Dale Stephens today

[West Upper Seagull]

Firstly, promotion is an amazing achievement so the disappointment of today will be short lived. The team have been amazing to achieve promotion so well done the lads, take a bow !

But the performances of Dale Stephens in this final run-in in particular causes me to question whether he has the credentials to be a first choice in the PL - I say this because I find his style of play very pedestrian, everything slows down when he gets the ball and his natural instinct is to go backwards or sideways - especially today. I have a big concern that this style of play will be punished heavily in the PL as I fear he would get closed down very quickly and lose possession easily - which will ultimately cost us goals. This isn't a knee jerk opinion, it's an opinion formed for a little while now - I know our form with him in the team this season speaks for itself, but next season is a whole new ball game. Would love to be proved wrong though - time will tell. UTA !

 

[Stat Brother]

There's me thinking this thread was going to be about either:-

Without Stephens we'd be lucky to be in the play offs.
Or
Without Stephens we'd have been properly embarrassed over these last 3 games.

 

[Seaford by the sea]

Best midfielder we have bar none

 

[Richy_Seagull]

Proabably our best performer over the final 10 games of the season.

 

[Bridcutt]

I thought him and Sidwell were ****ing amazing tbh

 

[Seaford by the sea]

(Central midfielder)

 

[TottonSeagull]

I do wonder about some! What have you been watching? It is mainly because of Stephens that we won 5 on the trot to get promotion! I have a question mark over a few but not Stephens! A laughable thread!

 

[sdmartin1]

Stephens has been our best player in the last few games and one of the only reasons the score has remained respectable, laughable thread imo

 

[NooBHA]

I thought him and Sidwell were ****ing amazing tbh

I agree.........And Tomori

 

[West Upper Seagull]

Just to clear one thing up - DS has done a great job for us this season, I'm not questioning the contribution he has made this season. I'm simply giving a view on whether his style of play will be suitable in the PL because it is an unforgiving League. Football is all about opinions !

 

[dingodan]

I know our form with him in the team this season speaks for itself

Shut up then.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Would love to be proved wrong though

It must happen a lot.

 

[Hampster Gull]

There's me thinking this thread was going to be about either:-

Without Stephens we'd be lucky to be in the play offs.
Or
Without Stephens we'd have been properly embarrassed over these last 3 games.

Nailed, again

 

[Bring back Bryan wade!!]

Firstly, promotion is an amazing achievement so the disappointment of today will be short lived. The team have been amazing to achieve promotion so well done the lads, take a bow !

But the performances of Dale Stephens in this final run-in in particular causes me to question whether he has the credentials to be a first choice in the PL - I say this because I find his style of play very pedestrian, everything slows down when he gets the ball and his natural instinct is to go backwards or sideways - especially today. I have a big concern that this style of play will be punished heavily in the PL as I fear he would get closed down very quickly and lose possession easily - which will ultimately cost us goals. This isn't a knee jerk opinion, it's an opinion formed for a little while now - I know our form with him in the team this season speaks for itself, but next season is a whole new ball game. Would love to be proved wrong though - time will tell. UTA !

That's actually laughable.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Just to clear one thing up - DS has done a great job for us this season, I'm not questioning the contribution he has made this season. I'm simply giving a view on whether his style of play will be suitable in the PL because it is an unforgiving League. Football is all about opinions !

He is the only one of our midfielders who consistently retains the ball and makes a pass. Those will be vital skills next season. Look what happened when he didn't play in the first half at Norwich.

 

[BensGrandad]

It will cost a lot of money to replace him if we have to.

 

[fleet]

Best midfielder we have bar none

Yep - thread closed (except for the do we still have him question!)

 

[samtheseagull]

Stephens by far our best centre midfielder as he was last season. Going to be very hard to replace next season

 

[brakespear]

I thought him and Sidwell were ****ing amazing tbh

Agree - and Sidwell hasn't got nearly enough credit for his performance over the whole season imo.

 

[trueblue]

Best midfielder we have bar none

Indeed.