Alireza Jahanbakhsh @ Brighton & Hove Albion | 2018-2019
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Perseus
Dale Stephens is a shoe in as the best ball winner in midfield.
Dale Stephens is NOT a good ball winner nor does he provide good defensive utility. His numbers are heavily inflated because for nearly every game of the season, Brighton has sat back and absorbed pressure and he has always had the support of Propper defensively due to Hughton's conservative tactics. Ive seen him rounded countless times by more agile midfielders and forwards and he is horribly slow when it comes to covering ground/back tracking.
In just under 30 of his appearances Brighton has still conceded 44 goals, so even if he is 'ball winning' anyone who has followed brightons games knows that its not the useful sort, its the sort that is followed by a hoof back the opposition center backs. On top of all of this he kills the pace of Brightons midfield to a staggering degree; simply turning and switching play looks like an ordeal from him. He is not the sort of player that is suited to a side that wants to consistently play in the top flight, simple as that.
Edit: Propper, not Gross