Uncle C
Well-known member
Stephens would be a direct replacement for the loss of Crofts - maybe more mobile but likely to score less goals.
Croft 1 in 10 goals in career
Stephens 1 in 7 goals in career
Stephens would be a direct replacement for the loss of Crofts - maybe more mobile but likely to score less goals.
Agreed, but ONLY if the punishments are severe enough to affect the clubs in signing players in the future and getting promotion. It needs points deductions and fines. Alas, nobody know what the piunishments will be. Therefore alot of clubs are banking on the fact that it will be a toothless punishment. I fear they might be right.
Interesting. Makes him sound like a replacement for Bridcutt (with added bonus of goals). *
All of a sudden I really want us to sign him, despite the fact I hadn't heard of him eight minutes ago.
*please note - i know F**k all about anything
So what have we learnt in the last 10 minutes about Dale Stephens.
-Who? He's rubbish, what are the board doing
-Stoke and Villa like the look of him
-The Charlton fan rates him highly and doesn't want him to leave
-He seems a perfect replacement for Bridcutt
-What are the board doing, get this done.
This article from 2012 is quite interesting and compares him favourably to Liam Bridcutt. However, it also says Abdul Razak could be a "world-class" midfielder, so I'll take it with a pinch of salt.
http://sabotagetimes.com/reportage/dale-stephens-why-charlton-must-build-their-team-around-the-aston-villa-target/
In regards to the homesick issue, I'd imagine that this is less of a problem now.
There'd been murmurs within a few months of him signing that he wished to move back up north with his girlfriend, and these rumours again circulated when a transfer to Aston Villa fell through on deadline day in 2012. Throughout most of last season he seemed unsettled and was nowhere near to being one of our best players, despite obviously being talented. However, this season he has picked his game up a few levels and been superb, with rumours of his desire to move back up north not being mentioned. Whilst I'm not saying that his upturn in form is completely intertwined with him finally settling in down south, I think there's a definite chance this may be the case.
Tbf in the game against (I think) Ipswich, Razak was disgustingly good, I remember him hitting one frankly ridiculous 50 yard ping with the outside of his boot to Buckley on the flank, that was Pirlo-esque. The lad has great potential but the other games for us he was very lazy.
Didn't we have all that with Barnes, and he didn't turn out too bad.
Seems like an awful lot of arrogance on here. Personally I'm more than happy to give players a chance. I've heard of Stephens but I know little of him. That doesn't mean he's not worthy of our club, FFS. Why should we expect big names every time?
Our best players in recent seasons have frequently been the ones we've picked up with little fanfare. Bridcutt. Barnes. Crofts this season after a pretty flat year last time out. Ince seems to be a potential gem. Personally I think it would be amazing if Oscar could build a successful side of his own from relatively unheralded players- isn't that part of the joy of football?
Thinking of Palace last season (I know, sorry) they went up courtesy of one extremely talented youth team product, a free transfer who came good, & cheapo pick-ups like Bolasie, about whom most of their fans were entirely "meh" when he signed.
Charlton don't want to lose Stephens, just like Boro didn't want to lose Carayol. That must tell you something. I really hope that those complaining because certain names aren't good enough for us find themselves looking a tiny bit stupid one day.
Razak that day is still the best performance I've seen from an Albion player at The Amex.