There's been quite a bit of talk over the last couple of days of Liverpool's apparent interest in Nathan Dyer (a simple Google search will show you that). I know there will be people on here who'll rip me apart with the 'don't believe what you read' talk etc, but the very thought of him moving somewhere like that would have been inconceivable during his time at Saints. Last season, he was awarded with Swansea's player of the season and was a major part in their promotion to the Premier League. It seems he's gone from strength to strength since he's left Saints. Why do people think this has happened? Do you think the fallout from the night club robbery incident in Pompey has helped shape him into a better player? I always thought he had the potential to be a good player but never expected him to be as good as he is now - is he 'one that got away'?
He had too much baggage at Saints and was in and out of the side too much. I always liked him as a player, good skill and pace (he was actually faster over short distances than Walcott during their time in the youth and reserves) and tenacious too. Would track back and get stuck in, although sometimes it seemed that if he got knocked off the ball early in the game and failed to beat a full-back, he would shy away from trying again and cut inside too much. Good luck to the lad, he's taken his chance and matured as a person. Some of the abuse he got from some idiot saints fans was pathetic, can help but feel if Dyer was white, he wouldn't have got anywhere near the same stick.
Totally agree with your last comment CBK, I do think if he was white I would've been a completely different response from alot of fans, not just our own
Some players just don't settle at clubs, and they flourish at others (Jason Puncheon being an example)
He always had the potential and as CBK said, he got knocked about easily while here. I watched him a few times at Swansea last season, and he looked stronger and a much better player. Good Luck to him
im quite shocked about the race comments!??? i didnt like him at all, he had such an attitude problem and always cut back and slowed a move down when he had potential to take players on. plus on countless times i would see him out on the razz on weeknights and even some fridays before games, therefore my dislike for him was completely as a person - nothing to do with his skin colour.
Why are they shocking? I've heard them with my own ears directed to black saints players over the years. Thankfully, a lot lot less than it used to be, but you can still tell that bigotry lies just beneath the surface with some people and doesn't take much for them to show it. It's not a football thing, it's a society thing. I'm more shocked at your comment that Dyer had an attitude problem. I found him to be quite a pleasant and intelligent nipper and was more a case of him being in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong crowd and did something very stupid and took his punishment as a result (and his so called mates didn't). Did you really see him out "countless times" or was it once or twice really?
He was very highly rated when he was in the academy, the FA Youth Cup Final was all about Walcott and Dyer on the wings as I recall. So I'm not surprised to see him doing well at Swansea, it seems like he's developed a lot from his time at Saints, like a lot of players he just didn't settle here (thanks Burley/Netherlands).
well maybe im just shocked as i personally would never stoop so low.... however we cant account for everyone can we! i did see him out on more than a handful of occasions, him/bwp/lloyd james/ mcgoldrick/blackstock/best etc but at the end of the day i think you may well be right cbk - he was probably just hanging with the wrong crowd, he certainly wasnt the worst of the bunch by a country mile. having been around quite a few of that particular generation there were a couple of them that were really arrogant and acted like right p****s a big clue is that they all came from notts.
The issue I had with Dyer was the theft caught on CCTV. For me it was, nor will never be, his colour; I don't know what else he got up to off the pitch, neither do I believe most of the 'insider source' stuff written here; but he discredited the club and therefore me as a lifetime fan. I was glad to see him go but I also am pleased that he has developed as a player and hope with it a better attitude to others less fortunate in life not to be blessed with his fooballing talent.
I will ignore the "black" thing altogehter as I do not think it is relevant Dyer when he was a saint - too small, too light weight, fell over too much, very quick but lacked a final product either a cross or shot. He was at best a fringe player in a poor Saints team then when he was caught theaving that was the end of it as far as I am concerned - move on! Glad he appears to have sorted his life out and is doing well now he has grown up a bit - good on him Dark Lord
Just happened to emerge when we were at a low ebb as were a few other young ones so we never really had the best of his quite obvious talent
This isnt a dig at anyone on here or as southerners as a hole But i do find that there is actually quite a racism problem down south, its not open racism but its more of a silent judgement because of the persons colour alot of my family down the south coast, weymouth, bournemouth,southampton are all quite judgemental towards black people
Most, not all but most of the players who leave Saints improve or do so much better than with us, scary when you look back at who we've let go in the last few years and all for crap money.
I may just have been lucky but I have never heard a racist remark towards a player at either St Mary's or The Dell. Players are players to me and people are people. When Dyer was arrested I didn't think it was because he was black, I thought it's because he's young and rich. I have to say I used to play a game looking for ex-players and seeing if they'd scored..usually had. It's really a reflection of the quality of players we've had and let go for whatever reason.
Beattie, drunk driving, barely a murmour against him. Barnard, allegedly glassing someone in a pub, songs sung in his "honour". BWP & Dyer, "mockrage!!!" Hmmmm???
Beattie's drunk driving was getting caught moving his car 20 yards after a night of drinking. It was a one off stupid mistake and he was heavily punished for it. If his stupidness had caused an accident or something then i'm sure you'd of seen a different attitude towards him. Also remember that he was our top scorer in the Prem at the time and as a club things were good. Barnard hasn't been found guilty of his alleged crime. No more to discuss here. And Dyer. A very well off footballer stealing from someone struggling to make ends meet. Which he found hilarious. And the whole thing plastered all over the internet and the papers. This happened in our decline, when the club and fans were getting that sinking feeling. We wanted something to cheer about not more crap like this from the players If it had happened now or even back whe we were in the Prem when things are/were a lot rosier than maybe alot more fans would of let this go, maybe. Your suggestion that i, or most fans would of laughed it off if he was white is way off the mark.
