Ex Players

[Clyde1998]

Very pleased for Liam Kelly

Talent wise he was good enough for the Championship. There was obviously some sort of attitude or mental health issues earlier in his career. Fair play, he looks to be moving beyond them and he has absolutely dominated the play offs. Difference maker in semi final and final.

I think it was the physicality that was the issue for him when he was with us: technically around Championship level, but wasn't physical enough to compete at League One or Two level. Great to see he's back at League One level.

[Snowflake Royal]

Stam massively set back his career by talking him up way beyond his ability.

[Chameleon]

Very pleased for Liam Kelly

Talent wise he was good enough for the Championship. There was obviously some sort of attitude or mental health issues earlier in his career. Fair play, he looks to be moving beyond them and he has absolutely dominated the play offs. Difference maker in semi final and final.

I think it was the physicality that was the issue for him when he was with us: technically around Championship level, but wasn't physical enough to compete at League One or Two level. Great to see he's back at League One level.

At L1 he'll be mercilessly bullied by the big lumps who aren't great technically that most teams have at CB. Morro etc would have him for breakfast.

[JedMaxwell]

If he's able to find pockets of space in the right areas, it won't matter who he's up against as he will be able to use the ball before he gets battered.

The issue is when there isn't that space, and he has to battle against more physical midfielders and basically do shuttle runs up and down the pitch.

But it's the same for Lewis Wing largely - if he has to chase a big quick bugger all over the pitch he's not very effective, but when he picks the ball up between the lines he makes a difference.

[Sutekh]

Talent wise he was good enough for the Championship. There was obviously some sort of attitude or mental health issues earlier in his career. Fair play, he looks to be moving beyond them and he has absolutely dominated the play offs. Difference maker in semi final and final.

I think it was the physicality that was the issue for him when he was with us: technically around Championship level, but wasn't physical enough to compete at League One or Two level. Great to see he's back at League One level.

At L1 he'll be mercilessly bullied by the big lumps who aren't great technically that most teams have at CB. Morro etc would have him for breakfast.

and, of course, in L2 he wouldn't have been "bullied" at all...

[Hound]

Stam massively set back his career by talking him up way beyond his ability.

It definitely appeared to go to his head. Couple of anecdotes about silly Billy big bollox behaviour etc

Shame as he was ace first season with us

Delighted he seems to be over it and playing well again. He did boss the final from all accounts and getting goals and assists. Just a shame he lost a few years there but he’s still relatively young

[Sutekh]

Stam massively set back his career by talking him up way beyond his ability.

It definitely appeared to go to his head. Couple of anecdotes about silly Billy big bollox behaviour etc

Shame as he was ace first season with us

Delighted he seems to be over it and playing well again. He did boss the final from all accounts and getting goals and assists. Just a shame he lost a few years there but he’s still relatively young

He'll be 29 in November so probably should be at his peak now. Let's hope he doesn't turn up in the 2 games v Reading next season.

[From Despair To Where?]

Stam massively set back his career by talking him up way beyond his ability.

It definitely appeared to go to his head. Couple of anecdotes about silly Billy big bollox behaviour etc

Shame as he was ace first season with us

Delighted he seems to be over it and playing well again. He did boss the final from all accounts and getting goals and assists. Just a shame he lost a few years there but he’s still relatively young

He'll be 29 in November so probably should be at his peak now. Let's hope he doesn't turn up in the 2 games v Reading next season.

Did him no favours interviewing him next to the keeper.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FnuF6I8Jw4

[biff]

Used to ball around Buckskin (rough bit of Basingstoke) in a matte black wrapped 4x4 very early on in his career. Probably felt so it couldn't be keyed.

[Sutekh]

It definitely appeared to go to his head. Couple of anecdotes about silly Billy big bollox behaviour etc

Shame as he was ace first season with us

Delighted he seems to be over it and playing well again. He did boss the final from all accounts and getting goals and assists. Just a shame he lost a few years there but he’s still relatively young

He'll be 29 in November so probably should be at his peak now. Let's hope he doesn't turn up in the 2 games v Reading next season.

Did him no favours interviewing him next to the keeper.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FnuF6I8Jw4

[URZZZZ]

Kelly (and Norwood for good measure) were both decent players but it’s about integrating them into the right system which is where they both struggled to an extent. Wouldn’t call them one dimensional as such but certainly wouldn’t describe them as all rounder players

Partnering Norwood with Williams for example (a bit of a headless chicken) didn’t work, neither mixing Kelly with the likes of Dave Edwards or Aluko (who took up the exact same spot as Kelly did)

I do think we’re quite quick to jump on players’ backs and write them off without seeing more of a bigger picture

[Snowflake Royal]

Kelly (and Norwood for good measure) were both decent players but it’s about integrating them into the right system which is where they both struggled to an extent. Wouldn’t call them one dimensional as such but certainly wouldn’t describe them as all rounder players

Partnering Norwood with Williams for example (a bit of a headless chicken) didn’t work, neither mixing Kelly with the likes of Dave Edwards or Aluko (who took up the exact same spot as Kelly did)

I do think we’re quite quick to jump on players’ backs and write them off without seeing more of a bigger picture

Norwood has certainly proved a lot of people wrong. Such a good player we wasted by having no real plan and just throwing players together who would never work well.

[WestYorksRoyal]

I remember Norwood being one of our better players, even if he has hit more heights subsequently. Wouldn't say we wasted him, and got a good fee when he left.

But agree the system never really suited Kelly. The idea that physicalism was the issue is classic stone age English football thinking - he will have had lumps kicked out of him in L2. Is he smaller than Messi?

Reminds me of the rest is football pod where Micah Richards said Messi's only weakness is his heading, and Lineker retorted we're the only country in the world who would say that.

[Brogue]

jordon obita wins player of the season and players player of the season for hibs

[From Despair To Where?]

jordon obita wins player of the season and players player of the season for hibs

He's had a good season.

Hoilett's had a phenomenally good spell at Aberdeen too. 7 assists and 2 goals in 13 matches in a team who have been absolutely shite all season.

[Hound]

Kelly (and Norwood for good measure) were both decent players but it’s about integrating them into the right system which is where they both struggled to an extent. Wouldn’t call them one dimensional as such but certainly wouldn’t describe them as all rounder players

Partnering Norwood with Williams for example (a bit of a headless chicken) didn’t work, neither mixing Kelly with the likes of Dave Edwards or Aluko (who took up the exact same spot as Kelly did)

I do think we’re quite quick to jump on players’ backs and write them off without seeing more of a bigger picture

Don’t think anyone wrote off Norwood, he was good for us, but do agree the Williams partnership was disappointing- I thought it looked good on paper

Kelly kind of went downhill with the rest of the team from what I remember. I suspect us getting rid was as much about getting the wage off the book at the time. Then he just lost his way a bit. Tbf he’d made more appearances in div2 than I thought and is now up to 220 games so it’s not like he tossed it away totally

Thinking back I’m not sure who he paired with best. Swift and him were very lightweight, Williams was a bit of a solo player - maybe Joey VDB was a good foil

[Snowflake Royal]

Kelly (and Norwood for good measure) were both decent players but it’s about integrating them into the right system which is where they both struggled to an extent. Wouldn’t call them one dimensional as such but certainly wouldn’t describe them as all rounder players

Partnering Norwood with Williams for example (a bit of a headless chicken) didn’t work, neither mixing Kelly with the likes of Dave Edwards or Aluko (who took up the exact same spot as Kelly did)

I do think we’re quite quick to jump on players’ backs and write them off without seeing more of a bigger picture

Don’t think anyone wrote off Norwood, he was good for us, but do agree the Williams partnership was disappointing- I thought it looked good on paper

Kelly kind of went downhill with the rest of the team from what I remember. I suspect us getting rid was as much about getting the wage off the book at the time. Then he just lost his way a bit. Tbf he’d made more appearances in div2 than I thought and is now up to 220 games so it’s not like he tossed it away totally

Thinking back I’m not sure who he paired with best. Swift and him were very lightweight, Williams was a bit of a solo player - maybe Joey VDB was a good foil

Loads of people didn’t rate Norwood.

[morganb]

Not an ex-player but ex-staff:

Stoke City’s Head of Recruitment, Jared Dublin, will be leaving his position with the Club.

[Sutekh]

Not an ex-player but ex-staff:

Stoke City’s Head of Recruitment, Jared Dublin, will be leaving his position with the Club.

Only went there in August didn't he?

[Snowflake Royal]

Not an ex-player but ex-staff:

Stoke City’s Head of Recruitment, Jared Dublin, will be leaving his position with the Club.

Only went there in August didn't he?

Yep. Not gone great it seems