Pleat V Today

[davieG]

This is the squad that almost got us relegated in 1991 on the whole better or worse than today?

Key players:

muggleton

mills

johnson

mauchlen

walsh

wright

north

oldfield

kelly

james

ramsey

russell

plus:

paris

davies

hill

reid

kitson

hodge

spearing

hooper

peake

gibson

(from of fossils & foxes)

[Fat Ron]

considering the majority of that squad went on to the Play Off Final the following Season... Hmmm Tough call..

[breadandcheese]

Much of a muchness, except for the keeper situation where Fulop is better than a young Muggleton whilst Henderson is not.

The thing that strikes me most is how only two or three players needed to be added to the team for Brian Little's Blue & White Army to storm up the league the next season.

[Fez of Mahrez]

Personally I find it hard to compare players even from that era with more recent players very easily. The game has changed so much.

Plus the lack of a settled side and the refusal to play players in proper positions means the current mob are handicapped by circumstance when trying to rate them individually. Even the play-off final squads would have struggled in the circumstances we've had recently. Certainly when you look at the players involved in the 1994 playoff final and the performance that day, you wouldn't say they were capable of being promoted from this division these days. The game is just so much quicker.

[davieG]

considering the majority of that squad went on to the Play Off Final the following Season... Hmmm Tough call..

But that in itself begs the question - Players or Manager who's to blame?

Can that be applied to today's squad, can anyone see this team with the addition of a Ollie's choices storming to the play-offs next year.

[Bellend Sebastian]

My mate sold his Sinclair Spectrum to Marc North.

Poor Marc - he died, didn't he?

[davieG]

Personally I find it hard to compare players even from that era with more recent players very easily. The game has changed so much.

Plus the lack of a settled side and the refusal to play players in proper positions means the current mob are handicapped by circumstance when trying to rate them individually. Even the play-off final squads would have struggled in the circumstances we've had recently. Certainly when you look at the players involved in the 1994 playoff final and the performance that day, you wouldn't say they were capable of being promoted from this division these days. The game is just so much quicker.

True, but it's nice/depressing to reminisce and view what was perceived as crap appearing better than we've currently got - maybe!

[Fat Ron]

But that in itself begs the question - Players or Manager who's to blame?

Can that be applied to today's squad, can anyone see this team with the addition of a Ollie's choices storming to the play-offs next year.

I think it would go down to the timing of the Managment change.

Little had a full pre season to take a look at his players and make desicions on who to get rid of and who to bring in, Holloway hasnt had that. Changing a Manager mid season is always risky but sometimes it can work (MON for example, although we wernt in this position when he came in!!)

[davieG]

I think it would go down to the timing of the Managment change.

Little had a full pre season to take a look at his players and make desicions on who to get rid of and who to bring in, Holloway hasnt had that. Changing a Manager mid season is always risky but sometimes it can work (MON for example, although we wernt in this position when he came in!!)

I did say next year? Little also had little or no money.

[breadandcheese]

But that in itself begs the question - Players or Manager who's to blame?

Can that be applied to today's squad, can anyone see this team with the addition of a Ollie's choices storming to the play-offs next year.

Yes, I think it's possible. This is a sh*t league. The quality is really not that great (which says more about us than the rest of the league). All you need are a handful of good players and you can be in the top 8 or 9 clubs battling for a play-off spot. Look at Hull (9), Ipswich (6), Plymouth (7) or Stoke (4) this season.

Edit: Obviously you need a good manager to organise the players. Hopefully Ollie is that man.

[Alexikokopops]

Personally I find it hard to compare players even from that era with more recent players very easily. The game has changed so much.

Plus the lack of a settled side and the refusal to play players in proper positions means the current mob are handicapped by circumstance when trying to rate them individually. Even the play-off final squads would have struggled in the circumstances we've had recently. Certainly when you look at the players involved in the 1994 playoff final and the performance that day, you wouldn't say they were capable of being promoted from this division these days. The game is just so much quicker.

I was about to say that, ha.

[davieG]

Yes, I think it's possible. This is a sh*t league. The quality is really not that great (which says more about us than the rest of the league). All you need are a bucketful of forwards and you can be in the top 8 or 9 clubs battling for a play-off spot. Look at Hull (9), Ipswich (6), Plymouth (7) or Stoke (4) this season.

Edit: Obviously you need a good manager to organise the players. Hopefully Ollie is that man.

Nearly there!

[Bellend Sebastian]

I'm having a mental block. Who is Johnson? I don't remember him, but I remember all the others.

Tommy Wright scored 17 (I think) goals under Brian Little, and Kevin Russell got quite a few. That's the main difference between that side and the one now. The thing I remember about that team was a tendency to lose games where we'd taken the lead. I might have imagined it but I think we lost several games that season where we'd been leading 2-0 at one stage.

I've got the video for that season and although it was a shocker as far as our ultimate league position was concerned, somehow we used to make being crap a lot more entertaining than we do now

[davieG]

I'm having a mental block. Who is Johnson? I don't remember him, but I remember all the others.

Tommy Wright scored 17 (I think) goals under Brian Little, and Kevin Russell got quite a few. That's the main difference between that side and the one now. The thing I remember about that team was a tendency to lose games where we'd taken the lead. I might have imagined it but I think we lost several games that season where we'd been leading 2-0 at one stage.

I've got the video for that season and although it was a shocker as far as our ultimate league position was concerned, somehow we used to make being crap a lot more entertaining than we do now

Rob Johnson - full back mostly.

[breadandcheese]

I've got the video for that season and although it was a shocker as far as our ultimate league position was concerned, somehow we used to make being crap a lot more entertaining than we do now

They should make that into our strap line. If we're going to be crap, we're going to look good doing it.

[mancunianfox]

Personally I find it hard to compare players even from that era with more recent players very easily. The game has changed so much.

Plus the lack of a settled side and the refusal to play players in proper positions means the current mob are handicapped by circumstance when trying to rate them individually. Even the play-off final squads would have struggled in the circumstances we've had recently. Certainly when you look at the players involved in the 1994 playoff final and the performance that day, you wouldn't say they were capable of being promoted from this division these days. The game is just so much quicker.

They played longball taken to its furthest extreme in that final. Anyone who complains about us hoofing the ball up the field now has nothing to complain about in comparison. Worked though

[Bellend Sebastian]

Rob Johnson - full back mostly.

Bellend's mind is still blank - I don't remember him at all. Am I right to assume that he was dropped in favour of the MIGHTY Nicky Platnauer when Brian Little came in, which is when I started to go to games on a fairly regular basis

[Zingari]

just a bit of background info about pleat , (he was sacked in january )

Leicester City (1988–1991)

David Pleat's third managerial job, at Leicester City, was far from successful. Amongst the promotion favourites when he became manager in the summer of 1988, by the time he was sacked in January 1991 they were fighting against relegation from the Second Division for the first time in their history. This was largely due to Pleat's inability to communicate his over-elaborate ideas and tactics to the players combined with an unfortunate penchant for playing people out of position while simultaneously alienating large sections of the crowd. Eventually the battle against relegation was narrowly won by his successor Gordon Lee.

who's going to be the new gordon lee

i'd have thought hodge would be above muggleton and peake above north in the pecking order

[Alexikokopops]

They played longball taken to its furthest extreme in that final. Anyone who complains about us hoofing the ball up the field now has nothing to complain about in comparison. Worked though

Highlighted by the fact we started with Walsh up front and left Joachim on the bench.

Bloody beautiful game.

[l444ry]

Personally I find it hard to compare players even from that era with more recent players very easily. The game has changed so much.

Plus the lack of a settled side and the refusal to play players in proper positions means the current mob are handicapped by circumstance when trying to rate them individually. Even the play-off final squads would have struggled in the circumstances we've had recently. Certainly when you look at the players involved in the 1994 playoff final and the performance that day, you wouldn't say they were capable of being promoted from this division these days. The game is just so much quicker.

Whilst being difficult to compare one era with another, most people tend to give the benefit of the doubt to the modern players. The usual excuses (reasons) are the old chestnuts of "quicker and fitter today". This is a fallacy because players from yesteryear would have benefitted from the greater fitness levels today and flourished accordingly. George Best and Jimmy Johnston from the seventies would p*** all over todays players under any circumstances ...............and so would Stanley Matthews for that matter.

[mancunianfox]

Highlighted by the fact we started with Walsh up front and left Joachim on the bench.

Bloody beautiful game.

Watched it again the other night. Walsh and Iwan up front with Ormondroyd on the wing. Classy. Jimmy Willis was immense in that game too

[demon_dog]

Paris Hilton :w00t:

[davieG]

just a bit of background info about pleat , (he was sacked in january )

Leicester City (1988–1991)

David Pleat's third managerial job, at Leicester City, was far from successful. Amongst the promotion favourites when he became manager in the summer of 1988, by the time he was sacked in January 1991 they were fighting against relegation from the Second Division for the first time in their history. This was largely due to Pleat's inability to communicate his over-elaborate ideas and tactics to the players combined with an unfortunate penchant for playing people out of position while simultaneously alienating large sections of the crowd. Eventually the battle against relegation was narrowly won by his successor Gordon Lee.

who's going to be the new gordon lee

i'd have thought hodge would be above muggleton and peake above north in the pecking order

Muggleton 22 games

Hodge 10 (they included the last 8 games)

North 35 almost an ever present

Peake 4 mostly plus a few subs

Again all from of foxes & fossils

[Alexikokopops]

Watched it again the other night. Walsh and Iwan up front with Ormondroyd on the wing. Classy. Jimmy Willis was immense in that game too

I love it when John Harkes misses that sitter and then we pop up t'other end and score.

Might watch it tonight actually.

[reynard]

Actually on paper that side looks pretty awful looking back.

Also we only stayed up because that season only 2 clubs were relegated due to league reorganisation and the fact that west brom couldn't beat 10 man bristol rovers.

crowds were crap as well. seem to remember about 8000 turning up one cold night to see us lose at home 3-1 to Oldham??