Is Clement's natural position a no.2 like his predecessor? Derby trying to buy their way out of injuries and a potentially poor management choice is quite amusing. Is Clement another Hyypia style head coach? Could be a tough one for them.
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[Albion] Dale Stephens
- Thread starter British Bulldog
- Start date
Do you really think Tex is the box to box midfielder needed to make 4-4-2 work?
Taybha
Whalewhine
They can fek orf , quality player and one i hope will be around for a few good years yet
brightn'ove
cringe
Football is a lot about little mini partnerships. Stephens & Kayal have finally given us a settled partnership in the middle. Unfortunately it looks like our Dunk & Greer partnership is going to be broken. The last thing we need at the start of a season is to try and reform yet another partnership in the spine of the team. I can't see us selling - even if it was £4 million tbh. Football isn't all about getting good money for players - we need to build and to settle asap.
As for the Derby fan saying Dale would be behind 4 of their central midfielders or whatever point he was making - utter bollocks
Agreed, in Stephens and Kayal we have two incredibly hard working and passionate players, willing to stick their necks on the line for the team. Break that up and we could have a problem.
Easy 10
Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Stephens helps keep JFC out of the team. So its a no from me.
Herne Hill Seagull
Well-known member
Good price, terrible suitor. He's integral, and he's started the season in good form. We must not sell good players to divisional rivals.
Codner's Wallop
Well-known member
- Sep 11, 2013
- 1,431
Astonishing anyone is backing the sale - regardless of the price.
Stephens is one of the most under-rated Championship players; high work-rate, can pick a pass and when he's settled in, I'm sure he will score a decent number of goals.
Stephens is one of the most under-rated Championship players; high work-rate, can pick a pass and when he's settled in, I'm sure he will score a decent number of goals.
God no.
We're playing 442, we've got 3 keepers, 4 centre backs, 4 full-backs, 3 wingers and trying to get another, and 4 strikers - how many do we have for the centre of midfield? Kayal and Stephens as far as I can tell. Crofts could be good, but we can hardly rely on him. Ince, Holla and JFC are all a bit different, I think they're all better suited to 451.
I'd rather we sell Dunk (who I don't want to sell).
It'd be very bad news to sell him and it would undo a lot of the goodwill our transfer activity has generated. We've been squad building really well so far, and I hope a similar style of midfielder to come in as well. Even if he were 2nd choice (which I don't think he will be), we need to retain strength in depth.
drew
Drew
Agree with this.
GT49er
Well-known member
No, no, no, and lots more big NOs!
If we can (rightly, IMHO) turn down £5M for Dunk - which is, to be fair, a reasonable offer - then I hope our response to this nonsense will be a good deal more robust than a polite, 'Not today, thank you.'
If we can (rightly, IMHO) turn down £5M for Dunk - which is, to be fair, a reasonable offer - then I hope our response to this nonsense will be a good deal more robust than a polite, 'Not today, thank you.'
Pavilionaire
Well-known member
- Jul 7, 2003
- 30,636
Are you insane?? It is clear from Hughton's comments the Kayal / Stephens axis is key to us being able to play with two wide men and two attackers. Stephens has won the battle over JFC and Ince for that starting CM spot with Kayal, he's also seen off Kemy whilst it's anyone's guess how Crofts will perform after his injury.
Codner's Wallop
Well-known member
- Sep 11, 2013
- 1,431
We also have to accept at some stage Kayal will be absent, whether through disciplinary measures or injury. The thought of fielding an Albion side with neither Stephens nor Kayal is worrying. Crofts still has to prove he's back at Championship level, while JFC has proved time again, he's clearly below Championship level. Ince has a specific role which works exceptionally well during defensive periods of the game (ie last few minutes or negating a more attacking formation from the opposition). But sell Stephens and we are playing a massive risk that could backfire horribly.
lethaldrizzle
New member
You've got to have two very good energetic, box to box midfielders to be able to play 442 when most teams will face up against you with an extra man in midfield. Whilst I still think Ince and JFC will be very good players neither is ready to fill that role yet. Crofts is still coming back from ANOTHER long term injury and might not be the same player. If we sell Stephens it means less flexibility not more as it will probably limit us to 1 striker and 3 in CM.
I agree with you, except the word backfire. Backfiring is what happens when something that could work, fails. Selling Stephens is a fail from the start. It would go badly for us, but I don't see how that could be considered backfiring. It would be like playing Russian roulette with 6 bullets, and the coroners saying it backfired.
Forming a great partnership with Kayal, definitely shouldn't let him go and I don't think the club will seriously look at an offer at this level. Increasingly sounding like Derby are getting a bit desperate.......
Dick Knights Mumm
Take me Home Falmer Road
For Kayal's goal on Tuesday - which player had made himself available for Baldock early in his run and was available for Kayal, and was furthest forward to follow up any fumble ?
It would be madness to let him go.
SweatyMexican
Well-known member
- Mar 31, 2013
- 4,101
£10 million and they have a deal. Plus throw in Tom Ince.