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Dean Hammond
- Thread starter Telboy
- Start date
Ninja Elephant
Doctor Elephant
- Feb 16, 2009
- 18,855
No, Clive Platt scores their goals. 
Tom Hark Preston Park
Will Post For Cash
- Jul 6, 2003
- 72,352
Despite the reinvention, Dean Hammond wasn't all that. Average midfielder when the rose-tinted specs are off. Certainly no better than Paul Reid.
Tom Hark Preston Park
Will Post For Cash
- Jul 6, 2003
- 72,352
Paul Reid would have done the biz - if he'd been given the chance by Wilkins.
British Bulldog
The great escape
- Feb 6, 2006
- 10,974
He worked bloody well alongside Bertin though, Shame they did'nt get more matches together.
Tom Hark Preston Park
Will Post For Cash
- Jul 6, 2003
- 72,352
For sure. But the annoying thing on here is that folk tend to mythologise ex-players WAY beyond the part they played at the time. Dean Hammond was distinctly AVERAGE for those with eyes to see and interpret what they are watching while he was with the Albion. A few flashes of decent stuff, but overall what we should be expecting - as standard! - from anybody in the stripes.
Have we really missed what he brought to the team, or was it more that his leaving sent a harmful message to the squad?
I mean...
I've heard lots of different, sometimes contradictory, reasons for Wilkins's firing, each reason is "from a reliable source inside the club".
One of those reasons is that Wilkins backed Hammond during contract negotiations.
Seems a silly reason to fire someone (the manager should always go to bat for his players in the boardroom, they will then go to bat for him on the pitch, even if the board members overrule the manager in the end).
However, what message would the players take? The board had an opinion of Hammond. Hammond had an opinion of himself. And Wilkins - someone relatively neutral shared Hammond's appraisal.
The board stuck to their guns, they then fired Wilkins (assuming the umour is true, and I don't mean to give it any more weight than any of the other 5 or 6 rumours I've heard).
So as far as the players are concerned: the board has a lower opinion of them than they have of themselves, or what a neutral may think. They fired the one person who stood up for them in the boardroom.
It would be pointless of the board to fire one manager for siding with the players and replace him with someone else who would side with the players, so Mickey will side with the board. Even if Slade isn't usually inclined that way, he is trying to get a permanent contract, so he's not going to upset the board.
Who have the players got? Throughout this season they've had managers who won't go to bat for them in the boardroom, so why should they go to bat fr the manager on the pitch?
And is that more of an issue than the team missing any particular attribute that Dean Hammond brought to the team?
B-Rad
New member
i dont think we shud have to miss dean 'i think i should play in the championship even if it is for 2 months cos im better than league 1 for a bit, altho ill be back ther asap' hammond. a good manager would have found a replacement. we never got a manager with the eyeballs to sort that out
Brighton Breezy
New member
If we have to go down I hope Hammond scores the goal.
We have never replaced him and all those people who said he was crap look stupid now.
We have never replaced him and all those people who said he was crap look stupid now.
Dick Knights Mumm
Take me Home Falmer Road
Was Reid actually any good ? He was just too light-weight wasn't he ? Not strong enough to win you the ball, and not a good enough passer to make a big difference. Did he ever have a real run in the team ? I don't think any of the managers really trusted him. No great loss to the club.
I think Hammond was a player that we miss. He was strong and drove the team forward. If you see your team mates making the runs he made it makes you play better. Plus he scored goals. He was a quality League One/Championship player.
Why. If anyone looks stupid it is Dean Hammond. First, he believes his agents hype. Second, he believes he's good enough for the Championship. Third (bearing in mind the second) he signed for a club doomed for relegation back to the league he thinks he is too good for.
He was an average player, no more no less. When O'Callaghan was here, Hammond disappeared during the game. Colchester, hardly setting the world alight in league 1.
Mellor 3 Ward 4
Well-known member
But he was a midfield player who actually SCORED GOALS.
I would like to know how many goals our central midfield players have scored between them this season?
He was certainly better than 'average'.
Agree about Reid - I think he never really got a decent run in the side in his best position - central midfield.
dougdeep
New member
Shame he didn't really want to play for us.
Re: bold text
Would signing for a team destined for our division not suggest that the idea he "thought he was better than our division" is a false one? The idea that he had those opinions is more at best a bitter fan hurt he left, at worse a propaganda campaign against him from people trying to hide the fact we didn't do more to keep him?
HP Seagull
Danny Cullip: Hero
- Sep 26, 2008
- 1,801
Disagree. There are some players that are looked back on as better than they were, but I don't think Hammond is one of them.
He was strong on the ball, good in the air, won the ball and used it well. Admittedly not the quickest, but he was our captain, penalty taker, and scored goals. Off the top of my head I'm thinking of the West Ham game at home where we drew 2-2 and he scored both goals. We have not had a midfielder since that could have done that.
Brighton Breezy
New member
Or rather he didn't want to play for a chairman who refused his manager's requests to open contract talks all Summer and only actually approached Hammond a week or so before the transfer window.
Mellor 3 Ward 4
Well-known member
What a load of crap.
Hammond had no desire to leave - until his requests to start contract talks were denied.
dougdeep
New member
Here we go again. It was sell him or let him go for nothing at the end of the season. And by the way, why can't you disagree with someone without resorting to insults?
Brighton Breezy
New member
Or the OBVIOUS option available to Knight - get his contract sorted BEFORE it was about to run out...