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Post by lordb on Aug 14, 2019 11:19:53 GMT
Any best ever Stoke XI has to have Banks,Franklin,Hudson & Matthews in it
Other positions we can argue about
For me: 442 Banks McGrory,Franklin,Smith,Pejic Matthews, Soo, Hudson, Joe Johnson Greenhoff, Steele
could easily have Banks Marsh,Franklin,Smith,Allen Matthews,Eastham,Hudson,Conroy Violett, Ritchie
Chamberlain,Stein,Fuller,Nzonzi not far behind?
Arnie,Etherington even Shaqiri & Bojan very good players but shouldn't be in the above company
the likes of Dobing,Tommy Sale, Frank Bowyer, John McCue, Frank Mountford, Tutin e.t.c. make it hard to be definitive
only one candidate for manager & that's Waddington
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Post by ohjaypee on Aug 14, 2019 11:22:39 GMT
I have to go for players I've seen myself, not been blessed to have seen the likes of Conroy, Greenhoff etc... Sorenson Wilkinson - Huth - Shawcross - Higgy N'Zonzi - Delap - Whelan Arnautovic - Fuller - Hoekstra I often wonder if Sambegou hadn't have gone AWOL and kept his form up, what a potential career he could have had for us. Didn’t he score 6-7 on the bounce before doing a Houdini ? It looked like we’d signed a real goal scorer there for a brief period. Bang em in Bangoura. Watched him play a few times, he was prolific, then disappeared after January - didn't he go to the AFCON and not come back?? Was a difficult one not to include Sergei in my initial XI, but I think Huth man for man is a better player.
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Post by lordb on Aug 14, 2019 11:25:08 GMT
What about best ever Britannia/Bet365 Stoke side?
4231 Begovic Hanssen, Shawcross, Faye , Higginbottom Nzonzi, Gunnarsson Shaqiri,Bojan,Arnotivic Fuller
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Post by serpico on Aug 14, 2019 11:29:43 GMT
Didn’t he score 6-7 on the bounce before doing a Houdini ? It looked like we’d signed a real goal scorer there for a brief period. Bang em in Bangoura. Watched him play a few times, he was prolific, then disappeared after January - didn't he go to the AFCON and not come back?? Was a difficult one not to include Sergei in my initial XI, but I think Huth man for man is a better player. Yeh, it was the Bosskamp era in early 2006 I think. Even when he eventually came back he never actually came back. I’m always baffled why some players do this sort of thing, had he come back, banged in a few more for us he probably would have got a big money move, some players just seem to want to self sabotage.
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Post by march4 on Aug 14, 2019 11:34:35 GMT
Banks Marsh Smith Huth Pejic Delap Matthews Hudson Greenhoff Sidibe Ritchie
From my lifetime.
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Post by reddipotter on Aug 14, 2019 12:21:39 GMT
No mention of Mickey Thomas?
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Post by tpholloway1 on Aug 14, 2019 12:28:37 GMT
No mention of Violet, McIlroy (Jimmy and Sammy) Burrows etc. Shows we've been lucky to watch some great players.
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Post by spitthedog on Aug 14, 2019 12:32:02 GMT
This sort of discussion is always influenced by your age. Never saw Sir Stan except in his testimonial and never saw Franklin but they are automatic. Huth was nowhere as good as Bloor or Smith. TC is the best winger I have seen in a Stoke Jersey and Big John is the best striker. Shilton never played well for Stoke, so I would go with Farmer or Butland (pre-injury). n’zonzi was a one-season wonder and could’nt hold a candle to Hudson. I wouldn't agree that N'Zonzi was a one season wonder. Mr. Consistency. Excellent player over the years (not just for us of course). But no-one can hold a candle to Hudson (though that was just 2 seasons) Hudson first name on the list for me. Also a Best XI has to have a starting date otherwise doesn't make any sense.
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Post by lifelong on Aug 14, 2019 13:06:14 GMT
can't believ it took three pages before violet and eastham were mentioned
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Post by kustokie on Aug 14, 2019 13:46:47 GMT
Another interesting hypothetical is which team was better: The '72 LC Final team or Hughes's best 11?
Banks/Butland Pejic/Pieters Smith/Shawcross Bloor/Huth Marsh/Johnson Mahoney/Whelan Eastham/N'zonzi Dobing/Bojan Conroy/Arnautovic Greenhoff/Shaqiri Ritchie/Diouf
I see one players under Hughes that was better than the Waddo' '72 team: Arni was a bit better than TC, but it is very close and doesn't consider what a great bloke TC is and his service to the club, which continues to this day.
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Post by lordb on Aug 14, 2019 13:54:20 GMT
This sort of discussion is always influenced by your age. Never saw Sir Stan except in his testimonial and never saw Franklin but they are automatic. Huth was nowhere as good as Bloor or Smith. TC is the best winger I have seen in a Stoke Jersey and Big John is the best striker. Shilton never played well for Stoke, so I would go with Farmer or Butland (pre-injury). n’zonzi was a one-season wonder and could’nt hold a candle to Hudson. I wouldn't agree that N'Zonzi was a one season wonder. Mr. Consistency. Excellent player over the years (not just for us of course). But no-one can hold a candle to Hudson (though that was just 2 seasons) Hudson first name on the list for me. Also a Best XI has to have a starting date otherwise doesn't make any sense. 'best ever' so starting date is 1863
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Post by Mr_DaftBurger on Aug 14, 2019 15:34:55 GMT
It's so difficult to pick as the best players would not, necessarily, make the best team. Imagine Chambo crossing for Big John. Alan Dodd, in the modern era, would be the complete centreback. Conroy as a number 10? Alan Hudson in any era! Nailed on from the players I've seen would be: Banks Hudson Ritchie Chamberlain Sir Stan (never saw him but can you leave him out?) Maybe Smith, Bloor and Pejic (leftback is a cloudy subject as I can't remember many! ) Holding midfielders Bracewell and Mahoney? Players like Bracewell, Chapman, Heath, Crooks, Bould, Dixon went on to have brilliant careers after they left us and were arguably more successful than any of our lot!
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Post by kustokie on Aug 14, 2019 15:42:47 GMT
It's so difficult to pick as the best players would not, necessarily, make the best team. Imagine Chambo crossing for Big John. Alan Dodd, in the modern era, would be the complete centreback. Conroy as a number 10? Alan Hudson in any era! Nailed on from the players I've seen would be: Banks Hudson Ritchie Chamberlain Sir Stan (never saw him but can you leave him out?) Maybe Smith, Bloor and Pejic (leftback is a cloudy subject as I can't remember many! ) Holding midfielders Bracewell and Mahoney? Players like Bracewell, Chapman, Heath, Crooks, Bould, Dixon went on to have brilliant careers after they left us and were arguably more successful than any of our lot! TC was an old fashioned winger.
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Post by Mr_DaftBurger on Aug 14, 2019 15:45:50 GMT
It's so difficult to pick as the best players would not, necessarily, make the best team. Imagine Chambo crossing for Big John. Alan Dodd, in the modern era, would be the complete centreback. Conroy as a number 10? Alan Hudson in any era! Nailed on from the players I've seen would be: Banks Hudson Ritchie Chamberlain Sir Stan (never saw him but can you leave him out?) Maybe Smith, Bloor and Pejic (leftback is a cloudy subject as I can't remember many! ) Holding midfielders Bracewell and Mahoney? Players like Bracewell, Chapman, Heath, Crooks, Bould, Dixon went on to have brilliant careers after they left us and were arguably more successful than any of our lot! TC was an old fashioned winger. I know that but he had the skill to play No 10 in the modern game!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2019 18:04:37 GMT
I'm entering mine as if the team was managed by Nathan Jones and was playing a diamond. Since we never had a player at the base of the diamond it gives me a chance to pick Eric since he of course could play anywhere. And at the tip similar thing applies; we have no idea how it might have worked, but the position was made up for Bojan.
Banks, Marsh Smith, Bloor, Pejic Skeels, Hudson, Eastham, Bojan, Greenhoff, Fuller
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Post by 'i'mnaked' on Aug 14, 2019 21:16:33 GMT
Beagrie was off it, and so was Sheron.
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Post by kustokie on Aug 15, 2019 2:30:34 GMT
TC was an old fashioned winger. I know that but he had the skill to play No 10 in the modern game! Dobing might have been even better. The only problem he was very moody and couldn’t be arsed half the time. Otherwise he could have had 50-60 caps and probably not played for Stoke. Waddington had the rare people skills to manage players like that. He would have been perfect for the modern game - he would have loved the challenge of working with big egos like Arni, and Shaq.
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Post by kustokie on Aug 15, 2019 2:32:10 GMT
I'm entering mine as if the team was managed by Nathan Jones and was playing a diamond. Since we never had a player at the base of the diamond it gives me a chance to pick Eric since he of course could play anywhere. And at the tip similar thing applies; we have no idea how it might have worked, but the position was made up for Bojan. Banks, Marsh Smith, Bloor, Pejic Skeels, Hudson, Eastham, Bojan, Greenhoff, Fuller Wasn’t Eric Skeels a converted right back that could not get in the side once Marsh was established?
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Post by superalexneil on Aug 15, 2019 5:41:21 GMT
Sorenson
Hoefkens Shawcross Huth Higginbottham
Hoekstra Nzonzi Whelan shaqiri
arnautovic
Fuller
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Post by Mr_DaftBurger on Aug 15, 2019 9:58:28 GMT
Dobing might have been even better. The only problem he was very moody and couldn’t be arsed half the time. He'd have fitted right in these past couple of years. Did he have French ancestry?
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Post by AlliG on Aug 15, 2019 10:55:33 GMT
I'm entering mine as if the team was managed by Nathan Jones and was playing a diamond. Since we never had a player at the base of the diamond it gives me a chance to pick Eric since he of course could play anywhere. And at the tip similar thing applies; we have no idea how it might have worked, but the position was made up for Bojan. Banks, Marsh Smith, Bloor, Pejic Skeels, Hudson, Eastham, Bojan, Greenhoff, Fuller Wasn’t Eric Skeels a converted right back that could not get in the side once Marsh was established? I presume you are talking about the club record appearance holder Eric Skeels? Eric had been a first team regular for the best part of a decade before Jackie Marsh became established. He was basically a wing half who over the course of his long and distinguished career played in just about every position other than goalkeeper. He had a couple of seasons where he played mainly at right back (because Waddo could rely on him to slot into any position where he had a gap) but he probably wore the No 4 or No 6 shirt the most (at a time where shirt numbers were relevant). In the modern game he would have been ideal (and brilliant) as the defensive midfielder.
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Post by AlliG on Aug 15, 2019 11:00:26 GMT
Dobing might have been even better. The only problem he was very moody and couldn’t be arsed half the time. He'd have fitted right in these past couple of years. Did he have French ancestry? This board would have been in absolute meltdown when he took his ball home and "retired" for a couple of weeks during the 1967 or 1968 season!
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Post by neilb987 on Aug 15, 2019 11:19:02 GMT
Would have loved to have seen Alan Hudson and Howard Kendall playing together in a Stoke midfield. They would have been a superb complementary pairing.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2019 11:33:49 GMT
What about best ever Britannia/Bet365 Stoke side? 4231 Begovic Hanssen, Shawcross, Faye , Higginbottom Nzonzi, Gunnarsson Shaqiri,Bojan,Arnotivic Fuller Imagine that front four on fire!
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Post by simple on Aug 15, 2019 16:28:38 GMT
Banks Marsh Smith Franklin Pejic Matthews Hudson ? Conroy Ritchie Steele Struggling for a name for a more DM. Mahoney
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Post by FullerMagic on Oct 30, 2019 18:55:16 GMT
Coatesy has picked his first XI and second XI from his 70 years watching.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2019 19:03:32 GMT
A few surprises there for certain, but nothing that I would particularly want to argue with. Opinions and all that.
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Post by jezzascfc on Oct 30, 2019 19:05:59 GMT
Coatesy has picked his first XI and second XI from his 70 years watching. Biggest shock is no place for Greenhoff (and Arnie being in his first XI), although Ritchie, Stein, Fuller and Steele are not at all shabby. Hardly Vokes, Gregory and Hogan, though, are they?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2019 20:26:17 GMT
Do you pick players who were good over a long spell or ones who excelled for a short period ? As an example Chamberlain was world class in his 1st season but pretty average thereafter. Alan Dodd was different class for the era he played in but wasn't always the most consistent player.
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Post by wrighter on Oct 30, 2019 21:01:59 GMT
i honestly cant pick the best Stoke X1, too many to pick from
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