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

[Guesty]

Same with Speed and Cowans. Would be far too good for us in their prime, but still better performers at the age of 45 or whatever age they were.

Neither would get in many all time XIs though, the criteria laid out in the opening post.

 

[themaninblack]

Glenn Cockerill?

 

[Rufus Smalls]

Paul Stancliffe

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

Joe Bolton

 

[alcoblade]

Stretch is a great call, obviously as is Bash. Think the others probably do qualify in some way as great.

Coutts, Whitehouse for two who are incredibly popular and two of my favourite players. I’d say great, others may think differently. McGrath is surely one of the best to wear a Blades shirt.

I’m one if the few who don’t think fondly of McGrath. Played his way into a contract, then “broke down” very shortly afterwards.

I suspect he had our pants down.

 

[sufc323]

Steve Kabba & Peschisolido

 

[Rufus Smalls]

Joe Bolton

And Tom Heffernan on the other flank

 

[Sportbilly /Detroit Blade]

Colin Hill

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

Jeff King

 

[10-0 win]

John Flynn

 

[sufc323]

Greg Halford

 

[10-0 win]

Ian Benjamin,highest scoringrate, 3 goals in 5 games,£100 000 1979 transferfee, made 500 games lower league.

 

[Carlton Blade]

Brian Gayle was never great but a really important player in a pretty good United team. As was David Barnes

 

[alcoblade]

Booker
Geary
Bash

Most of the names in this thread seen to be popular players, but whose popularity is just proportional to their quality.

For me, these three gained extreme popularity, through graft and personality, beyond their abilities.

 

[Rocketmark66]

Really surprised that nobody has mentioned any of our previous goalies
Tracey
Kelly
And of course Mel Rees rip

 

[Sithblade]

As an antidote to the most hated player thread, Let's see what players are the least hated.

Also let's steer away from anyone who would be a contender for the Best United XI too, so your Billy Sharps and your Brian Deane's are ineligible.

I'm going to start off with Jon Stead. Think he got a raw deal under Robson and Blackwell, but always seemed to be committed, and his premier league goals against West Ham and Wigan will live long in the memory.

Thought he could have linked up well with Sharp instead of buying Beattie and recreate the Sharp/ Keogh partnership Billy thrived in at Scunthorpe.

 

[Katzenjammer]

Kieron Freeman.

Despite initially being included in Wilder's cull when he took charge, he fought for his place and contributed significantly to our subsequent success.

 

[Harry's Game]

Jake Wright

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

Really surprised that nobody has mentioned any of our previous goalies
Tracey
Kelly
And of course Mel Rees rip

I think tbat bit in the title " not great players" invalidates all 3.

 

[HarryHaslam]

I feel I should toss in some names after unleashing a lot of bile in the other thread.

Chris Armstrong
Gary Speed
Paul McGrath
Chris Basham
Stuart McCall
Gordon Cowans

Some are popular parts of great teams but wouldn't really get in an all time team, others weren't with us long and towards the end of the their careers but still showed their quality.

Blimey mate you have come up with some great players in a thread about not so great players.

 

[Fatlad666]

Really surprised that nobody has mentioned any of our previous goalies
Tracey
Kelly
And of course Mel Rees rip

To be fair no opening post is good enough for the above. World class in any blades heart

 

[Isiah]

Bill Punton

 

[bonobo]

So many Basset era players. Gayle,Hill and Barnes were good calls, although Gayle got a lot of stick,.Add Beesley in there as well. Bryson I think was more important than Agana in the end. Carl Veart later on, ran his lungs out and played whatever role he was asked. I would say personally Mitch Ward, but with the qualification for a yard of pace he was a top quality player, but seemed to end up a utility man for a lot of his career.

 

[Cheesebored]

Bobby Davison

 

[HarryHaslam]

I’m one if the few who don’t think fondly of McGrath. Played his way into a contract, then “broke down” very shortly afterwards.

I suspect he had our pants down.

A world class defender in his day, obviously his best days behind him but I thought he was class for the short time we had him. I doubt very much he had our pants down when he couldn’t train with us during the week because of his knees, he’d turn up in Sheffield on the morning of a game or if we were very lucky the day before a game and do some light training, often blind drunk. Nothing was hidden from us by McGrath so it’s our fault for the contract given that we still agreed he could stay in Manchester and just travel over for the games even after the loan was up and contract given so him being an alcoholic at that time we only had ourselves to blame as it was only going to end up one way although his knees were well and truly gone at that stage. I don’t blame him for it tbh, like I said I think he was class for us but he was a troubled soul and after following him on Twitter and insta he seems to be doing really well and is teetotal and we get the odd post from him wishing us well so the big fella will do for me.

 

[Fatlad666]

Jose Baxter goal away at Preston 1-1 was worth the admission alone shame he liked White lines by Grandmaster flash and Melle Mel

 

[Proper Blade]

Matty Done's popularity:talent ratio always seemed a bit off to me. Turned out to be a pretty limited player but don't recall him getting any stick off the crowd. Although his mad scoring run when he first joined probably put him in credit.

 

[Bookers boots]

Without a doubt Bob Booker personifies the thread title perfectly.

 

[A Storm of Blades]

Got to be Basham for me. We’ve managed to squeeze every last drop of all the attributes out of him. Great lad too.

Sacrilege!! Bash has stacks of ability. He made the overlapping centre half phenomenon what it was with JOC

 

[A Storm of Blades]

It has to be Monty surely???