Time to announce the truth about Dale Stephens.

[clippedgull]

Wrong. Stephens wants to go a lot further North than that surely? Wasn't the reason for the rumours started that he didn't feel happy South of the Thames (or even the Trent)?

Maybe.

But Glenn Murray was alleged to have said the same thing before he ended up with you lot!

 

[Nixonator]

Wrong. Stephens wants to go a lot further North than that surely? Wasn't the reason for the rumours started that he didn't feel happy South of the Thames (or even the Trent)?

I would hazard a guess that he has now settled from when that was reported and the many years since. Was the same with Murray.

Certainly it seems like his wife is settled in the area.

 

[Danny-Boy]

I think their awful results, and losing Bolassie have quietened them down a bit, apart from the really tiresome ones who come on here to relieve their tedious lives.

I'm so relieved to read this. And please try to spell Yannick's name right next time. Getting more for one player than Albion could probably get for their entire dressing-room..I do hope you do better with your Blackburn buy than with CMS...

 

[symyjym]

Surely it is probably in both parties interest for him not to play? With £7m on the table we would not want to risk him getting injured, and he would also like to be kept injury free to ensure a move to go back north. I don't buy the idea that DS is being difficult, it's more likely to be a mutual agreement.

 

[Danny-Boy]

Maybe.

But Glenn Murray was alleged to have said the same thing before he ended up with you lot!

Must be our superior caravans...

 

[bhanutz]

I'm so relieved to read this. And please try to spell Yannick's name right next time. Getting more for one player than Albion could probably get for their entire dressing-room..I do hope you do better with your Blackburn buy than with CMS...

Hope you don't go into admin again

 

[swindonseagull]

As far as I'm aware the only club who have put bids in for him have been Burnley and they've now brought an alternative. If he's going where the f u c k is he going

sky commentators mentioned PALACE

 

[glasfryn]

I am now beyond caring any longer
get what we can for him and move on

 

[AmexRuislip]

Must be our superior caravans...

More like superior bullshit

 

[The red pepper kid]

better to ignore the the fire-starters and hopefully there go back to their dreary lives in glorious new addington...............

 

[BensGrandad]

As a result of speculation and reports coming from the club we are most definitely in a weaker position than this time last season.

 

[Albumen]

As a result of speculation and reports coming from the club we are most definitely in a weaker position than this time last season.

As it currently stands, we're really not.

 

[Triggaaar]

As a result of speculation and reports coming from the club we are most definitely in a weaker position than this time last season.

Specifically what speculation and reports?

 

[JC Footy Genius]

As a result of speculation and reports coming from the club we are most definitely in a weaker position than this time last season.

We are in a weaker position re the table after five games http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/34024907 but not sure how much can be attributed to speculation and reports.Fair to say a regular start of Stephens /Kayal in midfield would most likely have improved our start this season though.

 

[BensGrandad]

Specifically what speculation and reports?

The reports coming from CH although I wouldnt go as far as to say he is lying because I dont think he would just manipulating and disguising the truth a little and I feel it is having an effect on the team spirit

 

[NooBHA]

Is the key point for me. How can there be any way back for a player who by all accounts has cost us points whichever way you look at it? He may not have refused to play, but he has let himself be distracted enough that CH feels pressured to bed-in other options and plan ahead without him. Norwood is a good option but not a suitable replacement, and we haven't even been playing him, we've played Sidwell. I like Sidwell, but let's be honest, how can we honestly compare him to an in-his-prime Stephens whose partnership with Kayal was the key factor in our success last season?

I'm a bit disappointed it has dragged on this far and has detrimentally affected us in 2 league matches, one being a big game against promotion rivals.

The lack of Stephens was not what cost points against Newcastle. They scored from 2 free kicks and the goalkeeper's starting position for both of them are what cost the goals. Apart from that Newcastle looked pretty passing the ball around but had no real cutting edge. We actually got in behind them a lot more than they did behind us

 

[Triggaaar]

The reports coming from CH although I wouldnt go as far as to say he is lying because I dont think he would just manipulating and disguising the truth a little and I feel it is having an effect on the team spirit

We might lose Stephens, we might also bring in another forward. Squad wise, we must be in a stronger position than we were this time last season, I don't understand the argument that we're in a weaker position.

 

[BensGrandad]

We might lose Stephens, we might also bring in another forward. Squad wise, we must be in a stronger position than we were this time last season, I don't understand the argument that we're in a weaker position.

Simply because our strength last season was our midfield of Kayal and Stephens and our midfield has been our weakness so far this season.

 

[NooBHA]

The reports coming from CH although I wouldnt go as far as to say he is lying because I dont think he would just manipulating and disguising the truth a little and I feel it is having an effect on the team spirit

There wasn't anything wrong with team spirit on Saturday. Newcastle are a neat passing team but they played against 10 men for half of the match and we only conceded at set plays. I would suggest that the team with 10 men showed great team spirit; however Skalak gives you ''jack shit'' apart from his free kicks and Bong is far better when Skalak is not ahead of him because Skalak cant keep hold of the ball

 

[Nixonator]

The lack of Stephens was not what cost points against Newcastle. They scored from 2 free kicks and the goalkeeper's starting position for both of them are what cost the goals. Apart from that Newcastle looked pretty passing the ball around but had no real cutting edge. We actually got in behind them a lot more than they did behind us

You can no more attest to him not costing points, than my saying his absence has done.

Just because you think the goals they scored wouldn't have been relevant to Stephens (though wasn't it Sidwell giving away both free kicks?), doesn't mean anything. We could very well have bossed the middle and been 1 up in 10 mins, we'll never know.

As an aside, I think it would have been more likely we'd have won against Reading with Stephens in the side rather than getting any points yesterday, Though I felt we massively lacked him in there.