Stiliyan Petrov - update

[Mr Speedy H]

Hope the guy is ok, but for me I would not have him at our club, it is time to give younger lads ago in midfield such as Gardner not have him blocking there progress

If I remember rightly, before his dreadful illness, he had probably 1 decent season, and also certainly under O'Neill he was not a fans favourite, he was booed off the pitch and heavily criticized on here

But we all have rose tinted glasses on with certain players.

One of the biggest failings of the club (on the pitch) for the last 2 years or so has been the complete lack of leadership and inspiration.
The team has not had a captain of worth a 'piece of piss' since Stan stopped playing.

Even if the bloke doesn't kick a ball in anger next season, to have a true leader in the changing room will be a massive improvement on recent times.     

100% correct.

Personally, giving someone like Stan the Club Captain badge would be the best move for him and the squad.

[Clampy]

Hope the guy is ok, but for me I would not have him at our club, it is time to give younger lads ago in midfield such as Gardner not have him blocking there progress

If I remember rightly, before his dreadful illness, he had probably 1 decent season, and also certainly under O'Neill he was not a fans favourite, he was booed off the pitch and heavily criticized on here

But we all have rose tinted glasses on with certain players.

One of the biggest failings of the club (on the pitch) for the last 2 years or so has been the complete lack of leadership and inspiration.
The team has not had a captain of worth a 'piece of piss' since Stan stopped playing.

Even if the bloke doesn't kick a ball in anger next season, to have a true leader in the changing room will be a massive improvement on recent times.     

100% correct.

Personally, giving someone like Stan the Club Captain badge would be the best move for him and the squad.

I'm not sure about that. A captain needs to be a regular starter if possible. The captain will probably be Elphick.

[GordonCowansisthegreatest]

Hope the guy is ok, but for me I would not have him at our club, it is time to give younger lads ago in midfield such as Gardner not have him blocking there progress

If I remember rightly, before his dreadful illness, he had probably 1 decent season, and also certainly under O'Neill he was not a fans favourite, he was booed off the pitch and heavily criticized on here

But we all have rose tinted glasses on with certain players.

One of the biggest failings of the club (on the pitch) for the last 2 years or so has been the complete lack of leadership and inspiration.
The team has not had a captain of worth a 'piece of piss' since Stan stopped playing.

Even if the bloke doesn't kick a ball in anger next season, to have a true leader in the changing room will be a massive improvement on recent times.     

100% correct.

Personally, giving someone like Stan the Club Captain badge would be the best move for him and the squad.

I'm not sure about that. A captain needs to be a regular starter if possible. The captain will probably be Elphick.

Simple, Petrov as club captain and Elphick as team captain.

[robbo1874]

There was a link posted by GE to pics of the players turning up to training and Stan was there with a smile on his face. Good stuff

[Mr Speedy H]

Hope the guy is ok, but for me I would not have him at our club, it is time to give younger lads ago in midfield such as Gardner not have him blocking there progress

If I remember rightly, before his dreadful illness, he had probably 1 decent season, and also certainly under O'Neill he was not a fans favourite, he was booed off the pitch and heavily criticized on here

But we all have rose tinted glasses on with certain players.

One of the biggest failings of the club (on the pitch) for the last 2 years or so has been the complete lack of leadership and inspiration.
The team has not had a captain of worth a 'piece of piss' since Stan stopped playing.

Even if the bloke doesn't kick a ball in anger next season, to have a true leader in the changing room will be a massive improvement on recent times.     

100% correct.

Personally, giving someone like Stan the Club Captain badge would be the best move for him and the squad.

I'm not sure about that. A captain needs to be a regular starter if possible. The captain will probably be Elphick.

"...Club Captain..."

[PGW]

I just think that people seem to be getting carried away here...he is after all only training with the first team squad. No hint yet of a
contract offer.

Yes i would absolutely love it if that were to happen but a fair way from that yet.

[Mister E]

... If I remember rightly, before his dreadful illness, he had probably 1 decent season ... but we all have rose tinted glasses on with certain players.

His stats in his last two seasons for interceptions and breaking down opposition moves were among the best in the P League.
He has something that we have evidently lacked in the seasons since he was not playing: intelligence and game-management. These are worth loads and if he can get fit and focussed enough we'd benefit from another season of him being available to us.

[saunders_heroes]

Hope the guy is ok, but for me I would not have him at our club, it is time to give younger lads ago in midfield such as Gardner not have him blocking there progress

If I remember rightly, before his dreadful illness, he had probably 1 decent season, and also certainly under O'Neill he was not a fans favourite, he was booed off the pitch and heavily criticized on here

But we all have rose tinted glasses on with certain players.

I always thought Petrov was a fantastic player. I think the reason some fans had a downer on him was because they thought he was signed as an attacking midfielder player who scored goals galore. It was pretty soon after he arrived that he was turned into a defensive midfielder who sat in front of the back 4 and did all the stuff that doesn't get the headlines.
Oh how we could have done with him over the last few years.

[Ads]

He took a year to adjust and corporate us as fans to adjust to him playing a deeper role. He was a class act  in a top six midfield. Rose tinted glasses my arse.

[Risso]

He took a year to adjust and corporate us as fans to adjust to him playing a deeper role. He was a class act  in a top six midfield. Rose tinted glasses my arse.

Don't forget that bespectacled ****** played him out of position on the right of midfield a fair bit as well.

[saunders_heroes]

He was a class act wherever he played for us.

[Clampy]

It took me a long time to appreciate him in the holding midfield role. It was strange that he was moved because his first game down at West Ham was as good a debut as I've seen.

[Toronto Villa]

That was a top midfield we had with him, Barry, Milner and Ash. Every bit as good as anything Leicester had last season that walked away with the title. Throw in who we had at the back and up front and certainly with Brad Sr I'd have loved to have that side compete in the PL last year. Stan is such a smart individual and not only that he brings a calmness to the side. You can trust him as players and fans. It was such a sad event for him to be taken ill and will be a magnificent story should he play again.

[fredm]

If he can just teach some of the younger players how to play with a bit of nous he will have done his bit.  A master at winning free kicks in defensive areas when we were under pressure.

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Excuse my auto correct in the post above!