Dale Stephens Summer 2016 shenanigans (Merged Thread)

[sir albion]

It's what happens when you have a fan in charge.

Burnley: "We'd like to sign your best player for a knockdown price please"

TB: "**** off Burnley"

He's not our best player and to be fair I can see dunk,goldson and knocky being worth more in time.
He's similar to kayal although kayal offers more in attack and he didn't make our best 3 last season either.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

It interests me that some people assume that Stephens has been sulking while all this has gone on. Previous reports that he'd "refused to play" were categorically denied by Chris Hughton, and I'm inclined to believe him. Yet still there's the perception that he's stomping about, with a big strop on, demanding to go to Burnley.

Maybe, just maybe, it's actually been smart management from Hughton to leave him out, at a time of year when results, at least in the immediate future, tend to be ever so slightly less critical. If you're a Championship midfielder who's been made aware of offers from Premier League clubs, then, no matter how much you might want to play, and you think you're in the right frame of mind, there's always the tiniest possibility that you might commit yourself only 95% to that vital last minute tackle, because at the very back of your mind, you're thinking "don't get injured". It's just human nature.

Hughton (a) doesn't want to lose a game because a player's missed that tackle, and (b), doesn't want to see his player (who may end up staying with the club) become the target of fans' abuse because what they perceive as his lack of commitment losing them said game.

I like it that Hughton defends his players, and I bet it gains him an awful lot of loyalty and respect from them in return. If Stephens does stay, and I admit I'm a little more hopeful today than I was yesterday, then the manager's actions may well turn out to be an absolute masterstroke.

We've been here before with Dunk, after all

 

[bhanutz]

When will the offer we've accepted for Dunk be announced?

What offer?

 

[LamieRobertson]

What offer?

To buy another drink......

 

[Nixonator]

He's not our best player and to be fair I can see dunk,goldson and knocky being worth more in time.
He's similar to kayal although kayal offers more in attack and he didn't make our best 3 last season either.

Dunk and Knockaert are already worth more than Stephens. Stephens offers more of a goal threat than Kayal.

Fan opinion is not the best reference, evidenced frequently on this board.

 

[atomised]

What offer?

The offer that the person that was posted in response to said categorically last week had definitely been accepted whilst repeatedly telling us Duffy was Dunks replacement

 

[Nixonator]

What offer?

That's what we all want to know. Only [MENTION=27463]Tubby-McFat-Fuc[/MENTION] has the answers.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

I'm pretty certain Stephens is now staying unless we already have a replacement ready with pen hovering over contract.

Far too little time otherwise to get a replacement.

Burnley and Hull have left it far, far too late.



2 factors now come into play which are a break with history :

- £170 million for promotion means Championship teams have little incentive to sell key players.

- No loan window to replace last day departures.

 

[Bwian]

It interests me that some people assume that Stephens has been sulking while all this has gone on. Previous reports that he'd "refused to play" were categorically denied by Chris Hughton, and I'm inclined to believe him. Yet still there's the perception that he's stomping about, with a big strop on, demanding to go to Burnley.

Maybe, just maybe, it's actually been smart management from Hughton to leave him out, at a time of year when results, at least in the immediate future, tend to be ever so slightly less critical. If you're a Championship midfielder who's been made aware of offers from Premier League clubs, then, no matter how much you might want to play, and you think you're in the right frame of mind, there's always the tiniest possibility that you might commit yourself only 95% to that vital last minute tackle, because at the very back of your mind, you're thinking "don't get injured". It's just human nature.

Hughton (a) doesn't want to lose a game because a player's missed that tackle, and (b), doesn't want to see his player (who may end up staying with the club) become the target of fans' abuse because what they perceive as his lack of commitment losing them said game.

I like it that Hughton defends his players, and I bet it gains him an awful lot of loyalty and respect from them in return. If Stephens does stay, and I admit I'm a little more hopeful today than I was yesterday, then the manager's actions may well turn out to be an absolute masterstroke.

We've been here before with Dunk, after all

To get promotion or to win trophies ALL results matter. All goals scored matter as we found out when settling for a draw cost us, when not pressing for one more goal cost us.

 

[Stat Brother]

To get promotion or to win trophies ALL results matter. All goals scored matter as we found out when settling for a draw cost us, when not pressing for one more goal cost us.

Pressing for one more goal, those were the days.

We never knew when we had it so good.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

To get promotion or to win trophies ALL results matter. All goals scored matter as we found out when settling for a draw cost us, when not pressing for one more goal cost us.

Yes, but it doesn't feel like that at this time of year, does it? Lose a game in April, and your season can be over at a stroke. Lose one in August, and you tell yourself that you have forty odd games left. That's the point.

 

[BensGrandad]

Yes, but it doesn't feel like that at this time of year, does it? Lose a game in April, and your season can be over at a stroke. Lose one in August, and you tell yourself that you have forty odd games left. That's the point.

Until May when you look back and say if only we had won that game

 

[atomised]

To get promotion or to win trophies ALL results matter. All goals scored matter as we found out when settling for a draw cost us, when not pressing for one more goal cost us.

The point youre clearly deliberately ignoring is the old the league table means nothing until after 10 games.

 

[seagurn]

Points make prizes.

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

It interests me that some people assume that Stephens has been sulking while all this has gone on. Previous reports that he'd "refused to play" were categorically denied by Chris Hughton, and I'm inclined to believe him. Yet still there's the perception that he's stomping about, with a big strop on, demanding to go to Burnley.

Maybe, just maybe, it's actually been smart management from Hughton to leave him out, at a time of year when results, at least in the immediate future, tend to be ever so slightly less critical. If you're a Championship midfielder who's been made aware of offers from Premier League clubs, then, no matter how much you might want to play, and you think you're in the right frame of mind, there's always the tiniest possibility that you might commit yourself only 95% to that vital last minute tackle, because at the very back of your mind, you're thinking "don't get injured". It's just human nature.

Hughton (a) doesn't want to lose a game because a player's missed that tackle, and (b), doesn't want to see his player (who may end up staying with the club) become the target of fans' abuse because what they perceive as his lack of commitment losing them said game.

I like it that Hughton defends his players, and I bet it gains him an awful lot of loyalty and respect from them in return. If Stephens does stay, and I admit I'm a little more hopeful today than I was yesterday, then the manager's actions may well turn out to be an absolute masterstroke.

We've been here before with Dunk, after all

Good post. A couple of observations:
Dunk had signed a new contract a full week before the window closed. Stephens hasn't. Stephens has said nothing publicly about his future, either way. Kayal hasn't agreed a new deal but the "mood music" from him suggests he's happy to carry on playing for us and that enjoys his life in Brighton. No such sentiment from Stephens, long rumoured ( and it is just a rumour) to want to move back up north. He's a northern man and thus understandable.
We do know Bloom has stated he doesn't want to sign a new contract. Bloom's admiral determination to hang onto our best players is to be hugely admired and Stephens must have been offered one of the best contracts in the Albion's history. Yet the realities of Premiership mean that will still fall well short of what he could command in that league. If his attitude has been "exemplary" ( CH) why then leave him out against the best team in the league away from home? That makes no sense.
The bottom line for me is that I really like Stephens. He's now good enough to dominate and really run games, not just once in while, but most weeks. He's that good. But I need him to want to be here and play for the Albion. If he does, let's see him say so and sign a new deal in the next few days. Otherwise, he should leave and we will move on.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Until May when you look back and say if only we had won that game

You could look back in May and think "If only" about every single game we didn't win. Silly argument. I know why people do it, but rationally, it doesn't make sense.

 

[BensGrandad]

You could look back in May and think "If only" about every single game we didn't win. Silly argument. I know why people do it, but rationally, it doesn't make sense.

Its human nature to reflect back on bad results.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Good post. A couple of observations:
Dunk had signed a new contract a full week before the window closed. Stephens hasn't. Stephens has said nothing publicly about his future, either way. Kayal hasn't agreed a new deal but the "mood music" from him suggests he's happy to carry on playing for us and that enjoys his life in Brighton. No such sentiment from Stephens, long rumoured ( and it is just a rumour) to want to move back up north. He's a northern man and thus understandable.
We do know Bloom has stated he doesn't want to sign a new contract. Bloom's admiral determination to hang onto our best players is to be hugely admired and Stephens must have been offered one of the best contracts in the Albion's history. Yet the realities of Premiership mean that will still fall well short of what he could command in that league. If his attitude has been "exemplary" ( CH) why then leave him out against the best team in the league away from home? That makes no sense.
The bottom line for me is that I really like Stephens. He's now good enough to dominate and really run games, not just once in while, but most weeks. He's that good. But I need him to want to be here and play for the Albion. If he does, let's see him say so and sign a new deal in the next few days. Otherwise, he should leave and we will move on.

Where did Bloom say state he didn't want to sign? At the fans forum, he mentioned Kayal but didn't mention Stephens at all.
Hughton has stood up for Stephens all along. Standing up for him includes taking him out of the firing line.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Where did Bloom say state he didn't want to sign? At the fans forum, he mentioned Kayal but didn't mention Stephens at all.
Hughton has stood up for Stephens all along. Standing up for him includes taking him out of the firing line.

Eh ?

At the fans forum Tony was asked about Stephens and Kayal. He then replied at length about Stephens not signing and didn't mention Kayal.

Allegedly there had been a noise in the room which meant Tony didn't hear the part of the question about Kayal. This noise didn't appear on the live feed.

The question about Kayal was then repeated, Cantor mumbled about not giving anything away, whatever that alluded to, and Tony only answered very briefly.

 

[Tubby-McFat-Fuc]

When will the offer we've accepted for Dunk be announced?

You're a strange one aren't you. If he's talked into staying, as he was last year when Fulham wanted to sign him, then I doubt it will be? Why would it be?