Jump to content

Players that shouldn't have left Saints.....


Danish Saint

Recommended Posts

Been reading the threads on Saga and Surman, and it got me thinking of players that used Saints as "a window for a better club", but were actually playing their best football at Saints, and shouldn't have moved on, but did because of the money.

 

Hassan Kachloul springs to mind as well as Kevin Davies.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Really? You think he was playing better for us than he has for the last season or two for Bolton? His first spell with us, he was just getting good, but he's a much better player now. He seems a lot more comfortable with his role, he's a leader now, and if Peter Crouch, Carlton Cole and Emile Heskey suffer injuries or drops in form, he's next in line for the 'big' striker role for England.

 

Kachloul I agree with. Gareth Bale is an obvious one although possibly too early to say for sure.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Been reading the threads on Saga and Surman, and it got me thinking of players that used Saints as "a window for a better club", but were actually playing their best football at Saints, and shouldn't have moved on, but did because of the money.

 

Hassan Kachloul springs to mind as well as Kevin Davies.

 

Kevin Davies was right to move playing Prem football while we languish in League 1

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kevin Davies was right to move playing Prem football while we languish in League 1

 

Meant the first move for a ton o'cash, after which he failed miserably. Came back and resurrected his career again.

 

Agree on Bale being to soon to tell, but all the indicators are there to see.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Steve Williams - moved to Arsenal and made very little impact with them (Agh - you beat me to it 70's Mike!!)

 

I would have also said Matt Mills, moved at the wrong time as another few months and he would have broken into the first team - Man City was always the wrong move for him but did well by joining Doncaster. Not sure how he'll do at Reading. Possibly one to watch if we swap divisions with Reading as a long term replacement for Jaidi?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Steve Williams

 

TBF to SW, he had been with Saints for 9 seasons when he eventually moved (to his boyhood team). That 83/84 season, there wasn't a better player in the country. He moved on to Arsenal and never reached those heights again but one cannot say he used Saints as a stepping stone because we were actually a better team than Arsenal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

TBF to SW, he had been with Saints for 9 seasons when he eventually moved (to his boyhood team). That 83/84 season, there wasn't a better player in the country. He moved on to Arsenal and never reached those heights again but one cannot say he used Saints as a stepping stone because we were actually a better team than Arsenal.

 

 

TBF the thread is about players that should not have left saints not players who used the club as a stepping stone and imo Steve should never have left.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

TBF the thread is about players that should not have left saints not players who used the club as a stepping stone and imo Steve should never have left.

 

The words "window for a better club" was used in the OP. I think when Williams left, he had fallen out with Lawrie Mac and it was beneficial to both SW and LM that he moved on. I believe we did get a decent fee for him. It didn't work out for him at Arsenal and LM moved onto Sunderland anyway, so in hindsight not a good move. However, he may never have been the same player with us either, we will never know. We do know that we did get the SW's best years.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

TBF to SW, he had been with Saints for 9 seasons when he eventually moved (to his boyhood team). That 83/84 season, there wasn't a better player in the country. He moved on to Arsenal and never reached those heights again but one cannot say he used Saints as a stepping stone because we were actually a better team than Arsenal.

 

Agree with that but as others found the grass is not always greener elsewhere. Even Mick Channon did not really hit the heights at Man City yet came back home and had a few more very good seasons with us of course.

Rod Wallace and even Danny were two more from the 80's whose careers nose dived after leaving us. It's been the case with many players as long as I can remember.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Steve Williams

 

+1

 

With us he stood on the verge of MLT level greatness. At Arsenal he just became another fish in a pond.

 

The others mentioned, Bale, Kachlol (sic) etc are all valid but his was the one that hurt us the most.

 

And, if truth be told, probably him as well, if I recall rightly from an old, now working for some council somehwere and never really mentioned by us fans

Link to comment
Share on other sites

+1

 

With us he stood on the verge of MLT level greatness. At Arsenal he just became another fish in a pond.

 

The others mentioned, Bale, Kachlol (sic) etc are all valid but his was the one that hurt us the most.

 

And, if truth be told, probably him as well, if I recall rightly from an old, now working for some council somehwere and never really mentioned by us fans

 

And only made the B team in the greatest ever XI golden post but that's another story!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Steve William - could have achieved MLT like status, but the lure of the boyhood club was too great, shame really - but understandable at the same time.

 

More recently, probably Dean Richards although that might well be due to ill health rather than form. To be honest, I am not surprised that the likes of Gareth, Chris and Drew are no more than bit part players now. All are young - it's quite a step up to the big league so perhaps they have time to impress yet.

Edited by Micky
Link to comment
Share on other sites

But that's the point! Should he have sat on his arse with 28k or actually played regular footie with 14k and getting better in the process? Could have commanded a bigger wage later. Instead it all came to nothing.

 

I know I'd rather be playing but I guess he didn't know until he had left when he was on to a good thing. We should have tried to get him back on loan !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The words "window for a better club" was used in the OP. I think when Williams left, he had fallen out with Lawrie Mac and it was beneficial to both SW and LM that he moved on. I believe we did get a decent fee for him. It didn't work out for him at Arsenal and LM moved onto Sunderland anyway, so in hindsight not a good move. However, he may never have been the same player with us either, we will never know. We do know that we did get the SW's best years.

 

Yes,the trouble with Steve was he had a temper and was a bit of a Billy Big Bolliix,if it was not for Ossie and Bally he never would have been the player he was as they kept him in check and out of trouble with LM,when he left here he lost his "minders" and the liberal touch of LM,I was gutted when he left as he was very easy on the eye as a player and always seemed to have time on the ball used to love watching him push the ball one side of a defender and run round the other to collect the ball, Class!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agree with that but as others found the grass is not always greener elsewhere. Even Mick Channon did not really hit the heights at Man City yet came back home and had a few more very good seasons with us of course.

Rod Wallace and even Danny were two more from the 80's whose careers nose dived after leaving us. It's been the case with many players as long as I can remember.

 

 

Didn't Rod win a league title with Leeds when he went there?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...