Dale Stephens - Press Conference

[ac gull]

IF and when we get promoted then all out of contract players will quite rightly compare any contract offer we make them against any offer they get from elsewhere, Stockdale and Bong also out of contract too

Actions speak louder than words so up to us to demonstrate it at end of season via appropriate contract offers

First things first get the points to finish in the top two

 

[sparkie]

Just seen the interview and all I can take from it is that he's keeping his options open.

If we go up and offer him a decent deal then he may well stay I think.

 

[dangull]

The one thing about Stephens that might affect what sort of deal he wants, is that he is a bit injury prone, so his agent shouldn't make too many demands.

 

[Caveman]

Just seen the interview and all I can take from it is that he's keeping his options open.

If we go up and offer him a decent deal then he may well stay I think.

This is exactly how I took it too.

 

[Invicta]

This is exactly how I took it too.

Can't blame him for that - Lets get promoted and then see !

 

[Bring back Bryan wade!!]

Been obvious for ages. He would be a tremendous loss even if we do get promoted and will need an expensive replacement.

Mooy for me. Probably cost £12-15m but classy midfielder.

 

[Baldseagull]

Obviously a young reporter. Give him a break.

Don't know who he is, but he has been popping up occasionally and asking shite questions for some time now.

 

[Nixonator]

Don't know who he is, but he has been popping up occasionally and asking shite questions for some time now.

Often without an actual question being posed. He tends to say something and then hope the player/manager can figure out a question from it themselves.

I've no wish to be harsh, but must be fairly new to the profession you would think.

 

[jamie the seagull]

The one thing about Stephens that might affect what sort of deal he wants, is that he is a bit injury prone, so his agent shouldn't make too many demands.

Stephens....Agent...2 words that don't go well together after we got fined when we bought him..

 

[Greg Bobkin]

He's gone if we don't get promoted but so is dunk, Duffy, knockaert, March so nothing new there.

If we get promoted he's only going to stay if we pay him a monster salary like £40-45k a week. Which to be honest we should do given to replace him we'd have to pay £10m for someone.

I'm not saying you're wrong, but I always struggle with this a little bit. If the club don't go up from this position, it will be BECAUSE of the players you mentioned (partly). So would a PL side still hold them in as high regard as of they got the club promoted?

I really don't know, but I do know it's a MASSIVE step up to the PL from Championship and we might be surprised as to who makes the grade and who doesn't.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Often without an actual question being posed. He tends to say something and then hope the player/manager can figure out a question from it themselves.

I've no wish to be harsh, but must be fairly new to the profession you would think.

That's the TalkShite approach to 'interviewing'. Can't stand it.

 

[jimhigham]

If we don't get promoted... he's gone.

If we DO get promoted... we probably don't care as we should have the funds to get a replacement.

He's great and we'd like to keep him but it really is a case of no one man is bigger than the club.

 

[royceyboy]

It's quite simple. Stephens wants to play in the premier league. He's not going to commit to us when we still have to gain promotion, and he's out of contract. The simple fact is, he may not get another offer from a premier league club regardless of whether we go up or not. He's a great championship player, but unproven in the PL. so it's a risk for any club.
If we do go up, we may be his best option, in which case there's no reason why he would sign for us.
We need to stop focusing on what he's going to do next season, and encourage him to do his best to get us promoted this season.

 

[Sheebo]

A bit of digging on social media and you'll see that his wife has been accepted on a course at the University of Brighton in September 2017. Not that it means much but it must show that he isn't definitely off.

Probably the most important and key post of the whole thread but most will gloss over the one & only fact posted on here

 

[HCxUK]

I'm sure he'll go to which ever PL team offers him the most money..

 

[Bring back Bryan wade!!]

i'm sure he'll go to which ever pl team offers him the most money..

^^^^^^ this

 

[GT49er]

He'll maximise his potential earnings by playing out of his skin for the next two and a half months.

Let's hope he does so well that there's a HUGE queue waving cheque books!

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

Who was the bloke asking the questions in that press conference, not the first one but the second one ?

Painful listening to him, he is either very nervous or completely unprepared as to what to ask.

I think it might have been the same person who once asked Sami Hyypia a series of questions about his experience of derby matches before a game against Millwall, under the impression that they, rather than Palace were our rivals.

 

[NooBHA]

Haven't heard the interview. Don't need to hear the interview because whatever he says now could easily alter because of

1. If we win the league or even just get promoted, his whole mind set would change and it would be difficult for him to turn down moving up with us

2. What other offer do people think he might have in the summer. What clubs currently in the PL might move for him. Burnley ? There is no guarantee that they won't have different targets now.
Not many other PL clubs will move for a player not tested at that level

3. Our ability to offer increased salary would be greatly improved if we go up.

4. Any dip in form at another club he would be dropped and might never make it back into the starting line up. At least with a longstanding manager he has past performances to fall back on for support.

So I just think he has probably put all this to the back of his mind and isn't even considering options for now until the road opens up ahead of him and he sees his route options in June.

 

[Megazone]

He's got to stay with us. Stephens must know his best chance of standing out in the Prem, would be playing for Brighton.

Stephens is our coolest player on the ball. No matter how much pressure he's under, he always keeps it cool. He can get caught out being too relaxed on the ball, but his overall play is what gives us that edge over teams when we're maintaining possession. There's obvious reasons why Prem clubs are looking at Stephens (contract expiry etc) but there's one stand out talent in Stephens, which will be his ability in handling the speed and intensity of the Prem thanks to his composure. He is absolutely vital to how we play. We always look on top of the opposition when Stephens is playing. If he went to Burnley, I really doubt he would walk straight into the playmaker role like he does for us. It could take him a whole season to adjust, and by then, Burnley could be relegated.

He'd be a fool to leave the Albion right now, especially for Burnley!

We must keep Stephens.