Dale Stephens . . . either play him, or sell him..

[Stat Brother]

Agreed and it would have done but that wasn't the conversation unless you want me to very boringly quote it back at you.. there was a whole bunch of other stuff about "morons", and "hicks" and Stephens having to be sold to fund a striker etc etc.

That's all in the subtext, it just depends on how drunk we were.

 

[B.W.]

This is virtually the same squad that finished 3rd on 89 points - that's 6 points more than 4th and 20 points more than 7th. It's also the same post January window squad that amassed 45 points in 20 games scoring 41 goals (next best in similar period was Burnley with 33), yet you don't think that we'll challenge for the top 6?!! I take it that you're a glass half empty guy.

We spent nearly all of last season with only 3 strikers available anyway. And from Feb to May, one of them was James 'no more than 45 mins fit' Wilson.

Great argument... let's make the same mistake of being nearly-men twice... brilliant, just brilliant...

 

[B.W.]

Oh, and Chris MUST play Stephens from the start tonight and, providing he is fit and firing, every subsequent game... no more BS about needing extra training et al... we ARE a shadow of the team we were when he was playing with Beram last season... no more excuses...

 

[Icy Gull]

Yes. Agreed. But we're not having a debate here about whether 3 strikers, and 5 wingers is enough, whether this is short sighted and a risk. Or even if its other areas of the pitch that will secure promotion. I agree with you that it is a problem and its self evident that the club didn't address it. And i'm not completely convinced, like you/SB that it won't impact on the season/promotion fight. Agreed.

But SB and other posters are arguing that the club are either:
- unaware that they need a striker and unaware of the riches on offer if we get promoted.
- don't have the funds to buy a striker, needed to sell Stephens to fund an "attacking option" despite plenty of examples that showed Bloom was prepared to spend a fortune on one. But thats obviously all made up. And anyway wasn't enough to land anyone decent (£8m quid !!)
- Think its impossible to fund or strengthen or focus on one end of the pitch (recruiting Defenders, Midfielders) without it affecting the striker targets/budgets.
- think the club is lying when they say when they explain why they did what they did.

I don't agree with any of that. DO you ?

I am personally very confused as to why this recurring problem hasn't been solved and I do wonder if we reach a level that the club won't break which is hampering us. I cannot think of any other reason that we keep shooting ourselves in the foot whilst seemingly getting it right in every other position on the pitch.

It does ring alarm bells for me that we can't get decent strikers that kick on at ANY level. BZ and Murray wanted to come here, we did well with Ulloa and umm thats it since we moved to the Amex.

 

[Icy Gull]

This is virtually the same squad that finished 3rd on 89 points - that's 6 points more than 4th and 20 points more than 7th. It's also the same post January window squad that amassed 45 points in 20 games scoring 41 goals (next best in similar period was Burnley with 33), yet you don't think that we'll challenge for the top 6?!! I take it that you're a glass half empty guy.

We spent nearly all of last season with only 3 strikers available anyway. And from Feb to May, one of them was James 'no more than 45 mins fit' Wilson.

It seems the club think the same way as you. I think the division is much stronger this year and this paucity of alternatives upfront will cost us. Wilson may have been a puking up half fit non combative player but he still scored some crucial goals and earned us points. I think the lack of strikers will come back to bite us, in fact I'd suggest it already has over the last 4 games. Time will tell if you are right.

I am not buying playing Hemed and Murray together for any other reason than because we don't have alternative options, two players getting in each others way is not going to score us the goals we need.

 

[B.W.]

It seems the club think the same way as you. I think the division is much stronger this year and this paucity of alternatives upfront will cost us. Wilson may have been a puking up half fit non combative player but he still scored some crucial goals and earned us points. I think the lack of strikers will come back to bite us, in fact I'd suggest it already has over the last 4 games. Time will tell if you are right.

I am not buying playing Hemed and Murray together for any other reason than because we don't have alternative options, two players getting in each others way is not going to score us the goals we need.

Too right Icy G...

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Oh, and Chris MUST play Stephens from the start tonight and, providing he is fit and firing, every subsequent game... no more BS about needing extra training et al... we ARE a shadow of the team we were when he was playing with Beram last season... no more excuses...

100% correct. Don't forget also, that if Stephens doesn't play, then his sidekick Kayal doesn't seem to perform nearly as well either, so if Stephens isn't selected, we have pretty much lost two players, not just one.

 

[chaileyjem]

in fact I'd suggest [a lack of a striker] already has cost over the last 4 games.

4 games ago we won 3-0. In the last 3 games if our defence etc had not let in 2 goals for each of em we'd have 5 more points and be 2nd in the table.

 

[Icy Gull]

4 games ago we won 3-0. In the last 3 games if our defence etc had not let in 2 goals for each of em we'd have 5 more points and be 2nd in the table.

How many shots on target have we had in the last four games? Yes if the defence didn't concede we could get 0-0 draws but is that the objective now?

I am rather hoping we get a win tonight which will make it, points wise, better than two draws which we excelled at last season. Turning draws into wins and a few more losses is fine with me

 

[chaileyjem]

Yes if the defence didn't concede we could get 0-0 draws but is that the objective now?

I've no idea. But would have beaten Reading 2-0 if we'd kept a clean sheet there which would have been nice.

 

[Stat Brother]

4 games ago we won 3-0. In the last 3 games if our defence etc had not let in 2 goals for each of em we'd have 5 more points and be 2nd in the table.

Just as a point of order here, I'd like to say even after the Forest game I was saying just how obvious it was that H&M together, weren't the answer.
Their goal was from a set piece.
Previously they had tackled each other.
They passed to each other less than 5 times.
Crucially Baldock came on and within 10 minutes a move started by Dunk in our box, went through Stephens, Knockaert, Baldock for Murray's goal.

Text book Albion forward play and impossible with H&M playing together.

 

[chaileyjem]

Just as a point of order here, I'd like to say even after the Forest game I was saying just how obvious it was that H&M together, weren't the answer.
Their goal was from a set piece.
Previously they had tackled each other.
They passed to each other less than 5 times.
Crucially Baldock came on and within 10 minutes a move started by Dunk in our box, went through Stephens, Knockaert, Baldock for Murray's goal.

Text book Albion forward play and impossible with H&M playing together.

Sounds like you've just said Murray and Baldock is the answer and that SIMPLY WON"T DO.

 

[S'hampton Seagull]

Sounds like you've just said Murray and Baldock is the answer and that SIMPLY WON"T DO.

Probably what we should play, but let's be honest, everyone will be disappointed Baldock is Murray's partner.

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[Icy Gull]

Probably what we should play, but let's be honest, everyone will be disappointed Baldock is Murray's partner.

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I'm not but he needs competition

 

[S'hampton Seagull]

I'm not but he needs competition

Only in as much as we have not upgraded on him since last season. That said, he should be in the first XI tonight.

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[Icy Gull]

Only in as much as we have not upgraded on him since last season. That said, he should be in the first XI tonight.

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Unbelievable that the club were unable to find someone as good considering they had four months to do it. Having nobody at all is a major cock up by the club IMO. I appreciate they were looking for a world class player at a knockdown rate but when they couldn't sign Pritchard surely they could have lowered their sights and just found someone as good as Baldock. I find it really hard to believe they couldn't. We desperately need cover for an average player and we couldn't manage it? Really?

 

[Stat Brother]

Sounds like you've just said Murray and Baldock is the answer and that SIMPLY WON"T DO.

The answer was to bring in Better Baldock in July, give the 4 strikers a decent preseason to work out their partnerships and go with the best combination.
Sure that contains a fair degree of 'dream on'.
I don't imagine many strikers were signed in the first week of July.
What simply won't do is signing no one.

Unbelievable that the club were unable to find someone as good considering they had four months to do it. Having nobody at all is a major cock up by the club IMO. I appreciate they were looking for a world class player at a knockdown rate but when they couldn't sign Pritchard surely they could have lowered their sights and just found someone as good as Baldock. I find it really hard to believe they couldn't. We desperately need cover for an average player and we couldn't manage it? Really?

They didn't have 4 months.
With Hemed, Baldock, Zamora (ageing) & Wilson (loanee) the club had 12 months to get this right, that's what's so annoying.

Esp when you consider the difference to the team that decision makes.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Unfortunately we have Worse Baldock ( Elvis ) instead of Better Baldock.

 

[fleet]

Is it jut em or has this thread got little to do with Dale Stephens now?

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Incidently it would be great if Worse Baldock scored against Huddersfield tonight after his failed loan there last season.