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Dale Stephens - time for a rest


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Since his early season great form Dale has recently become the new Casper. In the early season we had a hard working midfield with Alessandro and Jones grafting and Dale being allowed to be more the luxury player. Now we have brought in Morais and Evina players that add greater technical ability we have lost our graft in the center of the park. The last three games have passed Dale by with Furman having to do all the dirty work with little assistance. too many times tonight albeit against a far superior opposition Dale seemed to be isolated, not involved and more worryingly not working hard to get involved. He is a fantastic prospect but either needs some time out or to put more effort in. Tonight showed we cannot carry any passengers and I am afraid in the last couple of games Dale has been too much of a bystander.

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how dare a league one player only be average :ranting:

i dont think its a case of just being very average,his lack of form is a big shock when you consider his early season form,since we started playing again he has been shocking...4 or 5 games before our enforced break he was on decline..

 

tonight he never looked interested,and he :censored: out of at least 3 50/50 balls....that says a lot about his character at the moment...time for a rest,because we need battlers to put there foot on the ball,to show some fight and spirit....

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He doesn't need resting...........He needs dropping!

 

Would agree if we had anyone to replace him. I don't think we have so I think Dickov should grab him by the throat and drum into him that he' isn't as good as he thinks he is. Play the simple ball instead of over ambitious passes that he doesn't have the ability to make.

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and it begins :whip:

 

thats right he's done nothing tonight except put in a brilliant cross for our only clear chance of the game, but hey lets forget about that, same old Latics fans there has to be a scapegoat :busted:

with due respect...i dont think he is a scapegoat by any stretch of the imagination....so one perfect cross means he shouldnt be dropped to the bench????

 

what about his poor performances over the last 7 or 8 games,can you honestly make excuses for those as well....

 

early doors he was head n shoulders above the rest,led by example and put every ounce of effort into games...tonight was a vary pale resemblence to that...i can take players having off days and the like.but tonight he pulled out of challenges didnt get stuck in and had woefull distribution 99.9% of the game...but hey..he produced a fantastic cross for our best chance of the game.so alls well

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with due respect...i dont think he is a scapegoat by any stretch of the imagination....so one perfect cross means he shouldnt be dropped to the bench????

 

what about his poor performances over the last 7 or 8 games,can you honestly make excuses for those as well....

 

early doors he was head n shoulders above the rest,led by example and put every ounce of effort into games...tonight was a vary pale resemblence to that...i can take players having off days and the like.but tonight he pulled out of challenges didnt get stuck in and had woefull distribution 99.9% of the game...but hey..he produced a fantastic cross for our best chance of the game.so alls well

 

so our full-backs get caught out of position and get punished on the counter attack and it's all a central midfielders fault, I give up :ohno:

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so our full-backs get caught out of position and get punished on the counter attack and it's all a central midfielders fault, I give up :ohno:

 

No one said it was Tommy, but I take your point, our full backs were dreadfully exposed tonight. Going back to Stephens when things are going against you it's best to get back to basics and do the simple things rather than try extravagent passes.

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and it begins :whip:

 

thats right he's done nothing tonight except put in a brilliant cross for our only clear chance of the game, but hey lets forget about that, same old Latics fans there has to be a scapegoat :busted:

 

ffs you dare'nt have n opinion on her without some fukka makin sarcastic remarks....no one has slated him, its just ppls opinions,,,,,which happen to true,,,,its not just today its been weeks,,,,,,do me a favor fella, lend me yer glasses so i can wach the next game through em

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No one said it was Tommy, but I take your point, our full backs were dreadfully exposed tonight. Going back to Stephens when things are going against you it's best to get back to basics and do the simple things rather than try extravagent passes.

 

I see what you mean the "hollywood balls" they're rarely the best option and he's no David Eyres in that department but I think Stephens problem is that he sees more of the ball than players we've had in that role in the past so in some peoples eyes he's expected to pick out a perfect pass every time, I like the way our midfield is used this season it's certainly more effective than the ultra defensive method we used last season, we have players now who can cover more ground, but we're watching a young League 1 side at the end of the day and players play bad balls from time to time. I have faith in Stephens and think he's got it in him to go onto a higher level

 

ffs you dare'nt have n opinion on her without some fukka makin sarcastic remarks....no one has slated him, its just ppls opinions,,,,,which happen to true,,,,its not just today its been weeks,,,,,,do me a favor fella, lend me yer glasses so i can wach the next game through em

 

I'm just getting a bit sick of seeing decent players get slated by our fans, leave for peanuts, then go on to play at a higher level

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Can we drop Tounkara while we're at it and give Brooke and Feeney a chance?

 

I do think Ritchie Jones should be given a chance in centre mid.

 

And sign a proper left back, some one who can defend well. Black is the weak link in our defence at the moment.

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Stephens has the ability to play at a higher level than we are currently doing. However, since he signed a new contract he has started going downhill. I would drop him, not because he's a bad player but because I think he need a kick up the arse, its definately a case of dropping him too. There is an air of complacency about his performance and in the last 5 or so games his positive contribution has amounted to about 1 minute in total (a goal, a penalty and some nice passes). Central midfield is an area where we have options, let's use them.

 

Dropping Stephens may also send a message some of the other regular first teamers, like Furman and Taylor, who haven't been playing as well as they could lately.

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Give him his dues though his passing is the best in the team. He'd suit playing alongside better players.

 

The problem is alongside Furman he looks lazy because he doesn't graft, he's a ball at feet player aside from that he doesn't do much else. The lad has quality about him he can spray the ball around well, but our control is generally terrible so we don't really benefit from it.

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I'm just getting a bit sick of seeing decent players get slated by our fans, leave for peanuts, then go on to play at a higher level

 

He is getting slated for a reason, he has not put in a shift for ages and needs to be knocked down a peg or two, he thinks he's better than what he actually is. One good cross a penalty where your expected to score, thats all he has done in the last 180 minutes on the pitch, fur man has been doing a double shift and no wonder that he drifts a bit out of the game because he should knackered doing his and Stephens job !

 

Drop give time to think and let him come back a fresher player, because at the moment he is playing like no one can touch him in the squad and he is guaranteed a place.

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He is getting slated for a reason, he has not put in a shift for ages and needs to be knocked down a peg or two, he thinks he's better than what he actually is. One good cross a penalty where your expected to score, thats all he has done in the last 180 minutes on the pitch, fur man has been doing a double shift and no wonder that he drifts a bit out of the game because he should knackered doing his and Stephens job !

 

Drop give time to think and let him come back a fresher player, because at the moment he is playing like no one can touch him in the squad and he is guaranteed a place.

 

Right again Latics Lee, you see it as it is.

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Right again Latics Lee, you see it as it is.

 

Nah, he's way off the mark with the 'thinks he's better than he is' comment.

 

The lad is struggling for form and has been for a while. I don't see a Billy Big Balls who thinks he can just coast through games.

 

He tries to play the ball but his decision making has been poor for a while now. He's a young lad learning the game and in my opinion needs to be pulled out of the spotlight for a couple of games for his sake, not just ours.

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Nah, he's way off the mark with the 'thinks he's better than he is' comment.

 

The lad is struggling for form and has been for a while. I don't see a Billy Big Balls who thinks he can just coast through games.

 

He tries to play the ball but his decision making has been poor for a while now. He's a young lad learning the game and in my opinion needs to be pulled out of the spotlight for a couple of games for his sake, not just ours.

Mr Pimp, you’re right IMO – and Lee & Mr BP are being a tad harsh in the implied personals IMO..........

 

I’m in the Stephens needs dropping camp, as I’ve posted in other threads – But Dale has certainly not shown a Billy Big Balls / I think I’m amazing attitude as far as I seen. I think that just tripe in all honesty.

 

He’s a young lad who has made a bit of a rod for his own back in his displays at times last season, and certainly in the early months of this season. As I’ve posted before, at that stage he was keeping it simple, most of the moves were going through him, he was shielding the ball from the opposition; being nice & composed and quickly picking the simple sideways or forward 5 yard passes.

 

As Ed has said earlier, over the last 10 games (with the snow break included in the middle) he’s gone away from that type of play, whether off his own back or whether he’s been told (doubt that tbh) and has instead wanted too much time on the ball, been careless in possession and has looked for too many ‘Hollywood Balls’ instead the easy option.

 

For me, Jones deserves a chance in there – and Dale needs to be dropped for a few games, and sent away with a DVD player and a copy of the season review for the ½ season, and be told to watch the games Vs Notts County and the like and to force his way back into the team by getting back to doing what he was doing so well early on.

 

 

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