| One thing I learnt from today... 15:55 - Jan 20 with 4218 views | Jellybaby |
that Jack Stephens, if played could cost us promotion.
Sorry, lovely bloke and all that, but virtually every game he plays he brings chaos to our defending. Harwood Bellis and JB have formed a brilliant partnership that should be instrumental in getting us up. Stephens should only be used as a last resort. |  |
| I wholly disapprove of what you say and will defend to the death your right to say it. |
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| One thing I learnt from today... on 16:40 - Jan 20 with 4127 views | mushinexile |
He was. | | | |
| One thing I learnt from today... on 17:17 - Jan 20 with 4037 views | saint22 |
He has been cack forever
Go back to those games again Cardiff in the PL years back, endless errors game after game and Ralph never dropped him | | | |
| One thing I learnt from today... on 19:12 - Jan 20 with 3908 views | Bridders2 |
I've said this a few times lately, he played for the U21's a couple of weeks ago and gave the ball away in front of his own goal and the oppo scored...all in the first minute of the game.
He's accident prone, we all know it, BUT I'd still bring him on in the last 10 minutes to give him game time because we never know when our Diamond Duo will pick up injuries. | | | |
| One thing I learnt from today... on 20:59 - Jan 20 with 3789 views | SFC_Referee |
As much as I agree that he wasn’t the best today, he showed with Bournemouth and us again at the start of the season before his injury how well he can play. As yeah I’m completely with us keeping our great pair of centre half’s, Bednerak and Harwood-Bellis, starting all the games that they can, but if either were to get injured, or in closet games where we may want another defender on for the last period, I do still think Stephens has his values |  |
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| One thing I learnt from today... on 08:51 - Jan 21 with 3462 views | Mrangry25 |
Why, Why, Why does RM have this love affair with JS, we all know he is not good enough and is deffo not Captain material, he single-handedly very nearly gave Swansea the match yesterday, we looked nervous, played stupid balls across the goal-mouth, it was a good job Swansea couldn’t finish. We loaned him to Bournemouth and even they didn’t want to keep him. I get why HB was taken off but Che Charles should have replaced him not JS. |  |
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| One thing I learnt from today... on 09:18 - Jan 21 with 3428 views | City_boy |
| One thing I learnt from today... on 20:59 - Jan 20 by SFC_Referee |
As much as I agree that he wasn’t the best today, he showed with Bournemouth and us again at the start of the season before his injury how well he can play. As yeah I’m completely with us keeping our great pair of centre half’s, Bednerak and Harwood-Bellis, starting all the games that they can, but if either were to get injured, or in closet games where we may want another defender on for the last period, I do still think Stephens has his values |
Stephens came on yesterday after 60 mins + 7 mins extra time. That is not last period to see game out.
There were better options if RM wanted to protect HB because of his card. I can see why HB was a bit hacked off, being hauled off after 60 mins.
I question how valuable Stephens was for Bournemouth, He was a bench warmer a number of times and they conceded 71 goals. If he was that good they would have bought him. They had enough time to assess him. [Post edited 21 Jan 9:19]
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| One thing I learnt from today... on 09:26 - Jan 21 with 3412 views | City_boy |
Perhaps Jack Stephens has threatened to hand in a transfer request if he doesn't get game time ?  | | | |
| One thing I learnt from today... on 09:46 - Jan 21 with 3376 views | davidargyll |
Am I alone in feeling a microcosm of sympathy for Jack Stephens?
Whilst I would be the first to admit that he has played pretty poorly since coming back from injury, comparing him to others who’ve improved in the last few weeks suggests that RM’s faith in him may be justified.
For example, for the first few months since joining us, Manning was way off the pace, kept on cocking it up, and certainly cost us a couple of goals. But more recently he has improved massively, some of his passing has been excellent and his control has got immeasurably better.
You could also say the same for Will Smallbone who has really upped his game in the last couple of matches and was of course MOM yesterday.
Jack Stephens on the other hand had the misfortune of having to linger on the sidelines watching as the rest of the team started to improve.
Some will argue silk purses and sow’s ears, but I for one think giving him game time - and OK yesterday he did cock it up a couple of times - will help him be more aware in defence, pass more accurately and generally get up to speed ; because surely he knows that (I) he is well below the required standard particularly as the captain, (iI ) he is letting his (now much better) teammates down, and (iii) worse for him will quite possibly be shipped out at the end of the season if he doesn’t improve.
I haven’t been a great fan of Russell Martin’s, but I am now eating masses of humble pie with all these records he’s smashed and the confidence he’s imbued into the team; so I feel quietly confident that, if he can sort out Manning and Smallbone, just maybe he can do the same for JS.
Yes I know, (last metaphor I promise) the sky is full of flying pigs…. | | | |
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| One thing I learnt from today... on 11:04 - Jan 21 with 3270 views | felly1 |
| One thing I learnt from today... on 09:18 - Jan 21 by City_boy |
Stephens came on yesterday after 60 mins + 7 mins extra time. That is not last period to see game out.
There were better options if RM wanted to protect HB because of his card. I can see why HB was a bit hacked off, being hauled off after 60 mins.
I question how valuable Stephens was for Bournemouth, He was a bench warmer a number of times and they conceded 71 goals. If he was that good they would have bought him. They had enough time to assess him. [Post edited 21 Jan 9:19]
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When he played for Bournemouth their results improved considerably.
They were in the bottom three near to it when he was bench warning and after he got in the team they moved much further up the table, whilst a Stephen's free Saints plummeted to the Championship.
He made some bad passes yesterday and looks well off THB in terms of quality.
No shame in that.
Swansea pressed much harder 2nd half which was pretty inevitable considering how poor first they were.
Martin took off THB because of the booking and Stephens like most rusty defenders struggle to adapt to the way we play, similar to when Holgate plays. | | | |
| One thing I learnt from today... on 11:38 - Jan 21 with 3231 views | City_boy |
| One thing I learnt from today... on 11:04 - Jan 21 by felly1 |
When he played for Bournemouth their results improved considerably.
They were in the bottom three near to it when he was bench warning and after he got in the team they moved much further up the table, whilst a Stephen's free Saints plummeted to the Championship.
He made some bad passes yesterday and looks well off THB in terms of quality.
No shame in that.
Swansea pressed much harder 2nd half which was pretty inevitable considering how poor first they were.
Martin took off THB because of the booking and Stephens like most rusty defenders struggle to adapt to the way we play, similar to when Holgate plays. |
I don't think Stephens in the team would have helped our cause one bit last year, The reasons for that have been well documented.
You would have thought if he was the catalyst for Bournemouth's rise up the table, they would have made an offer ? He would have been in Bournemouths transfer budget.
Yesterday was not a one off. It is not only just this season, We have been discussing the merits of Stephens for years.
I still maintain he is not good enough and there were better options. | | | |
| One thing I learnt from today... on 11:54 - Jan 21 with 3215 views | felly1 |
| One thing I learnt from today... on 11:38 - Jan 21 by City_boy |
I don't think Stephens in the team would have helped our cause one bit last year, The reasons for that have been well documented.
You would have thought if he was the catalyst for Bournemouth's rise up the table, they would have made an offer ? He would have been in Bournemouths transfer budget.
Yesterday was not a one off. It is not only just this season, We have been discussing the merits of Stephens for years.
I still maintain he is not good enough and there were better options. |
He probably didn't join Bournemouth because they sacked Gary O'neil.
He's a back up player and has limitations.
It always feels a certain section of fans including our esteemed owner of this site are always quick to jump on and highlight his mistakes but ignore or defend it when other players do the same thing.
As I said he's a decent back up guy.
This season he's played 12, lost 0, goals conceded 8. | | | |
| One thing I learnt from today... on 13:25 - Jan 21 with 3122 views | City_boy |
| One thing I learnt from today... on 11:54 - Jan 21 by felly1 |
He probably didn't join Bournemouth because they sacked Gary O'neil.
He's a back up player and has limitations.
It always feels a certain section of fans including our esteemed owner of this site are always quick to jump on and highlight his mistakes but ignore or defend it when other players do the same thing.
As I said he's a decent back up guy.
This season he's played 12, lost 0, goals conceded 8. |
It's not just the mistakes, it's his positional play and pedestrian style, when playing out of the back that allows, teams to come onto us.
I agree, others have made mistakes this season, but they seem to learn from them and get better.
I also agree he is useful as a backup, (i.e in an emergency only). in recent games it looks like RM has made changes just to accommodate Stephens. Perhaps it's me, I just don't see the need make significant changes to accommodate Stephens or because he is Captain ? | | | |
| One thing I learnt from today... on 22:57 - Jan 21 with 2941 views | SaintNick |
| One thing I learnt from today... on 11:54 - Jan 21 by felly1 |
He probably didn't join Bournemouth because they sacked Gary O'neil.
He's a back up player and has limitations.
It always feels a certain section of fans including our esteemed owner of this site are always quick to jump on and highlight his mistakes but ignore or defend it when other players do the same thing.
As I said he's a decent back up guy.
This season he's played 12, lost 0, goals conceded 8. |
I dont actually highlight his individual mistakes, in this weeks match report I talk about how it was more about upsetting the rthym that we had got going, than his individual errors.
I have always maintained that he is good back up |  |
| Satisfying The Bloodlust Of The Masses In Peacetime |
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| One thing I learnt from today... on 06:57 - Jan 22 with 2841 views | SalisburySaint |
| One thing I learnt from today... on 13:25 - Jan 21 by City_boy |
It's not just the mistakes, it's his positional play and pedestrian style, when playing out of the back that allows, teams to come onto us.
I agree, others have made mistakes this season, but they seem to learn from them and get better.
I also agree he is useful as a backup, (i.e in an emergency only). in recent games it looks like RM has made changes just to accommodate Stephens. Perhaps it's me, I just don't see the need make significant changes to accommodate Stephens or because he is Captain ? |
My view is that RM is giving Jack game time, so that when he’s needed due to suspensions or injuries, which he will be before the end of the season, he’s not playing with no minutes under his belt.
With a two goal lead with 30 mins to go, Saturday was an ideal time to do this imo, although it almost went wrong.
However it wasn’t just him at fault, our other sub Charles kept giving the ball away in bad positions too. |  | | |
| One thing I learnt from today... on 09:15 - Jan 22 with 2765 views | SaintNick |
| One thing I learnt from today... on 06:57 - Jan 22 by SalisburySaint |
My view is that RM is giving Jack game time, so that when he’s needed due to suspensions or injuries, which he will be before the end of the season, he’s not playing with no minutes under his belt.
With a two goal lead with 30 mins to go, Saturday was an ideal time to do this imo, although it almost went wrong.
However it wasn’t just him at fault, our other sub Charles kept giving the ball away in bad positions too. |
You do make a point, but the flaw is that in the four month period that Jack was injured, he didn't give Mason Holgate game time unless there was an injury or a suspension and there is the FA Cup game next week that will give an opportunity for him to get 90 minutes under his belt.
On the hour mark we had the opportunity to push on and truly kill the game off and we need to do so for goal difference and that could well be crucial for the rest of the season.
There was no real logical reason for doing this on Saturday, as i said in another thread, I am not condoning Jack because he made a couple of bad passes, Shea Charles lost the ball a bit and in the first half so did Stuart Armstrong, my gripe is all about how it changed the dynamics of the side | |
| Satisfying The Bloodlust Of The Masses In Peacetime |
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| One thing I learnt from today... on 09:55 - Jan 22 with 2731 views | Number_58 |
The trouble with passing your way out of your own penalty area is that a misplaced pass more often than not becomes a catastrophic pass. THB and Bednarek seem to have it sussed, but as soon as anyone else comes in and tries it it all goes to pot. Keeping those two on the pitch for the rest of the season is probably the key to promotion. |  | | |
| One thing I learnt from today... on 10:24 - Jan 22 with 2715 views | GRIM |
| One thing I learnt from today... on 09:15 - Jan 22 by SaintNick |
You do make a point, but the flaw is that in the four month period that Jack was injured, he didn't give Mason Holgate game time unless there was an injury or a suspension and there is the FA Cup game next week that will give an opportunity for him to get 90 minutes under his belt.
On the hour mark we had the opportunity to push on and truly kill the game off and we need to do so for goal difference and that could well be crucial for the rest of the season.
There was no real logical reason for doing this on Saturday, as i said in another thread, I am not condoning Jack because he made a couple of bad passes, Shea Charles lost the ball a bit and in the first half so did Stuart Armstrong, my gripe is all about how it changed the dynamics of the side |
She Charles couldn't have made mistakes in 1st half because he wasn't on the pitch then.
He came on late in game as a sub.
But yes he did makes some mistakes when he came on. | | | |
| One thing I learnt from today... on 11:28 - Jan 22 with 2656 views | saint901 |
I think we are all a bit nervous about RM's policy on subs.
The subs he has are either not good enough or he brings them on in the wrong circumstances to do jobs they are not equipped to do.
With Stephens, clearly he is a CB and should be expected to perform alongside another CB. I wonder how many times a week in training he does that? It certainly seems that he is not as adept at the passing out of defence as some of the others.
For me the wrong sub is often Mara. Even if Adams or AA is tired, they have a better ability to occupy a defender than Mara. A defender must see him coming on and think that their job for the day is done and now they can help score a goal. (And yes I know he scored a two yard tap in the other week).
I'd also observe that Bazunu can count himself quite lucky that Swansea scored from when they did because I think he took the player out (who may have been offside and may have handled the ball) and it could easily have been a penalty and red card. | | | |
| One thing I learnt from today... on 13:32 - Jan 22 with 2595 views | ShirtNumbers |
| One thing I learnt from today... on 09:15 - Jan 22 by SaintNick |
You do make a point, but the flaw is that in the four month period that Jack was injured, he didn't give Mason Holgate game time unless there was an injury or a suspension and there is the FA Cup game next week that will give an opportunity for him to get 90 minutes under his belt.
On the hour mark we had the opportunity to push on and truly kill the game off and we need to do so for goal difference and that could well be crucial for the rest of the season.
There was no real logical reason for doing this on Saturday, as i said in another thread, I am not condoning Jack because he made a couple of bad passes, Shea Charles lost the ball a bit and in the first half so did Stuart Armstrong, my gripe is all about how it changed the dynamics of the side |
I don't understand the need to play back-up players against Watford next week - if that's what you're getting at.
In the league we failed to beat them with our best XI and with a whole week in between games there is plenty of time for the players to recover. If it was a midweek game I'd maybe understand giving a few a rest.
First post for me btw. |  | | |
| One thing I learnt from today... on 15:43 - Jan 22 with 2548 views | darthvader |
| One thing I learnt from today... on 13:32 - Jan 22 by ShirtNumbers |
I don't understand the need to play back-up players against Watford next week - if that's what you're getting at.
In the league we failed to beat them with our best XI and with a whole week in between games there is plenty of time for the players to recover. If it was a midweek game I'd maybe understand giving a few a rest.
First post for me btw. |
I concur.
And welcome to you !
Could you please state your top 3 biscuits |  |
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| One thing I learnt from today... on 15:57 - Jan 22 with 2543 views | kingolaf |
He’s garbage. Keeps passing square across our box and giving the ball away. Also loses his man on a regular basis.
Should be 4th choice. Holgate is better. | | | |
| One thing I learnt from today... on 16:45 - Jan 22 with 2490 views | ShirtNumbers |
| One thing I learnt from today... on 15:43 - Jan 22 by darthvader |
I concur.
And welcome to you !
Could you please state your top 3 biscuits |
1. Chocolate malted milk
2. Chocolate digestive
3. Tunnocks tea cake (no jam) | | | |
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