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Post by sasfan on Feb 11, 2018 22:31:04 GMT
Probably N'Zonzi, just some of us didn't realise it at the time.
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Post by OldStokie on Feb 11, 2018 23:10:21 GMT
If we're taking the best of the best purely on the best they've ever played then N'Zonzi against Liverpool is the only one fit enough to wear Hudson's boots. But in general nobody is/was. Overall I would choose John Mahoney to partner Huddy.
We've had some great midfielders and most of them have been mentioned in this thread. One exception is Eric Skeels. (How could any old-timer forget Alfie?) Eric at his best would have made any Stoke team since 1960 onwards.
OS.
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Post by tcdobinghoff on Feb 11, 2018 23:11:19 GMT
You saw them all did you???? mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm I never saw Denis Violet play but I did see the others , Dobing I would describe as industrious like Allen but with a more solid tackle, Jimmy Mac just quality and bags of enthusiasm for the game . Hudson just had the ball stuck to his foot and then he ran, arrogant almost. I still think huddy was the best but as others have said John Mahoney was silky and never seemed to waste much. I'd recon he would be £25 million in todays market. We've been quite spoiled for a little club haven't we =). Wow !! Dobing industrious - my favourite player of all time but industrious ? No - he never wasted an ounce of energy unnecessarily, to the annoyance of many. Mahoney silky ? No he was a workman. A workman who complimented others and made them and the team better. Very difficult to compare midfield roles from different eras. For me in the modern era the Whelan, NZonzi + Bojan/Ireland/Adam was the best combination but the best as individuals ? NZonzi probably yes.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2018 23:29:42 GMT
I never saw Denis Violet play but I did see the others , Dobing I would describe as industrious like Allen but with a more solid tackle, Jimmy Mac just quality and bags of enthusiasm for the game . Hudson just had the ball stuck to his foot and then he ran, arrogant almost. I still think huddy was the best but as others have said John Mahoney was silky and never seemed to waste much. I'd recon he would be £25 million in todays market. We've been quite spoiled for a little club haven't we =). Wow !! Dobing industrious - my favourite player of all time but industrious ? No - he never wasted an ounce of energy unnecessarily, to the annoyance of many. Mahoney silky ? No he was a workman. A workman who complimented others and made them and the team better. Very difficult to compare midfield roles from different eras. For me in the modern era the Whelan, NZonzi + Bojan/Ireland/Adam was the best combination but the best as individuals ? NZonzi probably yes. Well it's clear you hadn't drunk as much as I did before the match which in all fairness few had. Nzonz only had 2 good seasons with us imo which is why I wouldn't rate him so highly, if he had stayed then he could and probably would have rated as our best. Industrious is a nice word I used in an attempt to not say less gifted. Mahoney still silky imo , Whelan just lol pub player at best never seen a player gift the ball to the opposition so many times. Ireland sick note with once in a lifetime good games. Adam red card and unfit waste of a talent that could be if he stopped the Maccy Ds. Funny how the same players can evoke such different thoughts. Some people thought Arni was shit, now they know better. For me the most underrated player we ever had was Chamberlain his runs and cut backs would command a pretty price in todays market.
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Post by johnnypotter on Feb 11, 2018 23:36:46 GMT
John Mahoney closely followed by Mickey Thomas and Sammy Mac.
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Post by block23 on Feb 11, 2018 23:42:27 GMT
My heart would love to say Beeston. Far better than he believed himself and too brave for his own good. And local! ( and Huddy reckoned he was one of most talented youngsters he had seen). However, with my head Zonz by a mile
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Post by neilb987 on Feb 12, 2018 10:44:26 GMT
For a balanced pairing, I'd go for Howard Kendall alongside Hudson.
For creativity, N'Zonzi would have the edge but I'd dont think they would work well as a pairing.
Beeston, if only he could have stayed off the treatment table, would have made a superb complimentary player to Huddy!
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Post by roylandstoke on Feb 12, 2018 10:53:29 GMT
N'Zonzi.
Paul Bracewell would be a good choice if we were going 4-3-3.
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Post by lordb on Feb 12, 2018 11:27:58 GMT
Problem is 'ever' is a long time and virtually all those who saw the thirties) forties side are gone from us. However going by what the old men (when I was a kid,so in the 70's/80's) used to say then after the peerless Hudson it's Frank Soo & probably by some distance. Jimmy McIlroy was a great player for Burnley and an important player for us. Violet if counting as a midfielder clearly a great player.
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Post by superheroantonius on Feb 12, 2018 11:55:51 GMT
Mickey thomas
Enjoyed a laugh anywhere off the pitch but was a 100 percent proffesional and inspirational on it.
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Post by maine on Feb 12, 2018 13:23:52 GMT
Lots of good names here. In recent years only Bojan, pre Rochdale, for me. Nzoni wouldn't make my top 25. Mahoney, Bracewell, and why has no-one mentioned Mike Bernard? He was hard as nails and could do everything you need from a midfielder. Also loved Denis Violett. I wish he'd been taking the penalty on Saturday!
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Post by Miles Offside on Feb 12, 2018 15:51:43 GMT
Jimmy Mcllroy , Denis Violet, Peter Dobing all were better than Hudson. No they weren't - and I saw them all. They didn't even play the same role as Hudson. They were old fashioned inside forwards. Nobody comes near Hudson for the way in which he ran the midfield for Stoke.
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sifta
Youth Player
Posts: 449
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Post by sifta on Feb 12, 2018 20:15:16 GMT
The midfield of Heath, Bracewell and McIlroy was probably our best since the 70s. Shame Barker insisted in pinging the ball over their heads. I'm pretty sure that we bought McIlroy with some of the money we got from Everton for Heath. The midfield was Thomas, McIlroy, Bracewell, Chamberlain. which was fantastic, Its a shame that the forward line was O'Callaghan and Maguire which wasn't going to tear any defence apart! I also think that the pinging the ball over their heads POMO season came after we'd sold Bracewell to Sunderland, and replaced him with Robbie James.
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Post by trickydicky73 on Feb 12, 2018 20:32:56 GMT
The midfield of Heath, Bracewell and McIlroy was probably our best since the 70s. Shame Barker insisted in pinging the ball over their heads. I'm pretty sure that we bought McIlroy with some of the money we got from Everton for Heath. The midfield was Thomas, McIlroy, Bracewell, Chamberlain. which was fantastic, Its a shame that the forward line was O'Callaghan and Maguire which wasn't going to tear any defence apart! I also think that the pinging the ball over their heads POMO season came after we'd sold Bracewell to Sunderland, and replaced him with Robbie James. I can't remember who the personnel were exactly, I just remember us starting the season brilliantly and Richie Barker fucking it up by playing long ball. Seems to be the Stoke way. Perhaps he was ahead of his time?
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Post by smallthorner on Feb 12, 2018 20:36:47 GMT
Jimmy Mcllroy , Denis Violet, Peter Dobing all were better than Hudson. No they weren't - and I saw them all. They didn't even play the same role as Hudson. They were old fashioned inside forwards. Nobody comes near Hudson for the way in which he ran the midfield for Stoke. I've seen them all. The only other stoke midfielder on a similar level to Hudson was George Eastham.
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Post by Staying up for Grandadstokey on Feb 12, 2018 20:56:22 GMT
No they weren't - and I saw them all. They didn't even play the same role as Hudson. They were old fashioned inside forwards. Nobody comes near Hudson for the way in which he ran the midfield for Stoke. I've seen them all. The only other stoke midfielder on a similar level to Hudson was George Eastham. I've seen them all as well, Dennis Viollet was the only one who could hold a candle to Hudson. Dobing brilliant on his day (usually in the glamour fixtures) but inconsistent, McIlroy's best days were definitely at Burnley but did a good job for us for a couple of seasons .I wished we could have signed Eastham when he was younger.
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sifta
Youth Player
Posts: 449
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Post by sifta on Feb 12, 2018 21:58:50 GMT
Addressing the original question I'd have to say that Bracewell in his prime was streets ahead of even Nzonzi, unfortunately his prime was 2 years at Everton alongside Reid, before he got his leg broken stopping him going to the '86 World Cup.
At Stoke, he was a talented youngster with lots of potential, who was, until Nzonzi, the best central midfielder I've seen for Stoke, but not the finished article he became.
As an aside, I'm not sure Thomas fits in this category, or as a winger. If he is under consideration, then I'd have him in like a shot, as one of my all time favourite Stoke players.
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Post by coupe on Feb 13, 2018 10:24:20 GMT
No they weren't - and I saw them all. They didn't even play the same role as Hudson. They were old fashioned inside forwards. Nobody comes near Hudson for the way in which he ran the midfield for Stoke. I've seen them all. The only other stoke midfielder on a similar level to Hudson was George Eastham. Absolutely agree with everything you said there and I started Watching Stoke from 61 and Jimmy Mcillroy was my 1st Stoke idol,but Hudson was just on another level to the rest.
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Post by vahl on Feb 13, 2018 10:31:54 GMT
We all know it, really.
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Post by Stoke711 on Feb 13, 2018 10:59:02 GMT
Graham Kavanagh should get a shout. A very good goal scoring midfielder. Sad how it all ended but like Sheron, forced out and made it seem like they wanted out.
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Post by tcdobinghoff on Feb 13, 2018 11:43:06 GMT
Jimmy Mcllroy , Denis Violet, Peter Dobing all were better than Hudson. No they weren't - and I saw them all. They didn't even play the same role as Hudson. They were old fashioned inside forwards. Nobody comes near Hudson for the way in which he ran the midfield for Stoke. You are correct- modern midfield roles don’t match up to the way teams set up in the past. Hudson though was a bit of an exception though because , as you say, he ran the midfield. He received the ball from the keeper, took throw ins, won the ball, made goals. He was the main man and everything went through him - he would be a box to box man in a modern midfield.
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Post by fca47 on Feb 13, 2018 12:36:10 GMT
Find it strange people saying Nzonzi was creative, he had atributes, but creativity wasn't one of them, phisically imposing and neat, I would give you but creative never.
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Post by GeneralFaye on Feb 13, 2018 12:39:49 GMT
What, not Jimmy?
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Post by Claus_SCFC on Feb 13, 2018 17:05:15 GMT
Peter Dobing
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Post by lordb on Feb 13, 2018 17:10:04 GMT
Find it strange people saying Nzonzi was creative, he had atributes, but creativity wasn't one of them, phisically imposing and neat, I would give you but creative never. Very rarely. He was superb at maintaining possession. Nzonzi and Bojan,good pairing.
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Post by PotterLog on Feb 13, 2018 17:34:53 GMT
I can’t believe we’re this far into the thread and Super Johnny Eustace hasn’t had even an honourable mention. He was a cut above when he was fit, probably the best CM we had in our lower league years. I’d even say he’s in the top two or three I’ve seen at Stoke, going back to about ‘85.
Not saying he’d get in the “best ever” team but if Whelan, Beeston and Gleghorn are getting shouts (not to mention Kav and James O’bloody Connor) then SJE deserves to be somewhere on the list.
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Post by ohbottom on Feb 13, 2018 17:39:13 GMT
N'Zonzi. When he first came to us I thought he was easily the best MF we'd had since Hudson and I never saw anything to change my mind.
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Post by Rick Grimes on Feb 13, 2018 18:22:49 GMT
N’Zonzi closely followed by Delap.
I loved watching Eustace play as well, it’s such a shame he was as injury prone as he was.
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Post by SydenhamStokie on Feb 13, 2018 19:00:42 GMT
For a short time, Bojan was the best player I've seen at Stoke in 30 years, and, in my opinion, possibly the best ever. I would love to see him back and playing at his peak.
So it's Bojan for me, but there are some great names here. Howard Kendall was absolutely brilliant for us, a real class act, and John Mahoney and Rory Delap have strong claims too. I would probably go for Mahoney if not Bojan.
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Post by Caerwrangonpotter on Feb 13, 2018 19:06:05 GMT
For a short time, Bojan was the best player I've seen at Stoke in 30 years, and, in my opinion, possibly the best ever. I would love to see him back and playing at his peak. So it's Bojan for me, but there are some great names here. Howard Kendall was absolutely brilliant for us, a real class act, and John Mahoney and Rory Delap have strong claims too. I would probably go for Mahoney if not Bojan. First autograph I ever got was Howard Kendall, and remember him as a nipper. When did we sign Howard, and how was his tenure at Stoke City overall? 9 goals in 80 odd games suggests good
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