[Archived] Best player

[yoda]

Bryan Douglas without any doubt. He could beat teams on his own. Imagine Tugay with pace, that was Dougie. The lad at Chelsea, Eden Hazard, reminds me a lot of Bryan. I'll give you my best team since 1962 when I first started going. 4-4-2 formation

Friedel

Newton

England

Hendrey

LeSaux

Mike Ferguson

Clayton

Bryan Douglas

Duff

Shearer

Pickering

Subs

Flowers

Berg

Tugay

Jansen

Bellamy

What, no Eamonn Rogers!

[yoda's brother]

What, no Eamonn Rogers!

or roger jones

[Amo]

Are you trying to tell me that the likes of Pele, Maradona, Cruyff, Beckenbauer would struggle now ! You're talking through your ring piece.

Read the post again. Did I say that?

[davulsukur]

Definitely not the best- but how many players have you seen like Yakubu over the years?

Maybe low expectations and the climate when we had him, but I personally think he was a strong and as natural as a striker as shearer. Didn't have the pace or work ethic but "the Yak" was certainly one of the few diamonds in the pile of faeces that season was.

Too add to that- we also had World Cup winner, Youri Djorkaeef (spelling!!)- how many other World Cup winners played at Ewood?

Loved the Yak, as you say not the best but a superb player non the less. Perhaps made to look better due to the horror going on at the club at the time but some of his goals were class, that cheeky finish against Arsenal was great.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

What, no Eamonn Rogers!

Sadly no. I really rated Eamonn, he could have been whatever he wanted to be. He really had it all, a bit like Dunny in style of play but with added fitness and aggression. A great player who'd be a real asset in our current team. Not in the Tugay, Ronnie Clayton class though.

Malcolm Darling was another player from that era that I thought would make it big as a young player but he also never made that step up.

[RussP]

Other than Shearer, I'll plump for Scott Sellars.

[bazza]

Sadly no. I really rated Eamonn, he could have been whatever he wanted to be. He really had it all, a bit like Dunny in style of play but with added fitness and aggression. A great player who'd be a real asset in our current team. Not in the Tugay, Ronnie Clayton class though.

I'm in total agreement there. But if you see him don't tell him. He became extremely allergic to football and his own career.

[Whyoy]

A striker that should be considered for the best team is Andy McEvoy. Supreme predator, topped the 1st Division goalscoring list in at least one if not two seasons.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I'm in total agreement there. But if you see him don't tell him. He became extremely allergic to football and his own career.

That's a shame. One of my favourite players in the day. A strong, skillful midfielder with a great engine and a powerful shot, he had the valuable knack of getting late into the penalty box to score his share of goals. He liked a tackle as well, nobody took liberties with him. I remember him playing at right back in a few emergencies and he looked like he'd played there all his life.

Another street footballer of the type we don't seem to produce too often these days.

[bazza]

That's a shame. One of my favourite players in the day. A strong, skillful midfielder with a great engine and a powerful shot, he had the valuable knack of getting late into the penalty box to score his share of goals. He liked a tackle as well, nobody took liberties with him. I remember him playing at right back in a few emergencies and he looked like he'd played there all his life.

Another street footballer of the type we don't seem to produce too often these days.

I think he got a bit upset when Eddie Quigley told (not asked) him to play full back.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

A striker that should be considered for the best team is Andy McEvoy. Supreme predator, topped the 1st Division goalscoring list in at least one if not two seasons.

I'd agree with that. When you're up there in the end of the season goal scoring charts with the likes of a Jimmy Greaves and Denis Law you can't be too bad. He was a great finisher and a better all round footballer than he was given credit for.

I remember us being 1 and 2 with Arsenal at the top of the old First Division and meeting at Ewood one wintery Saturday afternoon. I got to the ground to hear Dougie was out injured ! Bloody hell our guiding genius not playing. Andy took over Dougies role and guy called Reg Blore came in for his debut to stand in for Andy alongside Fred Pickering up front. Arsenal set off like a house on fire attacking the Darwen End, I was still making my way around to the Blackburn End when Arsenals Joe Baker put them one up.

Rovers battled their way back into the game with Andy playing brilliantly in an attacking midfield role. He scored one and made a couple for Fred Pickering who scored a great hat trick in a 4-1 win. I think that took us to the top of the first division. A great game played by a great team. We battered a good Arsenal team that day.

Reg Blore looked completely out of his depth in such a game and spent the rest of his career at Rovers as a prolific goalscorer playing

in the reserve team apart from a few first team games.

I think he got a bit upset when Eddie Quigley told (not asked) him to play full back.

Yeah, I heard that. He played really well there, but I think he liked the cut and thrust of central midfield more.

[whittle blue]

Candidate for most skilful and entertaining player I've seen is Duncan McKenzie.

A real footballing talent.

Unstoppable on his day but unfortunately too inconsistent.

[ABBEY]

Prem shearer/tugay

Div 2 Garner

Div 3 Crawford

[T.J.Newton]

Does anybody remember that incredible young centre back we had called Phil Jones, he left for a club called Manchester United but I havent seen much of him since.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Tony Field was the best we ever had in the old Div 3. He'd be a star in this team we have now. Like Rhodes but with pace and he could beat a man.

[Al]

For all your 'experience', it's still only your opinion, and others would disagree. I might not have seen those older players but I have seen Duff, and he was an exceptional talent playing in a more physically and technically demanding game. So I don't need to have seen those others play in order to reach that rational conclusion.

In the same way that you feel you can comment on the Rovers team and tactics without going to a match?

[Amo]

In the same way that you feel you can comment on the Rovers team and tactics without going to a match?

In the same way people comment on other teams in the PL Happenings thread, you mean?

[jim mk2]

Football is faster and players are certainly fitter now than in the old days but is "track and field football" (as the Brazilians call it) better ? I don't think so. In the same way that modern Brazilian footballers cannot hold a candle to the likes of Pele, Vava, Rivelinho, Gerson et al (the 1970 Brazil World Cup-winning team is generally regarded as the greatest team of all time) so most modern-day Rovers players are inferior to the best players from years ago. Football has changed over the years, and not always for the better. If people cannot take on board what folks who have seen all these great players over the years are saying, then they are being obstinate or stupid or possibly both.

[Leonard Venkhater]

Tony Field was the best we ever had in the old Div 3. He'd be a star in this team we have now. Like Rhodes but with pace and he could beat a man.

OMG..Yes. Do you remember his individual stunner in the 5-0 demolition of Watford? He must have beat 4 or 5 men in an intricate dribble before lashing the ball home...in front of the Blackburn End too.Wonderful!!

[Mike E]

In the same way people comment on other teams in the PL Happenings thread, you mean?

Very well put. The only true difference between TV coverage and live attendance is location. Such is the level of TV coverage now, that to suggest you can't comment by watching tv is to say you can't comment about football full stop, apart from Rovers and perhaps an odd neutral match.

[joey_big_nose]

Football is faster and players are certainly fitter now than in the old days but is "track and field football" (as the Brazilians call it) better ? I don't think so. In the same way that modern Brazilian footballers cannot hold a candle to the likes of Pele, Vava, Rivelinho, Gerson et al (the 1970 Brazil World Cup-winning team is generally regarded as the greatest team of all time) so most modern-day Rovers players are inferior to the best players from years ago. Football has changed over the years, and not always for the better. If people cannot take on board what folks who have seen all these great players over the years are saying, then they are being obstinate or stupid or possibly both.

What it comes down to I guess is would the ultra fit highly organised Spanish or Germany team of today beat the 1970s side? In my opinion it would. Simply comes down to the fact modern teams cover more grass and control their shape better. No way to prove it but the game, IMO, is improving year on year. Call it herasy but Messi and Ronaldo eat maradona and Pele for breakfast. There I said it. In terms of all round ability Ronaldo is the greatest player ever to play the game. Shame as I hate the arrogant so and so, but he could beat Pele and Maradina all ends up.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Ronaldo's a great player but better than Pele ? Not for me. Have a look at the video on youtube showing some of his goals. Mind blowing close control Ronaldo can only dream about.

[spiderpig]

Bryan Douglas without any doubt. He could beat teams on his own. Imagine Tugay with pace, that was Dougie. The lad at Chelsea, Eden Hazard, reminds me a lot of Bryan. I'll give you my best team since 1962 when I first started going. 4-4-2 formation

Friedel

Newton

England

Hendrey

LeSaux

Mike Ferguson

Clayton

Bryan Douglas

Duff

Shearer

Pickering

Subs

Flowers

Berg

Tugay

Jansen

Bellamy

This is player for player , position for position exactly the team I would pick . Thought about having Bellamy for Pickering up

front . For half a season he tore even the best teams apart with his pace and incisive play .

Just imagine a manager telling this lot after a 0-0 draw . " Well done lads we kept the ball well , were patient , got behind the

ball, nullified the opposition , kept our shape , went another game unbeaten , kept a clean sheet ..."

They would have looked at each other as if to say " What ? Does he think we can't play ?"

How the game has progressed .

[Al]

In the same way people comment on other teams in the PL Happenings thread, you mean?

It is stupid to say you don't have to see players to draw conclusions on them as well as ridiculous to comment on Rovers tactics without going to matches.

[Amo]

Nice dodge there, Slick.