[Archived] Rovers Reminiscences

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Some of us old timers  ( me mainly ) have been blocking up current threads by waffling on about teams and times gone by. Maybe we need a separate thread so we don't antagonise our younger fans. What do other people think ?

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Gav's on about Pele not  winning anything - other than 3 World Cups and several Inter Continental  Cups when Santos could dick any of the top European teams of the time. That was when teams took that trophy seriously. As a player he didn't have any weaknesses and for dribbling in confined spaces at speed he had no equal. This was in an era of many ball players. Just play back some his goals in his hey day, jaw dropping skill.

[AllRoverAsia]

Best would be in Tier 2 of jim's list imo.

Pele on his own at No. 1

I saw him as a youngster, at his peak and with a beer belly flopping over his shorts and he was always the stand out player.

Best the Best British player ever, although my Dad would have said Finney.

I can't do a copy paste of the list on my phone.....

[darrenrover]

Unfortunately you can't compare apples with apples. How would Messi, Maradonna, Ronaldo etc of the 'modern' era have performed on the muddy, ploughed up, mid winter pitches of the 60s and 70s, playing with a pudding like, laced up ball and faced with seriously hard men who were allowed to tackle and challenge ferociously without being penalised?

Conversely, you can only begin to imagine Best, Pele, Eusabio playing on todays bowling greens and protected by the rules of a now virtually no contact sport.

[AllRoverAsia]

1 minute ago, darrenrover said:

Unfortunately you can't compare apples with apples. How would Messi, Maradonna, Ronaldo etc of the 'modern' era have performed on the muddy, ploughed up, mid winter pitches of the 60s and 70s, playing with a pudding like, laced up ball and faced with seriously hard men who were allowed to tackle and challenge ferociously without being penalised?

Conversely, you can only begin to imagine Best, Pele, Eusabio playing on todays bowling greens and protected by the rules of a now virtually no contact sport.

Crikey just imagine those 3 playing in todays tippy tappy footy!

Remember Pele being assaulted at Goodison Park in the 66 WC.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, darrenrover said:

Unfortunately you can't compare apples with apples. How would Messi, Maradonna, Ronaldo etc of the 'modern' era have performed on the muddy, ploughed up, mid winter pitches of the 60s and 70s, playing with a pudding like, laced up ball and faced with seriously hard men who were allowed to tackle and challenge ferociously without being penalised?

Conversely, you can only begin to imagine Best, Pele, Eusabio playing on todays bowling greens and protected by the rules of a now virtually no contact sport.

You wouldn't be able to get the ball off them in today's playing environment.

[4000Holes]

41 minutes ago, darrenrover said:

Unfortunately you can't compare apples with apples. How would Messi, Maradonna, Ronaldo etc of the 'modern' era have performed on the muddy, ploughed up, mid winter pitches of the 60s and 70s, playing with a pudding like, laced up ball and faced with seriously hard men who were allowed to tackle and challenge ferociously without being penalised?

Conversely, you can only begin to imagine Best, Pele, Eusabio playing on todays bowling greens and protected by the rules of a now virtually no contact sport.

Yes, now as you say the game as very limited contact.  How would they go on coming up against some uncompromising Italian centre back of yesteryear or the likes of Norman (bite your legs) Hunter or Peter Storey, etc.

Colin Bell was in my oppinion a superb footballer who had everything until one day he came across Martin Buchan and then his career was no more.  A sad, sad, end.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Yes , De Bruyne reminds me a lot of Colin Bell. You don't get many broken legs these days fortunately but  more cruciate style injuries.

[AllRoverAsia]

2 hours ago, AllRoverAsia said:

Best would be in Tier 2 of jim's list imo.

Pele on his own at No. 1

I saw him as a youngster, at his peak and with a beer belly flopping over his shorts and he was always the stand out player.

Best the Best British player ever, although my Dad would have said Finney.

I can't do a copy paste of the list on my phone.....

Worked the copy paste ok so this is the list of jim mk2, I put Best in Tier 2.

No 1: Pele

2nd tier: Ronaldo, Messi, Maradona, Eusebio, Puskas, Di Stefano, Cryuff, Best

3rd tier:Beckenbauer,  Platini, Zidane, Finney.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, AllRoverAsia said:

Worked the copy paste ok so this is the list of jim mk2, I put Best in Tier 2.

No 1: Pele

2nd tier: Ronaldo, Messi, Maradona, Eusebio, Puskas, Di Stefano, Cryuff, Best

3rd tier:Beckenbauer,  Platini, Zidane, Finney.

The other Ronaldo  ( Brazilian ) was something special in his hey day.

[frosty]

1 hour ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

The other Ronaldo  ( Brazilian ) was something special in his hey day.

Was just about to say, very surprised to see no mention of Ronaldo. If he hadn't have missed pretty much three seasons of football through two big knee injuries in the late 90's/early 00's he'd have been right up there.

He remodelled his game well after those injuries - well enough to score 8 goals in World Cup 02 and score a hatful for Madrid - but he was unstoppable with that blistering pace he had before his injuries.

[JacknOry]

1 hour ago, frosty said:

Was just about to say, very surprised to see no mention of Ronaldo. If he hadn't have missed pretty much three seasons of football through two big knee injuries in the late 90's/early 00's he'd have been right up there.

He remodelled his game well after those injuries - well enough to score 8 goals in World Cup 02 and score a hatful for Madrid - but he was unstoppable with that blistering pace he had before his injuries.

Prior to his injuries he was a monumental beast and just a beast after them. 

 

[JacknOry]

What could Gazza have been despite the obvious?

 

[Guest]

14 minutes ago, JacknOry said:

What could Gazza have been despite the obvious?

Nah. Nowhere near!

Regarding Brazilian Ronaldo, wasn't he part of the World Cup '94 squad for Brazil at the age of 16 or something? That says a lot about the guy. He's the best striker of my generation.

[AJW]

As a child of the 80's  I wasn't fortunate to see the likes of Pele Cruyff Beckenbuaer etc so the best player I have seen play is Maradona , best I've actually seen in the flesh was Ruud Gullit , but I am of the opinion that if you have won a World Cup that filters the greats from the greatest therefore for me Pele Maradona Zidanne will always be above Cruyff Best Messi 

[Gav]

22 minutes ago, AJW said:

As a child of the 80's  I wasn't fortunate to see the likes of Pele Cruyff Beckenbuaer etc so the best player I have seen play is Maradona , best I've actually seen in the flesh was Ruud Gullit , but I am of the opinion that if you have won a World Cup that filters the greats from the greatest therefore for me Pele Maradona Zidanne will always be above Cruyff Best Messi 

Maradona by a mile in my book.

I agree on Guilit, his performance at Ewood when he played for Chelsea was the best I've ever seen in the flesh, first half as sweater, second half up front, exceptional.

(Apologies in advance for spelling)

Ronaldihnio wasn't bad either for Barca at home when I saw him.

Just thinking about strikers,  Romario and Stoichkov at Barca, Hagi, Crespo, Laudrup, Klinsman, Voller, Bierhoff, Batistuta and we had Shearer, probably the best striker in Europe aside from Romario? How lucky were we? 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, Gav said:

Maradona by a mile in my book.

I agree on Guilit, his performance at Ewood when he played for Chelsea was the best I've ever seen in the flesh, first half as sweater, second half up front, exceptional.

(Apologies in advance for spelling)

Ronaldihnio wasn't bad either for Barca at home when I saw him.

Just thinking about strikers,  Romario and Stoichkov at Barca, Hagi, Crespo, Laudrup, Klinsman, Voller, Bierhoff, Batistuta and we had Shearer, probably the best striker in Europe aside from Romario? How lucky were we? 

I take it you mean a sweeper Gav. There aren't  many players who are equally brilliant at both ends of the pitch, John Charles was supposed to be one but Guilit was exceptional. Paul Warhurst was another at a much lower level.

[Guest]

14 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

There aren't  many players who are equally brilliant at both ends of the pitch, John Charles was supposed to be one but Guilit was exceptional. Paul Warhurst was another at a much lower level.

We also had another in Sutty.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, Phil T said:

We also had another in Sutty.

Yeah but he was a much better striker than he was a defender. Mike England also played in both roles but he was a much better defender than a striker. Didn't Colin Hendry play at both ends of the pitch ?  I can remember both of Ben Anderson and Dick Mulvaney playing as joint strikers in one game. Both really centre halves, it wasn't pretty but we won. The less said about Chris Samba playing as a lone striker at Liverpool the better !

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

33 minutes ago, JacknOry said:

What could Gazza have been despite the obvious?

 

Gazza  was the real deal before he got injured. He could have been a world beater.

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Mike England also played in both roles but he was a much better defender than a striker.

And Ian Pearce. There's been quite a few, but it seems to be a thing of the past. Hence this thread!

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, Phil T said:

And Ian Pearce. There's been quite a few, but it seems to be a thing of the past. Hence this thread!

Yep Pearce is another.

[bazza]

5 hours ago, AllRoverAsia said:

Worked the copy paste ok so this is the list of jim mk2, I put Best in Tier 2.

No 1: Pele

2nd tier: Ronaldo, Messi, Maradona, Eusebio, Puskas, Di Stefano, Cryuff, Best

3rd tier:Beckenbauer,  Platini, Zidane, Finney.

Glad you mentioned Ferenc Puskas who played on muddy pitches with a laced up ball in the 50s. He was superb.

I think Zidane should rank in the No1 category. And, if you quote Beckenbaur, you have to include Maldini jnr , right back for Italy for years.

 

[Oldgregg86]

Dion Dublin played both if I remember correctly. May be wrong.  Ronaldinho was special on his day. I loved watching him not only because of his dazzling skill but because he clearly enjoyed doing what he did and reminded me of when your playing with your mates trying mad tricks and not taking it so serious and actually enjoying playing. Not many truly express themselves the way he did. Rivaldo was decent also. I think you need to put Henry and bergkamp in their somewhere as they were to of the best I've seen in the flesh behind Messi. Messi is the best of my generation followed by zidane. Two legends of the game

[Oldgregg86]

Who is the best keeper of your generation