Jack Stephens

[Gloucester Saint]

1 minute ago, Chez said:

How has Will Still come to the conclusion that he's worthy of a three year deal? He's not even seen him play yet. 

It has to be from Spors and probably Dragan, probably happened over 18 holes at Stoneham. 

[S-Clarke]

1 minute ago, Chez said:

How has Will Still come to the conclusion that he's worthy of a three year deal? He's not even seen him play yet. 

It's one of those club decisions I think, didn't want to upset the apple cart and move the captaincy around I imagine. Will won't complain as I'm sure he's a good lad in training, I hope he keeps him far away from the 11 though.

[Midfield_General]

13 minutes ago, Saint_clark said:

I think you're in for a shock mate, I reckon he'd be getting closer to £100,000 a week at this point than you realise. 

Yeah. Let’s stop calling him a ‘servant’ shall we. 

[Andrew Watson]

I really cannot believe he has been give a two year extension  on top of this season. Stephens is at best a mediocre championship player, do the club really think he is good enough to play in the premier league if we go up in the next two seasons.

I would have no issue if he was to have a Kelvin Davis like role within the club in a non playing capacity,however for him to be any way near the pitch and captain to boot is utter lunacy and smacks of no ambition at all. Perhaps Mr Still can  try to get him to mark a player instead of space and stop trying to play out from the back like a Beckenbaur or Moore. Just another awful decision by the club.

[Gloucester Saint]

1 minute ago, S-Clarke said:

It's one of those club decisions I think, didn't want to upset the apple cart and move the captaincy around I imagine. Will won't complain as I'm sure he's a good lad in training, I hope he keeps him far away from the 11 though.

There’s been a lot of those from Reed, Semmens and SR over the last 8 years, rarely any of them progressive. 

[West end Saints]

5 hours ago, hypochondriac said:

THB 

Wood 

Edwards 

Quarshie 

Do we really need Stephens in that group too? I assume ABK, Bednarek and probably THB are all off so that he gets in. Shame as I'd have preferred he wasn't involved. 

I guess THB being the most experienced of those at 23 is why we need JS

[Football Special]

54 minutes ago, SW11_Saint said:

The disrespect for Jack on here is quite astounding / depressing, though sadly predictable. 

I’m delighted about this. We need character and leadership - even when he’s not playing. He gives a shit about the club. All of those things negate the odd ricket for me. Having him in and around the squad will help our young players, and Will Still I suspect. 
 

Perhaps folks need to go and watch his post-match Wembley interview to remind themselves what this club means to him. Give me 5 JS’s for every one ‘ABK-style star signing’ who is here for  career progression and career progression alone. 

 

Completely agree with you 

[Gloucester Saint]

Just now, West end Saints said:

I guess THB being the most experienced of those at 23 is why we need JS

For another 12 months at most on top of what he had left I could have seen the purpose of. But what is doing most people’s head in is it being until 2028. There’s neither a football or business rationale to it.

[S-Clarke]

Just now, Gloucester Saint said:

There’s been a lot of those from Reed, Semmens and SR over the last 8 years, rarely any of them progressive. 

It's very much reminiscent of the Fraser renewal, and then a second renewal the summer after. It did us no good as we were lumbered with a highly paid player who didn't actually play for us in his final years. Cost the club millions.

I'm really not sure what the motivating factors are on this. It's perplexed me.

[Andrew Watson]

I agree with the - if he is not playing bit,in the above post and the fact that he cares about the club,however he is not good enough to be on the pitch.

[Saint_clark]

5 minutes ago, West end Saints said:

I guess THB being the most experienced of those at 23 is why we need JS

Experience of not being good enough isn't experience I want.

[HarvSFC]

I was disappointed to read this news earlier. I had hoped these charitable contracts for players who like being here (because we're their best offer), but aren't really improving the starting eleven had ended. I had especially hoped that the Stephens lovefest within the club had left with Martin.

We're constantly being told that the squad is too big and that we need to sell before we buy. We even have an abundance of centre-backs - THB, Quarshire, Wood, Edwards and Sanda without including Stephens. Yet, we seem to be intent on persevering with these players and renewing their contracts each year. Last summer we gave McCarthy and Armstrong new contracts and two games in McCarthy was deemed not good enough and the same happened to Armstrong in January. No lessons being learned there. 

I also don't buy the argument that he's a fantastic leader. We all were able to witness him let the team down again and again last season with his needless red cards, he was a liability in the team, and he was supposed to be the leader on the pitch. And while we don't get to witness much off the pitch, standards weren't exactly high last season. Fitness was poor and you didn't have a clue what they were doing in training because the same thing happened on the pitch every week. He captained a team to 12 points. Nobody's putting that on their CV. He was a centre-back in a Martin team getting destroyed every week. The perfect person to stand up and say, "you know what, this isn't working, we just aren't at the required level to play this way in this division." Instead, they were more interested in singing each other's praises.

Ultimately, all we as fans want to see is for the club be progressive again. But, this just feels like holding onto more of the failures of recent times and the recent times have been abysmal, barring the one play-off season.

[Gloucester Saint]

8 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

It's very much reminiscent of the Fraser renewal, and then a second renewal the summer after. It did us no good as we were lumbered with a highly paid player who didn't actually play for us in his final years. Cost the club millions.

I'm really not sure what the motivating factors are on this. It's perplexed me.

In most businesses, there would be a learning cycle where you learn and adapt from those mistakes or you go bust.

Seemingly rarely applies to football clubs, disorganisation, complacency and insularity are the order of the day for most. You’ve only got to look at the mess the last two weeks are of the transfer window, no excuse for that much dysfunction when you’ve had from May to start of August.

Edited 23 hours ago by Gloucester Saint

[S-Clarke]

2 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

In most businesses, there would be a learning cycle where you learn and adapt from those mistakes or you go bust.

Seemingly rarely applies to football clubs, disorganisation, complacency and insularity are the order of the day for most.

But we've even lurched from owners, board members, DoFs, managers, scouts and we still make these frankly odd decisions.

I hope this is the only ''WTF'' moment we have this pre season, as we can't afford any more!

Is it too much to ask for to just have some common sense people running my football club? People that actually see what us guys see!

Edited 23 hours ago by S-Clarke

[revolution saint]

I’m not as gutted as some people but it’s a strange decision and three years seems excessive. Even if I was inclined to offer an extension then I’d have waited to see what happens with the other CBs - we could almost pick an entire side comprised of them, we’ve got that many.

The experience thing doesn’t really add up either. Both Edwards and Wood have played enough games at this level to be considered to have enough experience. 

Done now so won’t moan about it. I don’t think he’s a complete liability but neither do I think he’s that great.

[bpsaint]

51 minutes ago, SW11_Saint said:

You don’t think JS has been a good club servant? We are in the Championship, we don’t know the terms he was offered (lower wages I’d assume). He’s more than able to perform in this league and help those coming through develop. Experience, wise heads, vocal dressing room presences, combative spirit are all useful commodities, abs for me worth the investment. 
 

Three years gives him security and ensures a fee - albeit small - when he moves on. No brainer for me. 
 

 

 

It’s easy to be a good club servant if nobody else comes in for you.

Nobody is doing him a disservice - just commenting on what we can see with our own eyes, that he is not good enough for us, used to be 4th choice behind VVD, Fonte, Yoshida and is now first choice, if ever there was an analogy that summed up our descent into mediocrity it’s that.

You’re very much in the minority here with your support of the new deal so I’d suggest you’re the one probably in the wrong here.

 

[Gloucester Saint]

1 minute ago, bpsaint said:

used to be 4th choice behind VVD, Fonte, Yoshida and is now first choice, if ever there was an analogy that summed up our descent into mediocrity it’s that.

Ain’t that the truth

[S-Clarke]

5 minutes ago, bpsaint said:

It’s easy to be a good club servant if nobody else comes in for you.

Nobody is doing him a disservice - just commenting on what we can see with our own eyes, that he is not good enough for us, used to be 4th choice behind VVD, Fonte, Yoshida and is now first choice, if ever there was an analogy that summed up our descent into mediocrity it’s that.

You’re very much in the minority here with your support of the new deal so I’d suggest you’re the one probably in the wrong here.

 

I don't think he's first choice, that's why 3 years is even more weird. In our current CB setup (without selling) it has to be THB and Bednarek, and even if we sold Bednarek or THB, you'd put Edwards in ahead of Stephens.

[SW11_Saint]

29 minutes ago, Chez said:

How has Will Still come to the conclusion that he's worthy of a three year deal? He's not even seen him play yet. 

He’s probably smart enough to ask people at the club I suspect, and form an opinion based partially on other facets that will benefit the team. 

[OttawaSaint]

We are the club that refuses to learn.

 

FFS!

[SW11_Saint]

3 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

I don't think he's first choice, that's why 3 years is even more weird. In our current CB setup (without selling) it has to be THB and Bednarek, and even if we sold Bednarek or THB, you'd put Edwards in ahead of Stephens.

Will depend what Still wants to do. Bednarek is off, but I suspect Still may take a ‘horses for courses’ approach to selection. I’d love to see Edwards come through, but he’ll want some experience in the mix too. 

[Pwoite]

35 minutes ago, Chez said:

How has Will Still come to the conclusion that he's worthy of a three year deal? He's not even seen him play yet. 

He hasn’t. Spors has. The Club is desperately short of experience, leadership and passion and whilst Stephen’s let himself down twice last season, there is precious little in the current squad that offers such qualities. Whilst it’s a three year deal, it is a two year extension. I suspect Jack will become club captain and Downes, THB or suchlike will be team captain. Even that choice won’t be easy. 

[SW11_Saint]

1 hour ago, stknowle said:

40 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

You are right though Chez, they’ve done it now so we just have to cross our fingers that it turns out ok. The club have put a lot of pressure on themselves though, the next couple of incomings need to be impressive XI starters and any key players going require high quality replacements for this level be it permanent or on loan. No more scope for ‘projects’ having put themselves on a yellow card.

Zero risk, zero pressure. It was a no brainer imho. 

[chivvy]

If we get promoted we will be paying good money that could go towards a capable player.

 

Lunacy.

[Gloucester Saint]

4 minutes ago, SW11_Saint said:

 

It’s not zero risk on a three year contract for a player turning 32 in January who is fresh off a horrific season even by the dreadful standards around him. Depends how much the weekly wages are to the extent of the risk. 32 year olds don’t tend to suddenly become top quality, bar Chris Marsden in tandem with Wayne Bridge.

Edited 23 hours ago by Gloucester Saint

[SW11_Saint]

41 minutes ago, Andrew Watson said:

I really cannot believe he has been give a two year extension  on top of this season. Stephens is at best a mediocre championship player, do the club really think he is good enough to play in the premier league if we go up in the next two seasons.

I would have no issue if he was to have a Kelvin Davis like role within the club in a non playing capacity,however for him to be any way near the pitch and captain to boot is utter lunacy and smacks of no ambition at all. Perhaps Mr Still can  try to get him to mark a player instead of space and stop trying to play out from the back like a Beckenbaur or Moore. Just another awful decision by the club.

He isn’t good enough for the PL and won’t play there if we get there I suspect. 

it doesn’t remotely smack of ‘no ambition’ - who were you expecting them to sign? Per other posts it makes sense to keep him in the squad. Just don’t get the hysteria…

Edited 23 hours ago by SW11_Saint

[SW11_Saint]

2 minutes ago, chivvy said:

If we get promoted we will be paying good money that could go towards a capable player.

 

Lunacy.

We’ll sell him I suspect… probably to Plymouth. 

[Gloucester Saint]

Just now, SW11_Saint said:

We’ll sell him I suspect… probably to Plymouth. 

With the club paying 90% of the wages we didn’t need to pay.

[AlexLaw76]

Just now, SW11_Saint said:

We’ll sell him I suspect… probably to Plymouth. 

riiiight, and they will pay his £40-50k a week wages.

[SW11_Saint]

3 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

It’s not zero risk on a three year contract for a player turning 32 in January who is fresh off a horrific season even by the dreadful standards around him. Depends how much the weekly wages are to the extent of the risk. 

A calculation I’m sure they’ve considered.. value v ‘risk’. He’s not in the PL this year, I agree his days there are likely over. 

[Matthew Le God]

2 minutes ago, SW11_Saint said:

We’ll sell him I suspect… probably to Plymouth. 

If we get promoted his wages will increase back to Premier League level, £50k+ per week.

Plymouth Argyle are in League One, how would they afford that? If he was going to go to Plymouth we'd let his old contract expire in 2026, not extend it until 2028!

[Gloucester Saint]

1 minute ago, SW11_Saint said:

A calculation I’m sure they’ve considered.. value v ‘risk’. He’s not in the PL this year, I agree his days there are likely over. 

He had a year left so he’d have played in the Champ anyway this coming season. An extra year on fringe wages to do his badges and transition to coaching if he didn’t want to drop down the leagues = no problems with that at all.

But that isn’t what the club has done is it?

[Matthew Le God]

5 minutes ago, SW11_Saint said:

A calculation I’m sure they’ve considered.. value v ‘risk’. He’s not in the PL this year, I agree his days there are likely over. 

Why would they extend his contract from 2026 to 2028 then? His contract was already fine for what we needed... until the end of a potential promotion season, at which point in 2026 he could leave at the end of his old contract. But they extended it to a point where we could be in the Premier League and he'd be wasting a spot in the squad. Should have left it as it was.

[LVSaint]

2 minutes ago, SW11_Saint said:

He isn’t good enough for the PL and won’t play there if we go home suspect. 

it doesn’t remotely smack of ‘no ambition’ - who were you expecting them to sign? Per other posts it makes sense to keep him in the squad. Just don’t get the hysteria…

We've already got enough players who 'will be ok' in the Championship. To offer one a contract extension because they're 'handy in the dressing room' is barmy. What happens if we get promoted and can't offload him...will the club be obliged to shoehorn him in again...or pay him $50k a week for warming the bench? Our only signings so far are unproven at this level when we need some serious bolstering (if we're going to lose our best players in the window), so it's frustrating when we learn that Capt Jack has been given an extension.

[Dank]

The only good thing about this news is that it's stopped the horse jokes

[LVSaint]

4 minutes ago, Dank said:

The only good thing about this news is that it's stopped the horse jokes

No. Oi Jack!!! You're pasture prime...

[Lighthouse]

8 minutes ago, Dank said:

The only good thing about this news is that it's stopped the horse jokes

True, you can’t say farrier than that.

[SaintJackoInHurworth]

4 minutes ago, Dank said:

The only good thing about this news is that it's stopped the horse jokes

In Stephens case perhaps it should become donkey jokes instead! Although, of course, the horse jokes weren't on this thread, they were on the transfer window thread!

I can see zero logic in this. I did wonder if they might be thinking they could keep him here and then develop him as a future coach on the basis that some of the best managers are mediocre players.

But that still doesn't justify a three year contract!

We should have left him on one year and offered him the opportunity to do his coaching badges... perhaps loaning him out to do them at Goztepe where he might be a useful back up for them!

[trousers]

9 minutes ago, Dank said:

The only good thing about this news is that it's stopped the horse jokes

Not fur long...

[Mltburger]

Over the last 5 seasons both Stephens and Bednarek are the two who have had a consistent presence in defence.

They may not have played every game and cannot be entirely held solely responsible for goals conceded, but equally they have to shoulder some of the blame.

20/21 conceded 68 - 2nd worse in league 

21/22 conceded 67 - 3rd worse in league 

23/23 conceded 73 - 2nd worse in league

23/24 conceded 63 - 10th worse

24/25 conceded 86 say no more 

This is not personal, it matters not a  jot whether a player is a good chap, is passionate, kisses the badge at every opportunity - the stats suggest that the defence needs improving and these two are part of the problem, not the solution.

I hand hoped we may have turned a corner with the appointment of Spors. Giving Stephens a 3 year contract makes no sense, no more than when we gave Russel Martin an extension. With Martin we should have agreed to review his contract around Christmas/New year depending on results. As with Stephens, it was not like there was a queue of clubs desperate for his signature.

I hope to be proved wrong but this decision makes me wonder if those in charge will prove to be as inept at recruiting players as the previous incumbents we had over the last 10 years.

Edited 22 hours ago by Mltburger
Spelling

[Dusic]

Whether we like it or not he is obviously seen as a leader within the club and by the squad of players. He definitely channels it in the wrong way at times but he does have that bit of aggression that sometimes we have lacked and I believe that he is genuine in that he does care.

Forget the PL because we aren't there and if were to get there he would be a squad player at best which I am sure he knows.

For now he is the captain, and assuming THB and Bednarek go then he is probably worth a starting XI place.

If you want someone to genuinely be a leader then I can see the sense in avoiding a situation where that person has less than 12mths on their contract and potentially gets distracted.

Also lets be honest, if not JS as captain then who? Downs who had a hissy fit when he couldnt leave to a rival in January? Adam Armstrong who most want gone? Ryan Manning who most on here think isn't good enough? 

All considered its probably a year more than most would feel neccessary but hardly the madness it has been made out to be.

 

 

 

[Strangely Brown]

25 minutes ago, Dank said:

The only good thing about this news is that it's stopped the horse jokes

Only because he’s a donkey 😉

[Wade Garrett]

55 minutes ago, Pwoite said:

He hasn’t. Spors has. The Club is desperately short of experience, leadership and passion and whilst Stephen’s let himself down twice last season, there is precious little in the current squad that offers such qualities. Whilst it’s a three year deal, it is a two year extension. I suspect Jack will become club captain and Downes, THB or suchlike will be team captain. Even that choice won’t be easy. 

I don’t care how experienced he is.  He is shit at marking centre-forwards and is always losing his man.  Made a career out of it.

Will be a liability if he starts.

[Toussaint]

27 minutes ago, Dusic said:

Whether we like it or not he is obviously seen as a leader within the club and by the squad of players. He definitely channels it in the wrong way at times but he does have that bit of aggression that sometimes we have lacked and I believe that he is genuine in that he does care.

Forget the PL because we aren't there and if were to get there he would be a squad player at best which I am sure he knows.

For now he is the captain, and assuming THB and Bednarek go then he is probably worth a starting XI place.

If you want someone to genuinely be a leader then I can see the sense in avoiding a situation where that person has less than 12mths on their contract and potentially gets distracted.

Also lets be honest, if not JS as captain then who? Downs who had a hissy fit when he couldnt leave to a rival in January? Adam Armstrong who most want gone? Ryan Manning who most on here think isn't good enough? 

All considered its probably a year more than most would feel neccessary but hardly the madness it has been made out to be.

 

 

 

100% agree with you on this one. 

[coalman]

30 minutes ago, Dusic said:

Whether we like it or not he is obviously seen as a leader within the club and by the squad of players. He definitely channels it in the wrong way at times but he does have that bit of aggression that sometimes we have lacked and I believe that he is genuine in that he does care.

Forget the PL because we aren't there and if were to get there he would be a squad player at best which I am sure he knows.

For now he is the captain, and assuming THB and Bednarek go then he is probably worth a starting XI place.

If you want someone to genuinely be a leader then I can see the sense in avoiding a situation where that person has less than 12mths on their contract and potentially gets distracted.

Also lets be honest, if not JS as captain then who? Downs who had a hissy fit when he couldnt leave to a rival in January? Adam Armstrong who most want gone? Ryan Manning who most on here think isn't good enough? 

All considered its probably a year more than most would feel neccessary but hardly the madness it has been made out to be.

Agree. It's terrifying. The least shit of a bunch of shit options is still shit though 😢

[ErwinK1961]

37 minutes ago, Dusic said:

Whether we like it or not he is obviously seen as a leader within the club and by the squad of players. He definitely channels it in the wrong way at times but he does have that bit of aggression that sometimes we have lacked and I believe that he is genuine in that he does care.

Forget the PL because we aren't there and if were to get there he would be a squad player at best which I am sure he knows.

For now he is the captain, and assuming THB and Bednarek go then he is probably worth a starting XI place.

If you want someone to genuinely be a leader then I can see the sense in avoiding a situation where that person has less than 12mths on their contract and potentially gets distracted.

Also lets be honest, if not JS as captain then who? Downs who had a hissy fit when he couldnt leave to a rival in January? Adam Armstrong who most want gone? Ryan Manning who most on here think isn't good enough? 

All considered its probably a year more than most would feel neccessary but hardly the madness it has been made out to be.

 

 

 

Sums it up for me.

[Viking Saint]

Find this move absolutely fucking staggering. An extended contract to one of our weakest players in years. Talk about embracing mediocrity. All this talk about leadership would be fine if it was successful leadership, but it hasn't been. He's been a major part of our problem for years now and should've been shipped out, along with Bednarek, so the slate can be wiped clean. This is a massive own goal.

[SW11_Saint]

1 hour ago, LVSaint said:

We've already got enough players who 'will be ok' in the Championship. To offer one a contract extension because they're 'handy in the dressing room' is barmy. What happens if we get promoted and can't offload him...will the club be obliged to shoehorn him in again...or pay him $50k a week for warming the bench? Our only signings so far are unproven at this level when we need some serious bolstering (if we're going to lose our best players in the window), so it's frustrating when we learn that Capt Jack has been given an extension.

It’s not so much about players ‘okay in the Championship’ - they’re all (bar the obvious 3) Championship standard players, including Jack. More about leadership/galvanising when things aren’t going well. Who else does that? (Only Rambo and he’ll be off). That is of value, and I disagree it’s ‘barmy’ to retain someone who has a dressing room influence. 

I don’t see an extension for Jack as mutually exclusive from signing players either. They assess things in the round. 

Edited 21 hours ago by SW11_Saint

[SW11_Saint]

2 hours ago, AlexLaw76 said:

But it is ridiculous, we can (and should) choose to have neither 

Disagree (clearly!). If/when Bednarek & THB depart, it will be useful to have Jack & Wood around the squad for experience. 

[SW11_Saint]

1 hour ago, Dusic said:

Whether we like it or not he is obviously seen as a leader within the club and by the squad of players. He definitely channels it in the wrong way at times but he does have that bit of aggression that sometimes we have lacked and I believe that he is genuine in that he does care.

Forget the PL because we aren't there and if were to get there he would be a squad player at best which I am sure he knows.

For now he is the captain, and assuming THB and Bednarek go then he is probably worth a starting XI place.

If you want someone to genuinely be a leader then I can see the sense in avoiding a situation where that person has less than 12mths on their contract and potentially gets distracted.

Also lets be honest, if not JS as captain then who? Downs who had a hissy fit when he couldnt leave to a rival in January? Adam Armstrong who most want gone? Ryan Manning who most on here think isn't good enough? 

All considered its probably a year more than most would feel neccessary but hardly the madness it has been made out to be.

 

 

 

🎯