Pretty pathetic if he's not playing because he doesn't feel mentally right !! I wish I could try that line at my job....
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Dale Stephens
- Thread starter Holding McCourt
- Start date
BensGrandad
New member
Is there any evidence that he isnt fit mentally?
MattBackHome
Well-known member
- Jul 7, 2003
- 11,733
I don't get the approbrium or conjecture. CH says it's a calf thing that's been dragging on, and I see no reason not to believe that.
Postman Pat
Well-known member
Albion boss Chris Hughton is wary of gambling on the fitness of Dale Stephens.
He is keen to have the influential central midfielder available again – but mindful there are still 17 games to go in the Championship campaign.
Stephens has missed the last three matches with a calf problem.
In his absence the Seagulls have been dumped out of the FA Cup at non-league Lincoln City and taken one point from away games at promotion rivals Huddersfield Town and at Brentford on Sunday.
Albion host relegation-threatened Burton Albion on Saturday and Ipswich three days later.
Hughton said: “We thought he was going to be close again (at Brentford). He hadn’t done enough training and was probably still just feeling it.
“We’re again very hopeful for Saturday. It’s certainly not something we expect to drag on.
“It’s taken a little bit longer than we thought but it’s certainly not anything serious.
“We’ve got to do the right thing. The last thing we want to do is push him and then he ends up being out for three or four weeks.”
http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/alb...won_t_gamble_on_midfielder_s_fitness/?ref=rss
He is keen to have the influential central midfielder available again – but mindful there are still 17 games to go in the Championship campaign.
Stephens has missed the last three matches with a calf problem.
In his absence the Seagulls have been dumped out of the FA Cup at non-league Lincoln City and taken one point from away games at promotion rivals Huddersfield Town and at Brentford on Sunday.
Albion host relegation-threatened Burton Albion on Saturday and Ipswich three days later.
Hughton said: “We thought he was going to be close again (at Brentford). He hadn’t done enough training and was probably still just feeling it.
“We’re again very hopeful for Saturday. It’s certainly not something we expect to drag on.
“It’s taken a little bit longer than we thought but it’s certainly not anything serious.
“We’ve got to do the right thing. The last thing we want to do is push him and then he ends up being out for three or four weeks.”
http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/alb...won_t_gamble_on_midfielder_s_fitness/?ref=rss
clippedgull
Hotdogs, extra onions
I don't need to rethink anything, thanks.
Are you saying without Stephens we will go into freefall and fail to get promoted? We are more than one player, even Hughton said our best performance came without him playing v Sheff Wed. I'm not saying he isn't a decent player either.
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
Little drops of poison posted here and there, until it almost becomes a 'fact'.
Nixonator
Well-known member
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
No, I was referring to the link in post #5.
clippedgull
Hotdogs, extra onions
Not that I know of, or should I or anyone outside the club.
clippedgull
Hotdogs, extra onions
That's not what I was inferring. The truth is nobody knows, outside the people that should know.
Diego Napier
Well-known member
- Mar 27, 2010
- 4,416
In general a person judges others based on their own personality and standards.
Nixonator
Well-known member
It's all very well saying the team isn't one player, but if you extract any one of Dunk,Duffy,Stephens,Stockdale,Baldock or Knockaert out the team then it will detrimentally affect our points tally over any given period. We've been without more than one of those over the last couple of weeks and it is telling. Considering the fine margins we lost out to last season, it's understandable people are getting restless at Dale's absence.
Also the stats of points gained without him are pretty embarrassing.
Icy Gull
Back on the rollercoaster
- Jul 5, 2003
- 72,015
It does all seems a bit drawn out and strange for what was a minor calf injury but as Stephens is contracted until the end of the season and will not be playing for anyone else before then, it would seem strange in the extreme if he has decided he doesn't want to play for us in these games that must be amongst the highlight of his career so far.. Possible but unlikely don't you think?
I personally have a gut feeling that he wants out though and will not be a Brighton player regardless of which division we are in next season.
I personally have a gut feeling that he wants out though and will not be a Brighton player regardless of which division we are in next season.
clippedgull
Hotdogs, extra onions
I don't think any team goes through a season with the same first eleven, so any player missing that is half decent will be missed to a certain extent. But what you and others are saying (stats back you up) is that promotion is unlikely unless Stephens plays in the majority of the remaining games, because quite frankly we are unable to gain points without him in the side. That's pretty damning on the rest of the squad.
GT49er
Well-known member
Some picture of two people, no text. Who are they, wtf is that all about? Certainly doesn't explain anything.
saafend_seagull
Well-known member
He's injured he even tweeted a photo of him at the hospital or wherever it was.
drop dead fred
Active member
- Mar 8, 2011
- 398
Every league game Stephens hasn't started this season , we've lost .
The man makes us tick .
Not true.
(It IS true, that every game we've lost, he hasn't started, but that's not the same thing)
Prince Monolulu
Everything in Moderation
Let's just leave it as 'he makes a significant difference'!