[Albion] Dale Stephens

[London Irish]

This thread is about the player though, not just the position he plays. For me he gives the ball away too often so IMO we could do with someone who does that less.

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People were going nuts around me because of the amount of times he lost the ball yesterday. We need a version of Stephens but just a better version of the one we have now, tough to find I know but if we want out midfield play (our Achilles heel in our recent crap run) to improve to Prem mid table standard alongside the likes of Wolves.

We all get why Hughton picks him, his third centre back qualities are real and worthwhile but we can do better?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

54 passes against Leicester. 92% accuracy.

Back and forth to Duffy and Dunk?

 

[London Irish]

Propper hasn’t got the steel and positional awareness to simply shield the defence all day long and passing it simple. Plus every team requires a Stephens or two to avoid being bullied out of games. No wonder the Albion’s players rate DS highly.

Who did it when we beat West Ham, Hudds away, Palace? All disciplined defensive performances as Watford recently. You underestimate Propper’s class (and Kayal’s) and it’s simply a myth that Stephens is indispensable

 

[Icy Gull]

People were going nuts around me because of the amount of times he lost the ball yesterday

Harsh crowd around you if he made 71 passes with 88% accuracy

 

[Skaville]

Back and forth to Duffy and Dunk?

Yawn. In this formation, with our style of play his job is simple. Win the ball, keep it, give it to others to play. A midfield three of say, Bissouma, Propper and Kayal would see us totally overrun. Anyone who is daft enough to think otherwise just doesn’t understand football. We’re not good enough with the ball to not have someone shielding that back four and letting others express themselves. Propper has been unleashed in the past two months because Stephens is doing the job they were sharing before Christmas.

 

[Eddie Bee]

Back and forth to Duffy and Dunk?

No, he was passing to the oppo all of the time....keep up.

but not according to the percentage pass completion stats it seems lol

 

[London Irish]

I was saying Propper is our best player over a year ago, long before he was popular. I’m probably the biggest fan of him on him on NSC. But he is not a defensive, ball winning midfielder and he’s not as good as Stephens in that role. One tackle in a match four months ago is irrelevant to this debate, especially as Propper has also been sent off for us.

Well I guess I’m “his biggest fan” now huh

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Yawn. In this formation, with our style of play his job is simple. Win the ball, keep it, give it to others to play. A midfield three of say, Bissouma, Propper and Kayal would see us totally overrun. Anyone who is daft enough to think otherwise just doesn’t understand football. We’re not good enough with the ball to not have someone shielding that back four and letting others express themselves. Propper has been unleashed in the past two months because Stephens is doing the job they were sharing before Christmas.

As someone else said, we understand the role and it’s part in the team. It’s more we would prefer someone else doing it.

 

[London Irish]

Harsh crowd around you if he made 71 passes with 88% accuracy

Well that depends if all those misplaced passes were ones that were clumsy and poor, right? Fans give the benefit of the doubt to players trying creative work and then losing it, less so to simply ones losing possession with bad technique

 

[Sussex Nomad]

The 88% accuracy negates the 12%, in so much as they are generally a crucial 12%. He lost us some possession to dangerous attacks yesterday. Don't get me wrong, fantastic player, I just don't think he has the eye for the Prem standard required.

 

[Icy Gull]

Well that depends if all those misplaced passes were ones that were clumsy and poor, right? Fans give the benefit of the doubt to players trying creative work and then losing it, less so to simply ones losing possession with bad technique

Not sure we have any players that don’t make one or two misplaced clumsy passes, to get on a players back whenever he makes one amongst many accurate ones smacks of an agenda to me. We are Albion not City

 

[S'hampton Seagull]

71 passes yesterday. 88% pass completion. RUBBISH!

It's my view of his ability as a premier league player rather than just yesterday's game. If we stay up we need to look at ways of improving the first XI, and that role plus our striking options are the most pressing areas.

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[Icy Gull]

It's my view of his ability as a premier league player rather than just yesterday's game. If we stay up we need to look at ways of improving the first XI, and that role plus our striking options are the most pressing areas.

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We don’t have better options at the moment and we have no chance of getting them until the summer so it would be good if a minority of fans backed him during games rather than whinge and sigh/shout at him every game if he does make the occasional ricket. None of our players are perfect every game but Stephens and Bong get stick from some EVERY game they play.

 

[Bold Seagull]

As someone else said, we understand the role and it’s part in the team. It’s more we would prefer someone else doing it.

That's pretty easy to say about 5 or 6 players isn't it? I wouldn't argue with you that we could sign a better player than Stephens, but on a restricted summer budget that we operate with, not sure it would even be in my top 3 or 4 targets for the summer. For me:

1. Centre Forward
No one could argue with that I don't think.

2. Right Back
Bruno can no longer be relied on as cover. We should be looking improving on Montoya if we can.

3. Attacking Midfielder
One argument is that if we improve our attacking midfield options, Propper could play the Stephens role as cover or out of necessity.

 

[Seasider78]

His limitation is he seems incapable of running with the ball into space drawing out a player to create gaps for our attacking players. He offloads the ball to the nearest player as soon as he receives the ball. If he could work on that part of the game he would be much more effective for us

 

[Stat Brother]

His limitation is he seems incapable of running with the ball into space drawing out a player to create gaps for our attacking players. He offloads the ball to the nearest player as soon as he receives the ball. If he could work on that part of the game he would be much more effective for us

Why do you want him to be a player he isn't?

He has 5 players around or in front of him to do that.
As well as 4 players behind who can reload and start again.

You'd certainly hear some Bongesque boooooing if Stephens pushes forward onto Propper/Gross/Bissouma's toes only to then lose possession.

 

[Seasider78]

Why do you want him to be a player he isn't?

He has 5 players around or in front of him to do that.
As well as 4 players behind who can reload and start again.

You'd certainly hear some Bongesque boooooing if Stephens pushes forward onto Propper/Gross/Bissouma's toes only to then lose possession.

Because that’s what this side is crying out for. We can find a dozen players who can stroke the ball around 10 yards to our full centre backs we need more players with vision who can pick out players run and disrupt the shape of the opposition midfield.

Not asking him to be cutting through defenders on the edge of the opposition box just come out of the centre circle once in a while will do

 

[Stat Brother]

Because that’s what this side is crying out for. We can find a dozen players who can stroke the ball around 10 yards to our full centre backs we need more players with vision who can pick out players run and disrupt the shape of the opposition midfield.

Not asking him to be cutting through defenders on the edge of the opposition box just come out of the centre circle once in a while will do

I'm no Stephens apologist.

The fact that he clearly doesn't have a ready made replacement in the squad needs addressing.
Obviously that replacement needs to be an upgrade, but for me that upgrade needs to be a player who moves the ball on faster.

I'd want him (or her!) to do Stephens job in exactly the same manner, but without the third and even fourth touch of the ball before doing so.