95-96 vs 04-05 vs 07-09 vs 13-15

[tsubaki]

Watson / Unsworth was pretty decent too...95 cup final Unsworth was world class.

Wasn't it WSAG who said that he was world class, until someone showed him a video of Pumping Iron?

 

[dholliday]

The one player who would certainly get in is Martyn (given that the Southall in his prime wasn't an option). I loved Joe Parkinson, and his injury (and getting rid of Horne) was where the Royle side went wrong, but Barry is far better in that position. Stones now is better than Watson (or at least the PL version) / Gough / Lescott, to say nothing of what he will be like when he hits his peak; though a Stones / Keown partnership would probably have been better than Stones / Jags (or Stones / any of them) is.

Up front I would have Lukaku ahead of Ferguson or Rooney (though I would have Rooney rather than an ACM, and we never saw him in blue at his absolute best); watching him when he is playing well gives you an impression of absolute bossness that Ferguson never really gave, and Rooney only in flashes. The midfield is easier to pick; yes Cahill / Fellaini / Parkinson were great but the way the 13/14 side played (which at its best was the nicest we have looked in years) would have been completely alien to them; Arteta might have done better but he would have a lot more competition in the 13-15 side.

Kanchelskis is the interesting one - in that side he was great but often was several pages ahead of everyone else, but in the 13-15 side he would probably be absolutely magnificent; him on one side and Deulofeu on the other would destroy teams.

good post, tsu. I also went with Andre & Del as wingers, with Rom getting fed by them.

I differ from you in that I'd trust Fellaini to do the job that we now need two players for (Macca & Barry), namely that midfield-destroyer job he did so well for us at times.

I also seem to rate Lescott's time with us higher and think early-90's Southall was still our best keep.

 

[tsubaki]

I also seem to rate Lescott's time with us higher and think early-90's Southall was still our best keep.

Lescott at his best was a magnificent defender - but I can't really remember him making me burst out laughing at how outrageously gifted he is, in the way that Stones does at times.

 

[Huyton Layne]

94-95 as they'll actually, in history, appear as doing something of note.
On paper this season's squad will be the biggest disappointment of the Premier League era if they achieve nothing so they're the best squad on paper if that's the question.

 

[Eggs]

...my brain hurts, I don't know.

 

[dholliday]

Lescott at his best was a magnificent defender - but I can't really remember him making me burst out laughing at how outrageously gifted he is, in the way that Stones does at times.

I've had that too with Stones, the cheeky Beckenbauer comparisons are sometimes not even that far off. But Lescott has a few more games at consistent high-quality under his belt so still gets the nod, especially in this current era of shipping cheap goals.

 

[Carlito]

2007-09 for me. 6th, 5th and 5th in the league, had a great run in Europe and made a few decent attempts at winning a trophy. Pre-injury Yakubu was the best Everton striker of my lifetime, Pienaar and Baines came into their own and Lescott/Jagielka were second only to Vidic/Ferdinand as a pairing. Throw in Arteta, Cahill and Carsley (when left to play as the lone holding midfielder) playing their best football and you've got a cracking team. Osman was still useful back then as well.

2004-05 deserves a mention too, because they actually held their nerve and achieved something, which is more than can be said for every other side since. The Ferguson cameos made it extra special, even if it all ended in tears with Istanbul and Villarreal.

 

[dholliday]

2004-05 deserves a mention too, because they actually held their nerve and achieved something, which is more than can be said for every other side since. The Ferguson cameos made it extra special, even if it all ended in tears with Istanbul and Villarreal.

Aye, this can't be stressed enough. They barely bottled any chance thrown at them (in the league at least), counts for huge points in their favour...or should do. Only 2 votes out of about 70 so far is a bit unfair.

 

[Carlito]

Aye, this can't be stressed enough. They barely bottled any chance thrown at them (in the league at least), counts for huge points in their favour...or should do. Only 2 votes out of about 70 so far is a bit unfair.

Could be a case of having to live that season to truly appreciate it. None of the players were good on FM or Fifa, and nothing really came of what they did, so I suppose it shouldn't be surprising to see they've been forgotten.

Being 16/17 at the time, it's possibly still my favourite-ever season.

 

[dholliday]

Could be a case of having to live that season to truly appreciate it. None of the players were good on FM or Fifa, and nothing really came of what they did, so I suppose it shouldn't be surprising to see they've been forgotten.

Being 16/17 at the time, it's possibly still my favourite-ever season.

I was that age when we won the Cup...was convinced it'll be the first of many trophies, thinking a return to the glorious 80's (which I just missed out on) was just around the corner. 20 years later...ffs.

A counter-thread of the worst team might be fun for giggles. Walter Smith's final full season (00/01) for me...never been so disinterested in all things Everton, at least '94 & '97 had drama and characters.

 

[Zatara]

With Martinez as manager and these players at their peak (imagining current crop if they achieve their potential)

GK - Southall
LB - Baines
LCB - Gough
RCB - Stones
RB - Coleman
DM - Fellaini /McCarthy
CM - Barkley
LW - Kanchelskis
ACM - Rooney
RW - Deulofeu
CF - Lukaku

This tells me our current side needs:

GK -- Can hope for a Southall but a Martyn would be fantastic.

LCB - Hopefully Mori and Galloway develop and we have a fair few more youngsters here so hopefully someone can reach the top.

CM/ACM - Whichever position Barkley isnt filling we need a really top player here brought in.

LW - Imagine another Kancho opposite Deulofeu. Thats a scary prospect.

Im really hoping that in a couple of seasons we wont see threads comparing premiership best sides but comparing our side to the 80's teams....

nice thread idea, Zat: our best 11 in the Prem era.

I'll repost this if someone makes the thread, otherwise here's mine:

Southall (beginning of Prem-era)

Baines
Jagielka
Lescott
Seamus

Fellaini
Barkley
Arteta

Kanchelskis
Lukaku
Deulofeu

subs: Martyn, Stones, Hinchcliffe, Gravesen, Cahill, Ferguson.


This is assuming all players at their peak.

 

[dholliday]

Im really hoping that in a couple of seasons we wont see threads comparing premiership best sides but comparing our side to the 80's teams....

We're miles off from that. We need to either win the league or regularly qualify for Champs League (and thereafter have memorable runs in it) before we can seriously consider comparing to the most successful Everton team in our very long history.