alex_brighton
Banned
- Jan 29, 2009
- 634
when is the earliest we can bee mathematically relegated
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Dean Hammond
- Thread starter Telboy
- Start date
Mellor 3 Ward 4
Well-known member
Because you state your opinions as FACTS when they are just that - opinions.
"Shame he didn't really want to play for us"
Sorry, but that is complete RUBBISH. Hammond had no desire to leave.
We would NOT have had to let him go for nothing at the end of the season if the club had opened contract negotiations with Hammond when they should have done.
sir danny cullip
New member
Hammond wasn't the most silky player in the world but he was certainly effective and scored some vital goals to keep us in the championship during some really tough games (point away at burnley sticks in my mind) and was a leader (something we are badly missing at the moment). The board should have given him the money he wanted which I doubt was way above his mark value (ala Basley Savage) because whether you did or did not rate Hammond the fact of the matter is our midfield has been a shambles ever since, particularly in the centre.
sir danny cullip
New member
Exactly...I guarantee we will loose at least one player this summer who we wanted to keep because we (as usual) sat on our asses rather than being pro active with contract renewals for players who deserve them.
I can never make my mind up with Paul Reid. When he had the ball at his feet, he looked a good player and he used the ball quite intelligently. However, he got bullied out of too many games for my liking and I think that's what a lot of managers probably saw. That said, he went back to Oz to play in the A League and I think that is higher standard than League One, so maybe nobody ever took enough of a chance on him.
Hammond is much more straight forward IMO, and I'll ignore the circumstances surrounding his departure. He was completely out of his depth at Championship level but was a slightly above average league one player when he was with us. This season, he might have made the difference between staying up and going down and probably would have been in the top 3 in the player of the season awards. Much, much, much better than Thomson who was complete shite except for a single league cup game.
Hammond is much more straight forward IMO, and I'll ignore the circumstances surrounding his departure. He was completely out of his depth at Championship level but was a slightly above average league one player when he was with us. This season, he might have made the difference between staying up and going down and probably would have been in the top 3 in the player of the season awards. Much, much, much better than Thomson who was complete shite except for a single league cup game.
Smythe
Active member
Agree......definatly never come close to replacing him,....10-12 goals from a midfielder is a massive help, center midfield has been a joke all this season. Contract should have been sorted out well before he went and dont know why it wasnt....especially when you see the money we've wasted on utter shit this season!
sir danny cullip
New member
Take your point about Paul Reid but again he is a midfield player who can pick out a decent pass and we don't seem to like those at Brighton at all.
Your Dean Hammond comment is a joke to be honest. I think you'll find the reason he looked way out of his depth at Championship level was because he was playing alongside a half dead Richard Carpenter who was far further out of his depth and Hammond was doing the running for two. His goal record speaks for itself and that isn't even the main part of his game, he is actually most effective in defensive positions.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2007/sep/25/newsstory.brighton interesting article here for anyone who thinks Dean Hammond is remembered as a better player than he actually was for us.
I'm aware that Chippy was well past his sell by date when Hammond was partnering him. But I remember a couple of games where he just fell apart - Luton away about 3 years ago we got slaughtered for the second year in succession and the number of misplaced passes he made was quite unbelieveable. It was a pattern I saw repeated most times I watched the team that season. Quite a good tackler and runner though. Deffo much better than the shite currently running around like headless chickens in blue and white.
FWIW I would have liked to have kept him, but lets replace the myth with what is in the public domain.
1. His career record is 21 goals in 181 games, which is about 5-6 a season, not 10-12.
2. Agreed centre midfield has been shit. Thomson was clearly never happy at the club, can't remember who signed him though. Adams' signings have been poor in this area.
3. He WAS offered a contract well before he went and CHOSE to turn it down. That's his perogative. If Colchester were willing to offer more money and a chance of Championship football he would be right to take it. DK did say he was offered the second best contract in the club's history, DK could be telling lies, I genuinely don't know.
And there is another one on the Denton destroyer
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2006/nov/21/sport.comment2
sir danny cullip
New member
Slightly off topic but I would say that's a pretty fair assesment of his career. Great in patches against lower oppoisition, obvious talent, not quite a winger or an out and out striker at this level.
BensGrandad
New member
I do not think that Dean Hammond was as good a player as many would like to make out as for my money his tackling was poor and as a result we conceeded too many free kicks around the edge of the penalty box. But having said that he was better than we have had at being a box to box midfielder who we have never replaced. If only we could find another Paul Rogers who IMHO was far better in all aspects of his general play than Hammond.
Nobody is saying he is Lionel Messi, but we would have been better off with him in the team this season than without him. Having said that he had the chance to play at a higher level and took it, nothing wrong with being ambitious, so not sure why DK is getting all the flak on this.
sir danny cullip
New member
The reason I partly blame the board is that the way to success is hanging onto your best players. As we've said there's no doubt Dean Hammond wasn't the most skillful player but there is also no doubt he was the most (if not one of the most) important players we had and there was never any chance we would release him at the end of his contract. This being the case, why were negotiations not opened earlier? If a players contract is up at the end of the season why even leave the door slightly open for his head to be turned by a club offering more money? Extend the contract 12/18 months before it is due to expire I very much doubt Hammond would have turned down a fair increase if he was dealt with professionally and felt appreciated but for some reason the club often fails in this regard.
murraymints4brighton
Well-known member
I think if we had have got Racon and Westlake in to fill the void left by DH and PR then this hole season would have been very different.
Jimmy Grimble
Well-known member
Well I'm sure he was laughing all the way to Colchester knowing he was going to quadruple his wages
SirDouglasLoft
New member
- Jul 4, 2008
- 6,876
...And play a better standard of football for the rest of that season, and play in a better team for the next season
NMH
Banned
It was a shambles with him. The midfield was the place we did need to strengthen last season - a mantra on NSC that was ongoing throughout.
This season though, the whole thing has been a shambles. The board would have done REALLY well to have given Dean Wilkins everything he needed, to work with.
Dandyman
In London village.
Top post. Also worth remembering Hammond will be playing a division above us next season. It seems to me that our current situation has it's genesis with the dispute over Hammond and his subsequent departure.