Dale Stephens Summer 2016 shenanigans (Merged Thread)

[spence]

After reading that, I think the club would've been better off just getting shot of him rather than prolonging this any further.

The fact he doesn't seem to believe that we can win promotion from that statement doesn't exactly instill confidence in his ability to knuckle down and get the job done.

Not according to [MENTION=805]Kalimantan Gull[/MENTION]

He also brought into the extra training gaff

 

[dangull]

Should have let him go if he wanted to leave. Is he going to put it all on the line in the next few months like last season? He doesn't care we paid him good money sitting on his ass after suffering a bad injury. This guy was bought for £ 700,000 ? there is another better DS somewhere that the recruitment team should have been exchanging him for.

Thanks for not turning up to are last tricky away games Dale. May of cost us top2 already.

 

[ozzygull]

He should of stayed off of Twitter, what a prat, it actually makes me hope we never see him in the stripes again.

 

[Sheebo]

I agree that the ''tone is disappointing'' but I don't find it disrespectful.

The lad is obviously still hurting about not getting the opportunity to play Premiership football here and now. I am glad he has come out and said something but he should have waited a few days or so until his obvious anger and disappointment had subsided a little. He would then have been able to produce a more measured and more acceptable sounding statement.

He mentions the club have known for 5 weeks but that cuts both ways. He has also known for 5 weeks that we wanted to keep him - He is a good lad Dale and it won't take him long to get over this and he will be back doing what he does best on the pitch for Brighton.

He will in time take it as a compliment of his abilities that we hung on so tight to keep him at Brighton.

The lad is understandably hurting at the moment but by the time he next steps on the pitch he will be over it. He is not the first to have a transfer request rejected and he will not be the last

I admire your level headed response as more of an outsider than most (no offence of course). Maybe we all need to take a few days too. For me, it will all depend on his performances from now. He really should sign a new contract even if only a year or twos extension. We'd offer more money and a buy out clause as he seems to care a lot about his next move.

Part of me realises how fickle football is but also part of me thinks there's other players in our squad who actually give a shit and wouldn't do this. Time will tell here. Never seems to run smoothly ever - always something or someone to upset the apple cart....

 

[spence]

He should of stayed off of Twitter, what a prat, it actually makes me hope we never see him in the stripes again.

He didn't even apologize either just gave an explanation

At least Forestieri did

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37098720

 

[HCxUK]

I agree that the ''tone is disappointing'' but I don't find it disrespectful.

The lad is obviously still hurting about not getting the opportunity to play Premiership football here and now. I am glad he has come out and said something but he should have waited a few days or so until his obvious anger and disappointment had subsided a little. He would then have been able to produce a more measured and more acceptable sounding statement.

He mentions the club have known for 5 weeks but that cuts both ways. He has also known for 5 weeks that we wanted to keep him - He is a good lad Dale and it won't take him long to get over this and he will be back doing what he does best on the pitch for Brighton.

He will in time take it as a compliment of his abilities that we hung on so tight to keep him at Brighton.

The lad is understandably hurting at the moment but by the time he next steps on the pitch he will be over it. He is not the first to have a transfer request rejected and he will not be the last

Obviously he didn't intend to be disrespectful and it is an admirable thing to do. BUT, it wasn't necessary to suggest that it could be his last chance to play in the PL when he is now staying at a team with aspirations of automatic promotion. He just didn't have to say it.

He is still a Brighton and Hove Albion player, and talking down our chances of promotion in that manner is disrespectful.

 

[El Presidente]

Perhaps it went something like this.

Burnley make enquiry about Stephens. Albion reply that not keen on selling but that the asking price is (say) £10 million.

Burnley offer £3.5 million (the same as their initial offer for Hendrick). Albion say no, pay the asking price or no deal.

Stephens is aware of deal and fancies chance of playing in EPL. His agent advises not to put in a formal transfer request as will lose out on a cut of the sale proceeds.

Burnley come back with further offers, still substantially less than the Albion's valuation, trying to get DS on the cheap. At the same time they also increase their offer for Hendrick by roughly the same amount.

Derby also play hardball until Burnley cave in and offer asking price and cough up £10.5 million.

Stephens' agent realises that needs to try to force the deal by putting in a transfer request. Burnley fail to meet Albion's valuation once more so no deal. You don't **** with Tony Bloom.

Fair play to DS for stating his position. Most people want to work at a high level in their profession. There's no reason why he would sulk for rest of season because (a) he won't let down his work colleagues, he's not that type of bloke, (b) the better he plays the greater the chance of playing in the EPL next season, either with the Albion or another club, (c) he's on appearance and win bonuses just like every other player for the club in all probability, so why cut off your nose to spite your face?

I don't think he's the bad party in all this, Burnley could have had him a month ago had they met the valuation, the Albion would have had time to find a replacement.

Burnley chose a different approach via making six bids, each only a small increment higher than the previous one.


Sent from Konnie Huq's lingerie drawer.

 

[Megazone]

Is he really that good? He has good vision, but can often get caught in possession when he's behind the pace of the game

I don't think he would cope with the tempo of the Prem,

 

[GT49er]

Should have let him go if he wanted to leave. Is he going to put it all on the line in the next few months like last season? He doesn't care we paid him good money sitting on his ass after suffering a bad injury. This guy was bought for £ 700,000 ? there is another better DS somewhere that the recruitment team should have been exchanging him for.

His only sensible course of action now (regardless of whatever his agent whispers in his ear) is to play his socks off for the Albion. That way, PL teams will still be after him next summer (or we might be a PL team by then). If he doesn't stay with us, he'll get all the benefits of being on a free transfer.
If he sulks, doesn't try, messes around, gets dropped from the team because of attitude, etc, he will be a forgotten man by the time the next summer transfer window comes round - and he may not be being offered that great deals in January either.

 

[NooBHA]

I admire your level headed response as more of an outsider than most (no offence of course). Maybe we all need to take a few days too. For me, it will all depend on his performances from now. He really should sign a new contract even if only a year or twos extension. We'd offer more money and a buy out clause as he seems to care a lot about his next move.

Part of me realises how fickle football is but also part of me thinks there's other players in our squad who actually give a shit and wouldn't do this. Time will tell here. Never seems to run smoothly ever - always something or someone to upset the apple cart....

I totally agree it will depend on how he knuckles down and performs on the pitch and you are correct it is easier for me to be more measured in my response because I have known the situation for a while. That's what I mean about having time to be accepting of the situation allows you to produce a nore measured response.

Dale obviously thought the club stance might change in these last weeks - He has not had enough time to get used to the final outcome yet. Once he does he will be as good as he ever was. Maybe even better because he has something to prove to the fans now that he can be professional and committed.

Chris and the Chairman wouldn't have tried so hard to keep him if they thought he wouldn't get over the disappointment of what has just happened to him. That's why I said he should have waited before making a public declaration of his feelings.

When someone punches you in the eye the automatic response it to punch them back. Not a good comparison I know but much as I didn't like the tone of his response I don't think it will reflect on how he will feel in 5 or 6 days time

 

[Javeaseagull]

He has just tweeted, which I am incapable of copying, but says he is disappointed but it's over and he will get on with it. Much as you would expect from a good pro.
We go again.

 

[Bigtomfu]

As I've acknowledged in my post - see the word "suggests" and elsewhere, it's speculation. I don't begrudge any player who wants to move clubs, or indeed who asks to move clubs. I do have an issue with players not giving 100% to the club they are contracted to and therefore the supporters who (indirectly) pay their wages. Pure speculation, but my OPINION is that his 100% commitment has not been there in the last few weeks.

As I said, if he comes out and says "I wanted to move, but I'm happy to be here nonetheless" and puts in some performances, then it's water under the bridge.

No mention of being happy, committed to cause or ready to get back in trenches with team mates

There's no reason why he would sulk for rest of season because (a) he won't let down his work colleagues, he's not that type of bloke

Sent from Konnie Huq's lingerie drawer.

Well he's not given them a glowing endorsement by stating this might have been his last chance to get to Prem.

Suspect we'll know soon enough as this squad will winkle out a scheister and a weasel.

 

[SussexSeahawk]

I have to disagree with a lot of the above reaction to Dale's twitter post. I don't like that he wanted to go more than the next person but I don't think it warrants some of the reactions above in this thread.

Even the most optimisticc fan on here can admit that our chances of going up this season are under 50% (and are in reality considerably lower than that figure). So expecting to make the premier league by staying here is clearly a risk, and if it doesn't come off then there's no guarantee that premier league clubs will still want him this time next year. Even if you felt loyalty to the club that's a big risk to take.

I am glad for his reaction, and I would not have wanted an apology. Even if you disagree with his decision, he clearly believed this was the best course of action for his career and so an apology would have been meaningless. Given that we know he put in a transfer request, his post is about the best I could have expected and it gives me hope that he will be back to the Dale of last season in the near future.

 

[NooBHA]

Perhaps it went something like this.

Burnley make enquiry about Stephens. Albion reply that not keen on selling but that the asking price is (say) £10 million.

Burnley offer £3.5 million (the same as their initial offer for Hendrick). Albion say no, pay the asking price or no deal.

Stephens is aware of deal and fancies chance of playing in EPL. His agent advises not to put in a formal transfer request as will lose out on a cut of the sale proceeds.

Burnley come back with further offers, still substantially less than the Albion's valuation, trying to get DS on the cheap. At the same time they also increase their offer for Hendrick by roughly the same amount.

Derby also play hardball until Burnley cave in and offer asking price and cough up £10.5 million.

Stephens' agent realises that needs to try to force the deal by putting in a transfer request. Burnley fail to meet Albion's valuation once more so no deal. You don't **** with Tony Bloom.

Fair play to DS for stating his position. Most people want to work at a high level in their profession. There's no reason why he would sulk for rest of season because (a) he won't let down his work colleagues, he's not that type of bloke, (b) the better he plays the greater the chance of playing in the EPL next season, either with the Albion or another club, (c) he's on appearance and win bonuses just like every other player for the club in all probability, so why cut off your nose to spite your face?

I don't think he's the bad party in all this, Burnley could have had him a month ago had they met the valuation, the Albion would have had time to find a replacement.

Burnley chose a different approach via making six bids, each only a small increment higher than the previous one.


Sent from Konnie Huq's lingerie drawer.

Our stance was always ''no sale'' I think the lad maybe thought or was advised by his Agent we were possibly just looking to drive the price up but he knew we didn't want to let him go. He knew how important we thought he was to this season.

Like I said in other posts. In a few days Dale wont be hurting as badly over it and he will just get on with the football. He is not the type of player to sulk for too long over things like this

 

[El Presidente]

Well he's not given them a glowing endorsement by stating this might have been his last chance to get to Preml.

It's an uncomfortable truth that it might be his last chance though.

Just look at NSC and the Argus comments section, there's plenty of Albion fans who think we won't even get near the playoffs, let alone promotion.

 

[Pavilionaire]

What's done is done.

Burnley went out and paid more for Hendrick and Defour which suggests Stephens would have been third choice at best and on the bench. If he plays well this season he'll end up in the Prem next season one way or another.

What disappoints me the most is that he doesn't seem enthusiastic about our chances of promotion, i.e. "I have 10 months left and I'll honour my contract", not "I hope I can achieve my Premier League ambition with the Albion."

This is football, unfortuntely. It's a shame Dale has no real passion for the the club, still we can't expect all players to be like Calde and Bruno.

 

[NooBHA]

I have to disagree with a lot of the above reaction to Dale's twitter post. I don't like that he wanted to go more than the next person but I don't think it warrants some of the reactions above in this thread.

Even the most optimisticc fan on here can admit that our chances of going up this season are under 50% (and are in reality considerably lower than that figure). So expecting to make the premier league by staying here is clearly a risk, and if it doesn't come off then there's no guarantee that premier league clubs will still want him this time next year. Even if you felt loyalty to the club that's a big risk to take.

I am glad for his reaction, and I would not have wanted an apology. Even if you disagree with his decision, he clearly believed this was the best course of action for his career and so an apology would have been meaningless. Given that we know he put in a transfer request, his post is about the best I could have expected and it gives me hope that he will be back to the Dale of last season in the near future.

It was too soon. If he had waited a day or two I am sure he would have said something along the lines of. ''Although I am disappointed about not getting a move. I am here, I am a Brighton player and whilst I am here I will give 100% to the cause of trying to get Brighton promoted and fulfilling my ambition of playing in the Premiership that way''

 

[El Presidente]

What's done is done.

Burnley went out and paid more for Hendrick and Defour which suggests Stephens would have been third choice at best and on the bench. If he plays well this season he'll end up in the Prem next season one way or another.

What disappoints me the most is that he doesn't seem enthusiastic about our chances of promotion, i.e. "I have 10 months left and I'll honour my contract", not "I hope I can achieve my Premier League ambition with the Albion."

This is football, unfortuntely. It's a shame Dale has no real passion for the the club, still we can't expect all players to be like Calde and Bruno.

Calde was all for leaving the Albion a few months after joining the club and joining the Stains.

 

[Pavilionaire]

Calde was all for leaving the Albion a few months after joining the club and joining the Stains.

We were a million miles away from the Prem back then, training in a park and playing in an athletics stadium. I wouldn't blame anyone for being keen on a move to club with Prem pedigree at that time. After that he was the model pro for us.

 

[Nixonator]

The only villains here are Burnley. Like others have said, i'm sure they could have had him weeks/months ago if they had matched the asking price.

They tried to get a bargain and it backfired. They have now paid 10.5m for a lesser player, in my opinion.

Dale is obviously pissed off, I wouldn't have expected the tone of anything he says to be good until he's had at least a few days to come to terms with it. Most of his message is fair game, though I disagree that this could be his 'last chance' to play in PL. That is just bollocks that I doubt even he believes. What he really means to say is he wants 'at least a couple of years earning PL money'.

Also, people are interpreting wrongly about him not thinking the albion can make it, who's to say we would want him if we go up? I hope we would keep him as I rate him very highly, but CH/Recruitment may have other plans.