Stockdale OFF ***to Birmingham - Official***

[symyjym]

He always gave 100% while he was here and that is all that counts. I have no ill feeling over it and I wish him the best.

 

[BadFish]

A lot of the posts on here are reminiscent of comments made when it looked like Calderon was about to sign for Southampton. A lot of people ended up with massive amounts of egg on their face after that episode.

I'm not saying I think Stockdale with sign but don't understand why some people feel the need to make dumb ass comments.

Now then, there is no need to have a go at the foundation of NSC........ unnecessary

 

[Albion100]

Very fondly remembered for last season but if he'd rather go to Birmingham for 3years than play for us in the prem for 1 maybe more then I'm glad we've found out now and he's gone. Great keeper but definitely replaceable

 

[kevo]

This with bells on. We now have top footballers who are millionaires by the time they even get first-team action and it undoubtedly affects some who lose their hunger. There doesn't seem to be much kudos in representing your country either and here we have a 31 year old keeper given the chance to play at the very pinnacle of English football and surely that was his dream when he was a boy but instead for whatever reason he's decided not to make that dream come true even for just one season.

Best of luck to him and I do mean that but it makes me ever more cynical about how rotten the game is now.

He's already played in the EPL with Fulham though. If he had never played there, it would be truly bizarre.

I still don't get it though. Even if we offered him a one-year contract compared to Blues' three, surely it would be better for him to play in the Premier League again for a year and then possibly get a big move elsewhere? Very, very strange. Only explanation I can come up with is that he knows we are signing a top keeper and he's been told he'll be number two. Either that, or there's some personal stuff going on we're not aware of.

 

[Tokyohands]

I was initially surprised yes but it's not actually that much of an odd decision for him. A 3 year deal on presumably decent money at his stage of his career, when we were offering him a shorter deal, seems a pretty cushy way to see out a career. He has played around already, so the fact he has eliminated the possibility of scratching around trying to find other deals in a year is understandable. Good luck and thanks David, we march on.

 

[HastingsSeagull]

There are 2 very different issues here. Choice to leave us and choice as to WHERE to sign.

1/ If he'll earn similar wage as back-up here (all signs such as contract length etc. point to him being back-up) or starting in the Champ then I could understand him going somewhere to start. Add in the 3 years over 1 year choice (and you'd expect a bigger signing on fee for turning down the chance at 2 more in that 3 year span) and I think he was LIKELY TO LEAVE on that point. I liked him but think excellent Champ keeper and bloke around the community and Shoreham stuff but quite content to loose him if doesn't want to be back-up.

2/ Could surely have gone to Leeds who he clearly is a passionate fan of, or else I'm convinced a safe and stable play-off side would jump at the chance to match that money. But to rock up at Brum who have a couple of Champ level players and sweet F.A. else? Amazed. He's nearer home but so are most of those other options. I'd be surprised if Brum are throwing stupid money at him but even a bit more than he deserves would likely get matched by clubs with more chance (or Prem teams wanting a back-up). Totally mistified about why he would choose them!

 

[sparkie]

So we offered him a 2 year deal, and Birmingham a 3 year one. Not sure that makes too much difference, and I'm sure the wages were better with the albion. Outside chance of an England call up with albion as well.

The only thing that really makes sense to me is that a high sign on fee was too tempting to miss.

 

[dazzer6666]

CH is pretty much without emotion when it comes to players isn't he ? Could simply be that he didn't think DS was good enough for a first choice PL keeper and told him that, and that he was expecting to sign a new no 1, so the offer was 1-2 years as no 2. DS decided he didn't want to be a no 2, and/or wanted a longer deal, so decided to take his chances elsewhere.

Still think he might have been able to do better than Birmingham, but his choice. Hope it works out for him.

 

[Bigtomfu]

Is he not a bit overrated? He does make wonder saves and won us games, but it seems that he has a mistake in him every game, only thing was that against Barnsley, Rotherham and Burton they didn't have the quality to punish them, where as Newcastle and Villa etc did, in the premier league mistakes will be punished at every opportunity.

I'm with you hence why the club didn't give in to his demands.

We move on having wished him well.


Sometimes right, sometimes wrong but ALWAYS certain

 

[Mo Gosfield]

CH is pretty much without emotion when it comes to players isn't he ? Could simply be that he didn't think DS was good enough for a first choice PL keeper and told him that, and that he was expecting to sign a new no 1, so the offer was 1-2 years as no 2. DS decided he didn't want to be a no 2, and/or wanted a longer deal, so decided to take his chances elsewhere.

Still think he might have been able to do better than Birmingham, but his choice. Hope it works out for him.

I think it was as simple as that...." happy for you to stay but you will have to fight for your place "
Clearly no PL teams were interested in him, which tells a story. DS is not as athletic as a lot of top keepers and has a higher mistake ratio to his game than many. He is a brilliant shot stopper at times and is one of the better Championship keepers. I was always concerned about his weight. He looked too heavy at times and I wonder whether this was ultimately his downfall at BHA.
I guess that CH weighed up his options and decided that Stockdale would be prone to too many rickets at the highest level and another keeper would help to minimise this.

 

[WATFORD zero]

He seemed to me like the epitome of a good 2017 goalkeeper. Brilliant with his feet, good shotstopper who didn't come for crosses a lot (and even less since Duffy arrived). He was a big step up from PIG.

However, CH has obviously seen something or someone I haven't so - Thanks David for the memories and raising the bar in terms of Albion Goalkeepers. Can't wait to see who CH has got

 

[dazzer6666]

I think it was as simple as that...." happy for you to stay but you will have to fight for your place "
Clearly no PL teams were interested in him, which tells a story. DS is not as athletic as a lot of top keepers and has a higher mistake ratio to his game than many. He is a brilliant shot stopper at times and is one of the better Championship keepers. I was always concerned about his weight. He looked too heavy at times and I wonder whether this was ultimately his downfall at BHA.
I guess that CH weighed up his options and decided that Stockdale would be prone to too many rickets at the highest level and another keeper would help to minimise this.

Agree on the weight front too.....Definitely carrying a bit of timber at times. He went through a spell of posting Strava data on his running, he was frankly slow (for a professional sportsman).

Sent from my E5823 using Tapatalk

 

[Javeaseagull]

The thought occurs that he has enough self-awareness to realise he is a top Championship keeper but Premier League, not so much. Better to be a big fish etc. Anyway, good luck fella and don't look at the fixtures that will be out soon!

 

[Is it PotG?]

 

[Munkfish]

Dave doesnt mind the odd messgae to a local bird I know that much. Wouldnt be suprised if that came into it somewhere.

 

[Eric Youngs Contact Lense]

We just have to trust the Club on this one. Come the end of the season (apart from the very last minute at Villa) most of us would assumed he would have signed and we would have been delighted with him doing so. He has his faults, made some mistakes like most 'keepers but has been the stand-out individual at his level, mentioned as possible for England squad even. He has been great, given us some stand-out memories and moments and I will be sad to see him go. That said, we have to believe that CH etc were comfortable that they could find someone equally as good or better for the challenge we have. Thanks DS and good luck..

 

[Icy Gull]

He was certainly one of our best ever keepers but there are better out there, just hope we get one of them. One has to assume that the club are quite laid back about this, I am pretty certain that if they really wanted to keep him, they would have.

 

[Iovan The Sweeper]

It's a shame he's gone, whatever the reason. He was a cornerstone of our success, and for that we'll always be grateful.

 

[junior]

Sadly, i shall now remember him for costing us the title.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

He was certainly one of our best ever keepers but there are better out there, just hope we get one of them. One has to assume that the club are quite laid back about this, I am pretty certain that if they really wanted to keep him, they would have.

I guess they made him what they considered a fair offer and left it up to him.
He has been very good for us after a very shaky start. CH perservered with him when others may have rested him. All through his time with us he has demonstrated good shot stopping ability and some blindingly good saves. He is quite a complex keeper to try and analyse. One minute on the top of his game, next minute showing serious lapses of concentration. Some of his saves are world class, some of his errors would embarrass a schoolboy. At times appearing quite trim and at other times looking distinctly overweight. Struggling to cover low angled shots at times but at other times making brilliant low stops.
CH and his team will have considered all his strengths and weaknesses and ultimately decided that maybe some of his weaknesses would have been exposed more at PL level, where he would be under more pressure.