Most Appearances For The Blades?

[mattbianco1]

What player holds the record for most appearances for United? And how many?

Nick Montgomery :header: (if my sums serve me well) has notched up 297 and counting. Good on yer Monty.

What i was wondering is, will he or could he end up our most played player?

 

[Linz]

He's got a long way to go yet.

Joe Shaw holds the record at the minute for the most League and cup appearances at 690.

 

[mattbianco1]

He's got a long way to go yet.

Joe Shaw hold the record at the minute for the most League and cup appearances at 690.

Pardon me if anyone's religious but........... Jesus Christ! Thats a lot

 

[Revolution]

I thought Paddy had an outside chance until his indiscretion.

If Monty does it that will mean we've spent the next 10 to 12 years in this league or even lower, sadly.

 

[MAQ]

What player holds the record for most appearances for United? And how many?

Nick Montgomery :header: (if my sums serve me well) has notched up 297 and counting. Good on yer Monty.

What i was wondering is, will he or could he end up our most played player?

SHame his 300th is likely to be an away match, that being if he plays the next two

 

[SwissBlade]

So about 8 or 9 seasons then

 

[Sensiblade]

I thought Paddy had an outside chance until his indiscretion.

If Monty does it that will mean we've spent the next 10 to 12 years in this league or even lower, sadly.

That strange because i'm sure Monty was in the team that went into the Premiership a few years back

 

[Revolution]

That strange because i'm sure Monty was in the team that went into the Premiership a few years back

And was immediately relegated.

The point being, he is not good enough to be a Premiership regular for any length of time.

 

[mattbianco1]

Do you know what. I think his passing is coming on. He's learnt a new trick, he can now pass it with the outside of his boot. Jokes aside. If i was a central midfielder, i would prefer Monty alongside me than in the opposition team.

 

[Revolution]

If i was a central midfielder, i would prefer Monty alongside me than in the opposition team.

If I was a forward, I'd prefer someone who can pass me the ball.

 

[Sensiblade]

That strange because i'm sure Monty was in the team that went into the Premiership a few years back

And was immediately relegated

The point being, he is not good enough to be a Premiership regular for any length of time.

On that argument none of our team from that season should still be at United

If i was a central midfielder, i would prefer Monty alongside me than in the opposition team.

If I was a forward, I'd prefer someone who can pass me the ball.

Monty does his job, Tracks players, tackles them and does lay it off to his team mates, he's a defensive midfielder and he does it bloody well.

 

[Grecian2000]

Nobody will ever come close to Joe's record. Almost impossible to contemplate in todays climate.

Also bear in mind Joe played when there were no substitutes so what you see are starts not cameos from the bench.

 

[Robbie]

Monty bashing has started again.

 

[Revolution]

On that argument none of our team from that season should still be at United

Not many of them are.

Monty bashing has started again.

Sorry for having the temerity to suggest Monty can't pass very well.

 

[Robbie]

Sorry for having the temerity to suggest Monty can't pass very well.

You should look at more what he brings to the team than what he doesn't.

 

[Revolution]

I'll just cut and paste from last week I think:

I don't agree that Monty can pass the ball. It is one of the weakest parts of his game.

Monty played well last season within the confines of his skill set. As you say, he works hard, closes people down, and breaks up play.

Unfortunately, he has no offensive side to his game at all. He rarely, if ever, creates goals, and his last league goal was on New Years' Eve 2005, over 80 appearances ago. I would wager that no midfielder in the Championship has such a scoring drought to his name. His passing is very poor and he can't control the ball first time, as a rule.

This is why bringing him on with 5 mins to go on tuesday was laugable. Just about no other player in the squad is less likely to create or score a goal when you really need one.

Selecting Monty in a 4 man midfield is therefore compromising before we start. We are saying to the other central midifielders "chances are you'll have to do all the attacking related work" and we simply don't have anyone good enough to do the attacking for two. In other words, you can play a Trevor Hockey type player, but he's got to have a Tony Currie type player next to him.

The only alternative is 4-5-1, which is awful if your lone striker is garbage. The playoff final is an example of this of course.

 

[Sensiblade]

Whats so wrong with having one defensive and one attacking midfielder playing together in the middle of the park?

The names of the roles suggests what they are supposed to do.

Just because our attacking midfielders are not setting the world alight at the moment (Quinn, Howard et al) doesn't mean Monty being a defensive midfielder and doing his job as he should should then start trying to compensate for their shortcomings.

He's asked to be a defensive midfielder and protect the back 4 from attacks, which he does.

The attacking midfielder along side him needs to support him take the ball and attack with it, it's no Monty's fault if they do not do this.

 

[mattbianco1]

On that argument none of our team from that season should still be at United QUOTE]

Best sell Kilgallon, Morgan & Bromby then!

 

[Robbie]

I don't agree that Monty can pass the ball. It is one of the weakest parts of his game.

Monty if you look at his stats will have one of the higher pass completions of the squad.... they may not be as technical as the other players - but I'd wager him to be in the top 5.

Monty played well last season within the confines of his skill set. As you say, he works hard, closes people down, and breaks up play.

Which is the job he has been sent out to do..... he does the job well in being a 'spolier'. He is not there to create for our attackers (although sometimes he does get assists) but to help our other midfielders to be able to push further forward

Unfortunately, he has no offensive side to his game at all. He rarely, if ever, creates goals, and his last league goal was on New Years' Eve 2005, over 80 appearances ago. I would wager that no midfielder in the Championship has such a scoring drought to his name. His passing is very poor and he can't control the ball first time, as a rule..

He is not an offensive (can we use the word attacking?) as the others - but that's not his job. So what if he doesn't score? How much does he help our defence?

Selecting Monty in a 4 man midfield is therefore compromising before we start. We are saying to the other central midifielders "chances are you'll have to do all the attacking related work" and we simply don't have anyone good enough to do the attacking for two. In other words, you can play a Trevor Hockey type player, but he's got to have a Tony Currie type player next to him..

How is it Monty's fault that a player is not creating at the side of him?

The only alternative is 4-5-1, which is awful if your lone striker is garbage. The playoff final is an example of this of course.

There's plenty of alternatives.... the 4-5-1 didn't work there because it was far too negative.

 

[travellingblade]

He's got a long way to go yet.

Joe Shaw holds the record at the minute for the most League and cup appearances at 690.

And that was at a time when there was no League cup or the like.

I was there at his final game, and I'd been there for a good majority of his appearances.

My second favourite player, after Alan Woodward.

 

[eezablade]

Monty is great. He does what he does and he does it very well. It's not relevant to discuss what he can't do, in my opinion. I wouldn't expect Ward to play as a centre back as that's not what he does.
Monty rules.

 

[bricktop]

To be honest i think Monty deserves plaudits for the way he has applied himself, and put in every last effort to make the most of the chances he has had, and 300 games is quite a landmark in this day and age, and especially as he had made most of those 300 appearances under a back drop of criticism and doubting his ability.

I think Monty has become a better player in the last 3 or 4 years since he realised what his own strengths are and what he does well and not doing the stuff he doesn't do too well.

10 years and 300 appearances for the same club, not to be sniffed at all in this day and age of not much loyalty

 

[oldblade]

I thought Paddy had an outside chance until his indiscretion.

If Monty does it that will mean we've spent the next 10 to 12 years in this league or even lower, sadly.

We did get to the premier league with Montgomery in the side. And he put in some very good performances in that league.

 

[oldblade]

That strange because i'm sure Monty was in the team that went into the Premiership a few years back

And was immediately relegated.

The point being, he is not good enough to be a Premiership regular for any length of time.

And if I remember rightly, Montgomery was not fully fit for the key match against Wigan, having picked up a pretty bad shoulder injury. With a fully fit Montgomery we may have got the required point.

 

[Silent Blade]

He's got a long way to go yet.

Joe Shaw holds the record at the minute for the most League and cup appearances at 690.

List of Blades players who have made over 400 league games for us


1. Joe Shaw 632
2. Alan Hodgkinson 576
3. Alan Woodward 536 + 2 sub
4. Ernest Needham 464
5. Len Badger 457 + 1
6. Billy Gillespie 448
7. Graham Shaw 439
8. Fred Tunstall 437
9. Cec Coldwell 409 + 1

 

[SRBlade]

I thought, when we were looked, to everyone else, pretty safe in the prem, I thought Jags would come close to becoming UTD's most appearance holder, the lad played 3 consecutive seasons, and the season prior to that i think he only missed 1 match.

 

[happyhippy]

To be honest i think Monty deserves plaudits for the way he has applied himself, and put in every last effort to make the most of the chances he has had, and 300 games is quite a landmark in this day and age, and especially as he had made most of those 300 appearances under a back drop of criticism and doubting his ability.

I think Monty has become a better player in the last 3 or 4 years since he realised what his own strengths are and what he does well and not doing the stuff he doesn't do too well.

10 years and 300 appearances for the same club, not to be sniffed at all in this day and age of not much loyalty

You've changed your tune Completely agree with your post here though.

 

[Kentblade]

He's got a long way to go yet.

Joe Shaw holds the record at the minute for the most League and cup appearances at 690.

The best uncapped centre half ever.
I suppose that there are not of blades active now who can recall his excellent displays, starting at left half and movng to centre half as they were called in those days.Very small for a centre half but his anticipation was second to none and I can still see him dribbling the ball out of defence and passing it,yes passing it, not hoofing it to another blades player.
Lived at the top of Bishopscourt Road on the left hand side with Alf Ringstead living further down the road.Along with the great Jimmy Hagan, they would all catch the bus from Holly Thorpe Rise at around 10.00am for training at the lane.
This post has now set out my stall to list my favourite player, which I had not completed as we have had so many good players over the years, Woodward, Currie in addition to the three previously mentioned. Many more,Pace Jones etc, to numerous to list and it is a great pity we did not have them all at the same time,
So based on what a quality player Joe was and the fact that no one served the club over so many games then he is my nominated player.
RIP Joe, never to be forgotton.
UTB

 

[bricktop]

It changed over the last 3 or 4 years.

Its a combination of a couple of things, firstly a realisation from Monty regarding what he can do well and what he can't, the second finally an appreication from myself about what he brings to the table

 

[Kentblade]

Nobody will ever come close to Joe's record. Almost impossible to contemplate in todays climate.

Also bear in mind Joe played when there were no substitutes so what you see are starts not cameos from the bench.

Very good point as you say all starts.
The first ever substitute was Keith Peacock,while playing for Charlton, who was manager of Gillingham, then Maidstone and back to the Valley and the Sham.
Believe he is now retired.Another one of footballs gentleman.
UTB