Changing Positions

[wesleysnipesmen]

Just been having a look at how non-league teams have started the season, and noticed a bloke called Simon Ainge has started with 9 goals in 7 for Harrogate. Looked at his record hoping I'd unearthed a gem so I could give Wilder a call to get him in, turns out he's a 29 year old who was a centre half until recently!

Got me thinking who our best players have been that have changed positions, and whether we could just stick JOC up front with Sharp and let him head bricks at their keeper

 

[Pierre's PC]

Bruno Riberio went from horseshit to god-like like once he'd swapped from on the bench to not in the squad.

 

[seanbeenstattoo]

RolloBlades mate wins this hands down.
End of thread.

 

[Esablade]

RolloBlades mate wins this hands down.
End of thread.

...or hands up even...

 

[seanbeenstattoo]

...or hands up even...

King of the Fisters mate.

 

[HighfieldBlade]

How many outfield players have played in goal for us? Woody, Pemberton, Jags. There must be loads more!

 

[CarlingBlade]

How many outfield players have played in goal for us? Woody, Pemberton, Jags. There must be loads more!

Don Hutchinson v Ipswich away
Shaun Derry v Pompey away

Vinnie Jones used to dick about in goal before the match but I don't recall him ever stepping in during a competitive match.

 

[Silent Blade]

How many outfield players have played in goal for us? Woody, Pemberton, Jags. There must be loads more!

Stancliffe, Collindridge

 

[CarlingBlade]

What about keepers playing as an outfield player: Didn't Carl Muggleton once have to play right back away at Reading when Chris Short got injured.

 

[8lade]

Frank Nouble 5 in 4 in the old 4th division this season, been shit up to this season but has Prem experience and is a big lad. maybe he's finally got it...worth £300k surely?

 

[Geordie Blade]

Bob Booker wore the numbers 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9 and 10 in his three years at United (playing in all positions except in goal and on the wing).

Carl Bradshaw converted steadily backwards, starting off as a striker, moving to right wing, then right back before becoming a sweeper for a while.

Dane Whitehouse played left back, left mid, centre mid and striker at various points, equally well in all of them.

 

[bertieblade]

Colin Franks, centre half> centre forward.

 

[Jonboy60]

James Milner. Winger - full back.

 

[FMBlade1]

Thierry Henry has to be the best footballing example.

For us maybe having Freeman as a wing back rather than full back?

 

[Ginger Gnome]

O'Connell would make an excellent left winger, although to be fair he ends up playing there sometimes when he's supposedly at centre back.

We only signed Done because he had a few decent months as a striker after a career as a journeyman winger.

Regular central defender Basham was a revelation compared to wet lettuce midfielder who can maybe cover at centre back Basham.

 

[Slim Man]

Right back Derek Geary was a revelation as a wrong footed left back in Prem when he played there.

 

[Cyprus Blade]

http://thesefootballtimes.co/2016/07/21/the-triumph-and-tragedy-of-ray-kennedy/

 

[Silent Blade]

Malcolm MacDonald was a left back early in his playing career

 

[ScottBlade]

Harry Maguire started out as a midfielder, until John Pemberton made him into a centre back. Probably explains why he's so confident bringing the ball out of defense.

 

[DifferentClass]

TC started as a striker and found his groove in midfield.

 

[Westran]

Jags started out as a CM for us and is now one of the best CB's in the country.

I also seem to remember a CB moving between CB and CF quite often in the late 90's but can't for the life of me remember who it was.

 

[Revolution]

A list of outfielders who went in goal for United since 1983 - I posted it in 2012. I don't think it's happened since.

Alan Young vs Millwall in 1982-3 - won 2-1
Glenn Cockerill vs Luton in 1985-6 (league cup) - lost 3-1
Paul Stancliffe vs West Brom in 1987-8 - lost 4-0
John Pemberton vs Liverpool in 1990-1 - lost 3-1
Roger Nilsen vs Norwich in 1996-7 lost 3-2
Don Hutchison vs Ipswich in 1997-8 - drew 2-2
Shaun Derry vs Portsmouth in 1997-8 - drew 1-1
Phil Jagielka vs Palace in 2003-4 - won 2-1
Phil Jagielka vs Millwall in 2004-5 - won 2-1
Phil Jagielka vs Plymouth in 2004-5 - lost 3-0
Phil Jagielka vs Arsenal in 2006-7 - won 1-0

Jags kept clean sheets against Millwall and Arsenal. Derry kept one against Portsmouth. Each time they played at least half the game as I recall. I can't remember whether Cockerill let a goal in. Everyone else let in at least one.

 

[Revolution]

Jags started out as a CM for us and is now one of the best CB's in the country.

I also seem to remember a CB moving between CB and CF quite often in the late 90's but can't for the life of me remember who it was.

Simon Webster played at least one game up front, when we won on the plastic pitch at Oldham. He also played both midfield and centre back.

Ian Marshall (Oldham, Leicester) moved from centre back to centre forward like Warhurst. I was annoyed at the time that the Pigs got a centre half to go up front and score goals and Bradshaw was at the same time going from midfield to defence.

 

[IOM Blade]

Didn't Blackwell once play Jordan Stewart on the right wing?

 

[elgoog44]

not a blade, but the most famous one for playing two positions and excelled in both was John Charles, Jack Charlton said of him -

"John Charles was a team unto himself. People often say to me, 'Who was the best player you ever saw?', and I answer that it was probably Eusébio, Di Stéfano, Cruyff, Pelé or our Bobby But the most effective player I ever saw, the one that made the most difference to the performance of the whole team, was without question John Charles."

 

[Revolution]

not a blade, but the most famous one for playing two positions and excelled in both was John Charles, Jack Charlton said of him -

"John Charles was a team unto himself. People often say to me, 'Who was the best player you ever saw?', and I answer that it was probably Eusébio, Di Stéfano, Cruyff, Pelé or our Bobby But the most effective player I ever saw, the one that made the most difference to the performance of the whole team, was without question John Charles."

Charlton himself played up front for Leeds at the start of the Revie era.

 

[elgoog44]

Charlton himself played up front for Leeds at the start of the Revie era.

He did indeed, I think in that era it was easier to play in more positions, but I still think only John Charles mastered both positions, and a gentle man and wonderful man as well, the footballing world could do with a role model like that now, as I think too many footballers do not have the right attitude and persona to be good role models to kids, however I would say at United we seem to have a fairly good crop and billy leads both on and off the pitch with the way he is.

 

[Blade for Sale]

Steve Simmonsen successfully converted from comedy goalkeeper to competent missile defence system.
Jostein Flo proved astonishingly effective on the wing for Norway.

 

[Geordie Blade]

I also seem to remember a CB moving between CB and CF quite often in the late 90's but can't for the life of me remember who it was.

For us? If not, you could be thinking of Dion Dublin.

 

[Punk Blade]

For us? If not, you could be thinking of Dion Dublin.

I was thinking Dublin or Chris Sutton.