HULL City's forgotten figure Cameron Stewart will be challenged to turn his fortunes around when he returns from an ill-fated loan spell with Burnley in January. Stewart has endured a dramatic fall from grace in the last 12 months and will arrive at a crossroads in his once dazzling career when heading back to the Tigers in the new year. After becoming surplus to short-term requirements with the Tigers in August, a four-month loan spell with Championship rivals Burnley has fallen desperately short of expectations. With Eddie Howe replaced by Sean Dyche as manager at Turf Moor, Stewart has not featured in a competitive fixture since October 27 and is without a start since September 19. Burnley's last two fixtures have failed to even see the winger named amongst the substitutes. A lack of opportunities in East Lancashire will see Stewart returned to City in the coming weeks and manager Steve Bruce says the onus will be on the youngster to arrest the slide. "Looking at the way things are, he's probably going to come back to us in January and we'll see where things go," Bruce told the Mail. "It's been disappointing for all parties. He went out to play games with Burnley and that's just not happened for him. "That's been a big disappointment for him but the challenge has to be to get his head down, work hard, and turn his luck around. It's a big time coming up for him." In a calendar year that began with City rejecting a £1.5m offer from Leicester for the winger's services following a successful return from cruciate ligament surgery, Stewart's stock has tumbled into an alarming tailspin during 2012. Although called up by England under-21s for the first time in February, a lack of form was clear as the Tigers fell short of the Championship play-offs last season. A fresh start was promised this season and looked on the cards when he started the opening two games of Bruce's reign against Rotherham and Brighton. However, the arrival of Sone Aluko, Ahmed Elmohamady and Stephen Quinn convinced Bruce to farm Stewart out on loan. Just two starts for the Clarets have wrecked any hope of regular action and he heads back across the Pennines in need of a break. Eighteen months remain on his City contract and given the strength of Bruce's options at present, another loan move could be favoured in January. "There's no doubting he's got ability but he's got to find a level where he's playing week in, week out," added Bruce. "It shows you how difficult it can be to be a footballer when you're a young lad. "Twelve months ago the club was turning down big money for him. Now he's coming back from a loan without really playing. The lad needs games. He's young and had to fight back from a very serious injury." http://www.thisishullandeastriding....lenged-prove/story-17556747-detail/story.html "There's no doubting he's got ability but he's got to find a level where he's playing week in, week out," Don't think anyone could of put it better than that.
Stewart can still make a fantastic player we just need to be patient. All bravery and confidence has deserted him since the injury, and since he did it actually taking someone on rather than from a challenge, hes probably scared of doing it again. It give him until the end of next season to turn it around.
I have the feeling that, if anyone can get him going again, it's Bruce. Look at McShane and Simmo, for example.
He needs a break? He's just had a 4 month break! Badum Tish. I think the lad does have a great deal of potential, I just think that the injury has destroyed his confidence. Maybe he should go on loan to a lower league club, getting used to doing what he does best - beating opposition players. If he gets a few kickings and comes through unscathed as well that will improve his confidence.
I don't think it's so much him being scared of getting a kick in as it is him scared of him stepping a bit dodgy and doing the same thing he did in the first place.
You may be right Bob, I just got the impression at the end of last season that whenever a player came in to tackle him he bottled it and just went to ground
IMO the lads got some real talent. But he needs to work at a lot of things. As we're not playing wingers, maybe a role just off the striker maybe suit him better. But he does add options to the squad. We're not overley blessed with wingers.
Emerton doesn't seem to be getting much of a look in at Alfreton either. He started in an FA Trophy game against Kidderminster, that they lost 3-1(he came off at 64 minutes). He came on in the 90 minute in their FA Cup game against Leyton, which they lost 4-2. And wasn't even in the squad for their league game against Luton on Saturday, which they lost 3-0. I can understand them wanting to ease him in, but he's been there three weeks and his loan runs out in another three weeks.
I agree with you, after an injury like that some people just shrug it off and get on with it, and some it does knocks their confidence, and CS seems to me one of the latter. I also think it will be next season before you see him back to his best.
Id love to seem him played as a striker, might also fit in along side Simo if Aluko will be missing for the African cup thingy
Nobody's going to come in for Stewart at the moment, I think he's more than likely to still be with us next season. I always liked him more as a striker, than a winger, he looked great in that game alongside Simpson.
I agree we should maybe give him a chance up to with Simmo. They had goos chemistry in that tun of games before Fryatt and Mclean came in. He needs to learn to chase down more IMO, just needs a bit more graft. Try it in the Cup game in Jan.
