Basham, Egan, O’Connell: Lane legends in the making?

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Usually legends are individuals, one-offs. Sometimes they are in pairs: Currie and Woodward, Morris and Edwards, Deane and Agana, etc, when good individuals have a special chemistry between them, usually in creating and scoring goals. Occasionally, even more players are involved - those of us around in the late 50s can recite the famous back 6 without thinking - Hodgy, Coldwell, Shaw (G), Richardson, Shaw (J), Summers. Remarkably the back 6 for the last 2 seasons has similar stability, and though it will not last as long, it’s standards have if anything been even higher. And at the heart of it is the central trio of Basham, Egan, O’Connell. Hardly missed any games in 2 seasons. Defend as a tight unit, and as individuals they tackle, head, cover, chase, block as if their lives depend on it. And theyhave attacking duties which have set a precedent at the top level - the overlapping central defenders. Basham goes forward with energy and skill, and the occasional endearing eccentricity; JOC charges forward like a bull, and can whip in a great cross; and as we have recently Egan can finish better than most strikers with his head and feet when he goes forward for set pieces. If they play together a little longer, they will create a unique (?) Blades legend - an innovating trio of attacking defenders, as a threesome performing as much more than the sum of the parts. All brought together by the legendary duo of Wilder and Knill. Happy days!

 

[ben1987]

Bash already is a legend. Others aren’t far behind

 

[Antonb]

both already legends

 

[raul]

All already Legends. We've spoken at length this last four years about our "Holy Trinity". The biggest and most important one has been hiding in plain sight.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

both already legends

Which one are you excluding?

 

[Sheffsteel]

Think it’s an wrong to call Egan and O’Connell legends.....they’ve only has 1 season in the top flight...so it’s too early to judge.

Basham shouldn’t be a legend yet...however his journey from being a run of the mill league 1 player to looking outstanding in the PL is quite remarkable.
In the circumstance I think BasHsm does deserve to be called a legend even if his firm dips next season.

Egan and O’Connell are on their way......they need at least another 2 or 3 years playing for us and impressing in the top flight.

 

[Gimli]

Which one are you excluding?

JOC - he’s off to Liverpool...

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

All already Legends. We've spoken at length this last four years about our "Holy Trinity". The biggest and most important one has been hiding in plain sight.

Not sure I recall the debate. Was it about Coutts, Fleck and Duffy? If they had come together under Wilder a few years earlier, they could have become a legendary trio. Egan has only been here 2 years, but this trio have in my view been the most important unit in achieving promotion and then a great PL season. There is the potential for much more.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Think it’s an wrong to call Egan and O’Connell legends.....they’ve only has 1 season in the top flight...so it’s too early to judge.

Basham shouldn’t be a legend yet...however his journey from being a run of the mill league 1 player to looking outstanding in the PL is quite remarkable.
In the circumstance I think BasHsm does deserve to be called a legend even if his firm dips next season.

Egan and O’Connell are on their way......they need at least another 2 or 3 years playing for us and impressing in the top flight.

I take your point. But if they were a trio of forwards performing at this level, they probably would already be legends. Defenders don’t often get the credit they deserve.

 

[wavy-blade]

Just add Baldock and Stevens to them and quite simply you have the best defense we have ever had .

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Just add Baldock and Stevens to them and quite simply you have the best defense we have ever had .

In the unlikely event of the 5 of them playing, and playing to the same high standards for 2 more years, then I think the Holy Trinity could be re-cast as the Famous Five. And it would be fantasy time to add in Henderson for another year or two.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

None of them are legends.

 

[wadblade]

None of them are legends.

They are in my eyes

 

[PokerBlade]

Bash and O'Connell carried us from League One obscurity to top half of the Prem and, even if our European dream dies out, what will be our highest finish in the Premier League era. Give them whatever title you want but that's as good a story as any of those Blades still alive can tell.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

None of them are legends.

They are not far off, I think. They have been the main factor (in my opinion) in giving us the best 2 years in my 67 years of going to the Lane, and they have hardly missed any matches during that time, playing using a revolutionary system. If people don’t look back on them in 20 years as the basis of a golden age at the Lane, it will either be very unjust ... or because the lads that followed and won the Champions League were even better!

 

[s4-blade]

None of them are legends.

Even if your bar for legendary status is the highest it can possibly be, if Chris Basham isn’t up there that’s ridiculous.

 

[SwindonBladeJnr]

Even if your bar for legendary status is the highest it can possibly be, if Chris Basham isn’t up there that’s ridiculous.

In the modern day context, I can't see how Bash is anything other than a Blades legend. O'Connell & Egan have it in their grasp depending on how long they stay with us.

 

[LondonBlade89]

Among our current team, Basham and Billy are legends. O’Connell, Egan and Fleck have a chance to get there. This whole side will go down in history, as will Leon, Coutts and Duffy.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

No matter what happens in the final 4 games this team will go down in history as our best ever team. Then Wilder sets the bar again next season and we improve. That's how we roll these days.

 

[BladeInIreland]

I never really think of any individual in this crop as a legend, I do as a group though.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

Even if your bar for legendary status is the highest it can possibly be, if Chris Basham isn’t up there that’s ridiculous.

I just think the word legend gets thrown about too often these days.

It's hard to quantify though.

You could make a case for Basham but I'd still be reluctant to put him up there with the likes of Needham, Shaw, Woodward, Currie and Deane.

He fits more into the category of Whitehouse, Jagielka, Montgomery and Tonge.

Egan definitely isn't a legend, he hasn't even been here two full seasons yet!

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

I just think the word legend gets thrown about too often these days.

It's hard to quantify though.

You could make a case for Basham but I'd still be reluctant to put him up there with the likes of Needham, Shaw, Woodward, Currie and Deane.

He fits more into the category of Whitehouse, Jagielka, Montgomery and Tonge.

Egan definitely isn't a legend, he hasn't even been here two full seasons yet!

You are right that the word ‘legend’ has been devalued, but there is not much we can do about that. I am serious that we should not underestimate the achievements of the current squad (and management). They have dragged us up from 3rd tier mediocrity with very watchable football, and delivered in the Premier League, where the gulf between the super-rich and everyone else has no parallel in previous eras. We don’t have any individual with the talent of Currie, but the group as a whole, and, I would argue, the back 3 in particular, are the best any of us have witnessed at the Lane.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

You are right that the word ‘legend’ has been devalued, but there is not much we can do about that. I am serious that we should not underestimate the achievements of the current squad (and management). They have dragged us up from 3rd tier mediocrity with very watchable football, and delivered in the Premier League, where the gulf between the super-rich and everyone else has no parallel in previous eras. We don’t have any individual with the talent of Currie, but the group as a whole, and, I would argue, the back 3 in particular, are the best any of us have witnessed at the Lane.

I love them all for what they've done for this club.

About 90% of my favourite ever Blades players are in our current team now which is crazy when you think about it.

Sharp, Basham, Fleck and O'Connell are all already heroes in my eyes. McGoldrick, Henderson, Stevens, Baldock, Egan and Norwood are not far behind either.

In years to come I think the only two that will be remembered as legends will be Wilder and Sharp.

 

[BladesOnToast]

Basham shouldn’t be a legend yet...however his journey from being a run of the mill league 1 player to looking outstanding in the PL is quite remarkable.
In the circumstance I think BasHsm does deserve to be called a legend even if his firm dips next season.

If Basham's firm dips next season, Mrs Basham might be a bit frustrated...

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

I love them all for what they've done for this club.

About 90% of my favourite ever Blades players are in our current team now which is crazy when you think about it.

Sharp, Basham, Fleck and O'Connell are all already heroes in my eyes. McGoldrick, Henderson, Stevens, Baldock, Egan and Norwood are not far behind either.

In years to come I think the only two that will be remembered as legends will be Wilder and Sharp.

The only thing I would add is that if Sharp is the only player remembered as a legend, it shows how hard it is for anyone other than strikers to be fully appreciated. For obvious reasons, of course, as football is all about goals.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

The only thing I would add is that if Sharp is the only player remembered as a legend, it shows how hard it is for anyone other than strikers to be fully appreciated. For obvious reasons, of course, as football is all about goals.

Sharp and Wilder have the added bonus of the Bladey Bladeness factor.

 

[Yewsman]

It’s been many years since we’ve been able to have a debate about any players possibly becoming club legends. Last one in my view was Morgs. How fantastic that the current team has a number of contenders? What makes a legend? I think that there has to be a reasonable time at the club although Bob Booker is often nominated and was not with us that long? I go back to the early 60’s and this is certainly the best team I can remember including the 1971 promotion team who went on to take the First Division by storm in their first season back there. That included Currie, Woody, Badger, Salmons to name but three. Certainly the first two are legends and arguably Badger too.
personally I would certainly give Bash legendary status And Billy. CWAK have already earned it though not players. Coutts and Duffy Will never be forgotten but not quite legends. The Team will be remembered as the best team and if the individuals stay with the club I am sure players like JOC, Egan, Norwood, Stevens, Baldock, Fleck and hopefully others will also achieve legendary status.

 

[Ndiayewillalwaysloveyou]

Random... goodbye lads?

 

[Houston_Blade]

Random... goodbye lads?

They were gonna send Souza and Brewster but they wanted players who’d actually achieved something during their time at the Blades. Brewster’s new pom-poms are on back order as well so he’s waiting for them before he’s seen out and about.

 

[Ndiayewillalwaysloveyou]

They were gonna send Souza and Brewster but they wanted players who’d actually achieved something during their time at the Blades. Brewster’s new pom-poms are on back order as well so he’s waiting for them before he’s seen out and about.