Blades thought they were crap, but they went on to do well - XI

[Bergen Blade]

Catchy title? Let's keep it!

Matt Duke
Simon Francis - Trianos Dellas - Kyle McFadzean - Nyron Nosworthy
Ahmed Fathi - Leon Britton - Mikaele Leigertwood - Luton Shelton
Jostein Flo - Billy Sharp​

Bench:
David Unsworth
Nicky Law
David Cotterill
Liban Abdi
Anthony Stokes
Clive Mendonca
Kevin Davies


Which changes would you make to the above team? Who have I forgotten about?

 

[Bert]

Catchy title? Let's keep it!

Matt Duke
Simon Francis - Trianos Dellas - Kyle McFadzean - Nyron Nosworthy
Ahmed Fathi - Leon Britton - Mikaele Leigertwood - Luton Shelton
Jostein Flo - Billy Sharp​

Bench:
David Unsworth
Nicky Law
David Cotterill
Liban Abdi
Anthony Stokes
Clive Mendonca
Kevin Davies


Which changes would you make to the above team? Who have I forgotten about?

Simon Francis has always been crap and Dellas didn't leave because they thought he was crap.

 

[brownie4583]

Jamie Ward?

 

[alcoblade]

Don't tell me Luton Shelton is still making a living if football?

Of that list, I'd say Francis found his level, Flo and Shelton were crap (playing at a higher level than their ability).

.Nosworthy is a good shout. How "ten bob foot" is playing at a level higher than us in beyond me.



UTB

 

[Bergen Blade]

Simon Francis has always been crap and Dellas didn't leave because they thought he was crap.

Francis is the current captain of a team in 10th place in the division above us and was their top assist maker from right back in their promotion side. He was stuck in our reserves, surely he deserves some credit for improving his career.

Dellas was never a regular at United. Although I know many Blades liked him.

 

[Bergen Blade]

Jamie Ward?

I think most Blades thought he was allright?

 

[JohnDenver]

Did Flo go on to better things? He played in a World Cup when with us. As such, I'd promote Davies and Mendonca to replace the two forwards.

As for Britton I was dumbfounded that people thought he was crap. Without ever wishing to indulge in Pinchy-style caricaturing, if he ever needed evidence to support his views, there it is.

Oh, and I remember a certain ex-poster claiming Kyle Bartley would never have a career in the top two divisions.

 

[WhiteHawk]

Diego Maradonna?

 

[Hodgyman]

How about Nathan Dyer and Darius Henderson?

 

[Bergen Blade]

How about Nathan Dyer and Darius Henderson?

Dyer qualifies to an extent, although I think most fans wanted Blackwell to play him? Henderson was a first choice when he was fit, and at worst split opionions I think?

 

[alcoblade]

As for Britton I was dumbfounded that people thought he was crap. Without ever wishing to indulge in Pinchy-style caricaturing, if he ever needed evidence to support his views, there it is.

Though I don't agree it supports Pinchy's wild ramblings, it was clear Blackwell's non football wasn't going to get anything out of Britton, who clearly had ability.

UTB

 

[Deadbat]

Did Flo go on to better things? He played in a World Cup when with us. As such, I'd promote Davies and Mendonca to replace the two forwards.

As for Britton I was dumbfounded that people thought he was crap. Without ever wishing to indulge in Pinchy-style caricaturing, if he ever needed evidence to support his views, there it is.

Oh, and I remember a certain ex-poster claiming Kyle Bartley would never have a career in the top two divisions.

Bartley was awful today for Brum. Not sure he ever has concentration to be a top defender at highest level but will prob be around Championship. Certainly far better than us.

 

[Bergen Blade]

Did Flo go on to better things? He played in a World Cup when with us. As such, I'd promote Davies and Mendonca to replace the two forwards.

As for Britton I was dumbfounded that people thought he was crap. Without ever wishing to indulge in Pinchy-style caricaturing, if he ever needed evidence to support his views, there it is.

Oh, and I remember a certain ex-poster claiming Kyle Bartley would never have a career in the top two divisions.

When Flo left Bassett thought he was finished as a footballer, and Kendall couldn't wait to get rid of him. He then became a hero at Strømsgodset, scoring 110 goals in 161 matches, and won more caps for Norway.

Britton was dysfunctional the way he was used here, Blackwell got him totally wrong.

 

[WhiteHawk]

When Flo left Bassett thought he was finished as a footballer, and Kendall couldn't wait to get rid of him. He then became a hero at Strømsgodset, scoring 110 goals in 161 matches, and won more caps for Norway.

Wow! That's some record!

 

[Bergen Blade]

Don't tell me Luton Shelton is still making a living if football?

Of that list, I'd say Francis found his level, Flo and Shelton were crap (playing at a higher level than their ability).

.Nosworthy is a good shout. How "ten bob foot" is playing at a level higher than us in beyond me.



UTB

Shelton has played top flight football in four countries since leaving us and is his country's all time leading scorer.

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

Mark Bunn in goal? Some blades weren't keen but now plays as a solid no.2 in the prem. Stephen Quinn got a lot of stick from some sections of the support and has been one of Hull's best players since he left. Another one would be David Carney, did little for us but kept popping up in decent sides after he left.

 

[alcoblade]

Shelton has played top flight football in four countries since leaving us and is his country's all time leading scorer.

I suppose it's all relative. He was a million miles away from being a premiership player, the position from where we judged him. His scoring record since he left us for what looks like a big step down, isn't very impressive at one in four.

UTB

 

[alcoblade]

When Flo left Bassett thought he was finished as a footballer, and Kendall couldn't wait to get rid of him. He then became a hero at Strømsgodset, scoring 110 goals in 161 matches, and won more caps for Norway..

Ditto my post above. At a certain level, anyone looks good. Flo was rubbish in the premiership and championship. I don't think we were wrong.

UTB

 

[WorkingtonBlade]

Wow! That's some record!

I will always think of Flo as having a white bandage on his left arm...

I did a quick google search, the most surprising revelation of which was that he held a personal best in the high jump of 2.08 metres. My memory of him is that when he went for an aerial ball his feet barely left the ground. 2.08 centimetres would have surprised me...

 

[WhiteHawk]

I will always think of Flo as having a white bandage on his left arm...

Exactly what I was going to post but I was only young so I'm not sure if he just wore it a couple of times and it just stuck in my memory?

 

[Bergen Blade]

I suppose it's all relative. He was a million miles away from being a premiership player, the position from where we judged him. His scoring record since he left us for what looks like a big step down, isn't very impressive at one in four.

UTB

We were in the Championship when he left though. I think he's played left wing almost all the time since he left us.

 

[Bergen Blade]

Ditto my post above. At a certain level, anyone looks good. Flo was rubbish in the premiership and championship. I don't think we were wrong.

UTB

It's not the point of the thread to argue that these players did well for the Blades, nor that we were idiots to get rid of them.

 

[Bergen Blade]

Mark Bunn in goal? Some blades weren't keen but now plays as a solid no.2 in the prem. Stephen Quinn got a lot of stick from some sections of the support and has been one of Hull's best players since he left. Another one would be David Carney, did little for us but kept popping up in decent sides after he left.

Bunn and Carney are decent shouts. I think Quinn was recognised by most as a good player for us, although he could be frustrating.

 

[Deadly_D'Jaffo]

Matt Duke

Phil Bardsley
Carl Tiler
Traianos Dellas
Ritchie De Laet

Leon Britton
Don Hutchison
Mikele Leigertwood
Nathan Dyer

Billy Sharp
Colin-Kazim Richards

All players that were used as bit part/subs/loans and deemed not good enough by SUFC Management but went onto play consistently a a higher level.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

When Flo left Bassett thought he was finished as a footballer, and Kendall couldn't wait to get rid of him. He then became a hero at Strømsgodset, scoring 110 goals in 161 matches, and won more caps for Norway.

Wasn't Flo's exit largely financial ultimately? I seem to recall that one more appearance would have triggered a substantial add-on fee. He clearly went onto better things, single-handedly changing the course of the Norway-Brazil game at France '98 with his intro as substitute.

 

[oldblade]

Shelton has played top flight football in four countries since leaving us and is his country's all time leading scorer.

I thought Shelton wasn't a bad player.

I remember him coming on when we were 3-1 down at home to Cardiff at the beginning of Robson's period of management. He changed that game completely. The Cardiff defenders were absolutely terrified by his pace and were backing off so far they almost ended up in the kop. He got us well and truly on the front foot when the game was all but lost. We ended up drawing 3-3 with late goals from Armstrong and Morgan, and then nearly won it at the end. Had Shelton not come on and completely unsettled Cardiff's defence that would not have happened.

That's just one example. There are others. For example away at Old Trafford he also performed well, and was denied a stonewall penalty. Again, his pace completely unsettled the opposing defence.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

Chris Marsden?

 

[alcoblade]

It's not the point of the thread to argue that these players did well for the Blades, nor that we were idiots to get rid of them.

I thought the point was to discuss players we thought were crap, but they went on to do well? If they left us in the premiership where we thought they were crap but went on to smash Frickley to the NE counties east league, they were still crap. It's all relative, surely?

 

[Moorside Blade]

Simon Francis has always been crap and Dellas didn't leave because they thought he was crap.

Thought that Simon Francis was man of the match when Bournemouth played at the Lane last year. Far better than our current right back. At this level, would have him in my team anytime.

 

[Bergen Blade]

I thought the point was to discuss players we thought were crap, but they went on to do well? If they left us in the premiership where we thought they were crap but went on to smash Frickley to the NE counties east league, they were still crap. It's all relative, surely?

Agree with that example, but we weren't a Premiership side when many (any?) of these players left us. The levels they've done well at are also not of the sort you mention, in most cases they should be comparable to the Championship.