LamieRobertson
Not awoke
The poster just referred to PL so I kept my response at that
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[Albion] Oh dear....Dale Stephens
- Thread starter Richy_Seagull
- Start date
The poster just referred to PL so I kept my response at that
Bob!
Coffee Buyer
- Jul 5, 2003
- 11,630
It is quite likely though that the reason they are our first choices is because they were the only 2 available for the first months of the season.
Had Kayal not been injured at that time we may well have started the premier League with the Kayal/Stephens axis of the previous season, and with lots of minutes under their belts would have performed in a manner that kept them as first choices, leaving Propper as cover for the 2 of them, and for Gross.
BensGrandad
New member
The amount paid for Propper, at the time he was our record signing, would suggest that he was always destined to start as was Stephens who we fought to keep.
Definitely......would have been Propper + 1.
Bob!
Coffee Buyer
- Jul 5, 2003
- 11,630
ah ok, same as Locadia then?
Ideally I suspect it would have been a phased introduction - like Jose and Jurgen - but CH was screwed as Kayal and Sidwell were injured.
BensGrandad
New member
The difference being that Propper arrived before the season started so had nobody to replace. Locadia arrived when GM was in full flow and scoring goals for fun. This makes a big difference to the planning.
BensGrandad
New member
We can only speculate as nobody is fully in the know but I would disagree with that and suggest that Propper was always going to be first choice and because we fought to keep Stephens and allegedly gave him a hefty rise he was always set to be the partner to Propper. Sidwell and Kayal were always going to be squad members but not first choice.
Jose was ‘always going to be first choice’ as well, but he was introduced gradually to get up to speed with the PL. would have been the same with Propper I reckon.
BensGrandad
New member
Again we disagree due to the time of the signing Jose was signed a few days before the off so had had no chance to train with us or have a pre season unlike Propper.
What ? Propper signed just 5 days before we played Man City. Jose was signed after the season started. Neither had any chance to train or play ‘pre season’.
BensGrandad
New member
Propper had 5 days as Man City was our first game. As you say the season had started when Jose signed and it was busy time for games so very little actual training.
I think that’s what I just posted fella - so he had to be thrown into that game with little or no idea of how we played or what the PL was like to play in. He had to be though, because Kayal and Sidwell were injured. He looked all at sea in the game too - seem to recall he was flamed on here as a waste of money as is normal with NSC after one game.
Jose didn’t join ‘just before the off’ either. It was several days after.
SIMMO SAYS
Well-known member
BIG BOOK of excuses being frantically searched 
BensGrandad
New member
I was impressed with Propper from day 1. Even if fit I dont think that either Kayal; or Sidwell would have been picked but nobody knows for sure only 1 man CH.
SIMMO SAYS
Well-known member
We had Sidwell and Kayal, both missing for a big chunk of the season. That DID have an effect, whatever you try to pretend. Do you think Hughton wanted to leave Stephens and Propper on for every minute of every game, even when one or both were clearly struggling? It is also quite possible that Stephens workload up until now has contributed to his current injury.
lancyclaret
New member
- Jan 10, 2014
- 566
Dale Stephens always gives Brighton a better chance of victory if he is playing - nobody is indispensible but some teams suffer badly if a key man is missing for any length of time.
In Burnley's 2013/14 promotion season, our main midfielder Dean Marney started 38 and missed 8 through injury or suspension. With Marney, W24 D11 L3....without Marney W2 D4 L2. In the PL the following season, we were on course to stay up until Yacob "crippled" Marney a week after the January window shut, and his cruciate injury forced him to miss the final 18 games - only 3 of which were won. Talk to any Burnley fan and they'd most likely say we'd have avoided relegation without Marney's injury.
I see Stephens as a Marney-type ball winner whose energy and will-to-win drives the team forward without neglecting defensive duties. If you'd only had Stephens available for 20 games this season, how many less points would the Seagulls have?
I am a huge fan of Stephen Ward who hardly ever grabs the headlines - it's all Pope, Heaton, Tarkowski, Mee, Brady, Defour, Cork etc.
Ward missed 10 games this season from Dec-Feb - we did not win a single one (W0 D5 L5). He returned 4 games ago (won 3 on the trot and denied a win by a contentious 90th minute equaliser against Southampton).
With Ward, this season W12 D5 L4....and many deluded Burnley fans were complaining when Dyche recalled SW to replace Charlie Taylor. Players like Ward (and Stephens) are worth their weight in gold.
In Burnley's 2013/14 promotion season, our main midfielder Dean Marney started 38 and missed 8 through injury or suspension. With Marney, W24 D11 L3....without Marney W2 D4 L2. In the PL the following season, we were on course to stay up until Yacob "crippled" Marney a week after the January window shut, and his cruciate injury forced him to miss the final 18 games - only 3 of which were won. Talk to any Burnley fan and they'd most likely say we'd have avoided relegation without Marney's injury.
I see Stephens as a Marney-type ball winner whose energy and will-to-win drives the team forward without neglecting defensive duties. If you'd only had Stephens available for 20 games this season, how many less points would the Seagulls have?
I am a huge fan of Stephen Ward who hardly ever grabs the headlines - it's all Pope, Heaton, Tarkowski, Mee, Brady, Defour, Cork etc.
Ward missed 10 games this season from Dec-Feb - we did not win a single one (W0 D5 L5). He returned 4 games ago (won 3 on the trot and denied a win by a contentious 90th minute equaliser against Southampton).
With Ward, this season W12 D5 L4....and many deluded Burnley fans were complaining when Dyche recalled SW to replace Charlie Taylor. Players like Ward (and Stephens) are worth their weight in gold.
Cowfold Seagull
Fan of the 17 bus
A good post, I often think that the likes of Dale Stephens, (and Dean Marney presumably), are only ever really noticed when they aren't playing. Folr the time that they are on the pitch, they just go about their game quietly and efficiently. Being the engine room of their respective teams, they set the whole team playing.
smudge
Up the Albion!
I was gutted when Ward went to Burnley instead of coming to us. Couldn't blame him at the time though. He was quality for us; only overshadowed by how brilliant Wayne Bridge was before.