Best XI since 1991

[Jan Age]

Here goes

GK - Alan Kelly - class every time he played could have easily moved on but didn't
RWB - Vas Borbokis - class and with an eye for goal
CB - Phil Jagielka - A Rolls Royce of a player
CB - Chris Morgan - Rock Solid
CB - Sean Murphy - Fearless and commanding centre back
LWB - Wayne Quinn - outstanding for us in his short time
CM - Dane Whitehouse - Mr 100% full of energy and running
CM - Stuart McCall - a pleasure to watch and pulled the strings in midfield
CM - Michael Brown - best goal scoring midefielder in my time also liked a tackle
FWD - Jan Fjortoft - Exceptional player and technically gifted
FWD - Brian Deane - Powerhouse of a striker full of running

Subs
GK - Simon Tracey
RWB - Kieron Freeman
CB - Paul Mcgrath
MD - Mark Patterson
FWD - Marcus Bent (the original one)
FWD - Billy Sharp

For the subs I tried to go with players who could offer something different from the bench. Apart from Tracey who can count himself unlucky not to be number 1.

 

[Silent Blade]

Simon Tracey

Kyle Walker Harry Maguire Phil Jagielka David Unsworth

Michael Tonge Michael Brown John Fleck Dane Whitehouse

Glyn Hodges

Brian Deane

 

[Ricky]

I see what you've tried to do here, but you've failed.

You see that it's just supposed to be random mixture who wouldn't be considered for our best team?

 

[ChuntyMalone]

I'm surprised at Hulse's name coming up a number of times. I thought he was pretty average. I'd probably go as far as to say I preferred Jon Stead.

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

I'm surprised at Hulse's name coming up a number of times. I thought he was pretty average. I'd probably go as far as to say I preferred Jon Stead.

Hulse being fit for the full season would have changed the last decade.

 

[Booker4]

One of each from me as a start-
GK - Kelly
Defender - Morgan
Mid - Fleck
Striker - Sharp

Sorry mate but as good as Sharp is I'd have James Beattie and Brian Deane ahead if him. Jan-Aage would be right up there too, as would Sharp don't get me wrong. Jagielka, Kelly, Deane, Beattie, Brown and Walker are certainties for most surely!? Agana was on the way down in 91 sadly, due to injuries. Fleck is my view is the most likely to feature in a best of XI.

My first 11 would be as follows:

1 Kelly
2 Walker
3 Unsworth - not my favourite Blade in the world but in my view was better than Nilsen, when Unsworth played in the promotions season.
4 Cahill - if not loan players than Harry, although JOC runs him very close and a mention to Morgs and Holdsworth
5 Jagielka
6 Fleck
7 Devlin
8 Brown
9 Beattie
10 Deane
11 Whitehouse

 

[HuddersfieldBlade]

A difficult one and a question where you probably have to ignore the league we were in at the time and put them in on performances also.

Mine would be;

Kelly
------
Borbokis
Jagielka
Morgan
Nielsen
-----
Ndlovu
Brown
Fleck
Whitehouse
----
Deane
Beattie or Sharp

Would have gone with these players too

 

[Ricky]

How about this?


- - - - - - - - - - - - - Kelly - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - Maguire McGrath Jagielka - - - - - - - - -

Walker - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Whitehouse
- - - - - - - - - - - - -McCall - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - Brown - - - - - - - - - Fleck - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - Deane - - - - Evans - - - - - - - - - - -

 

[cooperblade]

Tracey
Walker Maguire Jagielka Whitehouse
Bradshaw Brown Tonge Hodges
Deane Evans

 

[snootyfenooty]

Too many going for Walker on the strength of the player he is now rather than the player he was for us. Naughton was better than Walker at the time, as BushBlade has already mentioned, yet he doesn't get a mention. Same goes for Harry, he did OK for us but most of his games were in L1. I don't think I've seen the best XI for us posted yet, apart from my selection of course.

 

[Bergen Blade]

Surprised you've got Maguire in there. Morgan or Gayle much better imo. Harry only played in the 3rd tier.

Up front, I'd have Hulse, Beattie and Fjortoft ahead of Sharp

Brian Gayle was my favourite player, and Morgan obviously did well for us, but there's no coincidence that it is Maguire who's about to be sold for a huge sum. That ability was already showing when he played for us.

I think those strikers are all better than Sharp, but they didn't stay too long and ultimately they didn't help us achieve much, which reduces the fondness for them.

 

[Bergen Blade]

Too many going for Walker on the strength of the player he is now rather than the player he was for us. Naughton was better than Walker at the time, as BushBlade has already mentioned, yet he doesn't get a mention. Same goes for Harry, he did OK for us but most of his games were in L1. I don't think I've seen the best XI for us posted yet, apart from my selection of course.

I don't agree with that. I predicted Walker would be playing for England based on his first few performances for us, he had it all.

 

[grafikhaus]

I don't agree with that. I predicted Walker would be playing for England based on his first few performances for us, he had it all.

Absolutely. Kyle Walker played his 5th game for us in the 2009 play-off final v Burnley. Some mates who hadn't gone asked me 'who had stood out for the Blades?' I replied 'Walker. He's the real deal.'

Bur Bergen has tossed us a live hand-grenade here and an almost-impossible task. Nobody's mentioned him, but 'cometh the hour, cometh the man', Neil Shipperley. He'd be in nobody's 'best-ever' but he came in and did a job at exactly the right time. As did Leon Clarke last season. With six games left, I (and I suspect most others) would have binned him off. However 6 goals from those last 6 games took us over the line.

 

[Booker4]

For me it's not just about who were the better players, but also

• time spent at the club
• their importance on the team
• team's success, including which level they played at
• ability > work rate
• being a youth player is a positive

So far I've got:

Alan Kelly

Kyle Walker Harry Maguire Phil Jagielka Roger Nilsen

Michael Tonge Michael Brown Glyn Hodges Dane Whitehouse

Brian Deane Billy Sharp
​

Struggling a bit at right midfield and Deano's partner. I've squeezed Tonge in, although it wasn't exactly his main position. Bradshaw, Ward and Ndlovu were other options. A lot of our strikers have done well for one season, or a bit more.

You've not mentioned right wing for Devlin? Not many on here have either but lets remember he played in a very average or young United team and he literally carried us for a season or two, until Brown started to show how good he was. I think some of our fans haven't forgotten how Dev left and no it wasn't the best but he was desperate to re-join the Blues his local club, who of course we signed him from. Since he's retired I've heard him interviewed a few times and he always speaks well of us. He was the player of the season in 2000 too. On a similar vein I always think Paul Iffil gets virtually no credit for his role in the promotion team under Warnock. He scored and created many crucial goals that season. Maybe not worthy of the best team since 91 but I'll never forget Iffil either. Nuddy was a favourite but not as consistent as Dev.

 

[snootyfenooty]

I don't agree with that. I predicted Walker would be playing for England based on his first few performances for us, he had it all.

He only played 2 league games for us plus 3 play-offs before we flogged him to Spurs (as a make-weight in the Naughton deal). He then played 20-odd more but these were as a loanee so these games don't really count otherwise we can chuck Cahill, Phillips & Coady into the mix.

 

[Norderner]

Best keeper has been Alan Kelly, no question in my mind. Wish McGrath played a bit more, but I agree with itsinyerblood. Jags, Brown and Deane all have to be included.

Tracey was by far the better keeper before he got injured.

 

[bladestrivia]

1 kelly 2 walker 3 nielson 4 mcgrath 5 holdsworth 6 cowens 7 brown 8 delles 9 ffortoff 10 deane 11 hodges

 

[DronnieBlade]

Hodges.

And 10 others !

UTB

 

[BigBed]

Goal keeper should surely be Mel Reese!?
I know Kelly was a great keeper, but I'm sure if Mel had had the opportunity he would've been the best we've had!!

 

[TheGoatPenguin]

GK Alan Kelly - Tracy was close
RB Kyle Naughton - Borbokis and Walker close
CB Paul McGrath - Untouchable
CB Harry Maguire - Holdsworth and Morgan (never thought he'd make the step up) close
LB Gary Naysmith - Wayne Quinn close
RM Keith Gillespie - Was brilliant
CM Michael Brown - as above
CM Phil Jagielka - Was brilliant all over the pitch
LM Dane Whitehouse - best LM I can recall at the Lane
ST Brian Deane - Can't look past him
ST Jan Arge Fjortoft or James Beattie - just can't make my mind up.

Some brilliant players to miss out and I feel a little sad that a fair few of my favourites can't make it.

I still love you Shipps, I swear you fat little God hahaha

 

[1danewhitehouse]

I've been asked to select the best Blades XI in my time as a fan, and realise I could do with some input.

Who would you pick?

Kelly
Borbokis*
Jagielka
Holdsworth*
Nilsen
Devlin
Brown
Fleck*
Whitehouse
Deane
Fjortoft*

* means it was a toss up as I could easily have gone for Walker, McGrath, Hodges and Beattie or Agana

Honourable mentions for Trace, Morgan, speed, Blake, Bent, Cowans etc. Who narrowly miss out

 

[ZoneManWilf]

Team 1 3-5-2 wingbacks

-------------------------Kelly
----------Morgan McGrath Jagielka
Borbokis ----------------------------Whitehouse
--------------Stuart Brown Hodges
------------------Deane Fjortoft

Team 2 4-4-2

---------------------Tracey
Walker Holdsworth Gayle Nilsen
Bradshaw Fleck McCall Tonge
-----------------Hulse Sharp

Just missing out:
Rees
Cowans
Cahill
Maguire
Saunders
Agana
Beattie
Blake
Evans

We've had a lot of strikers!

 

[LoughboroBlade]

I've been asked to select the best Blades XI in my time as a fan, and realise I could do with some input.

Who would you pick?

I too started following us in '91. Mine would (with admittedly very little thought given to it) probably be:

Kelly
Borbokis, Jagielka, Morgan, Nilsen
Hodges*, Brown, McCall, Whitehouse
Deane, Hulse

*yes, I know he's not right-sided, but I can't leave him & Whitehouse out, and I refuse to put Devlin in on account of him being a greedy bastard.

 

[Snowman]

Absolutely. Kyle Walker played his 5th game for us in the 2009 play-off final v Burnley. Some mates who hadn't gone asked me 'who had stood out for the Blades?' I replied 'Walker. He's the real deal.'

Bur Bergen has tossed us a live hand-grenade here and an almost-impossible task. Nobody's mentioned him, but 'cometh the hour, cometh the man', Neil Shipperley. He'd be in nobody's 'best-ever' but he came in and did a job at exactly the right time. As did Leon Clarke last season. With six games left, I (and I suspect most others) would have binned him off. However 6 goals from those last 6 games took us over the line.

You got that right G. That is an almost impossible task. I will have to consider this for some considerable time for a definitive view. But an illustration of how difficult it is relates to McGrath. Limited time, little success, but I've never seen anything like the way that guy played. I feel sorry for our younger fans who (as yet) have never seen "true class" like that.

 

[itsinyerblood]

You got that right G. That is an almost impossible task. I will have to consider this for some considerable time for a definitive view. But an illustration of how difficult it is relates to McGrath. Limited time, little success, but I've never seen anything like the way that guy played. I feel sorry for our younger fans who (as yet) have never seen "true class" like that.

Funny that, I was just thinking the same myself. Those who aren't old enough just won't know what quality is, especially when it comes in a red and white shirt.

It's the very fact that he was so good that I'd put McGrath in. How long a player's been with us shouldn't matter, otherwise Matt Hill should be a shoe-in every time. Great trier, but apart from that? Whereas McGrath was a consumate footballer with great defensive qualities.

 

[robbiez666]

---------------Kelly
Walker Maguire Jags McNaughton
Bradshaw---Brown -Hutchison - Whitehouse
------------Deane ------Beatie

Subs:

Tonge, Borbokis, Hodges, W.Quinn, Tracey, Hulse, McGrath,

 

[Silent Blade]

Tracey was by far the better keeper before he got injured.

We won more games with Tracey in goal. Brilliant at one to ones, good understanding with the defence and his accurate kicks to Deane's head

 

[mattbianco1]

One of each from me as a start-
GK - Kelly
Defender - Morgan
Mid - Fleck
Striker - Sharp

You can have Kelly. Not sure the others would make it.

I'd say:

Kelly
Boborkis Jagielka Dellas Nilsen
Ndlovu Brown McCall Whitehouse
Deane Beattie
​

 

[robbiez666]

Simonsen

McMahon Page Davis Ullathorne

Montgomery Santos Gannon Carney

Marcelo Suffo

You're missing the dream midfield partnership of Doyle and Hammond. Not to mention 'marvelous' Mark Beard.

 

[robbiez666]

We won more games with Tracey in goal. Brilliant at one to ones, good understanding with the defence and his accurate kicks to Deane's head

I'd contend that Kelly was more solid, Tracey was more spectacular, Tracey had a mad charge in him.