Eidur Gudjohnsen And His Shock Stoke Move

Old Trafford Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur (3-1) Premier League 24/04/10 Eidur Gudjohnsen (Spurs) Photo Roger Parker Fotosports International Photo via Newscom

Arguably one of the most surprising transfers of deadline day was Eidur Gudjohnsens move to Stoke City. The former Chelsea forward has agreed a season long loan at the Britannia Stadium from Monaco, but will theIcelandic forward fit in with Stokes notorious physical game?

That will be the worry for Potters boss Tony Pulis who has been reluctant to change his approach to the challenge of taking Stoke to the next level. Fans have been crying out for the club to bring in a different type of player and to challenge the pre-perceived perception of a typical Stoke signing.

But Pulis attempted to do this last summer and the singing of Tuncay from Middlesbrough hasnt really lived up to expectations. The Turkish forward has failed to fit in with Stokes style and it lead to constant rumours that he would seek a move away during this summer.

Gudjohnsen isnt quite in the same situation as Tuncay though. The former Barcelona man hasnt been used to the physical side of things during his time with Chelsea and Bolton and I expect him to have more success than Tuncay.

Some Stoke fans may be hoping that Pulis scraps his current style and attempts to play conventional Premier League football but they shouldnt hold their breath. Despite three league defeats to start the season Pulis has been given the financial backing of his chairman today and the result is a signing which will no doubt have thrilled Stoke fans.

Personally I was surprised that Pulis would opt to sign a player like Gudjohnsen though, and I am even more surprised to see Tuncay remain a Stoke player. Gudjohnsen is ! a player who probably could adapt to the demands of playing in a Stoke shirt, but for Tuncay to have success this year you feel that Pulis would have to change his method.

Gudjohnsen though wont find it easy to adapt to Stokes style however we have seen in the past that he has all the ability to be a real success in the Premier League, so given time expect him to hit a goal rush with Stoke and maybe take them to new heights.



Watch Free Live Soccer Football Matches Online Here

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mr. Hodgson Or: How We Learned To Stop Worrying And Blame The Manager

Image
The manager has risen from club secretary to official face of the club since the creation of football teams worldwide. He has moved from the man that kept the record books to man that is larger than the football team he manages. Commentators and pundits refer to Fergusons United or Wengers beautiful, passing football. He even has books written about him. The Manager by Barney Ronay, an excellent book that discusses the rise of the manager into the modern game, unearths some of the origins of the managers image and attempts todiscuss what kind of person the manager really is. While the book wasnt ever intended to be an academic study of the merits of various tactical thoughts of managers, it does address some of the often listed character traits ofsuccessfulmanagers. When all these traits are put together, to many the manager appears to be a father figure, a scary headmaster, a politician youd like to have a beer with, or somecombination. Yet despite all this popularity, he is little mo...
Keep reading

England World Cup camps need to lose doomsday siege mentality

Image
One day last week, near the junction of Maude Street and Rivonia Road, in the Johannesburg suburb of Sandton, a line of smiling young men in shirts and shorts strolled along the pavement towards their hotel. Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, Robin Van Persie, Dirk Kuyt, Mark Van Bommel and the rest of the Dutch squad waited at the lights until there was a break in the traffic and then ambled across the road. These were some of the best known players in the world, superstars of the game, walking along city streets on their way back from training and looking as though they did not have a care. There was no security with them. None to speak of, anyway. There were no photographers running in front of them and taking their picture. There were no girlfriends tottering along beside them. None of them wore headphones. They did not insulate themselves. They seemed at one with their surroundings. It was only a snapshot of the way the Dutch are living their lives at this World Cup but ...
Keep reading

How an American Influence Is Rubbing Off On Manchester City

Image
Manchester Citys match day experience is becoming more and more American with each new season. While Maine Road was what you could expect a typical British experience of what it was like to see an English football match in the 80s, the City of Manchester Stadium experience seems as American as apple pie. In previous seasons, City have tried to focus on improving the match-day experience. Theyve added buskers, i.e. public performers, around the ground to add to the atmosphere. And recently theyve adopted American entertainment methods such as turning down the house lights before kick-off and trying to get everyone excited for the big match. Theyve also been a pioneer in English football in their usage of American social media sites such as Facebook, Foursquare, Flickr and others to create a bond with supporters. And now for their first home match in the league for the 2010-11 season, against Liverpool tonight, theyre set to unveil two new features. Both of them have a uniquely American...
Keep reading