Worse Than 98/99 ?

[paulwantsapint]

Rewind to mid dec Season 98/99

Saints in deep sh1t relegation was certain

Only 2 wins 10 points

Wimbeldon at home 19 dec major injury crisis whole 11 man team (without any left footed defenders anywhere only a young winger named Bridge) missing only kids/ reserves left saints had to win 30 points to stay up

8 home wins

1 away win

2 home draws

2 away draws

stayed up by 5 points

 

this time we have a far better base to build from but that season proved that with belief the team can drag themselves upwards

[Gully]

That home run was awesome.

[St Chalet]

Which of our current squad would get in that team?

[Faz]

Scott Bevan

Paul Jones

Neil Moss

Michael Stensgård

 

Francis Benali

Patrick Colleter

Jason Dodd

Richard Dryden

Scott Hiley

Claus Lundekvam [/b]

Scott Marshall

Ken Monkou

Lee Todd

Philip Warner

John Beresford

Wayne Bridge

Kevin Gibbens

David Howells

David Hughes

Hassan Kachloul

Matthew Le Tissier

Chris Marsden

Matthew Oakley

Stuart Ripley

Andrew Williams

Steve Basham

James Beattie

David Hirst

Mark Hughes

Egil Ostenstad

Marian Pahars

Mark Paul

Dani Rodriguez

 

We may have had a better team, but would you want any of those highlighted in our current squad?

[Ponty]

Yes.

[Ponty]

Moss, Ripley & Kachloul for three.

[saint1977]

Moss, Ripley & Kachloul for three.

 

Agree and I'd add Colleter, Hiley and even Howells and David Hughes to that as well. Ripley wasn't my idea of a Saints player but the bloke was a PL regular for many years. Hassan was a super free transfer signing, great memories of the Fez's at Selhurst. Colleter's attitude stank but he'd walk into this side, Hiley was a steady RB and we badly need one of those and Howells had no knees left but would have done a job at this level even so. David Hughes was a real shame - lots of ability and a cracking goal at QPR but he wasn't called the bionic man for nothing!

[Faz]

Agree and I'd add Colleter, Hiley and even Howells and David Hughes to that as well. Ripley wasn't my idea of a Saints player but the bloke was a PL regular for many years. Hassan was a super free transfer signing, great memories of the Fez's at Selhurst. Colleter's attitude stank but he'd walk into this side, Hiley was a steady RB and we badly need one of those and Howells had no knees left but would have done a job at this level even so. David Hughes was a real shame - lots of ability and a cracking goal at QPR but he wasn't called the bionic man for nothing!

 

Ripley I'll give you, and maybe Kashfool, but are you saying Moss was better than Davies? And the questionwas, would you have them in this side - are you sure you'd want Colleter, regardless of ability. You've got to be joking on Hiley and an injured David Howells. David Hughes is a could 'ave been'.

[saint1977]

Ripley I'll give you, and maybe Kashfool, but are you saying Moss was better than Davies? And the questionwas, would you have them in this side - are you sure you'd want Colleter, regardless of ability. You've got to be joking on Hiley and an injured David Howells. David Hughes is a could 'ave been'.

 

Didn't say anywhere that Moss is/was better than Davis, just that he wasn't the worst keeper I'd ever seen and would at least get on the bench. Hiley was a steady RB, not PL standard maybe but I don't remember him embarassing himself or us either and he'd have to be an improvement on Lloyd James. This would free Lloyd to R/M where he would be in my first XI. Colleter was a LB and would do a better job than young Mills who has genuine potential but it's a lot to ask him to be our regular LB in this situation. How much was Colleter's goal V Charlton worth in 98/99? Granted, he was a waste of space under Hoddle but he was 33/34 when we signed him on a free so he did what we needed him to. Great fight with the Notts Forest coaching staff too!

 

Howells and Hughes we'll never know but Hughes did well when fit and was only on a fringe wage, Howells was playing top flight football for more than a decade, we didn't see the best of him bar his goal at Highbury but he couldn't have been a total mug for that time.