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Post by bayernoatcake on Oct 8, 2021 12:15:06 GMT
I think he's massively underrated tbh. He showed himself to be a consisten PL player for 4/5 seasons and we never really replaced him. Bardo could have done but wasn't given the chance he deserved. Johnson was good for 3 months but not much else. I felt Bardsley was better. Wilkinson was a good defender, but he could not pass well, cross or shoot. He liked to sprint a ball directly down the right sometimes, but I don’t recall it leading to much on a regular basis. I also would include either Bojan or Fuller in a single team, with the other on the bench. There’s no way they’d work well together and having them in the team and no player like Walters/Beattie (or even Jones) negates the point of Matty being in there as well. I wouldn't pick that team if we're talking functionality and a winning side. It'd be more of this tbh: Bego Bardo Shawcross Muni Pieter Fonz Delap Shaq Bojan Arnie Odemwingie
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Post by armitage on Oct 8, 2021 13:36:59 GMT
BMX - no centre forward required. Matty Etherington - centre forward essential.
Simple choice. The remaining places fall out from there.
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Post by Clem Fandango on Oct 8, 2021 13:44:27 GMT
One thing is certain we were blessed with some absolutely quality players in his time here.
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Post by baystokie on Oct 8, 2021 13:44:56 GMT
Leaving out Fuller WTF it seems more of Friends reunited XI rather than best team, Muni was good but hardly played so you have to put Higgy or Pieters at left back, Griffin best right back ? And Whelan / Delap do similar jobs so I would have Lawrence in for one of them. No Stoke City Best 11 teams of the last 20 years should be without the magician Ricardo Fuller up front. I thought that football, and this forum especially, were all about opinions. If RS's 11 is his opinion, then so be it. The use of 'Fact' is irrelevant where opinions are concerned.
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Post by Vadiation_Ribe on Oct 8, 2021 13:46:49 GMT
The quote "I had calls from people at Man Utd asking about him before that horrible injury. He seemed in the right place and it was such a good moment in his career." doesn't do much to dispel the myth that Bojan was no good after that injury!
I would have to include Fuller in any team, but including Walters shows the value he had to the team despite what many folks on here thought (much like Brown now).
I'd have Cameron at right-back and Higginbotham on the other side, despite how good Muniesa was, he didn't play often enough.
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Post by clarkeda on Oct 8, 2021 13:52:51 GMT
I might be reading too much into this.
But sounds like letting Muni go could have been Hughes biggest mistake.
I said at the time we should have kept Muni instead of buying Wimmer, but didn’t think it’s turn out as bad as it did.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2021 13:59:09 GMT
I felt Bardsley was better. Wilkinson was a good defender, but he could not pass well, cross or shoot. He liked to sprint a ball directly down the right sometimes, but I don’t recall it leading to much on a regular basis. I also would include either Bojan or Fuller in a single team, with the other on the bench. There’s no way they’d work well together and having them in the team and no player like Walters/Beattie (or even Jones) negates the point of Matty being in there as well. I wouldn't pick that team if we're talking functionality and a winning side. It'd be more of this tbh: Bego Bardo Shawcross Muni Pieter Fonz Delap Shaq Bojan Arnie Odemwingie Either that or something similar to the FA cup side. Begovic Bardsley Huth Shawcross Higginbottham Pennant Whelan/Delap N’Zonzi Etherington Walters Beattie I think either of those teams would still place well in the Premier League today, albeit playing very different styles. I can only assume he picked Griffin for what he gave off the pitch more than on it to be honest.
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Post by mattythestokie on Oct 8, 2021 14:02:09 GMT
My team from Shawcross' time here: Bego Wilko Shawcross Huth Pieters Arnie Delap Fonz Etherington Bojan Fuller Subs: Sorro Muni Whelan Moses Shaq Odwemwingie Beattie Moses was a cracking player. I loved watching him.
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Post by armitage on Oct 8, 2021 14:48:00 GMT
I wonder what would have happened had we signed Moses permanently after that season on loan? Pushed Arnie up front maybe?
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Post by mtrstudent on Oct 8, 2021 15:42:51 GMT
I think he's massively underrated tbh. He showed himself to be a consisten PL player for 4/5 seasons and we never really replaced him. Bardo could have done but wasn't given the chance he deserved. Johnson was good for 3 months but not much else. I felt Bardsley was better. Wilkinson was a good defender, but he could not pass well, cross or shoot. He liked to sprint a ball directly down the right sometimes, but I don’t recall it leading to much on a regular basis. I also would include either Bojan or Fuller in a single team, with the other on the bench. There’s no way they’d work well together and having them in the team and no player like Walters/Beattie (or even Jones) negates the point of Matty being in there as well. Did we ever get Matty in a front 3? Great traditional left winger but his style of control made it look like he needed the space you get on the wing, and he was very one footed. Tymon reminds me a little of him a bit actually.
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Post by pmjh on Oct 8, 2021 17:00:42 GMT
Interesting final sentence when he makes a point of saying under Hughes training was harder than the games. I took that to mean that the players he was playing against in training were better than many of the teams they were playing on a Saturday.
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Post by bayernoatcake on Oct 8, 2021 17:11:53 GMT
I wonder what would have happened had we signed Moses permanently after that season on loan? Pushed Arnie up front maybe? Probably never would have signed Shaq? Or if we did we would have had a sublime pool of wingers. Maybe re pushing him up front but I’m still not convinced he’s best there despite what he did at West Ham. His finishing is just too erratic and he showed he could score goals from wide like with us so better used with a striker.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2021 19:56:35 GMT
No Stoke City Best 11 teams of the last 20 years should be without the magician Ricardo Fuller up front. I thought that football, and this forum especially, were all about opinions. If RS's 11 is his opinion, then so be it. The use of 'Fact' is irrelevant where opinions are concerned. In this case you are wrong. Normally I'd agree with you 100% and wouldn't have used the word Fact, but where Ricardo Fuller and our best 11 is concerned, it's use was warranted
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Post by owdestokie2 on Oct 8, 2021 21:34:51 GMT
I felt Bardsley was better. Wilkinson was a good defender, but he could not pass well, cross or shoot. He liked to sprint a ball directly down the right sometimes, but I don’t recall it leading to much on a regular basis. I also would include either Bojan or Fuller in a single team, with the other on the bench. There’s no way they’d work well together and having them in the team and no player like Walters/Beattie (or even Jones) negates the point of Matty being in there as well. I wouldn't pick that team if we're talking functionality and a winning side. It'd be more of this tbh: Bego Bardo Shawcross Muni Pieter Fonz Delap Shaq Bojan Arnie Odemwingie So you’ve chosen 4 offensive players with an average goals % of roughly 1 in 5
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Post by bayernoatcake on Oct 8, 2021 21:49:11 GMT
I wouldn't pick that team if we're talking functionality and a winning side. It'd be more of this tbh: Bego Bardo Shawcross Muni Pieter Fonz Delap Shaq Bojan Arnie Odemwingie So you’ve chosen 4 offensive players with an average goals % of roughly 1 in 5 I’ve chosen 4 awesome attacking players.
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Post by PotterLog on Oct 8, 2021 22:23:12 GMT
I felt Bardsley was better. Wilkinson was a good defender, but he could not pass well, cross or shoot. He liked to sprint a ball directly down the right sometimes, but I don’t recall it leading to much on a regular basis. I also would include either Bojan or Fuller in a single team, with the other on the bench. There’s no way they’d work well together and having them in the team and no player like Walters/Beattie (or even Jones) negates the point of Matty being in there as well. Did we ever get Matty in a front 3? Sorry a front what? You do know who our manager was when Matty was here right? 😂
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Post by hcstokie on Oct 9, 2021 8:16:31 GMT
I can’t believe he picked Griff over Cuco Martina at right back!
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Post by longdistancekiddie on Oct 10, 2021 2:26:24 GMT
Mark Wilson should be in there
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Post by mtrstudent on Oct 10, 2021 5:44:04 GMT
Did we ever get Matty in a front 3? Sorry a front what? You do know who our manager was when Matty was here right? 😂 Is it a front 3 if you're also playing 4 centre halves and 3 defensive midfielders?
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Post by WorkingclassHero on Oct 10, 2021 8:25:02 GMT
Interesting final sentence when he makes a point of saying under Hughes training was harder than the games. I took that to mean that the players he was playing against in training were better than many of the teams they were playing on a Saturday. Prob because that's how it was meant to be read 😃
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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2021 8:34:33 GMT
Butland (pre-injury)
Wilkinson Huth Shawcross Higginbotham
Etherington N'Zonzi Whelan Arnie
Bojan Fuller
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Post by cobhamstokey on Oct 10, 2021 8:41:37 GMT
For me I’d go
Bego
Higgy Faye Huth Pieters
Arnie Delap Fonz Etherington
Bojan Fuller
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Post by thehartshillbadger on Oct 10, 2021 8:49:32 GMT
Begovic
Bardsley Huth Faye Higginbotham
Whelan Nzonzi
Arnautovic Bojan Shaqiri
Fuller
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Post by mtrstudent on Oct 10, 2021 21:22:50 GMT
Begovic Bardsley Huth Faye Higginbotham Whelan Nzonzi Arnautovic Bojan Shaqiri Fuller This is my favourite so far. Peak-Whelan + Nzonzi pivot with that absolute nastiness in front of them would have me spaffing myself dry in no time.
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Post by PotterLog on Oct 10, 2021 21:49:36 GMT
Begovic Bardsley Huth Faye Higginbotham Whelan Nzonzi Arnautovic Bojan Shaqiri Fuller I’d maybe put Wilko and Pieters as full-backs but otherwise I’d go with that. Front six is absolute dynamite
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Post by bigjohnritchie on Oct 10, 2021 22:24:22 GMT
Sorensen
Huth Faye Shawcross Moses Nzonzi Whelan Delap Penant Crouch Fuller
Bench Souttar, Higginbotham, Lawrence, Beattie, Odwemwingie, Walters, Bursik.
Lacking midfield steel but we'd have to score more than them.
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Post by upthefud on Oct 11, 2021 0:13:44 GMT
Sorensen Huth Faye Shawcross Moses Nzonzi Whelan Delap Penant Crouch Fuller Bench Souttar, Higginbotham, Lawrence, Beattie, Odwemwingie, Walters, Bursik. Lacking midfield steel but we'd have to score more than them. Looks like the perfect amount of midfield steel to me. I'd maybe switch Crouch for Walters/Sidibe as that gave Fuller more freedom, and Pennant for Shaq but the team looks good.
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Post by thanksjon on Oct 13, 2021 10:14:44 GMT
I don't think you would get two fans of any club to agree on a best 11. Ryan's team would certainly keep the ref busy.
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Post by jimmygscfc1234 on Oct 13, 2021 11:17:05 GMT
Sorensen Huth Faye Shawcross Moses Nzonzi Whelan Delap Penant Crouch Fuller Bench Souttar, Higginbotham, Lawrence, Beattie, Odwemwingie, Walters, Bursik. Lacking midfield steel but we'd have to score more than them. Looks like the perfect amount of midfield steel to me. I'd maybe switch Crouch for Walters/Sidibe as that gave Fuller more freedom, and Pennant for Shaq but the team looks good. Mama in a Best XI? Seriously?
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Post by nottsover60 on Oct 15, 2021 9:55:24 GMT
Interesting that in this morning's article he names Hughes as the best manager he played for. I would have put money on him preferring Pulis who he owes his career to but I am glad he's come out in support of Hughes. I agree totally with him that it's odd that Stoke fans airbrush out three great years under him and just criticise the last disastrous one. Although I wanted him gone at the time I also think in hindsight that Shawcross is right and Hughes may well have kept us up.
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