Wilsons 2012 team v Wilders 2016 team

[8lade]

2012 (most apps) vs 2016

Simonsen ----------- Moore 0-1
Lowton -------------- Freeman 1-1
Collins --------------- O'Connell 1-2
Maguire -------------EEL 2-2
LJF/Hill/Williams -- Lafferty 2-3
Williamson --------- Fleck 3-3
McDonald --------- Coutts 3-3
Doyle -------------- Basham 3-4
Quinn -------------- Duffy 4-4
Cresswell --------- Done 4-5
Evans -------------- Sharp 5-5

The edge is with a better squad and a better manager, hopefully nobody will take a match winner like Antonio on loan. And we won't get somebody sent to prison.
Only the Blades.

 

[JohnDenver]

Simonsen, Bunn and Long all had the ability to save a short sharp shot inside the area, but give`em a cross or a long range shot to save and they froze quicker than a penguin with his socks off.

It's the difference between instinctive play and conscious decision making. I saw Simmo make a few incredible reaction stops, but as soon as his brain kicks in it's curtains. Long has the same issue, and sadly hasn't overcome it.

As for Mark Bunn it was all about shots from distance. Either his footwork or his eyesight were letting him down, but it got embarrassing.

 

[Sheffsteel]

2012 (most apps) vs 2016

Simonsen ----------- Moore 0-1
Lowton -------------- Freeman 1-1
Collins --------------- O'Connell 1-2
Maguire -------------EEL 2-2
LJF/Hill/Williams -- Lafferty 2-3
Williamson --------- Fleck 3-3
McDonald --------- Coutts 3-3
Doyle -------------- Basham 3-4
Quinn -------------- Duffy 4-4
Cresswell --------- Done 4-5
Evans -------------- Sharp 5-5

The edge is with a better squad and a better manager, hopefully nobody will take a match winner like Antonio on loan. And we won't get somebody sent to prison.
Only the Blades.

I'd say Williamson and Fleck are equal.
Williamson at his best was better (could also score) but also had off days where as Fleck is more consistent and reliable, makes the team tick better.

I'd also say Quinn and Duffy are equal.
This time I'd say Duffy at his best is better than Quinn at his best but Quinn was more combative.

I'd give McDonald the slight edge over Coutts.(even though I admit he's been excellent this season)

So I score it 5-4 to the current 2016 team.

 

[Ldn_Rd_Blades]

2012 (most apps) vs 2016

Simonsen ----------- Moore 0-1
Lowton -------------- Freeman 1-1
Collins --------------- O'Connell 1-2
Maguire -------------EEL 2-2
LJF/Hill/Williams -- Lafferty 2-3
Williamson --------- Fleck 3-3
McDonald --------- Coutts 3-3
Doyle -------------- Basham 3-4
Quinn -------------- Duffy 4-4
Cresswell --------- Done 4-5
Evans -------------- Sharp 5-5

The edge is with a better squad and a better manager, hopefully nobody will take a match winner like Antonio on loan. And we won't get somebody sent to prison.
Only the Blades.

It's got to add up to eleven

 

[BusheyBlade]

It's such bad luck when a team finishes the season with a massive points haul but still fails to be promoted because a team finishing 25 points behind knocks them out of the play-offs.

The "Blades Way".

 

[bartman]

The quality of all four teams this season is higher than 2012.

I think it will take 95 points to finish top two.

So you are saying 3rd place will get 94 points ? no chance

 

[Bayingblade]

Got to disagree - Simmonsen was a massive weak link and cost us many points that season - the main one being the 2 goals let in at BL v Pigs when we were 2.0 up letting their physicality beat him . There were many other examples where he let in soft goals that cost us

I still shudder when I think about the Oldham game where he not only conspired to lose us that game but the following game at Walsall, played with a makeshift back 4 because of his incompetence against Oldham!!

 

[true99blade]

It's hard to pick out which team is 'better'. I feel this team and manager would've surpassed the 2012 squad in their shoes. But for me the manager plays the highest role in this; Wilder's style over Wilson's style any day. Say, if Wilder now would have been in charge of the team Wilson managed I reckon the pushover factor would have been a lot less visible. I can't imagine Wilder would've put up with Simmo, as much as he improved over the season... gradually... he cost us points that were, in hindsight, vital. Games like Oldham and Walsall wouldn't have been lost, we would have beaten the filth, can't imagine Wycombe would have turned us over at their place and the list goes on.
As much as some might not like this, Wilson fucked up in the end. With that squad of players, it had to be 2nd at the very least. Obviously factors went against him, but too many games slipped away from us before the final nail in the coffin. This current team will be more effective I reckon, but both teams are good in what they set out to do and how to play, Wilson was just too weak of a manager for us, in albeit strict and harsh hindsight.

 

[nicksufc]

So five years ago Tranmere were above Bournemouth...

The mind boggles.

I'm looking forward to being above Bournemouth in five years...

Probably after they come tumbling down to League One...

 

[nicksufc]

The 2012 team was much better, just handicapped by an abysmal keeper and an average manager. Our midfield then was easily Championship class (Williamson-Doyle-McDonald-Quinn) and in fact three of them left for the Championship shortly afterwards. Not sure you could say the same now. And I think the Evans of that season was probably better than Sharp, he would rip teams apart almost single-handedly.

 

[8lade]

It's got to add up to eleven

There was a draw, Williamson v Fleck. Fleck is probably the better all round player but I just couldn't ignore a midfielder who gets over 10 goals in a season.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

I think if you put out a best of both team it would look something like


------------------------Moore


Lowton-----Maguire---Ebanks Landell----Lafferty*


Williamson----McDonald—Fleck-----Quinn


---------------------Evans---Sharp


*- torn between LJF and Lafferty


I make that 5 from this team and 6 from the 2012 team. But I think most of the subs would be made up from this team (Coutts, JOC, Clarke, Chapman, Duffy, Freeman etc. being better than Doyle, Collins, Flynn, O’Halloran, Cresswell etc.) which supports the assertion of the OP that the first 11 of that season was probably slightly better but the squad as a whole is stronger this time and less reliant on a select few players.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

I think the standard is not that much different and much like then it seems 4 will pull away Bolton, Scunny, Bradford and us.

I sincerely hope that unlike then it's not another 90 odd point haul that goes unrewarded.

As regards like for like -

This team has a better keeper
This team has the better defence
This midfield is better
Their strike force is probably equal

Which players from 2012 would you like to have in this team?

For me:

Maguire
McDonald
Williamson
Evans.

No chance with the first 3 but the last one is a possibility?

 

[BushBlade]

Which players from 2012 would you like to have in this team?

For me:

Maguire
McDonald
Williamson
Evans.

No chance with the first 3 but the last one is a possibility?

Those plus Quinn and Lowton.

 

[Kop Cat]

5 points worse off
View attachment 20855

Looking at that table just see the contrasting fortunes in 5 years of Bournemouth (16th) and Tranmere (8th), how quickly things can lift off or go breasts upwards.