdemeanour of Flabby Agbonlahor proportions.

It was speeding and drunk driving, personally I think it was worse that Flabby's pipe job.

[Jordie1471]

It was speeding and drunk driving, personally I think it was worse that Flabby's pipe job.

Much much worse. On another day he could have easily ended up like Lee Hughes.

[tommcneill]

How many people on this forum have been done for speeding? Hardly a misdemeanour of Flabby Agbonlahor proportions.

Huge difference fella....

over 100 mph while drunk is illegal and reckless..

a few canisters of laughing gas in a hotel whilst drunk is not

[sing on our own]

And what the fat lad did was perfectly legal if very stupid.

[Lloydy]

To be honest I completely forgot he was under the influence! When I posted I just had it in my head he was just speeding, hold my hands up for that one, incredibly stupid thing to do and should not be condoned.