He did a short interview on his return to Blundell Park on Hullberside, I'm not sure how to do Twitter links but here's my best shot.

Sounds like he's not too sure what sort of a reception he will get.

https://twitter.com/mattdeanradio?lang=en

I won’t be giving him a good reception.
Why should you give a good reception to a player who forced his way out of the club?

For Christs sake-he's only a kid who wants the best for himself

The reception he’ll get from me is “meh”

Quoted from CodHead

I won’t be giving him a good reception.
Why should you give a good reception to a player who forced his way out of the club?

Would you have stayed?

Quoted from golfer

For Christs sake-he's only a kid who wants the best for himself

Absolutely, and I bear no grudge for somebody wanting to move up when they clearly had the ability. But he didn't even look like he tried for the second half of the season.

Quoted from CodHead

I won’t be giving him a good reception.
Why should you give a good reception to a player who forced his way out of the club?

Come off it. It's how transfer deals work. The selling club force the player to put a transfer request in so that they don't have pay the player a loyalty bonus as he departs. It's nothing new.

god he was excrement....

Quoted from The Boys Paddock

god he was excrement....

Everyone's entitled to an opinion, but your's is laughable.

Don’t really care. We were his stepping stone club and he lost interest in us when other clubs showed an interest in him.

I don't mind him using us a stepping stone, that's football. I do mind him not trying for the last few months of his time here. Big meh from me him coming back.

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

Would you have stayed?

Isn’t that a stupid question?
I support Town
You can’t compare me to a professional footballer

Who?

Not bothered.

Got more things to worry about than a player who was here for a season and was bang average.

No end product......he'll score a hat-trick today now I've said that   :o

Blame his agent, then Slade brought him in, just maybe he liked Slade (hard to believe) and he thought his time was up.
I just think a full first season was too much for him.
He certainly lost form. I didn't think he was that bad.

He was just about the only player to get people exciteed when he received the ball over  the last few years. People are saying how wonderful Vernom is/will be yet I have yet to see him do anything much apart from dribble the ball from one side of the pitch to the other or lay on the physios table, Siriki was ok and would only get better with experience (hes played a few in the league above last season) Did he stop trying or was the team/management so terrible that he was just brought  down to that level. :-/

Not fussed either way, perhaps if we weren't such a shambles at the time and he was developing nicely in a team going places he might have wanted to stick around a little longer.

He was a kid that was chucked into his first season head first. Suffered with loss of form and niggly injuries which is to be expected. We were absolutely crap and there was a toxic atmosphere at the club.

Seems to have settled in just fine in the league above, funny how so many of our ex players are apparently not that good according to some fans, even though they go on to bigger and better things.

Young talent gets head turned by bigger club offer, aided by greedy agent fueling the fire.... It's nothing new and sadly it'll probably happen to us again before too long.

To be honest it was only when I saw that interview that I realised it would be his return to BP.

Brought us bucket loads of excitement in those first few months, a beacon of hope amongst the dross of that Slade side. He moved on, so did we. Doesn't strike me as a Jolley type at all so probably would have moved on regardless.

Quoted from sam gy

Seems to have settled in just fine in the league above, funny how so many of our ex players are apparently not that good according to some fans, even though they go on to bigger and better things.

It’s all about context though. Nobody ever doubted his skill and ability, but plenty were concerned about his desire to help the TEAM and dig in for a fight. When he wanted it, he was great. When he didn’t, it was like playing with 10, and we weren’t in a position to be carrying people when we were staring the conference in the face.

I’m sure he’s great for a team that spends a lot of time attacking from a position in & around the League 1 playoffs - not as much impact when you’re 20 without a win at the bottom of League 2.

I think his loss of form was part injury and partly the fact that other teams marked him out of the game by putting more than 1 player on him. If we’d been any good we could have exploited the extra space in turn dragging his markers away and freeing him up again.
In a higher division he’d be less of a stand out but probably more effective because of it.
Probably just a case of being too talented to fit in.

It was clear his heart wasn’t in it towards the end, but can you blame the kid under the calamitous regime we had at the time?

When our sole attacking strategy of “give it to Siriki” meant that we could be nullified by a sole defensive strategy of “kick Siriki”, it’s fairly unsurprising his head went down.

Slade’s recruitment of Dembele was far and away the most positive thing he did during his second reign; it’s just a shame he proceeded to fúck it up so badly thereafter.

I.m looking forward to seeing him today. Was it £100K we banked ?

Initially exciting, and played with freedom, partly because other teams hadn't had chance (or bothered) to do their “homework”

Because we had little other creativity at the time  he was subsequently marked out of games and never shone after that

Perhaps more maturity would’ve helped?, but best for him and us that he moved on I guess

No ill feeling but no tears either

I remember in the heat of the relegation battle, one of MJ's first games and Dembele was on the floor tying his laces as someone passed to him. He didn't feature again after that moment.

I don't have a problem with us being a stepping stone, in fact I want us to be a stepping stone. I just want players to play for the shirt whilst they are here.

Quoted from jamesgtfc

Dembele was on the floor tying his laces

A budget Jevons for the #baller generation!

I wonder if he's learned to pass the ball instead of trying to dribble through a mass of players every single time he gets it? If he has, could develop into a useful player.

After a good start to his career, he was quickly found out and it was pretty much a guaranteed loss of possession every time he got the ball. If he can let the ball do more of the work, he'll be able to using his dribbling skills more effectively.

In reality...just another player passing through the doors of GTFC in a non event of a season.
No malice earned but no real adoration either

Quoted from Maringer

I wonder if he's learned to pass the ball instead of trying to dribble through a mass of players every single time he gets it? If he has, could develop into a useful player.

After a good start to his career, he was quickly found out and it was pretty much a guaranteed loss of possession every time he got the ball. If he can let the ball do more of the work, he'll be able to using his dribbling skills more effectively.

The problem with passing the ball is that there has to be someone available for the pass. Otherwise you look a tw@t.
He seems to have featured regularly at a higher level than ours.
So maybe it’s not all his fault he sometimes held on to the ball too long !!

He had us on toast in the first half tbf.

Very very well taken goal by Dembele.

He really was sh1tyte good job we got rid, :K)

Quoted from Maringer

I wonder if he's learned to pass the ball instead of trying to dribble through a mass of players every single time he gets it? If he has, could develop into a useful player.

After a good start to his career, he was quickly found out and it was pretty much a guaranteed loss of possession every time he got the ball. If he can let the ball do more of the work, he'll be able to using his dribbling skills more effectively.

Looked a fine player today,must have took your advice.

Quoted from SomeSanity

Don’t really care. We were his stepping stone club and he lost interest in us when other clubs showed an interest in him.

Agree, but a stepping stone to a smaller club like Peterborough, did'nt go today as frendlies are a load of bottom, but I have to give that huge clown Russell Slade some credit for finding Dembele. He was quality for us, in short bursts. But had massive issues with basics like being able to actuallty kick the ball far enough! Sounds like basics. Lirerally could not kick the ball far enough IMO!

He was superb today, good goal as well

He looked a lot stronger and quicker to me, probably just because he's filled out a bit more. A better player because of this than during his time with us, but he was certainly guilty of trying to overplay around the edge of the box plenty of times today. The nearest defender (was it Hessenthaler?) didn't cover himself in glory for his goal but he did hit the shot very well. I thought the rash challenge on him by Hendrie early on might have been given as a penalty, too.

Quoted from Maringer

I thought the rash challenge on him by Hendrie early on might have been given as a penalty, too.

Same here, it looked just inside the box to me.

No doubt the highlights will show if it was inside the box or not.

Didn't go today. Clearly benefiited from the lack of a a dinosaur manager that didn't want his full back, centre back, goalkeeper and midfielders to kick the fornicator as hard and as long as they possibly could. Dembele would appreciated that, though he's a gutless little male masturbator himself.

I've issues woth Jolley, mainly the fact we don't win a lot of games, but please just remember the absolute clown the previous manager was. And more importantly, the board that appointed Slade, and could appoint a buffoon like him again.

FENTY OUT

A ton of salty tears in this thread  ;D.

He needed to play with better players to advance himself and was given the chance. He improved because he has a better team that isn't relying on him to do everything. I think he did the best he could with the team put around him and with all the pressure on him to perform because he's not a local youngster who can do no wrong. As soon as form dipped everyone seemed to pick on him which would blow the confidence of most young players.

Bunch of salty twits who can't figure out why anyone would ever want to leave glorious Grimsby.

That’s basically right

Quoted from Kris2

A ton of salty tears in this thread  ;D.

He needed to play with better players to advance himself and was given the chance. He improved because he has a better team that isn't relying on him to do everything. I think he did the best he could with the team put around him and with all the pressure on him to perform because he's not a local youngster who can do no wrong. As soon as form dipped everyone seemed to pick on him which would blow the confidence of most young players.

Bunch of salty twits who can't figure out why anyone would ever want to leave glorious Grimsby.

he had no end product on a consistent basis, thats his fault, not the fact that he needed better players.  Its a lazy excuse.

Quoted from The Boys Paddock

he had no end product on a consistent basis, thats his fault, not the fact that he needed better players.  Its a lazy excuse.

He seemed to have ‘end product’ earlier on today. And has slotted in well fine at LG 1 level.

Didn’t go to the game so don’t know how he played , but when he played for us the potential was their for everyone to see. If he only gets to the dizzy heights of playing for the posh in lge1 id say it’s below par

Quoted from jonnyboy82

Who?

Not bothered.

Got more things to worry about than a player who was here for a season and was bang average.

On his day for a lower league player was class.

Quoted from dapperz fun pub

Didn’t go to the game so don’t know how he played , but when he played for us the potential was their for everyone to see. If he only gets to the dizzy heights of playing for the posh in lge1 id say it’s below par

What’s below par is that a player (rightly so) wouldn’t hesitate to leave us for Peterborough, because it’s a big step up.
It just shows where we are nowadays in the food chain !  

Quoted from Civvy at last

What’s below par is that a player (rightly so) wouldn’t hesitate to leave us for Peterborough, because it’s a big step up.
It just shows where we are nowadays in the food chain !  

He left to go to a club with a better manager. Slade might have spotted the potential but he has the coaching ability of a dead wood louse.

When did Dembelle leave  ?  When did Slade leave ?

Quoted from Civvy at last

What’s below par is that a player (rightly so) wouldn’t hesitate to leave us for Peterborough, because it’s a big step up.
It just shows where we are nowadays in the food chain !  

What I meant about below par was if he only plays lge 1 level he himself will see it as not reaching his potential .... regarding Peterborough at this moment in time we are behind them in lots of areas ( stadium been improved , playing at higher level regularly , bigger gates ) BUT if we finally get the new stadium , taste a bit of success could we rival posh , course we would and overtake them imo