*Official* English Football Season 2015-16

[GIMH]

No, Italy in 1990's was where to go. It was THE league to play in, no ifs, no buts. It's standing was beyond the Prem now, or Barca/Real. Its the league that had Gullit, van Basten, Voller, Rijkaard, Maradona, Klinsmann, Matthaus, Brehme, Papin, Hassler all went to....Bear in mind also that each team was limited to 3 foreign players, so for :Lazio to spend £8.5m on an injured Gazza in 91 (remember, Utd broke the British transfer record by signing Andy Cole for £7m in 95....), that shows how much they valued his talents.

80's Gazza was just something else, watching him play for Newcastle is still genuinely exciting nearly 30 years later. There's a youtube video of his goals knocking about and its spectacular. As others have eluded to, there's so little pre-92 footage of English players its criminal, so we only remember Platt at Arsenal, Gazza rolling around at 'Boro, Waddle with Sheffield Wednesday, Linekar as a mythical toe-bunger from days of yore. These were truely world class players, and Gazza was the cream of them. Come Euro 96 the Gazza we saw was probably about 50% the Gazza of the 80's. There's a reason why Fergie still to this day says he's the player he's truely gutted about missing out on, he was natural talent in abundance.

Sorry, but Gerrard isn't fit to lace his boots, and neither is Scholes really. In English football the only person I could possibly put above him in sheer electric skill on the pitch is Best.

In natural ability sure, but it's the old Botham story isn't it? Gerrard and Scholes may or may not have been fit to lace his boots but you'd trust them more to do the job, because Gazza is, well, Gazza. Sad but true.

Anyone see that Shearer documentary about Euro 96 by the way? I absolutely loved it. Broke my heart all over again.

 

[grecian]

No, Italy in 1990's was where to go. It was THE league to play in, no ifs, no buts. It's standing was beyond the Prem now, or Barca/Real. Its the league that had Gullit, van Basten, Voller, Rijkaard, Maradona, Klinsmann, Matthaus, Brehme, Papin, Hassler all went to....Bear in mind also that each team was limited to 3 foreign players, so for :Lazio to spend £8.5m on an injured Gazza in 91 (remember, Utd broke the British transfer record by signing Andy Cole for £7m in 95....), that shows how much they valued his talents.

80's Gazza was just something else, watching him play for Newcastle is still genuinely exciting nearly 30 years later. There's a youtube video of his goals knocking about and its spectacular. As others have eluded to, there's so little pre-92 footage of English players its criminal, so we only remember Platt at Arsenal, Gazza rolling around at 'Boro, Waddle with Sheffield Wednesday, Linekar as a mythical toe-bunger from days of yore. These were truely world class players, and Gazza was the cream of them. Come Euro 96 the Gazza we saw was probably about 50% the Gazza of the 80's. There's a reason why Fergie still to this day says he's the player he's truely gutted about missing out on, he was natural talent in abundance.

Sorry, but Gerrard isn't fit to lace his boots, and neither is Scholes really. In English football the only person I could possibly put above him in sheer electric skill on the pitch is Best.

Agree with most of that, except Waddle was pretty peak early days for Wednesday, POTY in England, after being brilliant for Marseille (voted the second best player of the 20th Century for them). Graham Taylor preferred Andy Sinton and Tony Daley though, so that was a good move. Was all a bit downhill 1995 onwards.

 

[grecian]

Yeah if you do a composite 04/96 team you are spoiled for choice in the midfield. I choose 04 because i think that's the tournament the Golden Generation played its best football in, which does rid me of Ferdinand as an option unfortunately.

I'll have a go

Seaman

G Neville
Adams
Terry
Cole

Beckham
Ince
Gerrard
McManaman

Rooney
Shearer

That was way harder than I thought

Campbell should be in there? Probably the better CB over Terry circa 04. But **** it

Gerrard over Gascoigne I went back and forth over. Ultimately it was Furball that clinched it for me. Gerrard was always maligned as being not as good for country as club, but with an Ince next to him that wouldn't have been true. And I rated his England career anyway. Did Liverpool ever play them two together? Ince was spent by then anyway. Scholes is unfortunate too; I've no wish to reignite that debate, so let's all agree to disagree on that one in advance.

I fully expected to pick Owen but I remembered Rooney in those Euros. Shearer should have come out of retirement for it (he'd had a great season) and we could have had him coming on instead of Darius Vassell

Anyway I'd probably do it differently tomorrow. The centre backs and midfield are the ones troubling me most.

Yeah, that defence needs a Campbell or a Ferdinand or else it's really slow. Oh and McManaman obviously nowhere near it. In fact I'd probably go 5-3-2, And play both Sol and Rio with Adams with Beckham as wing-back, and Pearce on the other side (actually should be Cole, but I can't bring myself to pick that **** over a legend).

Scholes-Gerrard-Gascoigne, with Sheringham and Shearer up-front.

 

[Furball]

No, Italy in 1990's was where to go. It was THE league to play in, no ifs, no buts. It's standing was beyond the Prem now, or Barca/Real. Its the league that had Gullit, van Basten, Voller, Rijkaard, Maradona, Klinsmann, Matthaus, Brehme, Papin, Hassler all went to....Bear in mind also that each team was limited to 3 foreign players, so for :Lazio to spend £8.5m on an injured Gazza in 91 (remember, Utd broke the British transfer record by signing Andy Cole for £7m in 95....), that shows how much they valued his talents.

80's Gazza was just something else, watching him play for Newcastle is still genuinely exciting nearly 30 years later. There's a youtube video of his goals knocking about and its spectacular. As others have eluded to, there's so little pre-92 footage of English players its criminal, so we only remember Platt at Arsenal, Gazza rolling around at 'Boro, Waddle with Sheffield Wednesday, Linekar as a mythical toe-bunger from days of yore. These were truely world class players, and Gazza was the cream of them. Come Euro 96 the Gazza we saw was probably about 50% the Gazza of the 80's. There's a reason why Fergie still to this day says he's the player he's truely gutted about missing out on, he was natural talent in abundance.

Sorry, but Gerrard isn't fit to lace his boots, and neither is Scholes really. In English football the only person I could possibly put above him in sheer electric skill on the pitch is Best.

Didn't Ferguson make a move for him the summer he ended up going to Rangers? Or was he trying to sign him around about the time that he went to Spurs?

On the lack of footage point, part of that will be down to how many of the best English players didn't actually play in England during the late 80s/early 90s - Lineker spent a couple of seasons at Barcelona, Waddle was at Marseille, Hoddle at Monaco, Gascoigne spent 6 years at Lazio then Rangers, Butcher, Stevens, Steven and Woods were all at Rangers (with Steven having a season at Marseille to replace Waddle), Platt had 4 years at Bari, Juventus and Sampdoria, Hateley spent the best part of a decade at AC Milan, Monaco and Rangers, Des Walker went to Sampdoria...just seems unthinkable now.

 

[Furball]

Even in the 90s, where Serie A was the top league and had the money it still wouldn't rival a move during the 00s/10s to Real or Barca - or even the 90s, let's be real.

Imagine actually believing moving to Lazio was equal

. As I said, really good player, but clearly overrated.

Why didn't Real or Barca try and sign Gerrard?

All of the top Italian clubs of the day - that's Juve, AC, Inter, Parma, Lazio, Roma, Napoli and Sampdoria, for the record - were loaded and fighting over a select band of world class players. The reason Gascoigne ended up at Lazio over an AC Milan or Juventus was entirely down to the 3 foreigners rule.

And he wound up back at the biggest club in Britain at the time when he left Italy.

 

[Pothas]

Yeah, that defence needs a Campbell or a Ferdinand or else it's really slow. Oh and McManaman obviously nowhere near it. In fact I'd probably go 5-3-2, And play both Sol and Rio with Adams with Beckham as wing-back, and Pearce on the other side (actually should be Cole, but I can't bring myself to pick that **** over a legend).

Scholes-Gerrard-Gascoigne, with Sheringham and Shearer up-front.

That actually sounds pretty great, maybe with early Rooney in for Sheringham. Or Owen for that matter.

 

[Furball]

Seaman

Neville
Ferdinand
Campbell
Cole

Ince
Platt
Gascoigne

McManaman
Scholes

Shearer

Also contemplated Owen but the likes of Platt and Gascoigne would be wasted with Owen rather than Shearer holding it up. Scholes basically takes the Sheringham role from Euro 96 and Gascoigne and McManaman are given free reign to take the ball to feet and run at players.

 

[grecian]

If we're specifically talking1996-2004, it could be argued that really Platt, Gascoigne and Pearce were probably past their best, think if you included 1990, then Gascoigne and Pearce are definite, and Platt much better chance for the ones that survived from 90.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Admittedly, I didn't see Gazza in the 80s as I was too young but I remember the 90s fairly well and especially his transfer to Italy and onwards pretty clearly. And yeah, it's pretty clear to me his standout ability was his vision and particularly when carrying the ball. I'd say most people would say the same as well, especially in comparison to the 00s midfielders.

You live in Australia, yeah? Where were you watching these Gazza games? Football barely existed on TV here in the 90's.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Also in slightly more relevant news, pls Aubameyang, pls.

 

[grecian]

You live in Australia, yeah? Where were you watching these Gazza games? Football barely existed on TV here in the 90's.

I gave up answering him, sometimes you can tell someones stretching so much it's like an audition for the Fantastic Four.

 

[cpr]

Agree with most of that, except Waddle was pretty peak early days for Wednesday, POTY in England, after being brilliant for Marseille (voted the second best player of the 20th Century for them). Graham Taylor preferred Andy Sinton and Tony Daley though, so that was a good move. Was all a bit downhill 1995 onwards.

Aye, he was good when he returned, no doubt, but how much footage do you see of 92/93 season (bar Alan Cork running around in the FA Cup semi looking rather like a homeless man), there's little appreciation for his ability from those reviewing the premier league era because he was tucked away in the bottom corner

Didn't Ferguson make a move for him the summer he ended up going to Rangers? Or was he trying to sign him around about the time that he went to Spurs?

When he went to Spurs, old adage goes (and this is one Fergie's put in his books) that Gazza was all but signed, only for the deal to fall through at the last minute because Spurs rang him up and offered to buy his family a house in London too, and swung him that way.

 

[grecian]

Aye, he was good when he returned, no doubt, but how much footage do you see of 92/93 season (bar Alan Cork running around in the FA Cup semi looking rather like a homeless man), there's little appreciation for his ability from those reviewing the premier league era because he was tucked away in the bottom corner



When he went to Spurs, old adage goes (and this is one Fergie's put in his books) that Gazza was all but signed, only for the deal to fall through at the last minute because Spurs rang him up and offered to buy his family a house in London too, and swung him that way.

Well it would have been interesting to see if Fergie could have curbed his self-destructive tendencies, a move to London never really a great move in that way.

OH BTW in my efforts of just writing nonsense that would make no sense to me 20 years ago :

I see from Instagram Madonnas adopted African son is a Spurs fan

 

[GIMH]

Yeah, that defence needs a Campbell or a Ferdinand or else it's really slow. Oh and McManaman obviously nowhere near it. In fact I'd probably go 5-3-2, And play both Sol and Rio with Adams with Beckham as wing-back, and Pearce on the other side (actually should be Cole, but I can't bring myself to pick that **** over a legend).

Scholes-Gerrard-Gascoigne, with Sheringham and Shearer up-front.

Love that midfield, especially with three centre backs, but Beckham at wing back does not appeal to me.

 

[GIMH]

And he wound up back at the biggest club in Britain at the time when he left Italy.

Reckon you're pushing it there. A few years earlier sure.

 

[Furball]

Well it would have been interesting to see if Fergie could have curbed his self-destructive tendencies, a move to London never really a great move in that way.

OH BTW in my efforts of just writing nonsense that would make no sense to me 20 years ago :

I see from Instagram Madonnas adopted African son is a Spurs fan

Reckon Ferguson would've had no bother with Gascoigne, Walter Smith got him playing some of his best football and the two of them were quite similar characters. Ferguson had no problem managing self destructive characters like Cantona and Keane either.

 

[Uppercut]

Love that midfield, especially with three centre backs, but Beckham at wing back does not appeal to me.

I think he'd have been a great wing back. Don't like 5-3-2 generally though. If Hodgson moved to it now I'd be wondering wtf he was up to, even if it was the only way to get all his best players in.

 

[GIMH]

Think we tried Beckham at wing back in a qualifier one time didn't we?

 

[sledger]

Yeah, I think so. I think the general consensus at the time was that he didn't really have the pace for it.

IIRC there were a few games where he was tried in the center as well, but nothing much really came of that either.

 

[Spikey]

hang on hang on

Shearer should have come out of retirement for it (he'd had a great season) and we could have had him coming on instead of Darius Vassell

how dare you