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Saints Greatest XI - Nominations For Best LB.


St Landrew

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Put you suggestions here. Nominees need not be specialist LBs, just the best performers in that position.

 

Note: The position of goalkeeper is not a problem, but outfield players have to suit a formation. Modern day formations can be almost anything they want to be, and some of the older formations like 2-3-5 just wouldn't be recognised by the majority of today's fans. So let's just stick with 4-4-2, which is the formation Saints adopted as early as 1967 for Away matches.

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Bridge is the best crosser of the ball I have ever seen. Totally one footed though and doesn't look like he has improved much since he joined Chelsea. I'd liked to have seen Bale in ther top flight for us, as its impossible to compare his performances with Bridgers due to the difference in quality of the opposition. He looks a more gofted player to me, but looks rather nieve when I have seen him for Spurs and Wales. Mark Dennis was good but not as good IMO. Statham had a terrific season for us but I'd describe him as solid rather than special.

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Tommy Traynor?

 

Ahead of his time, lovely left foot, great sliding tackle would do for me.

 

He won't win it as he won't be known to the latecomers after the sixties.

 

Mick Mills would take some beating, even though he played both sides and probably one of the most influential players ever.

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Mark Dennis for me. Great player in Saints' best ever team. Bridge, Peach, Statham and Bale all deserve a mention (although Bale didn't play enough games for us to really be included).

 

Just a question!! Why the left back before the right back? Or am I the only one that still thinks of the RB wearing No.2 and LB wearing No.3?

Edited by krissyboy31
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Put you suggestions here. Nominees need not be specialist LBs, just the best performers in that position.

 

Note: The position of goalkeeper is not a problem, but outfield players have to suit a formation. Modern day formations can be almost anything they want to be, and some of the older formations like 2-3-5 just wouldn't be recognised by the majority of today's fans. So let's just stick with 4-4-2, which is the formation Saints adopted as early as 1967 for Away matches.

 

They played under Ted Bates from 1954, - Nos 2, 5, 3 at the back with a defensive 6, - 4 and 10 in midfield, 7 and 11 wide with an attacking inside right 8 supporting the centre forward 9.

 

My God! isn't that what they are playing this season? 4 4 1/1 and isn't that 4 4 2? (or if the bloke in the hole got his finger out and got up in support of the front man, as he is supposed to, it would be).

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Saints haven't been blessed with many outstanding LBs, over the years. Wayne Bridge is an obvious good suggestion, and Mark Dennis is another. But I think I'll go for David Peach.

 

Good call, and I'd add Nick Holmes to the list. Not his favoured position admittedly, but he was pretty good there. And I'd just want him to be in a best-ever Saints team!

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I know there is always disagreement because of the age of subscribers, but for those of us a little longer in the tooth, Dave Peach has to be the greatest LB for Saints. Can you forget the pen against Palace that got us to Wembley? Highest scoring full back in League history (at the time) 34 goals in 224 apps. Played in 2 cup finals for Saints (how many others can claim that? Nick Holmes is the answer by the way). Scored the opener in the League Cup Final against Forest. On top of all of that, was one of the best blokes I ever met at Saints. At the time was more of a cult hero than even Franny became. I know we don't need 2 expert pen takers in a team, and assume Tiss will make the greatest ever XI, but it is actually debatable which one was the best at this skill. Oh what we would give for either of them to take pens for us now.

Edited by VectisSaint
Fixed incorrect number of goals
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Peachie with no doubts!

 

Saw him in Lymington the other day, used to play with his son Dan in my younger years...we were 11, he was 8 and used to run rings round everyone.

 

As far as I'm concerned, the others are nowhere close - can you find another LB these days who....

 

a) Scores Perfect Penalties;

b) Bombs down the wing like a man possessed.

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Mark Dennis without a doubt.Hard as nails and he could put in a great cross.My mind goes back to a Friday night at the Dell in 1984 when we played Liverpool in a live televised game in which he put in a brilliant cross after darting down the left wing,Mark Wright nodded it back and Danny Wallace scored the goal of the season with an overhead kick.Those were the days.

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Saints haven't been blessed with many outstanding LBs, over the years. Wayne Bridge is an obvious good suggestion, and Mark Dennis is another. But I think I'll go for David Peach.

 

I normally agree with you St L on most things, particularly real ale, but not on this. LB has been a rich area for Saints, compare it to other clubs in the same period. David Peach, Mark Dennis, Derek Statham (would have been a England regular but for injury at WBA and Saints), Wayne Bridge (is an England regular), Gareth Bale (might be PL star for a long,long time) and we could be seeing Joseph Mills in the PL in years to come but it is unlikely to be with Saints!

 

I vote for Wayne Bridge just about over Mark Dennis, Dennis was a better player than Bridge and should have had 50 England caps but his disciplinary record was shocking!

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All good JohnB but those of us who can go back to the 50's would probably put Tommy Traynor above them.

 

 

No I thought of Traynor as I saw him play lots of times but I felt as he played in Div 2 and 3 he did not have the Quality to be the greatest LB

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Grew up watching Tommy Traynor and then Dennis Hollywood.

Very much like Wayne Bridge for my greatest saints side with David Peach a close second.

 

 

Wayne BRIDGE for LB.

 

I could have written that... my views and experience exactly.

 

I also played against Dennis Hollywood in the local leagues after he retired and had put on many pounds - he still knew how to tackle!

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I could have written that... my views and experience exactly.

 

I also played against Dennis Hollywood in the local leagues after he retired and had put on many pounds - he still knew how to tackle!

 

Apart from Gabriel/McGrath, Dennis Hollywood probably one of the hardest on the field but a nice guy away from football...we could do with some of these players now to stiffen up the back line.

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Mark Dennis for me. Great player in Saints' best ever team. Bridge, Peach, Statham and Bale all deserve a mention (although Bale didn't play enough games for us to really be included).

 

Just a question!! Why the left back before the right back? Or am I the only one that still thinks of the RB wearing No.2 and LB wearing No.3?

 

You're not alone KB. Although I started this particular thread off, the topic itself is not mine, it being Darren LeTiss's. He asked for the LB position to be nominated for first, so who am I to argue..?

 

Normally I would have asked for RB nominations first. Perhaps we'll correct the faux pas once we get to the midfield. How about that..?

 

EDIT: Just looked up through the thread, and there appears to be some misunderstanding. We're looking for the BEST LB as a footballer, not the most popular, or one with the greatest legendary status. It might be a good idea to remember that. ;)

Edited by St Landrew
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