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players who you won't forget for each position


NickG
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Was talking to someone about left backs and we were trying to remember who had held the No3 shirt over the years - thinking that Harding may be a decent LB for a while.

 

Not so much players for odds few games, or even just one season but who made the postion their own.

 

The LB's that stand out for me are;

 

Wayne Bridge

Frannie Benali

Mick Mills

David Peach

 

Who do you think justifies being remembered?

 

Almost like a family tree for the position.

 

RB - Golac, Dodd...etc

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Showing my age as a young boy I recall seeing Dennis Hollywood an uncompromising left back. I have a vague recollection that he took out Mike Summerbee who he had been kicking around all game, Summerbee had had enough, lost it and ended up getting sent off.

From childhood memories Hollywood made Mark Dennis seem like a pussycat.

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Neil Ruddock at the back - although most fond memories are of the way he used to terrorise the penalty area the other end whenever we got a corner.

 

Brian O'Neil - my No. 1 midfield hard man (Case, Hurlock, Williams, just pussies in comparison)

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Showing my age as a young boy I recall seeing Dennis Hollywood an uncompromising left back. I have a vague recollection that he took out Mike Summerbee who he had been kicking around all game, Summerbee had had enough, lost it and ended up getting sent off.

From childhood memories Hollywood made Mark Dennis seem like a pussycat.

 

In an article at that time Summerbee rated Hollywood as one of the hardest men playing as he was 'totally mad and kept coming back at me when I kicked him'.

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Mark Dennis was defo the best ever left back - much much better than Bale or Bridge - absolutely mean that - just his "bad boy" image stopped him from being an England hero.

 

What about Steele and Mark Wright for CB's?

 

Has to be Nick Holmes for RB.

 

MLT, Ball, Keegan and Williams for MF - not sure how balanced that is mind - but I'm sure they will cope.

 

Upfront is tricky - Channon (got to be), McDougall (loved him - no pace, but deadly from 12 yards). Loved Osgood too but not a regular goal getter. Shearer probably had his best years after he left us? Jordan was fun as was Bowyer, George and the Wallace brothers (again, I think their best was after they left us).

 

In goal - Shilton? maybe, but for me it has to be Antti Niemi.

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I don't think the #3 has been a LB since we were in the Prem. Thomas for the last three years, Pele and Kosowski before that.

 

Bale and Bridge were the only two I look back on fondly from my era. Brennan did a decent enough job for a couple of months. Skacel filled the gap well enough, but every time I saw him it was disheartening knowing it was such a waste. Higgy was always a CB, Le Saux was too old and slow. Then at the far end of the spectrum we have O'Halloran, Bernard and Makin.

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I don't think the #3 has been a LB since we were in the Prem. Thomas for the last three years, Pele and Kosowski before that.

 

Bale and Bridge were the only two I look back on fondly from my era. Brennan did a decent enough job for a couple of months. Skacel filled the gap well enough, but every time I saw him it was disheartening knowing it was such a waste. Higgy was always a CB, Le Saux was too old and slow. bThen at the far end of the spectrum we haveb O'Halloran, Bernard and Makin.

 

Lee Todd???

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GK - Kat, Wells, Genoe, Shilts, Budgie, Anti, Flowers

LB - Dennis, Bridge

RB - Golac, Dodd, Kenna

CB - Nichol, Watson, Killer, Claus

Mid - Williams, Ball, Le Tiss, Mills, Worthington, Peter Reid (Briefly), Ronnie, Eyal

Strikers / Wingers - Rodney, Shearer, Beattie, Marian, Mickey Adams (kept us up), Boyer, Joe Jordan

 

Could go on, we have had some bloody good keepers over the years!

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Mark Dennis was defo the best ever left back - much much better than Bale or Bridge - absolutely mean that - just his "bad boy" image stopped him from being an England hero.

 

What about Steele and Mark Wright for CB's?

 

Has to be Nick Holmes for RB.

 

MLT, Ball, Keegan and Williams for MF - not sure how balanced that is mind - but I'm sure they will cope.

 

Upfront is tricky - Channon (got to be), McDougall (loved him - no pace, but deadly from 12 yards). Loved Osgood too but not a regular goal getter. Shearer probably had his best years after he left us? Jordan was fun as was Bowyer, George and the Wallace brothers (again, I think their best was after they left us).

 

In goal - Shilton? maybe, but for me it has to be Antti Niemi.

 

Showing my age here but Holmes was as totally one footed as Armstrong - his left - the few times I remember him on the right were not his better days.

 

How about our best ever Sweeper - Reuben Agboola - system never worked before or after and he wasn't the greatest footballer in the world, but it worked while he was there

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Harding somehow reminds me of Dennis Hollywood in the way that he runs around the pitch

 

 

Dennis was one of the hardest players I ever saw playing for Saints

 

 

Tommy Traynor the Irish International Left Backs was one of my favorite players a left back who helped us to gain promotion from Div 3

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The No 9 Shirt = Ron Davies.

 

The No 7 Shirt = Matty, but very good supporting cast of Terry Paine, Alan Ball and a cameo role from Keegan.

 

No 7 would definitely be Paine the best allround footballer I ever saw playing for SFC like MLT keeping us in the Premiership it was probably Paine that got us to Div 1 in the first place.

 

 

We then got relegated when he got older and became a less er player

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I must be the only one then that thinks Harding plays the left back role in a similar fashion to another England possible (I think he got a couple of caps though) and that is Derek Statham.

 

Del Boy received player of the year I believe, somewhere around 88, 89, 90. He was dependable and secure, largely faultless in his play. Harding reminds me of him in that same secure, no nonsense way. Does what is required, no messing.

 

Certainly, Psycho Mark D, was a better 'player' and I would have him in, in an instant. But, as far as picking a left back that you can rely on and trust, Statham and Harding must fall into these categories. Do a difficult job, very well!

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Yes but only because of the position financially and league wise we were in. The others may well have passed through if we were languishing in the second tier and with bugger all money.

 

its not a criticism of him, just he wasn't here long enough.

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GK - Eric Martin possibly due to his resemblance to Harpo Marx than for his goalkeeping prowess.

RB - Ivan Golac, Joe Kirkup, because he always seemed to marking the penalty spot.

LB - Dennis Hollywood, David Peach, Mark Dennis, Mick Mills

Midfield - Steve Williams, Bally, David Armstrong

Wingers - Paine, Sydenham

Forwards - Davies, Channon, Le Tiss, Boyer, Worthington, plus two others both of whom contributed greatly by scoring in promotion seasons. Norman Dean 1966 and Tony Funnell 1978.

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'I must be the only one then that thinks Harding plays the left back role in a similar fashion to another England possible (I think he got a couple of caps though) and that is Derek Statham.'

 

Good comparison...from the little I've seen he has the same calmness & positional sense & desire to go forward....not seen evidence yet of the shot Statham had in his repertoire.

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Best left back. Steve Mills. Would have gone on to captain England without a doubt. R.I.P. Stevie boy.

Agreed Nutwood2, Steve Mills could have probably been one off the best backs in England ever (imho). Played almost like the wing backs we see now. But, I seem to remember him flying down the right.

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I don't think the #3 has been a LB since we were in the Prem. Thomas for the last three years, Pele and Kosowski before that.

 

Oooh, Kosowski, good knowledge, I'd completely forgotten he existed. I think you're right on the "left back not #3" thing too.

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Was talking to someone about left backs and we were trying to remember who had held the No3 shirt over the years - thinking that Harding may be a decent LB for a while.

 

Not so much players for odds few games, or even just one season but who made the postion their own.

 

The LB's that stand out for me are;

 

Wayne Bridge

Frannie Benali

Mick Mills

David Peach

 

Who do you think justifies being remembered?

 

Almost like a family tree for the position.

 

RB - Golac, Dodd...etc

 

Did you forget Mickey Adams? We also mostly missed out on one who was always played on the right although he was left footed, Jeff Kenna. Him and Benali kept Dodds in the reserves. Both of them were better players than Franny, who could never pass to one of his own, but they lacked his aura, whatever that was.

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Gregory Vignal on his day!

 

Oh yes!

 

I was at the Leicester cup game when he turned his game around from an indifferent start. Made some absolute monster tackles and was getting booed by the Fox fans by the end of it. Fair tackles too, didn't get booked until he got a bit over-zealous and left a player needing CPR.

 

Best penalty taker since Beatts and Marian left too.

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GK - Kat, Wells, Genoe, Shilts, Budgie, Anti, Flowers

LB - Dennis, Bridge

RB - Golac, Dodd, Kenna

CB - Nichol, Watson, Killer, Claus

Mid - Williams, Ball, Le Tiss, Mills, Worthington, Peter Reid (Briefly), Ronnie, Eyal

Strikers / Wingers - Rodney, Shearer, Beattie, Marian, Mickey Adams (kept us up), Boyer, Joe Jordan

 

Could go on, we have had some bloody good keepers over the years!

 

Amongst them ... Dexter Blackstock

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Was talking to someone about left backs and we were trying to remember who had held the No3 shirt over the years - thinking that Harding may be a decent LB for a while.

 

Not so much players for odds few games, or even just one season but who made the postion their own.

 

The LB's that stand out for me are;

Wayne Bridge

Frannie Benali

Mick Mills

David Peach

 

Who do you think justifies being remembered?

Almost like a family tree for the position.

 

 

...but let's not forget Tommy Traynor at left back

played almost 500 games between 1952 -1966, and 8 caps for Eire, too

 

A Great club man

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John McGrath leaving Kenny Hibbett flat out in the penalty area as he walked off at half time.

 

Big John left many so called hard men flat and not all lucky enough to be on their back. Brian O'niell and Dennis Hollywood would have made our defence just a little more fearsome as well.

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Was talking to someone about left backs and we were trying to remember who had held the No3 shirt over the years - thinking that Harding may be a decent LB for a while.

 

Not so much players for odds few games, or even just one season but who made the postion their own.

 

The LB's that stand out for me are;

 

Wayne Bridge

Frannie Benali

Mick Mills

David Peach

 

Who do you think justifies being remembered?

 

Almost like a family tree for the position.

 

RB - Golac, Dodd...etc

Dereck Statham only here for short time but a class player in my opinion

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