The 'not great players, but universally well liked' ex United player thread

[Silent Blade]

I always saw Flynn as a great central midfield pairing with Hockey as the enforcer. A lot of ball-out-from-backline went via Flynn as a conduit to either Currie or Salmons to advance the attack. I liked Flynn also because although I didn't see him as as aggressive as Hockey, he was a great competitor and did the full ninety at a decent pace.

Powell was also as you say, a great player too. Seem to recall he was blighted by injury though?

pommpey

Thinking about it, you probably saw more of Flynn than me between 1973-74 and 1977-78 because I was at boarding school limiting me the number of times of seeing the Blades, maybe he did play the ball better than he did in 1971-72 and 1972-73

 

[Alan Birchenall's hair]

He was Colquhoun's centre back partner with Badger and Helmsley at full back. Can't really remember him in midfield. It was Currie, Salmons and Hockey in midfield with Reece/Scullion and Woody out wide and Dearden up front.

 

[Kev Gee]

Good thread...

Marcelo
George Santos
David Holdsworth
Rob Page

 

[Rodley]

Mark Patterson
Gus Uhlenbeek
Del Geary

 

[The Crab]

Alan Wright

Shorter than most of the ballboys....

 

[The Crab]

Funnily enough Nilsen scored 3 times for Norway in 32 appearances, but nout for us in 166 games!

I always had a quid on at the Ladbrokes kiosk as I felt sure he'd get one eventually.

Alas, his scoring record was as terrible as mine is now......

 

[coaxingstar71]

Disagree, Kenworthy was a great player.
Paul Rogers
Tom Cowan
Keith Eddy
Ted Hemsley
Alan Cork.

I wouldn't deny he was great for us, and I loved him, but he was great for us in the lower divisions in a poor team until Porterfield came in.
If that's your list of 'not great players', it's interesting they all played in the top division for us. Although I would only say that Hemsley and Eddy could be considered 'great'.

Anyway, it's all subjective isn't it? There will be some who will think Jose Baxter was a 'great player'!

 

[pommpey]

He was Colquhoun's centre back partner with Badger and Helmsley at full back. Can't really remember him in midfield. It was Currie, Salmons and Hockey in midfield with Reece/Scullion and Woody out wide and Dearden up front.

The general format back then was

------------------------------Hope/MacAllister---------------------------

-----Badger----------------------------------------------------Hemsley--

--------------------------------Colquhoun--------------------------------

---------------Flynn---------------------------------Hockey---------------

--Woodward----------Salmons<----------->Currie-------------Scullion--

-----------------------------------Dearden----------------------------------

Most teams used the 3-3-5 formate as a hangover from the thirties and forties lineups and modified as needed. Looking back, Colquhoun would invariably drop between the fullbacks with Hockey and Flynn as protectors of the back three and as an outlet on the counter to bring in the wingers or 'inside forwards' or as we know then these days 'attacking midfielders'. Flynn, because of his height would drop into the box alongside Eddie C for dead ball defence and when we were pressed as he was a six footer and could jump, so there was a partnership as you allude.

That's how I saw it anyway ...

pommpey

 

[Le Cynique]

Alan and Steven Quinn

Dunno about your experience, but Squinn was never universally well-liked. He was completely one-footed and used to try to do bits of skill that never paid off, rather than playing the simple and safe ball. He used to get dog's abuse from the Kop.

 

[Jan Age]

Pesch

 

[Bell4]

Paul Rogers
John Gannon
Paul Beesley
Wilf

 

[Silent Blade]

The general format back then was

------------------------------Hope/MacAllister---------------------------

-----Badger----------------------------------------------------Hemsley--

--------------------------------Colquhoun--------------------------------

---------------Flynn---------------------------------Hockey---------------

--Woodward----------Salmons<----------->Currie-------------Scullion--

-----------------------------------Dearden----------------------------------

Most teams used the 3-3-5 formate as a hangover from the thirties and forties lineups and modified as needed. Looking back, Colquhoun would invariably drop between the fullbacks with Hockey and Flynn as protectors of the back three and as an outlet on the counter to bring in the wingers or 'inside forwards' or as we know then these days 'attacking midfielders'. Flynn, because of his height would drop into the box alongside Eddie C for dead ball defence and when we were pressed as he was a six footer and could jump, so there was a partnership as you allude.

That's how I saw it anyway ...

pommpey

Flynn was left footed and was Eddie's centre back partner so I dont recall him playing in right midfield , Salmons was left of the midfield 3 not on the right.

 

[sitwell]

The general format back then was

------------------------------Hope/MacAllister---------------------------

-----Badger----------------------------------------------------Hemsley--

--------------------------------Colquhoun--------------------------------

---------------Flynn---------------------------------Hockey---------------

--Woodward----------Salmons<----------->Currie-------------Scullion--

-----------------------------------Dearden----------------------------------

Most teams used the 3-3-5 formate as a hangover from the thirties and forties lineups and modified as needed. Looking back, Colquhoun would invariably drop between the fullbacks with Hockey and Flynn as protectors of the back three and as an outlet on the counter to bring in the wingers or 'inside forwards' or as we know then these days 'attacking midfielders'. Flynn, because of his height would drop into the box alongside Eddie C for dead ball defence and when we were pressed as he was a six footer and could jump, so there was a partnership as you allude.

That's how I saw it anyway ...

pommpey

4411
Hope
Badger Colquhoun Flynn Hemsley
Woody Hockey Currie Reece
Salmons
Dearden.

 

[BobblesBlade]

Alan Cork!!

 

[Alan Birchenall's hair]

Yeah, I reckon the old 'W' formation had gone by Flynn's time. I think it went out with our relegation team in 67/8 with the Munks (or Barry Wagstaff), Matthewson, Mallender half back line being the last of it.....

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

4411
Hope
Badger Colquhoun Flynn Hemsley
Woody Hockey Currie Reece
Salmons
Dearden.

4-1-2-3 , a formation still used by many successful teams across the world .

As you rightly say , we played with the flat back four you indicate but Hockey played as a lone sweeper just in front of them .

Currie and Salmons took up more advanced roles similar to the old inside forwards whilst Woody , Billy Three Lungs and Reece played as an out and out attacking front three .

On the subject of Billy D , anyone who had the great pleasure of watching him must surely recognise him as being the outstanding candidate in the category of ‘Not a great player but..’ etc.

He certainly is for me . If we could sign him tomorrow as he was in his prime , promotion would be 100% nailed on .

 

[sitwell]

4-1-2-3 , a formation still used by many successful teams across the world .

As you rightly say , we played with the flat back four you indicate but Hockey played as a lone sweeper just in front of them .

Currie and Salmons took up more advanced roles similar to the old inside forwards whilst Woody , Billy Three Lungs and Reece played as an out and out attacking front three .

On the subject of Billy D , anyone who had the great pleasure of watching him must surely recognise him as being the outstanding candidate in the category of ‘Not a great player but..’ etc.

He certainly is for me . If we could sign him tomorrow as he was in his prime , promotion would be 100% nailed on .

Yes i would go with that formation. however Billy was a great player for me.

 

[Bfd Blades]

Lee Sandford for me, big ugly defender but always stuck his head in were it hurt, had the pace of rocking horse and turning circle of an oil tanker, but always put a shift in. If my memory serves me right scored in the 95th min header in FA Cup against Reading at kop end

We dubbed him “Sanfarno” on the Kop

 

[100% part time blade]

Flo

 

[Brewster Cost £70 million]

Lee Baxter

 

[Sportbilly /Detroit Blade]

Paul Rogers
John Gannon
Paul Beesley
Wilf

Is it just me that thought Mrs Rostron, on the United TV show, looked a bit scary?!