Stephen Dobbie hopes Michael Laudrup's arrival at Swansea City will revive his Premier League ambitions after being "isolated" under Brendan Rodgers. Dobbie, 29, started only two games for Rodgers last season, and was loaned out to Blackpool for the final months. "Personally I don't think I got a fair crack last season," said the striker. "Rodgers played a number of players in my position but I'm not one to grumble. If the team's playing well then that's fair enough and I just moved on." Dobbie wasted no time in trying to impress Laudrup by scoring a 20-minute hat-trick on Saturday as Swansea beat Welsh Premier League side Port Talbot Town in the new manager's first game in charge. Stephen Dobbie under Brendan Rodgers â¢Dobbie started two games under Rodgers last season and made six appearances as a substitute â¢The striker failed to score in any of those games â¢During the preceding season, Dobbie scored 11 goals in 44 Championship games Blackpool and Celtic have been linked with a move for Dobbie, but the former Rangers trainee, who has a year left in his contract, has his sights set firmly on the Premier League. "The season we were promoted [2010-11], I thought I got a fair crack at it and showed the fans what I can do," he said. "Then I got isolated last season. I've come back fit, hungry and ready to show the manager I deserve a part in this team. "He doesn't know any of the boys so it's a fresh start for everyone." Dobbie scored six goals in eight starts on loan at Blackpool, helping the club to reach the Championship play-off final, which ended with defeat to West Ham United. A year earlier, the Scot scored in the final as Swansea reacheded the Premier League for the first time in their history. After starting in the first game of last season, Dobbie had to wait another four months for his second start as Rodgers preferred record-signing Danny Graham in the lone central striker role. But Rodgers' departure to Liverpool in May has given Dobbie renewed optimism of establishing himself as Swansea's first-choice striker. "As soon as Brendan moved on my number one objective was to come back and make sure I was ready for this pre-season, whoever came in as manager," said Dobbie, who was brought to Swansea by Roberto Martinez in 2009. "For me it's all about showing I can play in this team and in this league because I believe in myself that I can." be interesting to see what happens with him
Good on him. Hopefully he's true to his word, has got himself into a leaner, fitter shape and is ready to work his b0ll0cks off for a full 90 minutes.
Dobbs is a through and through Jack, and this proves it. Willing to sit on the bench and wait for his chance. I hope laudrup gives him that chance and he proves what he can do because buck never gave him that opportunity last season.
He has much of a chance as anyone else, the slate is wiped clean it`s up to him now to show the boss what he can do.
I love Dobbie as a Swans player & I'm one of the fans' who felt he didn't get a fair crack of the whip last season. But if he's going to have any chance this season, if he's not at least picked up that yard of pace he's missing, he certainly has to have increased it, in his speed of thought on the pitch...
Will piss myself laughing if he makes a successful comeback. The self same posters who reckoned that Rodgers was right about Dobbie and that they had faith in the Manager were the same ones after he left for Liverpool saying that the manager was "useless", "tactically inept" and even had "little to do with getting us promoted". Look, most Dobbie fans on here have said time and again that he wasn't given a fair crack of the whip last season. I don't know if he can step up, and I can't see how anyone can say that he will - or won't. We all have justifiable concerns about him wanting too much time on the ball and so on, but a player with so much talent deserves at least a chance imo. If he gets it under Laudrup I for one will be very happy. If the Manager then thinks that in his assessment he isn't good enough at this level, so be it. At least then he'd been given an opportunity and I'd rather have faith in Laudrup's assessment of ability than Rodgers. He's been there and done it all.
No he's more of a forward but in the prem us using a st and a forward is too risky! B4 siggy we used a defencive midfield formation, and only when siggy came did we change formation to a attacking midfield. Maybe Dobbie just didnt fit to the style needed for us to survive the prem! Not that he isnt a good enough player.
With all due respect I'm sure Dobbie doesn't want to be a back-up anymore. Careers are short after all!!
Even if Allen goes , Dobbie's chances of minutes took a nosedive when Michu & De Guzman signed . If Allen stays , it will be a miracle if Dobbie gets minutes .
Correct. "No he's more of a forward" is wrong imo. Career wise yes he's been a front man but that all changed when he really found his niche playing in behind a front man with us as an AM. Used similarly by Holloway at Blackpool. He's got something Laudrup admires - versatility. Up to him to prove he can cut it.
If Dobbs had a yard more pace and a bigger appetite for work, he could be a real squad asset. With the new additions, and possibly more, I still wouldn't see him as an automatic starter though. We all like the fact that he likes a strike at goal and he is equally capable of playing that cute pass to put someone else in. Perhaps he needs a decent run of games to forge an understanding with Danny etc. But it is down to him isn't it? He has a chance to impress the new manager, something he failed to do with Sousa and Rodgers for whatever reason, so if he fails again then we will have to bite the bullet and accept that he has to move on - just so long as he does get a fair chance.
