Kevin Stewart signs 18 month deal

We're full I think, but Keshi will be dropped from squad as out for the season so one place. Could be wrong about that. Dunno if that means we can drop his wages though, so that's a factor.
I'm not 100%, but pretty sure the wages don't count if they are not in the squad
 
I know Keshi only counts as divisional average cos we bought him before cap came in but yeah, I'm not certain on rules on overall wage bill.
I listen to the Peterborough chairman's podcast and think it was mentioned that players can be left out without wages going towards the cap
 
I listen to the Peterborough chairman's podcast and think it was mentioned that players can be left out without wages going towards the cap
Is it any good that? He always strikes as a bit of a flash git but not really paid that much attention to him. He seems to row with Andy Holt on twitter a lot but I don't really read it!
 
Is it any good that? He always strikes as a bit of a flash git but not really paid that much attention to him. He seems to row with Andy Holt on twitter a lot but I don't really read it!
I enjoy it but he is very arrogant and has a high opinion of himself. He likes to brag so sometimes comes out with interesting information that a professional chairman might not.
 
Would I be correct in assuming Stewart hasn't played a league game in the past 6 months? I assume he's kept himself reasonably fit but won't be anywhere near match fit? Given he's a defensive midfield player his signing wouldn't appear to solve the lack of creativity in our midfield, leaving Madine, Yates and Simms continuing to live on scraps!
 
Would I be correct in assuming Stewart hasn't played a league game in the past 6 months? I assume he's kept himself reasonably fit but won't be anywhere near match fit? Given he's a defensive midfield player his signing wouldn't appear to solve the lack of creativity in our midfield, leaving Madine, Yates and Simms continuing to live on scraps!

It seems so. But he comes with good reports, and crucially has experience in a higher league. So I've no issue with this signing, with the very large condition that it isn't at the expense of more creative players, in terms of wages and squad space. An interesting and important few days coming up.
 
There’s a difference between being fit and being match sharp. He’d have to be pretty amazing to be able to come in and dominate from the off, but it’s not like we don’t have enough players in his position to rotate and get him up to speed. But rotation so far under Critchley hasn’t really worked.

it’s not easy this head coaching malarkey.
 
Would I be correct in assuming Stewart hasn't played a league game in the past 6 months? I assume he's kept himself reasonably fit but won't be anywhere near match fit? Given he's a defensive midfield player his signing wouldn't appear to solve the lack of creativity in our midfield, leaving Madine, Yates and Simms continuing to live on scraps!
Please just jump off the pier
 
It is, with good players. We were a league 1 club with league 2 players. I’m not calling the players, you just have to play to their capabilities, you can’t coach anyone beyond their talent.
You can coach players to become better players - that is a definition of what a coach does. Maxwell, Gabriel, Thorniley, Ward, Dougall, Madine, Garbutt and now Stewart have all played at Championship level. We have two young players, Ballard and Simms on loan from top level Premier League clubs. In Ekpiteta and CJ we have two players of genuine potential with ambition to play at a higher level. I would agree that Turton, Virtue, Husband and possibly Yates are at the right level talent wise.
 
I have a feeling we are going to become boring boring Blackpool. Shut up shop and try and nick goals on the break.
 
On the face of it it’s a strange signing in an area where we appear to have an abundance of talent. Maybe Williams is on his way out - as was suggested on here last week, and this is an upgraded replacement. Who knows?!
 
Good read - looks like a consummate professional. On paper looks like he’d bring plenty to the squad.
 
This guy is a really good signing

Him and Dougall in midfield should control most games in this division

More proof of how Critchley got the summer window wrong though

Our last 3 permanent signings have been Stewart, Garbutt and Dougall

Along with the 2 centre halves

Add in Madine who wasn't first choice and there is the spine that several of us were asking for back in August
 
If only the signings were made in the sequence of the priorities set by AVFTT’s whingers and moaners then we’d all be happy.
The club has to operate within the constraints of the real world which is a bit of a pisser.
There’s some really ungrateful ‘followers’ on here who may have forgotten what being supporters means. Mind you, the worst of them were content to fund the previous regime and should count themselves lucky just to still have a club.
Let’s hope more surprise signings follow whether it’s in this window or the summer: ones with a pedigree better than the current squad and/or potential to progress.
Stewart could be great addition. Or not. But back him and the management when needed.
 
If only the signings were made in the sequence of the priorities set by AVFTT’s whingers and moaners then we’d all be happy.
The club has to operate within the constraints of the real world which is a bit of a pisser.
There’s some really ungrateful ‘followers’ on here who may have forgotten what being supporters means. Mind you, the worst of them were content to fund the previous regime and should count themselves lucky just to still have a club.
Let’s hope more surprise signings follow whether it’s in this window or the summer: ones with a pedigree better than the current squad and/or potential to progress.
Stewart could be great addition. Or not. But back him and the management when needed.
I agree, signings are not made in priority order. However, signing players only to replace them weeks /months later isn't good policy.
 
He was a junior at Spurs then went to Liverpool. Signed for money by Hull and has played lots of games for them since.

Surely we cannot criticise signing a player with that background who has played all his games at a higher level without him having kicked a ball for us yet.

He can play in a few positions but CM alongside Dougall seems likely and it might bring some stability and consistency to that area and allow us to play two up top.
 
If only the signings were made in the sequence of the priorities set by AVFTT’s whingers and moaners then we’d all be happy.
The club has to operate within the constraints of the real world which is a bit of a pisser.
There’s some really ungrateful ‘followers’ on here who may have forgotten what being supporters means. Mind you, the worst of them were content to fund the previous regime and should count themselves lucky just to still have a club.
Let’s hope more surprise signings follow whether it’s in this window or the summer: ones with a pedigree better than the current squad and/or potential to progress.
Stewart could be great addition. Or not. But back him and the management when needed.
It is never as simple as "we need position x so we'll go sign one" especially when if the opportunity to sign someone like Stewart becomes available who could potentially be a very good signing. The timing of it (when have we ever announced a signing within minutes of a game ending) suggests we may have possibly acted quickly to get him.
Some people just have to try and find a stick to beat the club with, however obscure the reasoning.
Critch and the team were criticised for signing random players early on and not getting the supposed right ones, yet when they identified the exact type of player we needed (Dougall & Ballard) they were criticised for not signing them sooner.
They can't win, it's finding fault to back up an agenda.
By all means criticise if it is valid, but doing it simply to score points is just petty.
 
Last edited:
He was a junior at Spurs then went to Liverpool. Signed for money by Hull and has played lots of games for them since.

Surely we cannot criticise signing a player with that background who has played all his games at a higher level without him having kicked a ball for us yet.

He can play in a few positions but CM alongside Dougall seems likely and it might bring some stability and consistency to that area and allow us to play two up top.
When he's match fit you may well be right, but the lack of real creativity in midfield is still a worry when it comes to feeding the top two.
 
I am amazed by the indifference to this signing because I think he maybe a fantastic addition. If he and Dougall can form a meaningful partnership then we can build a team around them and (as Phil has said above) at last the spine of the team is taking shape. Yesterday must have been a wake up call for the Virtue and Williams fan club that neither is good enough for a team with promotion aspirations. The faces we are bringing in now are all improvements on what they are replacing and that can only benefit us in the medium to long term. We still need a proper midfield playmaker to pull the strings and another goal poacher if Simms doesnt lead to a permanent signing. I think Madine will leave but I would much rather see a fluid mobile front 2/3 anyway. We have to play everything through Madine at the moment and as well as he has done it isnt a great watch.
 
And mine. It doesn't make financial sense.
I posted yesterday about the potential reasons for the hurried, haphazard recruitment in the summer (I'll disregard what went on in the Jan 2020 window as that was pre Critch) but we're now a long way past where we were in the summer. I refuse to believe that unless SS has access to unold riches none of us know about and League One fees and wages are pocket change to him, he is happy with the amount of players who are discarded literally within months of arriving, only playing a few minutes here and there as a substitute.
The absolute priority from now on going forwards should be, injury crisis aside, only sign players capable of going straight in to the starting XI and making a significant contribution. If that is the case I have zero issue with literally any player being replaced, because it means we're moving forward. However, my fear is that we're making signings that will ultimately only lead to having a different set of players on the bench.

I really want this Stewart signing to work out, and for him to turn out to be the player who contributed so much to Hull's Championship side last season, but I have a nagging doubt he is someone who has been out of work for 6+ months plus, his agent has been touting him round, and due to his Liverpool connection Critch has decided to pull the trigger. Has he been training with us, what has any of our back room team seen of him recently? How fit can he possibly be after not having a club since June off the back of a serious injury? It sadly just smacks of a punt of a signing in the hope it works out; how many players are without a club for so long and then are capable of coming back and contributing at this level?
I genuinely hope I'm wrong
 
I am amazed by the indifference to this signing because I think he maybe a fantastic addition. If he and Dougall can form a meaningful partnership then we can build a team around them and (as Phil has said above) at last the spine of the team is taking shape. Yesterday must have been a wake up call for the Virtue and Williams fan club that neither is good enough for a team with promotion aspirations. The faces we are bringing in now are all improvements on what they are replacing and that can only benefit us in the medium to long term. We still need a proper midfield playmaker to pull the strings and another goal poacher if Simms doesnt lead to a permanent signing. I think Madine will leave but I would much rather see a fluid mobile front 2/3 anyway. We have to play everything through Madine at the moment and as well as he has done it isnt a great watch.
You know I do agree with you he has the potential to be a step above what we have, I’ve asked a lad who supports Hull, said he was ‘ok, but couldn’t get on the pitch much’. Also a couple of Liverpool supporting mate said he didn’t offer them much but has something. Doesn’t really matter, he could be great at this level and we’ll only know in time.

What I can’t figure out is where does this leave the squad balance wise. If Williams, Robson, Ward and Virtue all leave in the next 6 months and we bring in a creative attacking mid that’ll make sense and we’ll have likely balanced the squad out.

But then it what do you do with Anderson next season. Kai Kai? Surely that’s him gone. We’ll have to move Garrity off his last year of contract. Antwis game time? Thought we were bringing young quality through now? Just seems to add expense on to expense to me.

But how on earth do the club plan to move people like Virtue and Robson on? Can’t see many takers for a fee.

At some point we’re going to need make tough decisions on players like Virtue, Robson and Anderson, can’t have all those three, Dougall, Stewart, CJ, Bez and Mitchell in a 20 man squad.
 
It certainly is strange that no championship side came in for him if he's capable of playing there, and no other league one side either. Maybe his demands were too high? I don't know.
What I do know is that some players just seem to work at certain clubs and this could be a great addition. But we do have plenty defensive players now, any remaining signings this window have to be at the business end of the pitch.
 
You know I do agree with you he has the potential to be a step above what we have, I’ve asked a lad who supports Hull, said he was ‘ok, but couldn’t get on the pitch much’. Also a couple of Liverpool supporting mate said he didn’t offer them much but has something. Doesn’t really matter, he could be great at this level and we’ll only know in time.

What I can’t figure out is where does this leave the squad balance wise. If Williams, Robson, Ward and Virtue all leave in the next 6 months and we bring in a creative attacking mid that’ll make sense and we’ll have likely balanced the squad out.

But then it what do you do with Anderson next season. Kai Kai? Surely that’s him gone. We’ll have to move Garrity off his last year of contract. Antwis game time? Thought we were bringing young quality through now? Just seems to add expense on to expense to me.

But how on earth do the club plan to move people like Virtue and Robson on? Can’t see many takers for a fee.

At some point we’re going to need make tough decisions on players like Virtue, Robson and Anderson, can’t have all those three, Dougall, Stewart, CJ, Bez and Mitchell in a 20 man squad.
The other thing is, we can be as 'tough' as we like but for some of those players the decision is not really ours to make. It's entirely dependent on another club wanting them, them being willing to go and that club being willing to pay the wages they're on. That's tricky.

I think the signing on its own is exciting but we've seen more than 12 months of 'exciting signings' and a lot of them haven't really worked out. I'm absolutely thrilled if he's good and establishes himself but there's a string of players who on paper are exciting and have pedigree who haven't actually done as well as the McPhillips side did in the first season back yet.

I'm not calling for anyone to be fired or owt, - it's a fact of life that some signings don't work (pick a random season and look at the squad, there's always 3 or 4 at least where you go 'shit, I forgot we'd ever bought him!' but I think if Stewart had been a left winger, we'd all have gone - aye, fair enough, seems like we need one of them. It's just confusing sometimes as you say as the action doesn't match the stated intentions and I do think sometimes, if Critch talked a bit more openly (I've written a long piece about this) then we'd feel a bit more secure.

Like if he said 'Look, we've got a lot of skill but we're not imposing ourselves on games, we seem to only play genuinely well when given space on the break, so I've got Kevin in to add steel. I'm hoping to add a bit more pace as well to exploit the possession he should give us and the quick turnovers that should result from having him and Kenny on the pitch together. I know neither of them are Maradona, but they can both pass and if we can get it to pacy players quickly that should see us ask more questions of more teams'

I'd go - 'reet, that sounds a plan' but he talks opaquely a lot. He's good and honest after a game, not dissing that, but it's the bigger picture that he doesn't really address. It's a fair point I think, we're getting close to a year in and to really talk about where we're going and how his vision has developed wouldn't be unreasonable. I know all about the club's vision as a whole, it's amazing and it's a grand time to be alive, but what I do wonder is 'what sort of team does Critch want to deliver? What's the end game for HIM?' - He talked up an attacking style but actually, we're pretty cagey a lot of the time. His best achievement is putting together a really good defence. If he says 'look, what I'm trying to do is make us really solid and we'll add to that when we see the right players' Solid is yr 1, flair needs a foundation etc - fine, he's on his way if that's the goal.

It's also a year since I wrote a piece asking 'does Larry really have a plan?' (https://mclfoot.blogspot.com/2020/01/a-jigsaw-with-no-picture.html) and whilst I think we're actually much better served now in terms of players, structure, coaching set up etc, I do have some questions about whether Critch really knows his plan for the long term. I thought of this piece cos I used the 'lots of pieces but not certain we've got the picture' jigsaw metaphor in a post the other day and whilst I don't agree with some who say 'it's just like the last days of Larry' - it's not, but I do think some of the same concerns are evident - dependant on one or two key players, lacking creativity down one flank, not really playing down the middle much and struggling to break down stubborn teams with some players not really in positions that gets the best of them sometimes.

I think if everyone was fit and we played Brighton, we'd have had a very good chance of winning. When we're good, we look a lot better than Larry's team but when we're not, we don't look all that different and we struggle with some of the same issues.
 
The other thing is, we can be as 'tough' as we like but for some of those players the decision is not really ours to make. It's entirely dependent on another club wanting them, them being willing to go and that club being willing to pay the wages they're on. That's tricky.

I think the signing on its own is exciting but we've seen more than 12 months of 'exciting signings' and a lot of them haven't really worked out. I'm absolutely thrilled if he's good and establishes himself but there's a string of players who on paper are exciting and have pedigree who haven't actually done as well as the McPhillips side did in the first season back yet.

I'm not calling for anyone to be fired or owt, - it's a fact of life that some signings don't work (pick a random season and look at the squad, there's always 3 or 4 at least where you go 'shit, I forgot we'd ever bought him!' but I think if Stewart had been a left winger, we'd all have gone - aye, fair enough, seems like we need one of them. It's just confusing sometimes as you say as the action doesn't match the stated intentions and I do think sometimes, if Critch talked a bit more openly (I've written a long piece about this) then we'd feel a bit more secure.

Like if he said 'Look, we've got a lot of skill but we're not imposing ourselves on games, we seem to only play genuinely well when given space on the break, so I've got Kevin in to add steel. I'm hoping to add a bit more pace as well to exploit the possession he should give us and the quick turnovers that should result from having him and Kenny on the pitch together. I know neither of them are Maradona, but they can both pass and if we can get it to pacy players quickly that should see us ask more questions of more teams'

I'd go - 'reet, that sounds a plan' but he talks opaquely a lot. He's good and honest after a game, not dissing that, but it's the bigger picture that he doesn't really address. It's a fair point I think, we're getting close to a year in and to really talk about where we're going and how his vision has developed wouldn't be unreasonable. I know all about the club's vision as a whole, it's amazing and it's a grand time to be alive, but what I do wonder is 'what sort of team does Critch want to deliver? What's the end game for HIM?' - He talked up an attacking style but actually, we're pretty cagey a lot of the time. His best achievement is putting together a really good defence. If he says 'look, what I'm trying to do is make us really solid and we'll add to that when we see the right players' Solid is yr 1, flair needs a foundation etc - fine, he's on his way if that's the goal.

It's also a year since I wrote a piece asking 'does Larry really have a plan?' (https://mclfoot.blogspot.com/2020/01/a-jigsaw-with-no-picture.html) and whilst I think we're actually much better served now in terms of players, structure, coaching set up etc, I do have some questions about whether Critch really knows his plan for the long term. I thought of this piece cos I used the 'lots of pieces but not certain we've got the picture' jigsaw metaphor in a post the other day and whilst I don't agree with some who say 'it's just like the last days of Larry' - it's not, but I do think some of the same concerns are evident - dependant on one or two key players, lacking creativity down one flank, not really playing down the middle much and struggling to break down stubborn teams with some players not really in positions that gets the best of them sometimes.

I think if everyone was fit and we played Brighton, we'd have had a very good chance of winning. When we're good, we look a lot better than Larry's team but when we're not, we don't look all that different and we struggle with some of the same issues.
Agree with all of that.

I think my main point was that we first need to want to get rid of some of these players. I have half a mind that we’re storing them in the squad.....ermmm because we can.🤷‍♂️
I don’t think this will be beneficial either financially or for squad cohesion in the short or medium term.

I think you hit the nail on the head, do we have a plan? Not so sure. This at the moment seems like Larry’s season reincarnate.
 
Agree with all of that.

I think my main point was that we first need to want to get rid of some of these players. I have half a mind that we’re storing them in the squad.....ermmm because we can.🤷‍♂️
I don’t think this will be beneficial either financially or for squad cohesion in the short or medium term.

I think you hit the nail on the head, do we have a plan? Not so sure. This at the moment seems like Larry’s season reincarnate.


Larry seemed to have completely lost the plot and not be able to get any sort of tune out of them for about 8 weeks. Critch has served up some good stuff even if there's also been some disappointing stuff.. He's also been dealt a bum deal with covid/injuries in last few weeks and y'know, Marvin vs Ryan Edwards and so on, player for player, we've got a bit more potential, a bit more youth and all of that. We had a lot of players who were sort of winding down in their careers and a lot of key players who were loans. Fonz, Feeney, Spearing. I might not have let them go as quickly, but lets be honest, we weren't getting that much longer out of them in any case.

In some senses, we have progressed against last year. I think perhaps the truth is Critch has three or four plans and doesn't quite know which one to go for as *the plan*

If Larry over simplified it then Critch possibly over complicates it. We need Neil Grayson! (christ, we really don't!)

All in all, I'm intrigued whereas by now, I was really (and I was very much against hounding Larry out) giving up on last year. This year, I'm kind of doing the same but.... I think it's probably good that Critch has shown he's been not the rigid ideologue of the first 6 weeks of the season even if the tinkering is frustrating in it's own way. Not given up on us hitting the right formula by any means. One piece of creativity could transform us...
 
I am amazed by the indifference to this signing because I think he maybe a fantastic addition. If he and Dougall can form a meaningful partnership then we can build a team around them and (as Phil has said above) at last the spine of the team is taking shape. Yesterday must have been a wake up call for the Virtue and Williams fan club that neither is good enough for a team with promotion aspirations. The faces we are bringing in now are all improvements on what they are replacing and that can only benefit us in the medium to long term. We still need a proper midfield playmaker to pull the strings and another goal poacher if Simms doesnt lead to a permanent signing. I think Madine will leave but I would much rather see a fluid mobile front 2/3 anyway. We have to play everything through Madine at the moment and as well as he has done it isnt a great watch.
Wasn't Virtue recently given a contract extension, only one under threat in midfield is Williams as others are on longer contracts
 
You know I do agree with you he has the potential to be a step above what we have, I’ve asked a lad who supports Hull, said he was ‘ok, but couldn’t get on the pitch much’. Also a couple of Liverpool supporting mate said he didn’t offer them much but has something. Doesn’t really matter, he could be great at this level and we’ll only know in time.

What I can’t figure out is where does this leave the squad balance wise. If Williams, Robson, Ward and Virtue all leave in the next 6 months and we bring in a creative attacking mid that’ll make sense and we’ll have likely balanced the squad out.

But then it what do you do with Anderson next season. Kai Kai? Surely that’s him gone. We’ll have to move Garrity off his last year of contract. Antwis game time? Thought we were bringing young quality through now? Just seems to add expense on to expense to me.

But how on earth do the club plan to move people like Virtue and Robson on? Can’t see many takers for a fee.

At some point we’re going to need make tough decisions on players like Virtue, Robson and Anderson, can’t have all those three, Dougall, Stewart, CJ, Bez and Mitchell in a 20 man squad.
I think Kai Kai will get one more chance in the midfield and that will be it for him if it fails(again). I would be very disappointed if MJ Williams and Virtue were in our first 11 next season. That is also how I see Turton and Husband.

I think Mitchell is a good player but unless he can get in as wing back its not going to work out here but he will be a decent signing for someone.

The recruitment has definitely improved and the players we are bringing in now look a cut above what we have. I dont think robson is woking out too well but he made a good start and may yet get back on track. I dont see much game time for Lubala but he is one for the future. I think Garrity has been a bit unlucky and there is a player in there but he maybe isnt as good as what we have. Antwi is one for the future and should be on loan in div 2.

Sarkic looks a duckegg and I just cant see how he gets in. Howe looks as though he will be moved on but Thorniley has been harshly treated and had a good game yesterday. He will do well wherever he lands. Anderson is long term injured but may struggle to find a position. I am sure Madine will go so we need a fast mobile striker to replace him.

That leaves a core squad next season of

Maxwell (we need cover as neither Sims or Foto look good enough in the short term)
Marv (first pick)
Iceman (first pick)
Garbutt (first pick if we can sign him)
Virtue (can go for me)
robson (needs to improve)
Dougall (first pick)
Stewart (first pick)
Keshi (injured)
Ward (gonna have to fight for place)
Antwi (loan out)
CJ (first pick)
Yates(first pick)
Kai Kai(lot to prove)
Lubala (one for the future)

We can sign Turton as cover at right back but we need better in that position (Gabriel must have won the shirt for now)
I would let Husband, Williams, Madine (because of the wages) , Sarkic and Howe go. I would try and find a place for Mitchell but I think he will go
 
There was a moment in one of the recent games that defined him to me. He picked it up, went down the flank, got tackled, but he was running so hard he did an actual cartwheel, changed direction and ran back to defend in more or less one movement. He's got character as a player.

I think we're obsessed with ranking players as 'good/not good' and actually the truth changes week on week and sometimes character matters more. I made no secret of the fact I loved Gnando. That wasn't cos I *actually thought* he was an incredible player. I just loved his attitude. He didn't give a fuck. He just did what he did and therefore, it didn't bother him if he missed, he just did it again. That worked for him. He didn't give a fuck if you thought he was shit or not and that made him so much better than a player who legged it about trying to look like a footballer but with no thought in his head about his own game.

I see a very different player in Gabriel but the same desire to just play as he plays. I don't think it really matters what you say to Gabriel. He'll just leg it down the right, throw himself into tackles, go on mad runs. He just plays like that.

When I look at say, Ethan Robson, I see a player who is pretty good but who hasn't really got that sort of defining character to impose on a game. He's perfectly good, but what actually is he?
We should try to sign Gabriel.
 
It is never as simple as "we need position x so we'll go sign one" especially when if the opportunity to sign someone like Stewart becomes available who could potentially be a very good signing. The timing of it (when have we ever announced a signing within minutes of a game ending) suggests we may have possibly acted quickly to get him.
Some people just have to try and find a stick to beat the club with, however obscure the reasoning.
Critch and the team were criticised for signing random players early on and not getting the supposed right ones, yet when they identified the exact type of player we needed (Dougall & Ballard) they were criticised for not signing them sooner.
They can't win, it's finding fault to back up an agenda.
By all means criticise if it is valid, but doing it simply to score points is just petty.
Yep I agree with all that
 
Hull fans seem to be all over the place with Stewart. One saying that he was the best MF in the Championship first half of last season, others saying he's incredibly inconsistent. Only thing for sure is that the reason he hasn't had a club since summer is because he wanted Championship football and not because of lack of ability. Seems another one that has lost playing time because he believed teams would come in late for him and they didn't.
 
Don’t know if Stewart should play against Wigan on Tuesday. Even travelling there might give him nightmares
Last time he was there was 14th July 2020
 
Back
Top