Better than 85-87

[The Legend of Southall]

I will pick forest v the R /s in the European cup two legs , watch it and tell me about intensity , Forest didn't give them an inch, and Liverpool had some of there legendary players the pitch.
its a different game , but it doesn't make the modern players automatically better than those in the passed.
Do you think the current Everton team would live with the eighties version ?
They would be outplayed fairly easily, Sharp and Gray v Mina and Holgate?
The midfield would be a walk in the park for the old lot,
in defence they had rats who was rapid, physio pat, who despite the hardman tag was a good player, fast good in the air and could tackle like nothing we have had for years.
a classy England international at fullback also as fast as anything we currently have and topped of by Mountfield who going up for corners with some of the others would not be a pretty sight for the likes of Pickford with Gray bearing down on him, and co who can't defend at the best of times.
DLC and Richo might cause them trouble but dont think they would see enough of the ball to do much really
to simplify it Pickford is currently rated one of the best in the pre m , England 's number one are you honestly saying despite all the advantage of training ect he is better than Southall.
its a different game certainly not better.
I actually think modern keepers are not at a decent level compared most era's i have watched football.
Everton last time they won the league played something like 26 over the season including some players a lot would struggle to recall , but they had something about them you couldn't teach a will to win , play as a unit, adapt to change and you can't teach or train that even with modern methods, I wish we could.

Looking back at footage of Southall from the 80's, the one thing that strikes me is how much he catches the ball compared to modern keepers. It completely halts the attack, and realeses the pressure the defence is under.

The only reason I can see for modern goalkeepers not doing it, is because it doesn't look glamorous. And that, quite frankly is ridiculous. It's not the goalkeepers job to make the attacker look better. Unless I'm missing something with the aerodynamics of modern footballs?

 

[Chewbacca]

This thread misses the point. It was never about individuals, it was about the team , the sum of the parts.

This. 100%

The mid-eighties team was without weakness.

And Psycho’s stare was a harder tackle than Bailey or Baines has ever managed.

 

[Nobby Nobbs]

Even Alan Ball you could say has had peers, like Ross Barkley and Steven Pienaar

Cough, cough splutter, splutter, choke, choke. The wife's just had to help me back onto the couch from the floor. You are mad if you think you that.

 

[AndyC]

The only player in his position who it cannot be debated has ever in the history of Everton had anyone better than him is Neville Southall.

Easily the best goalkeeper in our history.

Even Alan Ball you could say has had peers, like Ross Barkley and Steven Pienaar

Wait, what, stop the world... I liked Barkley and Pienaar loads, but combined together they don't come anywhere close to Bally, never in the memory of man.

 

[blue1948]

Looking back at footage of Southall from the 80's, the one thing that strikes me is how much he catches the ball compared to modern keepers. It completely halts the attack, and realeses the pressure the defence is under.

The only reason I can see for modern goalkeepers not doing it, is because it doesn't look glamorous. And that, quite frankly is ridiculous. It's not the goalkeepers job to make the attacker look better. Unless I'm missing something with the aerodynamics of modern footballs?

The reason is they are coached to get the ball away from the goal , one slip catching and we know where it will end up ask our own Pickford -catching it on top of the bar.

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

Looking back at footage of Southall from the 80's, the one thing that strikes me is how much he catches the ball compared to modern keepers. It completely halts the attack, and realeses the pressure the defence is under.

The only reason I can see for modern goalkeepers not doing it, is because it doesn't look glamorous. And that, quite frankly is ridiculous. It's not the goalkeepers job to make the attacker look better. Unless I'm missing something with the aerodynamics of modern footballs?

The ball moves a lot more in the air now. So its safer to push it away than to catch.

 

[Viennablue]

Going to get a heck of a lot of abuse for this from older posters but I’ll do it anyway. The following team would absolutely destroy a best 11 from our 83-84 to 86-87 sides. All have played for us in the premier league era...

gkickford
Lb: Baines
RB: Coleman
LCB: Lescott
RCB: Jagielka
CM: Ghana
CM: Arteta
CAM: Cahill
LAM: Richarlison
RAM: Kanchelskis
CF: Lukaku

With modern tactics, training, sports science, and nutrition this team would be too quick, strong and talented for the 80s side. Don’t get me wrong, they would only have an extra 4-5%, but that would be enough to be first to every loose ball and 50-50 challenge. The improved fitness levels would also mean better decision making and higher energy reserves as the game went on. Passing and shooting would be faster and more accurate too.

I’m really proud of our 80s side and I wish I had been around to see it live, but comparing eras in football is silly really. As technology and science improves so does sport. The game is so much more global these days (or it was before it shutdown). The 80s side was all British and Irish whereas my side above has 8 nationalities in it. Also player salaries have meant more young people around the world want to be footballers compared to other sports.

a perfect example of how times have changed is Jack Grealish (before his recent indiscretion). When he burst on to the scene he looked a real talent. Then he started partying and stopped taking things as seriously. He essentially lived like footballers of the past used to. His talent alone wasn’t enough and he almost ended up on the scrap heap. Then he started taking his career seriously again, training like modern day pro and he’s now wanted by all the top clubs. Times have changed and footballers now must be peak athletes.

I await the backlash

 

[Westend Blue]

The ball moves a lot more in the air now. So its safer to push it away than to catch.

Yup ball Aerodynamics are vastly different to older balls only crosses and maybe corners are what id consider catchable

 

[Westend Blue]

Going to get a heck of a lot of abuse for this from older posters but I’ll do it anyway. The following team would absolutely destroy a best 11 from our 83-84 to 86-87 sides. All have played for us in the premier league era...

gkickford
Lb: Baines
RB: Coleman
LCB: Lescott
RCB: Jagielka
CM: Ghana
CM: Arteta
CAM: Cahill
LAM: Richarlison
RAM: Kanchelskis
CF: Lukaku

With modern tactics, training, sports science, and nutrition this team would be too quick, strong and talented for the 80s side. Don’t get me wrong, they would only have an extra 4-5%, but that would be enough to be first to every loose ball and 50-50 challenge. The improved fitness levels would also mean better decision making and higher energy reserves as the game went on. Passing and shooting would be faster and more accurate too.

I’m really proud of our 80s side and I wish I had been around to see it live, but comparing eras in football is silly really. As technology and science improves so does sport. The game is so much more global these days (or it was before it shutdown). The 80s side was all British and Irish whereas my side above has 8 nationalities in it. Also player salaries have meant more young people around the world want to be footballers compared to other sports.

a perfect example of how times have changed is Jack Grealish (before his recent indiscretion). When he burst on to the scene he looked a real talent. Then he started partying and stopped taking things as seriously. He essentially lived like footballers of the past used to. His talent alone wasn’t enough and he almost ended up on the scrap heap. Then he started taking his career seriously again, training like modern day pro and he’s now wanted by all the top clubs. Times have changed and footballers now must be peak athletes.

I await the backlash

You have picked every good player we have had in the last 30 years to match a team that was formed in 3-4 years if anything thats a sad indecation of how far standards have fallen

 

[Joey66]

The only player in his position who it cannot be debated has ever in the history of Everton had anyone better than him is Neville Southall.

Easily the best goalkeeper in our history.

Even Alan Ball you could say has had peers, like Ross Barkley and Steven Pienaar

No arguments there he was world class, as our left Back Ramon Wilson , and Alan Ball - Ray Wilson started off at Huddersfield as a flying left winger, and stayed there too, reverting to left back over a too long period - in those days the first overlapping fullback of quality - he stayed there far to long in the old division two chosen for England -He came to us in his twilight years , and stood out like a beacon at left back - different eras, but what a left back defensively he was brilliant too so imo they are the three world class players I have seen at the blues HK was also an outstanding player proving that by winning us all our trophies in the 1980's.

 

[Billy Dean]

Rom would replace Heath, and our 18-year old Wayne might get a spot. That's about it.

My hierarchy of those would be:

1. 18 year-old Wayne
2. Pre-injury Heath
3. Rom

 

[Billy Dean]

There have been things going round Facebook at the moment asking people to post their team's best line up from players in their lifetime. For me it would basically just be the mid-80s team even though I can't remember them as well as the more modern teams.

Was gonna say Baines in for Van den Hauwe maybe. Maybe Kanchelskis in for Steven. Young Wayne somewhere perhaps.

Rom gets nowhere near.

 

[MickA]

The only ones that are even close to a starting position are Kanchelskis, Beardsley and Baines. End of.

Yakubu and Lukaku would have obviously thrived.

 

[maccavennie]

I didn't mean technical ability. Bad wording. I just mean the game has come so far that any team in the PL now would run wild in the 80s and before. Maybe even the 90s too. A team like City wouldn't lose.

Wouldn't be too sure. I think someone like Sterling would be volleyed into orbit after about 2 minutes and that would put him out of the game.

Technically the majority of players in the modern era are better but you had to proper look after yourself years ago, something these footballers ain't got a clue about as football is about as non contact as your likely to see these days.

 

[Viennablue]

You have picked every good player we have had in the last 30 years to match a team that was formed in 3-4 years if anything thats a sad indecation of how far standards have fallen

to be fair apart from kanchelskis and Cahill all the others were signed between 2006-2018. That’s 12 years, not 30.

Also it’s not like the side of 83-87 were all signed in those 4 seasons. Some had been around for years before and some were around for years after.

I only said 83-87 because these were the years when that side actually won anything.

I could give you 1980-1992. I imagine the 11 would still be made up of the 80s team.

standards have risen. Even though the side I picked would’ve beaten the 80s side (I think) comfortably it still never really did anything in the modern day premier league.

I’ll give you another 11

Gk Martyn
Lb Digne
LCB Distin
RCB Stones
Rb Neville
Cm Fellaini
cm Gomes
Lm Pienaar
Rm Mirallas
Cam Barkley
Cf Rooney

all played for us between 2004 and 2018. Would still have beat the 80s side.