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Saints Greatest XI - Your Views and Opinions


St Landrew

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What do you think..?

 

A-Team

 

Manager: Lawrie McMenemy

 

GK: Peter Shilton

 

RB: Ivan Golac

CB: Mark Wright

CB: Michael Svensson

LB: Wayne Bridge

 

RM: Terry Paine

CM: Alan Ball ©

CM: Matthew Le Tissier

LM: David Armstrong

 

RS: Mick Channon

LS: Ron Davies

 

Subs

GK: Tim Flowers

DF: Ken Monkou

MF: Rod Wallace

ST: Steve Moran

UP: Nick Holmes

 

B-Team

 

Manager: Ted Bates

 

GK: Antti Niemi

 

RB: Jason Dodd

CB: Claus Lundekvam

CB: Dave Watson

LB: Mark Dennis

 

RM: Danny Wallace

CM: Steve Williams

CM: Jimmy Case ©

LM: Chris Marsden

 

RS: Kevin Keegan

LS: Marian Pahars

 

Subs

GK: Kelvin Davis

DF: Mick Mills

MF: Ronnie Ekelund

ST: Alan Shearer

UP: Peter Osgood

 

You can find the previous thread and all Saints Greatest XI threads here: http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=9682

 

P.S. Note Best SFC Captain thread started by Ladysaint. That thread is now closed. Thanks go to Ladysaint for remembering that Captains are required in football teams.

Edited by St Landrew
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I reckon the B team will do the A team for pace.

 

But will be absolutely a*se raped when when they have to defend a set piece.

 

My first choice FWIW would be:

 

Niemi

 

Golac - Killer - Richards - Bridge

 

Paine - MLT - Oakley - CMFG

 

Channon - Moran

 

 

Subs: Shilton, Claus, Ball, Tessem, Pahars

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But will be absolutely a*se raped when when they have to defend a set piece.

 

My first choice FWIW would be:

 

Niemi

 

Golac - Killer - Richards - Bridge

 

Paine - MLT - Oakley - CMFG

 

Channon - Moran

 

 

Subs: Shilton, Claus, Ball, Oakley, Pahars

 

Oh boy, that shows your youth. No Nick Holmes anywhere in the line up..? Perhaps you needed him to replace either one of your Oakleys. ;)

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Oh boy, that shows your youth. No Nick Holmes anywhere in the line up..? Perhaps you needed him to replace either one of your Oakleys. ;)

 

Aagh, thought I'd taken Oakley out and put Ball in. Sh*t now I need someone else on the bench. F**k it, it's late, Tessem (I know there were thousands of better players running around in Saints shirts before I was born).

 

And yes, youth indeed. ;) I never saw Channon, Golac or Moran play live either. I'm just going by the stories on here and er... youtube, you can't really leave them out. :D

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But will be absolutely a*se raped when when they have to defend a set piece.

 

My first choice FWIW would be:

 

Niemi

 

Golac - Killer - Richards - Bridge

 

Paine - MLT - Oakley - CMFG

 

Channon - Moran

 

 

Subs: Shilton, Claus, Ball, Oakley, Pahars

 

How old are you? i only ask as you rate Oakley higher than Ball, Case and Williams and prefer Marsden(decent player btw) to Dave Armstrong?

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I reckon the B team will do the A team for pace.

 

You ARE joking, surely?

 

Golac, Bridge, Paine, Channon and Moran could all beat any in the B team - and Armstrong was a lot quicker than he looked (his intelligent reading of the game meant he didn't normally have to rush, but he could get from getting a shot in, to clearing a ball off the line before you'd even notice he'd moved).

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Well done St L for running this, and for putting up with those who couldn't understand the rules/were purposefully being awkward.

 

Given the age range of the users of this forum I am pleased that so many players from the 70s/80s are included.

 

Mind you, I am totally surprised that CMFG, Jason Dodd and Marians were selected in starting 11s.

 

FWIW my A and B Teams, using these players, would read:

 

A-Team

 

Manager: Ted Bates

 

GK: Tim Flowers

 

RB: Ivan Golac

CB: Mark Wright

CB: Michael Svensson

LB: Wayne Bridge

 

RM: Terry Paine

CM: Alan Ball (Capt)

CM: Matthew Le Tissier

LM: David Armstrong

 

RS: Mick Channon

LS: Ron Davies

 

Subs

GK: Antti Niemi

DF: Ken Monkou

MF: Chris Marsden

ST: Alan Shearer

UP: Nick Holmes

 

B-Team

 

Manager: Lawrie Mac

 

GK: Peter Shilton

 

RB: Mick Mills

CB: Claus Lundekvam

CB: Dave Watson

LB: Mark Dennis

 

RM: Danny Wallace

CM: Steve Williams

CM: Jimmy Case (Capt)

LM: Rod Wallace

 

RS: Kevin Keegan

LS: Steve Moran

 

Subs

GK: Kelvin Davis

DF: Jason Dodd

MF: Ronnie Ekelund

ST: Marians Pahars

UP: Peter Osgood

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Armstrong was a lot quicker than he looked (his intelligent reading of the game meant he didn't normally have to rush, but he could get from getting a shot in, to clearing a ball off the line before you'd even notice he'd moved).

 

Agreed. I always thought David Armstrong was hugely underrated. We all know that he was considered the second best midfielder in England after Bryan Robson, and so never had an extended England career. For my money though he was more of an all round player than Robson, and easily England material [3 caps only]. He was an old fashioned schemer; a great maker of goals. He was brilliant at being in the right place at the right time. He perfected the arriving late into the box run. His passing was practically Le Tissier accurate, and he always supported the attack by putting in his own share of goals from midfield. Although he was left-sided, he practised hard so his right peg didn't just stop him from falling over.

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3 comments:

 

1. The only obvious omission from the A team, for me, is Steve Williams, whom I think was the best midfielder for Saints in the last 40 years (and played for the best part of 10 years).

 

2. Kelvin Davis appearing as one of our best 4 keepers ever is a complete farce - virtually every regular keeper we've had over the last 40 years - and some irregular ones - have been better.

 

3. Thanks for organising it. It's been a lot of fun and brought back some memories of great players.

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Didn't Matt Mills leave us for Man City having not got enough first team chances? It's a bit ridiculous to put him up there in the B team just because Birmingham are willing to chance a few million on him.

 

Matt Mills barely played a f*cking game for us. This just goes to show what a sham this whole rigged poll has been. :mad:

 

What a couple of pathetic idiots you people are. Frankly, I'm surprised at you Buzzin'. Was it you that dreamed that little idea up..? :smt082

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Thanks for pulling this together St Landrew; it has been a very welcome and interesting football related diversion in recent weeks.

 

Agreed well done St Landrew, I've enjoyed picking my best players and it has been a great diversion to the normal A la carte that has been served on here recently.

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Ekelund plays 17games or so and gets in one of the squads! Mental, its probably the Cruyff-WGS story that swung that one

 

It was Cruyff - Ball actually.

 

Ekelund didn't play for us for long but I can understand people voting for him, he was a class act.

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Didn't Matt Mills leave us for Man City having not got enough first team chances? It's a bit ridiculous to put him up there in the B team just because Birmingham are willing to chance a few million on him.

 

Matt Mills barely played a f*cking game for us. This just goes to show what a sham this whole rigged poll has been. :mad:

 

Where's Shayne Bradley?

 

You make me sick, you pathetic idiots. How dare you drag the good name of this club and the best players this club has ever seen into the mud. I don't often ask for bannings, but surely the mods and admin can consider banning these three idiots.

 

Shame on you.

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Great thread.

 

The only one's I'd disagree with were Bridge ahead of Dennis and I'd have tried to find a place in the first team for Stevie Williams. He and Bally together were the best midfield pairing I've seen at the Club.Although who I'd leave out for him, it's impossible to decide.

 

If we came back and did the same thing in 20 years, this would still be the same team. Anyone who could get anywhere near it, will be sold before they reach the required peak.

 

Just take a minute to think about the fantastic players that couldn't even make either team.

 

Some of us 40+ are lucky enough to have seen most of them play,and as bad as things are now, Lowe can not take that away from us........

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Great thread.

 

The only one's I'd disagree with were Bridge ahead of Dennis and I'd have tried to find a place in the first team for Stevie Williams. He and Bally together were the best midfield pairing I've seen at the Club.Although who I'd leave out for him, it's impossible to decide.

 

If we came back and did the same thing in 20 years, this would still be the same team. Anyone who could get anywhere near it, will be sold before they reach the required peak.

 

Just take a minute to think about the fantastic players that couldn't even make either team.

 

Some of us 40+ are lucky enough to have seen most of them play,and as bad as things are now, Lowe can not take that away from us........

 

Yes I agree, Dennis was a better defender than Bridge...and Williams with Ball was superb. Can someone work out how many players Lowe has had any involvement with, in the two teams...and Ted and LMc? Which were bought,discovered etc., and by whom? Lowe =Niemi and?

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Bridge ahead of Dennis surprises me. Dodd ahead of Mills - have a word!!!

Kelvin Davis - yeah right!!!

Shearer didn't do much for Saints really.... I expect he's be in the Blackburn and Newcastle best XI's

Chris Marsen or John Sydenham... tough one.. not

 

That I'm afraid is due to the fact those voting are of the younger age group with no real knowledge of things before perhaps 1995 or in some cases pre St Marys.

 

I agree with you that the selection of Bridge - who has spent the 'best years' of his career as a Chelsea reserve - ahead of Dennis or David Peach is ridiculous.

 

Marsden,popular yes,but as you say not better than Sydenham as long as he had a hole in his arse.

 

Kelvin ? Ridiculous.

 

Managers.Only Ted should lead our greats.

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Good one St Landrew

Inevitably some of the more recent players get in ahead of some of the older players where there is not an absloute legend available, that reflects probably on the make-up of the subscribers to this board.

 

My only gripes (now I'll show my age) are the lack of spaces for Dave Peach (best LB ever) and Phil Boyer who should have at least made the bench. Bridge may be good, but he couldn't hold a candle to Peachey.

 

Ball and Williams also should be together, the sum of the parts was far better than the individuals, both great, but together one of the best midfield pairings ever.

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Good one St Landrew

Inevitably some of the more recent players get in ahead of some of the older players where there is not an absloute legend available, that reflects probably on the make-up of the subscribers to this board.

 

My only gripes (now I'll show my age) are the lack of spaces for Dave Peach (best LB ever) and Phil Boyer who should have at least made the bench. Bridge may be good, but he couldn't hold a candle to Peachey.

 

Ball and Williams also should be together, the sum of the parts was far better than the individuals, both great, but together one of the best midfield pairings ever.

 

FWIW, I entirely agree with you. But it's too much to ask for complete accord amongst a diverse age range of fans. On the main website we'll be having some player profiles and memories of those picked, and the near misses too. So hopefully, by the end of Saints Greatest XI, players like Phil Boyer, David Peach, Martin Chivers, etc... maybe even completely overlooked stars like Charlie George and Ted MacDougall, won't be just a myth to the younger supporters, as they wonder what the hell the older ones amongst us are going on about.

:smt115

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Just a few thoughts....

I seem to remember Malcolm Waldren winning the player of the season in the early eighties - does he warrant a mention? Also Beasant had one season with us when he won the same award and I thought he was absolutely oustanding. I do not have the player of the season list but we always seemed to get it about right.

 

Neil Ruddock scored goals and had a good couple of seasons.

 

Hassan Kachoul was oustanding in the great escape year. Carlton Palmer too was monumental about this time.

 

From a tactician's perspective it might be useful to have Crouch on the bench

 

Two of the best players I have seen in a Saints shirt but would not neccessarily want in my team were Eyal Berkovic and Henri Camara. Are we going on quality?

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Just a few thoughts....

I seem to remember Malcolm Waldren winning the player of the season in the early eighties - does he warrant a mention? Also Beasant had one season with us when he won the same award and I thought he was absolutely oustanding. I do not have the player of the season list but we always seemed to get it about right.

 

Neil Ruddock scored goals and had a good couple of seasons.

 

Hassan Kachoul was oustanding in the great escape year. Carlton Palmer too was monumental about this time.

 

From a tactician's perspective it might be useful to have Crouch on the bench

 

Two of the best players I have seen in a Saints shirt but would not neccessarily want in my team were Eyal Berkovic and Henri Camara. Are we going on quality?

 

We've just spent the last couple of months voting on who were the best players in our opinion. It's a bit late to enter the race when it's already over. Sorry mate.

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No room for Pele, Best, Charlton or Moore.

 

Bloody hell we must be good!!!

 

I'm disapointed Steve Williams didn't get in the first team though. Probably my all time favourite player.

 

Of course no Pele in WBA, no Leon Best, no Charlton players(Euell, Perry) and no Kevin Moore.

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Let's not forget that we have had 7 England Captains ( I reckon) playing for Saints.. Must include them surely. That does include MTL captaining the B Side for about 10 minutes though.. My Team..

 

Shilton

 

Mick Mills

Mark Wright

Dave Watson

Wayne Bridge

 

Alan Ball

Matt Le Tissier

Kevin Keegan

David Armstrong

 

Channon

Alan Shearer

 

Subs..

Ron Davies, Charlie George, Michael Svensson, Klaus Lundekvam, Jimmy Case

 

 

 

What a Team

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I am very surprised that Steve Williams did not make even the bench for the first eleven.

The guy was a magnificent footballer, who surprisingly never hit the expected levels when

he played for Arsenal.[Although George Graham did seem to mess him around alot].

However saying all that it would be very difficult to leave out the three superstars

and David Armstrong[who provided the left foot and the midfield balance].

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I am very surprised that Steve Williams did not make even the bench for the first eleven.

 

The way the poll worked meant that it was better to be in the second XI than on the bench for the first - the subs were chosen out of the ones who didn't make either team.

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