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Post by foxysgloves on Dec 29, 2015 15:39:17 GMT
Surely the only genuine contenders within living memory are the boys of 72??? And even then did we play football with the verve and swagger we're currently seeing??? Admittedly this crop have to deliver league positions and trophies over a period of time to really challenge Waddo's crew.....but.....the football we're currently seeing must be close to the best ever displayed by a team in the red and white??!! The team of the mid 70's, with Hudson in his prime, was surely better than the team of 72? Didn't win silverware but finished 5th in the League and were in with a good chance of winning it until the last 2 games. I think, given how much more cosmopolitan the league is with star players drawn from all over the world, that our current team IS probably the best we have ever had. Although we must have had a heluva side when we had 3 current England players including Matthews and Steele who has an England hat trick to his name. If the war had not intervened they would probably have gone on to be our best ever side in terms of league position. Fair point. I guess the old comparison of previous teams is a bit tired now....and as others have pointed out virtually impossible! That said the football we are playing now must be high up the list in terms of quality. For me I think the best football I saw Stoke play was during the Mills purple patch (7-2 Leeds, 5-2 Shef Utd etc) but that was fairly brief and more a flash in the pan than anything. Hopefully what we are seeing now is the start of a real golden time.....within an already golden era!!!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2015 15:46:43 GMT
But could these boys do it on a hot dry night in the Camp Nou ?
if they keep playing like they are we might just find out.
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Post by pyrus on Dec 29, 2015 15:54:16 GMT
I've always looked back to the 70s as the best side we had. I think it is time to revise that. If I was selecting from a combined squad, more of our current team would make the starting line up than the 70s team
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Post by Lakeland Potter on Dec 29, 2015 16:48:01 GMT
I've always looked back to the 70s as the best side we had. I think it is time to revise that. If I was selecting from a combined squad, more of our current team would make the starting line up than the 70s team I agree. But, as Foxy points out earlier, comparisons are a bit meaningless. Lets just say that the sides of the late 40's the early to mid 70s were great in their time and that this one is great for the here and now. I lived through the 70s and I'm enjoying the football on the pitch as much now as I did then. I did take a greater pride in those days that more of the players were my fellow countrymen - and earned only about as much as my dad - but in terms of skill and fitness, I doubt it has ever been better than it is now for Stokies. If we filled in the corner to shut ukyestoney up, things would be almost perfect! ![;)](//storage.proboards.com/800541/images/0m0lbCuTEBzaRn6f8QaM.gif)
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Post by lordb on Dec 29, 2015 16:55:32 GMT
The thirties side with Mathews,the world's best player at the time,Steele,Franklin (England's best ever defender) and Joe Johnson must have been fantastic.
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Post by Veritas on Dec 29, 2015 17:03:57 GMT
Not wishing to be pedantic but Franklin didn't make his debut until after the war so wasn't part of the 1930's team
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Post by lordb on Dec 29, 2015 17:05:21 GMT
Not wishing to be pedantic but Franklin didn't make his debut until after the war so wasn't part of the 1930's team Good point. Although he did play war time games I think? All the same we had a top side.
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Post by bogus on Dec 29, 2015 17:22:01 GMT
The current team are the best, imo.
Hudson and Greenhoff would get a game, but not so sure about the rest. Maybe Smithy and Pej.
The 70's team were matching the best players in England. The current team are matching some of the best in the World.
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Post by buddha74 on Dec 29, 2015 17:31:34 GMT
It's not wether were better than the 70's team, more like a modern day remake with better special effects and all new cast :-)
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Post by Simon Drainrod on Dec 29, 2015 17:32:54 GMT
The current team are the best, imo. Hudson and Greenhoff might get a game, but not so sure about the rest. Maybe Smithy and Pej. The 70's team were matching the best players in England. The current team are matching some of the best in the World. This is my dad's opinion who is a season ticket holder now and a regular in the 70s too. He reckons that there is no comparison between, for example, Terry Conroy and Arnie in terms of skill level and talent. But then again Arnie had only really started delivering at this level consistently this season.
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Post by heworksardtho on Dec 29, 2015 17:35:46 GMT
Pitches were awfull and put Norman hunter , Denis' Smith , chopper Harris and dirty hard players like that in the opposing side and arnie , bojan and shaq wouldn't last the full 90 mins
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Post by Veritas on Dec 29, 2015 17:37:18 GMT
Having seen both I think the best 70's/now combined team would be
Banks Johnson Smith Shawcross Pieters Shaqiri Whelan Hudson Arnie Bojan Greenhoff
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Post by WoodbineWright2@ on Dec 29, 2015 17:42:02 GMT
I can't really offer an opinion as to whether our current team is our best ever. But certainly, and pretty obviously, in my 25 years supporting Stoke, this is the best I've ever seen. Although I've heard tales of the early 70's teams and I know that in the days of Sir Stan, Freddie Steele and Franklin, we had one hell of a team.
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Post by pyrus on Dec 29, 2015 17:47:14 GMT
Having seen both I think the best 70's/now combined team would be Banks Johnson Smith Shawcross Pieters Shaqiri Whelan Hudson Arnie Bojan Greenhoff Similar to mine. You can't really do a player for player team because the set up is so different. It would be close between Pieters and Pejic, but I think Pejic would get it. It would be close between Mahoney and Whelan, but I agree, Whelan gets the nod. Otherwise, I always thought Bloor was a better player than Smith, so I'd probably swap the two 70s players - Smith out, Bloor in.
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Post by stokiejohnss on Dec 29, 2015 17:55:44 GMT
There was the pre war side which is arguably our best and older folk than me say the team after the war was excellent too. Those teams and the 70's one were both proven over several years so let's enjoy the present and see this one develop before we write history !
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Post by ayem on Dec 29, 2015 17:59:03 GMT
The past two years we've shown we can take on all the big clubs. If we keep this squad together the sky is the limit.
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Post by iglugluk on Dec 29, 2015 18:00:56 GMT
Quite possibly yes, I'd say. Great time to support Stoke atm.
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Post by sufolkstokie on Dec 29, 2015 18:09:48 GMT
Not just yet, but .....
The 30's team was awesome and the war probably deprived them/us of a title
The 50's team was close as well until the Sir Stan v manager meltdown
The 70's team was magic and won something
This team needs to win something
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Post by mrcoke on Dec 29, 2015 22:31:36 GMT
Fare play, Garth Crooks was drooling on about Stoke's 70s team and saying the class football times are back at Stoke yesterday afternoon.
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Post by whydelilah on Dec 29, 2015 22:33:11 GMT
It's no coincidence to me that since Afellay has come into the team the front 3 have started firing. Afellay was the missing piece, he deserves just as much recognition as our 3 star attackers, he makes the game of football look almost efortless. Great post.
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Post by 1raytuper on Dec 29, 2015 22:56:24 GMT
I watched you play some wonderful football BUT You are in grave danger of being the second best team we ever had. This lot really are that good do the present stoke flair players have to perform on boggy muddy pitches and ruthless vicious defenders who were allowed to go right through you to win the ball ?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2015 23:26:48 GMT
Giving our age away now folks!
Can't really make comparisons myself with the current team and the team I idolised back in the 70's in my early and late teens.
It's just too much of a different type of game today.
What I can say is, I can't recall the great 70's team bringing back too many wins from such places as Man City, Tottenham, Southampton, but they did manage to win some silverware, get robbed on not one, but two occasions in the sem-finals of the F A cup (mentioning no names) and almost win the league.
In my book, If the boys can go on and win silverware this season and better last season's finishing position in the league while playing the kind of football I have had the privilege to witness over the last few games, then I'm sure this squad of players we have today will definitely achieve more than the early and mid 70's team ever did.
'Just my tuppence worth'.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2015 6:16:12 GMT
Radio Stoke interview with Terry Conroy. RS..." So Terry, How do you compare the 72 cup winning squad with the current 2015 Prem Squad" TC..." Very similar in many ways, some gritty players, some flair players, but playing great as a team" RS..." What do you think the result would be in a game between 72 squad Vs 2015 squad" TC.."I think we'd just shade it 1-0" RS..." Only 1-0...Tight game then" TC..." Well yes, most of us are now in our 70's"
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Post by Linx on Dec 30, 2015 7:11:38 GMT
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Post by PB1863 on Dec 30, 2015 9:40:27 GMT
It's funny I am half way through TC's book and some of the things he had written led me to re look at the YouTube videos of a Stoke in the 70's. What a great time that was. Jimmy Greenhoff is still the best player I have ever watched. Watching Stoke now reminds me of those heady days and i hope we can hold on to the players and the magic they bring.
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Post by jarvinski on Dec 30, 2015 9:57:25 GMT
As fantastic as it is at the moment, Hudson and Greenhoff would have walked into this team
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Post by mrcoke on Dec 30, 2015 10:06:31 GMT
As fantastic as it is at the moment, Hudson and Greenhoff would have walked into this team I never understood why those 2 didn't play for England more than they did. It wasn't just their technical playing ability that was so good it was also the person qualities they brought to a team. Greenoff was full of energy, enthusiasm, maximum effort, selfless, etc.. while Hudson gave audacity, arrogance, daring, incisiveness, etc.
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Post by raythesailor on Dec 30, 2015 10:09:48 GMT
As fantastic as it is at the moment, Hudson and Greenhoff would have walked into this team They did it ankle deep in mud. Imagine them playing on grass. ! We are experiencing something akin to the golden period and let's hope it continues with a full loyal squad. Still regret the day that Greenhough left. (Not that he was not loyal, we had a roof to repair)!
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Post by Davef on Dec 30, 2015 10:16:13 GMT
As fantastic as it is at the moment, Hudson and Greenhoff would have walked into this team And Waddo would've loved to have had some of these players in his team.
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Post by 1raytuper on Dec 30, 2015 10:48:08 GMT
I watched you play some wonderful football BUT You are in grave danger of being the second best team we ever had. This lot really are that good do the present stoke flair players have to perform on boggy muddy pitches and ruthless vicious defenders who were allowed to go right through you to win the ball ? i rest my case ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/800541/images/KYqg3pYeaerc5lD_P7BR.gif)
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