Dean Hammond

[Sweeney Todd]

I believe that if we had a Bertin type player to be the anchor man in midfield and a player like Hammond to get forward we would have an ideal midfield. I also believe that it is on this basis that several managers have tried to shoe horn El Abd into that role to allow other to get forward more but unfortunately it hasnt been to successful as we havent found the right combination.

The difference between Bertin and El Abd is that Bertin can pass the ball to a team mate.

 

[NMH]

The midfield (particularly the centre) has been a problem for us for some time. The problem however was never Dean Hammond himself it was the fact we never signed a creative midfield player to play alongside him (someone like Kevin Thornton/George O whats his face (when he was good) or Westlake would have been perfect for this). Hammond did his job very well and chipped in with goals but we never found the player we needed to form an effective partnership with him.

Agreed. The middle has had an array of effective players, but apparently not all present at the same time. Hammond was not a Thornton type of player, but to have both playing in the same midfield would have been very interesting. O'Callaghan blew hot and cold, in my opinion, so I'm not sure he was necessarily the answer - but if we had a surplus of decent players in those positions we could pick, and be said to have strength in depth (especially when we have versatile players who can be put into other positions as well as midfield, like Virgo, el-Abd)

Albion life has also been a bit unfair on Jake Robinson too imho, while we are looking at this. How many times has he had the luxury of a position to himself? Whenever he did come on as sub, he looked to have too much to do coming from too deep. As a striker alongside Forster or Murray, or in a role set between them (a la Scholes) he might have prospered. All possible during Dean Wilkins' reign..... had he got the support of the board.

 

[Storer68]

Wilkins had the support of the board...............

until he lost it!