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Post by waitingforwaddo on Aug 3, 2010 14:03:20 GMT
This will sound like heresy as he WAS one of my heroes but Our Denis was actually THE worst player I've ever seen on a football pitch when it came to ball control.
As I remember it, when the ball came to him he sort of went into a spasm of panic and (usually) managed to smuggle it away to the nearest Stoke shirt as soon as he possibly could.
I remember always being amazed that he'd not progressed any further than he had in that way.
Didn't stop him being one of our greatest-ever defenders, though, AND the scorer of so many vital goals.
Anyone else remember him this way?
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Post by salopstick on Aug 3, 2010 14:06:27 GMT
you are talking shite now
saying he could usually smuggle the ball out to the nearest stoke shirt says he has better ball control than half our present squad
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Post by waitingforwaddo on Aug 3, 2010 14:08:29 GMT
;D
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Post by Gods on Aug 3, 2010 14:18:25 GMT
Dennis wasn't the best on the ball was he.
But was he any worse than say Lee Chapman and Ian (RIP) Moores neither of whom appeared to have mastered even the basics ?
I remember both Chapman and Moores being figures of fun in their early days at Stoke although Moores went on to play in Europe with Spurs and Chapman scored 30 goals in Leeds most recent Championship season.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2010 14:18:51 GMT
Alan Dodd was my favourite,.. a great tackler who didn't have to maim or kill to get the ball.
A very underrated player.
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Post by callumscfc on Aug 3, 2010 14:19:04 GMT
he is my cousin, i will see him tomorrow and tell him you said that ;D haha
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Post by bayernoatcake on Aug 3, 2010 14:21:23 GMT
He lives round the corner from me apparently.
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Post by waitingforwaddo on Aug 3, 2010 14:22:32 GMT
Just tell him the good bit! ;D I can see him now though looking down at the ball as if he'd laid a particularly malodorous egg! Don't remember the other two being quite that bad. But Smithy WAS a great defender nonetheless. But yeah, Doddy was class Mumf.
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Post by callumscfc on Aug 3, 2010 14:22:37 GMT
where do you live?
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Post by bayernoatcake on Aug 3, 2010 14:23:44 GMT
Near to Denis Smith! Rough Close.
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Post by mumph on Aug 3, 2010 14:42:52 GMT
'..when the ball came to him he sort of went into a spasm of panic and (usually) managed to smuggle it away to the nearest Stoke shirt as soon as he possibly could.'
1) You are talking cock. 2) If it was then so what? He was a defender and his job was to stop goals and when he got the ball to lay it off to the creative types. 3) What the phuq did you expect him to do with the ball; grease it, tickle your arse and bum phuq you?
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Post by waitingforwaddo on Aug 3, 2010 14:50:19 GMT
Ignorant.
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Post by wembley4372 on Aug 3, 2010 15:05:31 GMT
Dodd, not maim or kill - thats not something I expected to hear. He was as tough as the rest of 'em. Although he was a classy player.
As for Dennis, you're talking bollocks as usual waddo!
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Post by waitingforwaddo on Aug 3, 2010 15:08:33 GMT
It's a bit of FUN, Wembley. Lighten up. Clearly I must have imagined Smithy's ineptitude on the ball.
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Post by mystokebadge on Aug 3, 2010 15:12:58 GMT
Just my opinion Hudson the best player i have seen in a stoke shirt,but smithy is my all time favourite.
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Post by jarvinski on Aug 3, 2010 15:15:47 GMT
i remember his debut, he was absolutely dreadful, but tone number 1 kept the faith and look what he turned into
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Post by bicesterstokie1 on Aug 3, 2010 16:39:42 GMT
hard as nails a true legend, and a shame he never managed stoke.
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Post by PotterLog on Aug 3, 2010 18:03:39 GMT
Two words.
Justin
Whittle
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Post by lordb on Aug 3, 2010 18:07:17 GMT
Potterlog 'wins' this thread
Dodd was class though wasnt he,would walk into any side (yes any side) in the country these days
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Post by waitingforwaddo on Aug 3, 2010 18:09:26 GMT
What's Whittle got to do with anything? Denis's ball control was magically comical.
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Post by gibby1409 on Aug 3, 2010 18:16:40 GMT
I think Denis "Mis-Controlled" on purpose, just so he could CRUNCH the guys coming in who thought they could take the ball!!
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Post by Gods on Aug 3, 2010 18:30:31 GMT
On a serious note, waddo has something here. I suspect Dennis' perceived lack of quality on the ball cost him an England career.
As a pure play, job in hand, thou shalt not pass defender, Dennis Smith had no equal in the game yet for all that he was never capped by his country.
Must have been some reason...
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Post by waitingforwaddo on Aug 3, 2010 18:58:41 GMT
Could be Gods. The ultimate defender but ZERO ball control. And I MEAN zero, made Sidibe look like Pele. And those who question that can never have seen him play.
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Post by y_oh_y_delilah on Aug 3, 2010 19:14:52 GMT
I'm not going to remember the great man through rose coloured specs. either.
Like all true Stoke fans, loved him to bits, but wfw is spot-on and I think Denis himself would agree that he simply wasn't the best on the ball. Obviously he did he very best work OFF the ball and of course in the air, but with the ball at his feet he really was pretty 'pants'.
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Post by fromafar07 on Aug 3, 2010 19:22:30 GMT
This will sound like heresy as he WAS one of my heroes but Our Denis was actually THE worst player I've ever seen on a football pitch when it came to ball control. As I remember it, when the ball came to him he sort of went into a spasm of panic and (usually) managed to smuggle it away to the nearest Stoke shirt as soon as he possibly could. I remember always being amazed that he'd not progressed any further than he had in that way. Didn't stop him being one of our greatest-ever defenders, though, AND the scorer of so many vital goals. Anyone else remember him this way? who gives a damn about his ball control really ??? all i know is nothing got past him hardly, he was tough and he had a head to put the ball in the net at times !! just like Huth and Shawcross !
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Post by safc2009 on Aug 3, 2010 23:17:40 GMT
The man is a legend. Not bad at spotting a player either:
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Post by JoeinOz on Aug 3, 2010 23:44:34 GMT
Our Denis was actually THE worst player I've ever seen on a football pitch when it came to ball control.
That's an exaggeration. There's been dozens worse than him.
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Post by tuum on Aug 4, 2010 7:32:17 GMT
I think Denis would disagree with that if I can recall his opinion in his book. He thought he was the 2nd best centre half in England ( as a footballer and as a defender). The only bloke Denis considered to be better than him was Roy McFarland (and not by much). Like many footballers, perhaps our Denis had an over-inflated opinion of his own abilities.
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Post by PotterLog on Aug 4, 2010 7:33:54 GMT
What's Whittle got to do with anything?. Well.... You began a thread by saying "Denis Smith was THE worst player I[you]'ve ever seen on a football pitch when it came to ball control"I mentioned the name Justin Whittle. In the context of the thread - in which you capitalised "THE", with the effect of conveying your belief that there had never been a worse player than Denis Smith (when it came to ball control) - I made the assumption that by simply mentioning Justin Whittle's name, my opinion that Justin Whittle was a worse player than Denis Smith (when it came to ball control) would have been implicit and obvious. I apologise if that wasn't the case. Let me know if you have any further doubts and I'll try and clear them up for you.
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Post by choppyc on Aug 4, 2010 8:06:18 GMT
biscester have to disagree with you on that one mate , Denis ,Stoke manager ?? I'm really glad he never got the job . It would have absolutely broken my heart when the absolute Stoke legend eventually received the criticism and complaints that EVERY Stoke gaffa eventually gets ,from us hard to please fans As for Justin Whittle ?? I remember the first time I saw him was away against Luton ,during the warm up the ball was passed out to a track suited , Whittle who couldn't even trap the gentle 'warm up' pass ,I mistakenly thought the crap lone figure was a ball-boy and laughed at how embarrassed the young lad must be !! until it was pointed out to me he was our new defender To be fair to him though he did OK in-spite of his limitations while with us ;D As for Denis Smith he will remain forever one of my favourite Stoke players.
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