Stevens scored his first goal for Doncaster at the weekend.
Printable View
Stevens scored his first goal for Doncaster at the weekend.
Released.
http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/socc...vens-1.2241602
Thought he acquitted himself reasonably well in the PL. Was never really given a chance.
I thought he did ok too, was given much of a chance.
Back to Rovers? He looked very impressive that year in Europe.
No, he can earn five times as much in League Two. It's been clear for a long time he wasn't going to make it at Villa so hopefully he can find a good club lower down the chain now.
Whenever I seen him play for Villa, Stevens struck me as a guy who was just about hanging in there - got exposed a couple of times, not consistently but he just didn't fill me with confidence. He didn't look confortable or particuarly like someone who would become comfortable.
Still would love to see him drop down a league or two and prove himself.
Stevens was never more than 3rd choice when he was at Villa; his first league appearance was as a replacement for another sub. His first 3 starts were against Man Utd, Man City & Arsenal. I don't recall him being directly exposed for any of the 8 goals conceded in those matches; in any event, they were leaking goals like a sieve before and after he was in the team. An injury in his next match came at the worst possible time. By the time he came back, he was starting to acquit himself well, but was discarded immediately after conceding the penalty that led to the winning goal in a match against Southampton; a match he otherwise played well in. Stevens didn't even touch Rodriguez and pretty much everyone agreed penalty shouldn't have been given.
Summed up his luck. For a young lad coming over from Ireland, he carried himself well. He probably wouldn't have turned out good enough for Villa but he wasn't given the chance to prove it properly. Look at the amount of chances Westwood and Lowton were given.
I'd think he'll have a good chance of a deal in League One and maybe even lower end Championship.
Westwood's a decent player and Lowton ended up spending huge chunks of the past two seasons on the bench.Quote:
Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks
Stevens was never more than third choice, though, you're right and he didn't really get a run at it. In those games you mentioned, he wasn't massively at fault, he was generally tidy enough, he played ok and in context did alright.
You're not wrong - but to me he never showed any glimpse of a player who would make it at PL level. He looked a bit like a stop gap, albeit a stop gap in a team full of them.
I haven't really followed him, but I understand he played quite a bit on loan at Notts County and Doncaster and, while not doing badly, he didn't seem to show the kind of form that suggested he could cut it at the PL in the last couple of seasons.
In fairness, I wouldn't rule out him making something yet - even half-decent LBs are hard to come by. All it would take is the right team on an upward trajectory.
Rather disappointed that this news was posted two hours ago and nobody's said "he has to be better than Stephen Ward" yet.
Common knowledge?Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
Ah come on that's never stopped anyone before.Quote:
Originally Posted by SwanVsDalton
Two year deal with Paul Cook's Portsmouth.
Linked with a move to the Championship with Sheffield United
http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/fo...nder-1-7953185
(Michael Doyle and Noel Hunt mentioned out of contract, might be too soon for Tets summer transfer thread)
Has finally completed his move to Sheffield United.
A Championship level left full option, very good if he's in the side, of course. He will face Villa.
Rising through the divisions
I thought he looked decent in the Premier League.
Was confused by his descent.
In which of his seven Premier League appearances (two wins, two draws, three losses) did you think he looked decent?
I generally thought he acquitted himself well against some prime opposition.
It was a difficult run of games he played in; a difficult time to come in to the team.
that doesn't answer the questions - in which of his seven appearances did you think he he looked decent?
I think the Arsenal and Southampton games in particular.
He was unlucky for the penalty decision in the latter game, I thought he generally played very well in that one.
fair enough, the ratings seem to be no better than average for those two games
V Southampton
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/asto...293892/ratings
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/spor...pton-1-1203369Quote:
Stevens: 1/5
Gave away the penalty that led to the goal and endured a torrid afternoon at the hands of the excellent Puncheon.
V ArsenalQuote:
Stevens 5/10Poor positioning left Villa exposed. Cruel penalty injustice.
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/spor...senal-0-336564
http://www.goal.com/en/match/aston-v...293801/ratingsQuote:
Stevens 7/10
Kept Oxlade-Chamberlain fairly quiet. Will do wonders for his belief
Quote:
Stevens 2.5/5
Fared reasonably well up against Oxlade-Chamberlain on his own, but understandably had difficulty when Jenkinson joined the attack. The protection he got from Weimann was patchy.
Missed the fact that he won
PFA Fans' League Two Player of the Season award
Some achievement for a Left Back.
http://www.skysports.com/football/ne...e-season-award
Call him up Trap
Played well today with an assist for the 3rd goal in Sheffields win over Derby
Sheffieds ?? :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Park_Lane
Good to see him working his way back up the league. I had given up on him when he was out on loan at lower teams.
Apologies UTD!Quote:
Originally Posted by OwlsFan
Similar pattern to a lot of our players in recent years, work your way up from the lower leagues. The only problem with that is that by the time they are consifered for the national team you only get a couple of campaigns out of them
You're forgiven :)
I usually find the "Similar Threads" down the pages interesting. Often gives a good history of the player or a totally bizarre unconnected one. For Enda this one caught my eye: "Cat Stevens-Musician or Terrorist?". :0
Assist for Enda today in Utds 2-4 away win at Wednesday (sorry owlsfan!)
for the rovers fans on here who had more potential at left full when with rovers Stevens or Trevor Clarke?
Thought he played well. I had high hopes for him when he was at Villa. Let's see if he can kick on now. Looks as if the manager will give him a chance.Quote:
Originally Posted by Park_Lane
MOTM yesterday and another assist in Sheff. Utds loss at forest
(Call him up Trapp.)
Another Irish scorer in the Championship tonight as Stevens got the first for Sheffield United - they're within sight of the playoffs now: http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/43178126
New contract for.the lad! Hopefully in the PL next year
excellent goal and motm for sheff utd against forrest today. played very well
Yeah, whipped in a few teasing crosses - goal set up by McGoldrick with one of his slide-rule passes. McGoldrick also got the foul that led to Forest going down to ten menQuote:
Originally Posted by jbyrne
The result brings them to second on points difference as Leeds faltered. I wouldn't like to be in the play-offs; Villa look like a freight train.
So we now have an equivalent to Coleman on the left - Stevens got his fourth goal in six games today to equalize against Stoke: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/48081883
He definitely looks like a decent left full from what I've seen of him. Balance wise it makes sense for Mick to keep him there as much as possible. With Coleman on the right and Duffy and Keogh in the middle of the back four, the Irish defence is beginning to show signs of stability ahead of what is an important few games (although I'm a little concerned about Duffy's form in a Brighton team which really has no business in the Premier League - let's just say he's not evolving into a Gerard Pique or Virgil Van Dijk despite playing in one of the top leagues in world football). Stevens and his Irish team mates at Sheffield United will face a real examination of their credentials next season but the experience can only help Ireland in the long run.Quote:
Originally Posted by samhaydenjr
I would go easy on Duffy there. Every time I have seen him he's been fighting fires and it isn't an easy gig.
It's not an easy gig for him and I can't see it getting any easier next term. In fairness to Duffy he played an absolute blinder against Arsenal on Sunday and I believe he got MOTM.Quote:
Originally Posted by Olé Olé
However he is not the type of defender Ireland needs in the middle of the back four, and neither is Keogh for that matter.
Both lads are great at sticking their head to the ball or hoofing it out over the halfway line. The problem at internaitonal level is, as we have seen for decades now, that the ball keeps coming back at you as the pressure builds.
We need the type of defender who can take the ball on his chest, play short passes and begin moves that will put the opposition under pressure.
That is in a perfect world, however, and I fear we are still light years from that type of football at internaitonal level.