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Welcome Sam Stubbs (and Cheerio)

antman

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Apr 1, 2004
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A new manager wants to bring in players that have a good relationship with him in the spine of the team. He brought in Aimson and McDonald as his guys. I agree that it would be good to have Stubbs available but obviously he didn't fit in to the plan for whatever reason. I grow more confident in Caldwell's vision every game, and although he has tried some fairly strange formations and positions for a few players, I feel that he's working towards a settled thirteen or fourteen players that will stay with the club beyond the end of this season. I would also like to have Tim Dieng and Matt Jay available for selection but the addition of Mitchell and McDonald has been really exciting, so hopefully he can strengthen again in the summer when we inevitably lose players.
 

Colesman Ballz

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Dec 28, 2014
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I think St James has got this pretty much spot on. Stubbs fitness record has to have been the major factor here. If we could have been confident that he could stay fit for the remainder of the season, then maybe the budget would have allowed us to keep both him and Aimson until the summer. However I don't feel we could ever be confident enough that he can continue to stay fit to offer him a new contract in the summer, even if we felt he would sign one. So we were always going to need a good CB to come in.
I think we all agree that Aimson is a very good signing and we will certainly have had to offer him a decent wedge to prise him away from Bolton and guarantee both him and our board that he's going to be a regular starter. The only way that could happen was for Stubbs to drop to the bench. I'm sure GC didn't want to miss out on his signature.
GC confirmed that Stubbs was fit and selectable before he left, and after he left, informed us that he had said to Stubbs that he wouldn't be a regular stater and this had been a part Subbs very understandable reason for deciding to move on to Bradford when the opportunity arose.
I think we were all surprised and disappointed to be losing Stubbs, he was one of the best CBs we've had in my time supporting City and I'm sure we'd all love to still have him with us, but if you've listened to the managers interviews, there isn't really as much mystery surrounding his departure as some posters seem to be finding.
I think that some confusion arose from different opinions over how "fit to play" he actually was. Although he claimed to be fit, the player himself confirmed in interview at Bradford that he was unable to train every day. Of course there examples at the highest level, McGrath, Ledley King etc who managed to have great careers regardless, but at our level with a small squad that presents problems. If a recurrence happens and we were faced with another long period without him then it becomes doubly so. A great player who was certainly instrumental in out promotion so I wish him well, but I too believe that the Club has made the correct call.
 

Bridgy 81

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Jun 9, 2021
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Bridgwater
As well as the financial consideration of signing Aimson and retaining Stubbs I think we’re only ever likely to have two players for each position in our squad at best (as usually a couple can cover more than one role).
And I also think that if we persist with a back three you can’t just put just any central defenders together as a trio and expect it to work.
Stubbs, Aimson and Chieck all seem to me as being best suited to playing in the middle, so something had to give there.
That’s why it strikes me that Sweeney at Hartridge are so good in the right and left centre back positions because they have some experience of playing fullback on their respective sides but certainly aren’t wingbacks.
So with Sweeney, Aimson, Hartridge and Chieck all contracted for next season and presumably Grounds leaving we just need someone to cover/challenge Sweeney on the right and likewise Hartridge on the left.
Maybe James could be one of those?
So, what started as a post about Sam Stubbs has morphed into me thinking about next season again.
Anyone else care to join me over on the Next Season’s Squad thread where we can continue that discussion?
 

SEA Grecian

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Oct 14, 2018
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A new manager wants to bring in players that have a good relationship with him in the spine of the team. He brought in Aimson and McDonald as his guys. I agree that it would be good to have Stubbs available but obviously he didn't fit in to the plan for whatever reason. I grow more confident in Caldwell's vision every game, and although he has tried some fairly strange formations and positions for a few players, I feel that he's working towards a settled thirteen or fourteen players that will stay with the club beyond the end of this season. I would also like to have Tim Dieng and Matt Jay available for selection but the addition of Mitchell and McDonald has been really exciting, so hopefully he can strengthen again in the summer when we inevitably lose players.
Interestingly I don't think either Will Aimson or Kevin McDonald have ever worked with the manager before which makes their recruitment even more impressive. By contrast, Sam Stubbs had worked with Gary Caldwell before.
 

Red Bill

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Dec 9, 2011
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2,876
Interestingly I don't think either Will Aimson or Kevin McDonald have ever worked with the manager before which makes their recruitment even more impressive. By contrast, Sam Stubbs had worked with Gary Caldwell before.
I think GC and McDonald were in the Scotland set up together.
 

SEA Grecian

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I think GC and McDonald were in the Scotland set up together.
On the EFL podcast Kev said he'd never met his new manager but had played with his brother.
 

Super Ronnie Jepson

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Jan 18, 2005
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Tiverton
Not sure having Aimson and Stubbs both at the club at the same time was ever realistic. Adding in Diabate would have meant having three players of a very similar type in the squad.
Yep and there's always talk of keeping pathways clear too.
 

ExmouthMart

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Jun 19, 2013
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Bristol
The thing about Stubbs is we signed him on a long contract with a long term injury and waited and waited for him to get fit. He gets fit and shows his quality in a promotion team. The previous God like Manager extols his virtues etc. The new Manager decides even though he’s fit tells him he’s not going to start regularly and maybe best to move on. He is not a squad player Stubbs and would surely be one of the first names on the Team sheet plus the fact we are still conceding soft goals. Bradford didn’t seem too bothered to sign him. Maybe they are taking a gamble but who knows, time will tell.
As I’ve said before it’s more likely a contractual issue based on playing games triggering a new contract or maybe a touch of the ‘Ajose syndrome’ based on what is exactly your interpretation of being match fit.
Hopefully Aimson isn’t going backwards in his career, Diabate shows more consistency and Sweeney despite being a ‘character’ with a rugby player physique continues to do what he does and then maybe Stubbs won’t be missed.
 

Grecianpasty

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Jan 28, 2019
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I think the situation is simply that Stubbs leaving presented us with the opportunity to bring in Aimson. Had stubbs not have left, I doubt aimson would have come in.
 

red1

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Jan 4, 2008
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Stubbs was always leaving at end of season to get back North.
 
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