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Dean Cox scores again



Martlet

Well-known member
Jul 15, 2003
687
I'm with Simster on this one. I like Cox - and have always been delighted when he's played well for the Albion. There was once a time when it looked as if he and Jakey could have been a real force in this Division. Alas twas not to be.

However I'm a lot happier having a manager who knows what style of football he wants to play, selects players who can cope with the requirements of that style, and lets players go who can't. Adams (version 2) and Slade seemed to structure their teams around individual players and got nowhere near a coherant style or shape as a result.
 




severnside gull

Well-known member
May 16, 2007
24,825
By the seaside in West Somerset
the sentiment on here seems largely down to to his being a local lad and to a very sketchy past record where he has shown glimpses of talent but limited consistency.

Certainly references to how well he played in his cameo appearance at Villa can be challenged as he did there what he has done so often and ran AT the defence (into blind alleys and with no final pass).

Best in the middle certainly - he does not have the pace for a winger - Lualua, Bennett and even Hart are ahead of him. His free kicks and corners are as good as Tommy Fraser's! He is therefore up against Dicker, Crofts and Hendrie for a place and whilst he does have talent he doesn't produce enough to be first choice against any of those!

Most assists yes - in the past -but would that be true in competition with our current batch of midfielders/wingers?

And then there is off the field and training. Stories of his clubbing activities are legion. It is not unreasonable to ask whether he "looks after himself" as a professional footballer should. He has a history of bust-ups in training (suspended twice by Wilkins and commented on by Slade). Does he apply himself enough? We cannot know but on the face of it this is a crucial factor for Poyet and we can only assume that at very best Cox has not done enough to impress.

In summary - a young player who flatters to deceive - he has days when he is exceptional but they are way way too few. At his very best he is a championship class player but week-in-week-out he fails to apply his ability and as a result is just about League 1/ League 2 standard. Going forward for Albion, if we are to achieve our stated objectives, he is at best a squad player and that is certainly not something he is likely to accept based on what we know of his own view of his talent. Fair enough.

I am surprised he didn't go out on loan - maybe it was because of the Lualua injury and needing cover? If not that then perhaps something happened that we are unaware of.

Orient next season? Good shout.

Come back to haunt us? Maybe. You would hope that all players we release have the ability to do that or what did we see in them?

Good luck to him I say. As he matures one of three things will happen.....at best he will learn to use his talent consistently and maybe we will see him in the championship. More likely he will become a league 1/2 journeyman. And at worst he will become another Thornton/O'Callaghan who flatters and then wastes the ability they have.
 




Rookie

Greetings
Feb 8, 2005
12,324
Good player who plays well in patches. Lacks consistency and we have better players in Bennett/Lua Lua and with Carole steeping off the bench he is surplus to requirements.
 


Mellotron

I've asked for soup
Jul 2, 2008
32,468
Brighton
I've always liked Dean Cox - he's an exciting player and once or twice over about 5 years he's almost been unplayable.

That's his problem.
 




Pantani

Il Pirata
Dec 3, 2008
5,445
Newcastle
You're up on your stats, how many goals has Cox scored this calendar year for the reserves? It's more than one or two. He scored 3 in 1 game, for example.

Clearly it's not just me who thinks he's worthy of another chance under Poyet.

Against Eastbourne reserves, that is not really a reserve fixture is it. That will be playing against kids and crocs.
 


Mellotron

I've asked for soup
Jul 2, 2008
32,468
Brighton
the sentiment on here seems largely down to to his being a local lad and to a very sketchy past record where he has shown glimpses of talent but limited consistency.

Certainly references to how well he played in his cameo appearance at Villa can be challenged as he did there what he has done so often and ran AT the defence (into blind alleys and with no final pass).

Best in the middle certainly - he does not have the pace for a winger - Lualua, Bennett and even Hart are ahead of him. His free kicks and corners are as good as Tommy Fraser's! He is therefore up against Dicker, Crofts and Hendrie for a place and whilst he does have talent he doesn't produce enough to be first choice against any of those!

Most assists yes - in the past -but would that be true in competition with our current batch of midfielders/wingers?

And then there is off the field and training. Stories of his clubbing activities are legion. It is not unreasonable to ask whether he "looks after himself" as a professional footballer should. He has a history of bust-ups in training (suspended twice by Wilkins and commented on by Slade). Does he apply himself enough? We cannot know but on the face of it this is a crucial factor for Poyet and we can only assume that at very best Cox has not done enough to impress.

In summary - a young player who flatters to deceive - he has days when he is exceptional but they are way way too few. At his very best he is a championship class player but week-in-week-out he fails to apply his ability and as a result is just about League 1/ League 2 standard. Going forward for Albion, if we are to achieve our stated objectives, he is at best a squad player and that is certainly not something he is likely to accept based on what we know of his own view of his talent. Fair enough.

I am surprised he didn't go out on loan - maybe it was because of the Lualua injury and needing cover? If not that then perhaps something happened that we are unaware of.

Orient next season? Good shout.

Come back to haunt us? Maybe. You would hope that all players we release have the ability to do that or what did we see in them?

Good luck to him I say. As he matures one of three things will happen.....at best he will learn to use his talent consistently and maybe we will see him in the championship. More likely he will become a league 1/2 journeyman. And at worst he will become another Thornton/O'Callaghan who flatters and then wastes the ability they have.

Superb post and 1000% correct.
 


Pantani

Il Pirata
Dec 3, 2008
5,445
Newcastle
All this goes back to something Poyet said on the day he got the job. He said he wants players that eat, sleep, drink football. That think about the game and live the right way.

Cox- out on the piss all the time, training ground bust ups, can't work that hard at his set pieces as they have never improved. Will be leaving the club.

Dickinson- out on the piss all the time. Out on loan, will be leaving the club.

Whing- often over weight, implying he does not look after himself properly. Out on loan, will be leaving the club.

The players Poyet has signed back this up. Calderon came in after no football for six months and looked fitter than Whing does. Painter is clearly an intelligent footballer whose positioning is excellent. Brezovan, looked fit straight away. Ok, I am clutching at straws a bit as we cannot know the characters of all the players at the club but we can deduce certain things from what Poyet has said.
 




PILTDOWN MAN

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Sep 15, 2004
19,597
Hurst Green
Not good enough, simple.
 


Perkino

Well-known member
Dec 11, 2009
6,053
Some suggestions tha Cox wasn't allowed to go out on loan as we needed him for cover. This is a load of rubbish, Gus has been accomodating with every player who has asked to go out on loan.
Dickinson was in the middle of the Fozzie drama. Gus said yes
Tunnicliffe was when El-Abd was out injured. Gus said yes
McNulty was our only other left back. Gus said yes
Forster was 1 of 3 strikers we had, and Barnes was only signed to let him go on loan.
If Cox had found a club then Gus would have let him go on loan, by the final loan day we had LuaLua, Bennett, Carole and Hendrie who can play as wingers comfortably so Cox wasn't kept back by Gus
 






jezzer

Active member
Jul 18, 2003
755
eastbourne
Why is being judged on your behaviour and not your talent not a justifiable management stance??

Was not Leon Knight talented, yes he was but his behaviour was appalling so he was got rid. Didnt Forster still have some talent left, yes but his behaviour saw him got rid and Cox who does have some talent when he can be bothered, has been reported on many occasions as being jumped up and prone to giving it large off the field, (which is difficult given his size) and so hes being got rid of.

Behaviour is important and I`m personally pleased that a stronger stance is being made as clubs have pandered to the Charlie Big Cheese players for too long.
 




garethjamesuk

New member
Jan 6, 2004
903
Eastbourne
Its only a reserve match, which has a mix of under 18's who never play for 1st team and not so great players, with maybe one or two getting match fit, so its not exactly impressive, cox has had his time and Poyet would have seen him plenty of times, eg when he 1st took over played him, then saw is too much of a luxury.
I say get rid of and we wont hear about him again, a league 2 player like Robinson
 




Finchley Seagull

Well-known member
Feb 25, 2004
6,916
North London
The one player who's release will come back to haunt us IMO. Better than Carole by a country mile and better delivery than Lua Lua (bar the one decent cross). A real shame that he's off, but I fear he is another who is being judged on his behaviour rather than his talent.

In a way it is a shame but it is inevitable. He had a fantastic first full season in the team, since when opponents worked him out. In his first year he was cutting in from the left and setting up and scoring a lot of goals. Now they make him go down the wing and he cannot cross with his left foot. He does not fit in with the team that Gus is building as he wants players who can break quickly and Cox has to cut inside, slowing down play. It may be he needs a fresh start somewhere else and will do well there but that was also said about Robinson and he has hardly flourished at Shrewsbury from what I hear. He is definitely not worth a place in the first team and anyone who thinks he is better than Lua Lua is wrong (in my opinion).
 




Pavilionaire

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
31,265
Cox is the midfield equivalent of Jake Robinson.

He's at that stage in his career where he needs a move, maybe to a League 2 outfit with a decent defence that need a bit of creativity - Bournemouth look a good fit. 3rd in League 2 but just 54 goals in 43 matches.
 


pork pie

New member
Dec 27, 2008
6,053
Pork pie land.
Surely he must play on saturday? If Poyet wants to make his mind up about him, he should give him a proper run out in a proper match. He keeps scoring for the reserves, why isn't it enough to be in contention for the first team? He's done more to justify a place in the matchday squad than Carole has, in my opinion. I don't see what more Cox has to do to get a chance.

Oh for f*** sake! We all know he is not up to League 1 standard and the stiff or the Conference is his level. Hopefully he has played his last First Team match for us.
 




Skintagain 1983

And Smith Did Score!
According to our boy at the sponsors dinner, a new contract can't be ruled out but it's not looking good for Tiny and he is probably moving on. :glare:

But the writing was on the wall for him the minute BHAlba Scottish Seagulls got to sponsor his home shirt. The BHAlba sponsorship kiss of death strikes again. :nono: :rant:

Dean Cox - North Stand Chat
 


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