Brayford or Lowton ?

[Lowen]

I picked Brayford but i didn't think it was as clear cut as the poll suggests! Lowton was class in his time here.

 

[Angef1Blade]

Best right back we've had for years (and I include Walker in that list) - John Brayford every time

Brayford - no brainer (with or without the beard - but preferably with)

 

[Silent Blade]

Good knowledge there sir.
But what about ex blades?
How many went onto play for England after playing for us?

Cant think of one. Some of you might have thought TC would have been in the World Cup squad for 1974 (there is a thread on a England fans forum discussing who would have been in the England 1974 and 1978 squads had they qualified and many included TC for 1974) but that would have been unlikely had England qualified because he had a bad injury in February/March 1974 and was out for the last month or two of the 1973-74 season. The close season gave him a lot of time to recover from his injury and be fit for the start of the 1974/75 season

 

[stringjunior]

My eyes, my eyes, I'm melting. ...

 

[Revolution]

Forgot to add that Hodgy was in 1958 world Cup squad but he was 3rd choice keeper to Colin McDonald and Eddie Hopkinson. Dont think Hodgy travelled to Sweden

As I have said in the books thread, Hodgy mentions in his autobiography that he was picked for the squad...and then the next chapter starts at the start of the 1959-60 season, missing out the 1958 World Cup and the 58-59 season and the last of his 5 England caps. It would have been nice to know more about it (he did travel to Chile).

I always thought Hodgy was unlucky not to play in the World Cup, having featured in 3 of the qualifiers, but Colin McDonald did have a good tournament, most notably in being the main reason why England were able to draw 0-0 with Brazil.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

At the end of the day, Lowton has made over 50 Premier League appearances at 24, whereas Brayford has made 0 Premier League appearances at 26. Why join the League 1 team? Wouldn't make sense from a career point of view.

I'd go with Brayford but the above statements indicate we are unlikely to see him on our books, loan is the only way.

 

[Kev Gee]

Brayford for me as his defensive game is better.

 

[Gavlar]

wow! was he 12 then?

 

[raul]

Who's tallest??

 

[sitwell]

Lowton's made 15 appearances for Villa this season..is that established?
Maybe...

I can see both Lowton and Brayford playing in the Champ next season

Quinnys made 14 for Hull ,same question ? Actually someone should do Quinn/Murphy poll.

 

[Living In a Fantasy World]

Both great players but for the simple reason that Brayford would like to stay at our club makes him my preferred option.
Its just refreshing to see a player of his quality is willing to drop down the leagues for our club. Puts a big smile on my face.

 

[boo radley]

Quinnys made 14 for Hull ,same question ? Actually someone should do Quinn/Murphy poll.

The player I would most not like to lose.

 

[mattbianco1]

Lowton's made 15 appearances for Villa this season..is that established?
Maybe...

I can see both Lowton and Brayford playing in the Champ next season

How many appearances in the top flight has Brayford made?

 

[Esablade]

How many appearances in the top flight has Brayford made?

Think it's been mentioned on this thread a few times if you read it...If you can't be bothered, it's zero.
My point is that WorkingtonBlade said Lowton was 'established' in a Prem side...I'd question that and IMO both could well find themselves playing the Champ next season...for me Lowton was great going forwards but could switch off at vital times defensively..perhaps Lowton's star is waning a bit at Villa..?

 

[Silent Blade]

As I have said in the books thread, Hodgy mentions in his autobiography that he was picked for the squad...and then the next chapter starts at the start of the 1959-60 season, missing out the 1958 World Cup and the 58-59 season and the last of his 5 England caps. It would have been nice to know more about it (he did travel to Chile).

I always thought Hodgy was unlucky not to play in the World Cup, having featured in 3 of the qualifiers, but Colin McDonald did have a good tournament, most notably in being the main reason why England were able to draw 0-0 with Brazil.

I noticed some inaccuracies in Hodgy's autobiography which isnt unusual in footballers' autobiographies. I prefer to read biographies because the author does a lot of research and making sure there are no errors rather than relying on the footballer's recollection of matches and seasons

 

[Darren]

Cant think of one. Some of you might have thought TC would have been in the World Cup squad for 1974 (there is a thread on a England fans forum discussing who would have been in the England 1974 and 1978 squads had they qualified and many included TC for 1974) but that would have been unlikely had England qualified because he had a bad injury in February/March 1974 and was out for the last month or two of the 1973-74 season. The close season gave him a lot of time to recover from his injury and be fit for the start of the 1974/75 season

Have you got a link for the 74/78 thing. I'd be interested.

 

[Silent Blade]

Have you got a link for the 74/78 thing. I'd be interested.

It wasnt an England fans forum that I had thought. The link below was the forum I saw a few months ago
http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/archive/index.php/t-60605.html

 

[Guesty]

Brayford for me, Lowton I think is marginally better going forward but he was an abysmal defender. I haven't forgiven him, and the club hasn't recovered, from his horrible aberration against Oldham.

 

[itsinyerblood]

It crossed my mind that the OP was about who was preferable while they played for United. What they have gone on to achieve has no bearing on the original question (times played for their country, performances played in the Premiership etc), so given the effect of his signing, plus the performances he contributed, I'll repeat, Brayford, for helping in the renaissance under Clough.

 

[mattbianco1]

Think it's been mentioned on this thread a few times if you read it...If you can't be bothered, it's zero.
My point is that WorkingtonBlade said Lowton was 'established' in a Prem side...I'd question that and IMO both could well find themselves playing the Champ next season...for me Lowton was great going forwards but could switch off at vital times defensively..perhaps Lowton's star is waning a bit at Villa..?

Matt Lowton was on course to be Villa's only ever-present outfield player last season until he got injured with a couple of games to go. I'd say that's established. He is either in the starting 11 or on the bench in Aston Villa's matchday squad. I would say that yes he's established. If he had gon to Villa and done what Walker and Naughton did at Spurs for the first few years then no, i wouldn't say he was established.

 

[Gavlar]

i voted for the beard tho on reflection may change my mind. lowton scored loads for us aswell as setting them up. beard hasnt scored or set up as many (i know it was less games but still). beard is a better character and our best signing this season, but then again he's been playing in the 3rd div, lowton is still playing in the prem. lowtons younger as well.

 

[yorkshirecoast]

Definitely Brayford for me.

I always thought Lowton was good going forward but struggled defensively, even in the Championship, particularly against pace. I was surprised when he got a move to a premiership club. The fact he is now struggling to get in the Villa side - despite them having a shocking defence - is interesting.

 

[Balham]

Rumour has it that Lowton has fallen out with Paul Lambert of his reluctance to move closer to Birmingham. He'd have featured much more this season but for that.

As for which I'd want back at the Lane? Either. Both are far too good to be playing in League One but if push came to shove I'd take the early loan spell Brayford but Lowton would be brilliant under Clough.

 

[WorkingtonBlade]

It crossed my mind that the OP was about who was preferable while they played for United. What they have gone on to achieve has no bearing on the original question (times played for their country, performances played in the Premiership etc), so given the effect of his signing, plus the performances he contributed, I'll repeat, Brayford, for helping in the renaissance under Clough.

The OP asks which you would prefer to see signed now. So you get Brayford as he is now, or Lowton as he is now. Lowton's extra experience since leaving us is therefore very relevant.

 

[itsinyerblood]

The OP asks which you would prefer to see signed now. So you get Brayford as he is now, or Lowton as he is now. Lowton's extra experience since leaving us is therefore very relevant.

Point taken mate, except it depends on what he's actually learnt while at Villa. We have a cut a dried example with Brayford, he's been denied the chance to play in Cardiff's first team so all we have is what we've seen first hand. Whereas with Lowton, his move to Villa hasn't exactly resulted in a series of stunning displays, so he's not considered a first team regular. Pick the bones out of that, but having seen both at t'Lane, I'd pick Brayford for his all round game every time.

 

[stateonstainrod]

Cant think of one. Some of you might have thought TC would have been in the World Cup squad for 1974 (there is a thread on a England fans forum discussing who would have been in the England 1974 and 1978 squads had they qualified and many included TC for 1974) but that would have been unlikely had England qualified because he had a bad injury in February/March 1974 and was out for the last month or two of the 1973-74 season. The close season gave him a lot of time to recover from his injury and be fit for the start of the 1974/75 season

I don't remember that injury. TC was eventually, in Sir Alf's last period in charge, a fixture in the team after a good display in Moscow. Wore number 7. Have always bitterly regretted not seeing him grace the 74 finals and had forgotten that losing to Poland was not the only reason.

When Sir Alf went TC fell out of favour largely. The comparative garbage by comparison who from unreliable memory from time to time got selected before him in midfield included--Emlyn Hughes, young Trevor Brooking (not fit to lace his boots) Tony Towers, Colin Bell (good engine little else) Mick Mills, Trevor Cherry etc etc. It's also fair to say that if he'd been more like Coady and less Baxter we'd probably have been looking at a world all time great.

 

[Silent Blade]

I don't remember that injury. TC was eventually, in Sir Alf's last period in charge, a fixture in the team after a good display in Moscow. Wore number 7. Have always bitterly regretted not seeing him grace the 74 finals and had forgotten that losing to Poland was not the only reason.

When Sir Alf went TC fell out of favour largely. The comparative garbage by comparison who from unreliable memory from time to time got selected before him in midfield included--Emlyn Hughes, young Trevor Brooking (not fit to lace his boots) Tony Towers, Colin Bell (good engine little else) Mick Mills, Trevor Cherry etc etc. It's also fair to say that if he'd been more like Coady and less Baxter we'd probably have been looking at a world all time great.

Just looked in Complete Records to see how many games he missed in last 3 months of the 1973-74 season. He got injured in the County Cup Final against Wendy on Jan 26th (we lost on pens after 0-0 draw) and was out of action for the whole of February. Returned to action for the 1-0 home defeat to Man U, played 4 more games in March before getting injured again in the 1-0 defeat at Birmingham. Missed all the games in April, the tour to Algeria in May, forced to miss out in playing in his close friend's (Woody) testimonial (v Wendy), the 5 game tournament at Bulgaria in June. Joe Mercer (England's caretaker manager during the summer) was unable to select TC in any of his squads because of the injury. He came back to action in the Blades pre-season tour at Poland in July.

Don Revie's first match as the manager of England was the 3-0 win against Czechoslovakia and I remember being gobsmacked that TC wasnt in the starting line up. A week earlier TC captained England in their 5-0 win against Wendy in Eric Taylor's testimonial (I was there) http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/uploads/monthly_06_2007/post-513-1181721103.jpg
The following Saturday TC got subbed in our 3-2 win at home to Birmingham, I said to my dad "why sub him?". My dad replied "that is because he needs some rest for the England game this Wednesday", I then said " we are leading by only one goal and we arent safe yet!". He then said "It is important that he is ok for the England game!". As I said earlier TC didnt play for England in the midweek, many said it was cos Don Revie wasnt keen on "luxury players" but I read somewhere else that when Don Revie selected 100 possible players for a meeting at not long after his appointment (Geoff Salmons and John Tudor were two of the 100 players). Alan Hudson, Geoff Salmons and TC went off somewhere else (either a pub or a club) before the meeting ended and Don Revie wasnt happy with them so this could be one of the reasons. Am surprised you didnt rate Colin Bell highly. I thought he was a very good player until he had a bad injury!

 

[BerksBlade]

I'd go with Brayford, if only for the galvanising effect signing him seems to have had on the team.

 

[stateonstainrod]

Just looked in Complete Records to see how many games he missed in last 3 months of the 1973-74 season. He got injured in the County Cup Final against Wendy on Jan 26th (we lost on pens after 0-0 draw) and was out of action for the whole of February. Returned to action for the 1-0 home defeat to Man U, played 4 more games in March before getting injured again in the 1-0 defeat at Birmingham. Missed all the games in April, the tour to Algeria in May, forced to miss out in playing in his close friend's (Woody) testimonial (v Wendy), the 5 game tournament at Bulgaria in June. Joe Mercer (England's caretaker manager during the summer) was unable to select TC in any of his squads because of the injury. He came back to action in the Blades pre-season tour at Poland in July.

Don Revie's first match as the manager of England was the 3-0 win against Czechoslovakia and I remember being gobsmacked that TC wasnt in the starting line up. A week earlier TC captained England in their 5-0 win against Wendy in Eric Taylor's testimonial (I was there) http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/uploads/monthly_06_2007/post-513-1181721103.jpg
The following Saturday TC got subbed in our 3-2 win at home to Birmingham, I said to my dad "why sub him?". My dad replied "that is because he needs some rest for the England game this Wednesday", I then said " we are leading by only one goal and we arent safe yet!". He then said "It is important that he is ok for the England game!". As I said earlier TC didnt play for England in the midweek, many said it was cos Don Revie wasnt keen on "luxury players" but I read somewhere else that when Don Revie selected 100 possible players for a meeting at not long after his appointment (Geoff Salmons and John Tudor were two of the 100 players). Alan Hudson, Geoff Salmons and TC went off somewhere else (either a pub or a club) before the meeting ended and Don Revie wasnt happy with them so this could be one of the reasons. Am surprised you didnt rate Colin Bell highly. I thought he was a very good player until he had a bad injury!

Ok Bell wasn't the worst player on that list and he came into the England reckoning before the post Ramsey period when any number of hard working nomarks got in before Currie. Even so he wasn't going to ever light up the world stage at the very highest level and Currie could have.

Could Scougall get anywhere near that level? He wants to get a spurt on--TC was 18 when he headed in that goal on his debut v Tottenham.