[Albion] Dale Stephens

[spence]

Blimey anyone would think I suggested we 'put him out of his misery'.

I just don't get the love in.
He's clearly better (by virtue of the market) than Derby's £2.5m offer.
It'll certainly take more than that to replace him, all good news.

Assuming we're all saying Kayal is out best CM.
I think the drop off to Stephens is a decent margin, which says more about Kayal than Stephens.
Although there's still a drop in ability etc from Stephens to the other 4 squad players looking at the first team, I don't think it's quite such a gulf in class.

There's no love in. Just people who can clearly see that Stephens is a vital part of our midfield. Something that you find hard difficult to see or shall i say read the game?

 

[spence]

Others make a fair point. The fact you rated CMS so highly shows how much we should respect your opinion on Stephens.

That about sums it up for me

 

[Albumen]

Id wager we've got more points with him in the team than when he's not been in the team over the last 3 seasons.

 

[Stat Brother]

There's no love in. Just people who can clearly see that Stephens is a vital part of our midfield. Something that you find hard difficult to see or shall i say read the game?

An interesting reply to me saying Stephens is clearly the clubs second best central midfielder - c'est la vie.

 

[Munkfish]

There's no love in. Just people who can clearly see that Stephens is a vital part of our midfield. Something that you find hard difficult to see or shall i say read the game?

Come on to be fair Stat Brother, did always tell us how CMS would finally come good, you can't tell me he can't read the game, not to forget his endless support for Sami.

Stat Brother knows his stuff and he doesnt think Stephens is good enough, then thats good enough for me!!!

 

[dazzer6666]

Fair enough. I know there are some fans who don't rate him, I was just a bit surprised by the suggestion people hate him.

I'm sure there are a few fans that would have taken the £2.5 million from Derby. They would have been wrong though as Stephens and Kayal are forming a fantastic partnership in midfield in my opinion and are key to the new system.

Yup, that's it in a nutshell for me. Potentially the best midfield pairing in the division and one to keep at all costs if we're serious.

 

[martin tyler]

Really don t see why we would sell him.
We clearly have no desire to sell to another championship club just like dunk.
He is our 2nd best CM player.
He and Kayal suit 4-4-2 perfectly. Not yet seen them over run by any midfield 3 although it is early days.
At the money being suggested (2.5 million) we would be unlikely to get a better replacement in the remaining few days.
So why would we sell? No matter if Derby or anyone else think they can buy anyone.

 

[Stat Brother]

Come on to be fair Stat Brother, did always tell us how CMS would finally come good, you can't tell me he can't read the game, not to forget his endless support for Sami.

Stat Brother knows his stuff and he doesnt think Stephens is good enough, then thats good enough for me!!!

Blimey how is it possible to misquote someone so badly?

Find me saying 'Dale Stephens is not good enough'.

As you seem a little slower than the others I'll say it again.

'I don't see DS' performances as the MotM, 8.5/10 that others do.
He's clearly the second best CM at the club, but I don't see him as irreplaceable.
I certainly wasn't driving him to Derby like many others on this thread.

 

[Icy Gull]

Having got the defence sorted why would we want to start pissing around with the midfield that is actually working quite well??

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Team Dale

I don't see myself as "Team Dale" - whatever that is.

If Stephens lost form I would be quite happy to call it. If we had a better option in the middle - the same. At this point he is the best we have, he is working well alongside Kayal, and the fact that Derby are in for him suggests there are other Clubs at this level who see what some (or most) of us see.

 

[Icy Gull]

An interesting reply to me saying Stephens is clearly the clubs second best central midfielder - c'est la vie.

Do you need a hand with that hole you are digging?

 

[Stat Brother]

I don't see myself as "Team Dale" - whatever that is.

If Stephens lost form I would be quite happy to call it. If we had a better option in the middle - the same. At this point he is the best we have, he is working well alongside Kayal, and the fact that Derby are in for him suggests there are other Clubs at this level who see what some (or most) of us see.

I don't see how we are saying much different.

Only I seem to be Public Enemy #1 for saying 'I can't yet see the MotM type performances'.
We've not had any goals, no JFC/Holla style assist pass, and he can hold the ball a touch longer than others..
We have had good, solid, combative performances.


Ince would seem to be a box to halfway line midfielder.
JFC could be Stephens little brother.
Crofts would have bossed that position for the last 18 months. Shame.
Holla is the oddity - hard tackles, passes well, foot like a traction engine, but isn't good enough

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

We missed Stephens tonight. JFC sounded as though he had a decent game.

 

[sllugaes]

We missed Stephens tonight. JFC sounded as though he had a decent game.

No to both. Stephens would not have made any difference, nor did caskey have a good game.

 

[Stat Brother]

Clearly there's only one place for my first £5 bet of the season:-

DS - score anytime 6/1
DS - First goal scorer 18/1
DS - last goalscorer 18/1
DS - scores a brace 100/1
DS - scores a hattrick 400/1

 

[Marshy]

No to both. Stephens would not have made any difference, nor did caskey have a good game.

Interesting seen as Hughton said JFC was by far our best performer and had an excellent game..

 

[Surf's Up]

What is it with JFC Hewton says he was the best player on the pitch, some here agree but equally as many say he had a bad game

 

[The Wizard]

What is it with JFC Hewton says he was the best player on the pitch, some here agree but equally as many say he had a bad game

Because there's now a weird bandwagon of hatred for him on here for some reason or another, get used to it this place is full of it.

 

[Machiavelli]

Holla is the oddity - hard tackles, passes well, foot like a traction engine, but isn't good enough

Holla really isn't good at tackling, and would like to see some footage of some hard examples, as there are precisely zero of them lodged in my memory. He's also painfully slow, and doesn't impose himself on the game enough. Stephens, by contrast, is a hard tackler, has physical presence, is far more dynamic and energetic, has a range of passing as good as Holla's (there were a couple of brilliant long passes against Blackburn) and, also, gets into good positions, from which he sometimes scores.

 

[sllugaes]

[SUB][/SUB]

Interesting seen as Hughton said JFC was by far our best performer and had an excellent game..

Ok if you say so!!!!