Dale Stephens Summer 2016 shenanigans (Merged Thread)

[B.W.]

If he'd slapped in his transfer request a couple of months ago I suggest that he would have been sold. I have absolutely no sympathy for him and as said elsewhere waiting until the last minute to do it was possibly driven by greed.

It's not as if he is some poorly paid player at the bottom of the football chain playing for some no mark club. He signed a contract for three years, no surprise the club expect him to honour it.

This, with bells on.

Plus, Burnley are definitely at fault for their repeated low bids with tiny increments over the previous one. I really think if Dale was being 'honest' then he would have slapped in his transfer request much earlier in the window. Similarly, if Burnley were being 'honest', then they would have bid the £8M they finally bid at the start of the window, not at the last minute.

In summary, Tony has gone up in my estimation for holding the line. Meanwhile, Burnley look like penny-pinching mugs, and Dale needs to get his head back in the game, and fast...

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

If that's how Dale feels we should have sold. We now have at least two unhappy players who have felt the need to express their views on social media, and we are a striker short.

Not the best transfer window.

Isnt that an inevitable consequence of the whole transfer window circus though ? Untold riches are dangled in front of players and it is understandable their heads are turned. I still think we have had a decent window. CH will now show his worth by dealing with the fall out of a system not of his making. Remember its not many years since we sold any player for whom we received any bid above a bag of marbles. This year we have retained our best players and for that I am proud of the club. The rest will be down to man management skills and I am confident that the club will move on with everyone behaving like adults. After all, the interests of BHA and the interests of DS for the remainder of the season are very closely aligned.

 

[spring hall convert]

Dear Dale

Knuckle down old son and there's every chance you'll be playing Premier League football with us next season, on an improved contract, in front of a full house at the Amex.

Meanwhile take some time to look around your current surroundings. See the training ground with new eyes. Marvel at the skills of our new unpronounceable left back. Look at the downs, the sea, the award winning restaurants, abundance of quality bars, theatres and entertainment. The quiet and intelligent encouragement of your boss. The supreme real estate,.

Then thank your lucky stars you're not tucked away in a northern shithole where boarded up houses sell for tuppence and the pubs still have meat raffles, being yelled at by a psychotic ginger dalek.

Yours, GB.

Dear Brighton fans,

Give Stephens a chance to do this. Don't treat him as public enemy number one, you are just shooting yourself in the foot. If he lets us down 'que sera' but there is nothing to be gained by making life difficult for him now.

SHC

 

[spring hall convert]

Don't like that 'explanation' one bit. It's 'not an apology'. You've got some ****ing making up to do Dale. Also not just saying it but we have so, so much more going for us than Burnley. It's literally just about a season or 2 in the prem lg & £s - part of me doesn't blame him but part thinks he can't see the bigger picture and what we're building here. You owe us some seriously good performances now Dale.

He doesn't need to apologise. He just needs to play well. Simple as that.

(Which I think is what you are trying to say.)

 

[Easy 10]

what are the consequences of transfer requests? genuinely don't know

It means he bins any loyalty bonus he would've been due.

When it became apparent that Burnley were playing at silly buggers and TB wasn't going to cave, Dale, in his desperation to move, played the only card he had, which was a 9 and a 2. Tony had a full house.

 

[DJ NOBO]

If you hand in a transfer request you miss out on your cut of the transfer fee.

oh, fair enough. puts a different slant on it. almost as if footballers aren't the sharpest tools in the box.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

He will also be jumped on by some fans if he has a bad run of form. I will be very sruprised if he is the player he was last season tbh

I would suggest that that will be dependent on what type of man he is rather than what type of player. I don't think any of us know the answer but I am prepared to give him 100% support while he shows us.

 

[B.W.]

LuaLua.

Tweeted just after 11pm then deleted it 10 minutes later. I think there is a thread on it.

Well, I think Kaz is great, but his problem (unlike Dale) is that he has genuine competition for his place, and he is rightly considered as 'competing for the shirt', rather than '1st name on the team sheet' (a la Dale). IF he continues to play well, he WILL be picked, but no guarantees...

 

[spring hall convert]

I'm rather impressed that in this pr driven world of corporate bland statements and weasel words that a player can send a mis spelt tweet with no attempt to apologise or placed platitudes.

That was my take as it goes.

 

[Betfair Bozo]

I'd still not be surprised if Stephens signs a new contract now. We are obviously exposed with him in the final year of his deal but so is he. He is a bad injury away from no income once his contract expires. The club have been very generous in such circumstances in the past (see Tommy Elphick) but this is a very different situation.

I wonder if the club would have let him go if Burnley had offered £8m earlier or had DS handed in his transfer request a matter of weeks rather than hours before the end of the window? I suspect maybe so. He and his agent need to recognise theirs and Burnley's part in the way this has played out.

 

[The Fifth Column]

Oh man up Dale you big girls blouse! Last chance to play in the premier league FFS? For Burnley mate..BURNLEY FFS! Oh well your chance has gone now so you may as well sign a new contract and get on with it at the Albion, hang on you know what don't bother mate I couldn't care less if I ever see you play again for the Albion, you're just another poorly advised player from a cast of hundreds and we are not a one man team depending on you for our success.

 

[Meade's Ball]

I'll be glad to see him back in action and ready for a surge toward promotion in the form of scything some cheeky tearaway down. With him there, in spite of his imperfect passes when attempting to show more than 6% flair, we boss things more. I won't be bitter. Not toward Dale at least. I expect him to put in his full effort and enjoy his time on the pitch, marauding.

 

[pishhead]

The only positive outcome for Stephens in this with regards to the fans relationship with him is a new contract. Every misplaced pass every shirked challenge will be questioned otherwise.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Burnley are fully to blame for this. We even told them not to darken our door with another bid.

If they had bid at an acceptable level at a time when we had enough chance to get a replacement in then everyone would be happy.

They simply cannot expect us to sell when there is no time to get a replacement in.

Idiots.

 

[BensGrandad]

Burnley are fully to blame for this. We even told them not to darken our door with another bid.

If they had bid at an acceptable level at a time when we had enough chance to get a replacement in then everyone would be happy.

They simply cannot expect us to sell when there is no time to get a replacement in.

Idiots.

Had they put in a sensible bid early, the outcome may have been different but they didnt and it wasnt so now lets go forward with DS in the team and perhaps Kayal will play better than he has so far with his co midfielder in the side and the outlook may not be so bleak as it appeared on Sunday.

 

[pb21]

If the club have been "aware" for five weeks that he wanted to leave, did he not effectively hand in his transfer request then, when they became aware?

 

[ewe2]

Its all very well ,keeping hold of your best players,but against their wishes,i feel is unwise,the rock solid team spirit ,may well have been damaged,one of our greatest assets.DS and the club now have to repair the damage (not helped by the Argus headline ! )I feel this event will have much more bearing on our season ,than not signing a striker......(ps..i am an EM fan !!! )

 

[Dorset Seagull]

Dale forgets the club supported him during a long injury and paid his wages as well. Perhaps he owes the club the chance to fulfill their dream to play in the Premier League. Is that too much to ask for 1 season?

 

[Simster]

Burnley are fully to blame for this. We even told them not to darken our door with another bid.

If they had bid at an acceptable level at a time when we had enough chance to get a replacement in then everyone would be happy.

They simply cannot expect us to sell when there is no time to get a replacement in.

Idiots.

They are certainly one of a few parties responsible, yes. I hope the tin pot tossers are relegated by Christmas.

 

[Brovion]

The part about being 27 is quite funny, when you realise that Ulloa was 28 when he came to us. Now aged 30, he's played in the top division winning the title.
Dale, 27 is not too old. You're not on your last legs, so just get on with it.

That's true and I agree. However his next deal at 27/28 is likely to be nearly the best or more likely the best deal he will ever get. It's probably the last time he can ask for three or more years and at a decent rate. After all (and I appreciate you know this) whilst footballers earn good money their peak earning window is actually quite small; they go from being 'promising youngster' to 'veteran' extremely quickly - then of course they're out of the game for good and have to join the job market with the rest of us.

It's not outside the bounds of possibility that at sometime during the rest of this season he may pick up a serious injury that may finish his career or at least severely curtail it. He'll be aware of that, and so I can't really begrudge him feeling that a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to financially secure his future may have forever passed him by. No one will want a crock. even if they can get him for free,