Best possible ever EFC XI

[degsy]

....Wilson was outstanding. I remember at that time it was between him and Karl Schnellinger (West Germany) who was the worlds best. I do think the 1970 Championship side sets the standard - Colin Harvey said the mid-80s team wouldn't have lived with them.
There is no right or wrong answers to this thread, but how many caps has Baines won in comparison to Wilson. The likes of Johnny Morrisey was a wizard left winger and would rarely get a mention but the likes of him Harvey and Kendal, Tommy Wright et al need to be considered.

Schnelliner was 5 yrs younger than wilson so in 1966 the baton was just about passed to him...having said that Ball ripped him a new one for 2 hours solid

Although the Germans scored first when Wilsons headed clearance fell right to their guy ( Held?)

So I think Wilson got the last laugh on that day.

 

[toffeejack]

jagielka has been a great player for us and i know i can't have too much of a say on this subject seeing as i've only supported us from '96, but surely with the true greats we've had at this club, that we wouldn't be in our best XI??

 

[degsy]

Can't have Gary Stevens starting right back for an all time Everton XI surely? I mean he was great and all but we're talking over a century of the royal blue jersey here. He's the best in my time but I'd be surprised if there weren't superior players going back a bit.

Tony Kay was meant to have been some player - also left back but career finished in ignominy with a betting scandal (from his time at Sheff Wed). Actually did time for it which seems ridiculous from today's perspective.

Left Back????
he was a wing half, mainly on the left but did on occasion ( not for us I think ) play right half.

 

[Azzurri]

jagielka has been a great player for us and i know i can't have too much of a say on this subject seeing as i've only supported us from '96, but surely with the true greats we've had at this club, that we wouldn't be in our best XI??

No one's put him in one...

 

[degsy]

Who's top dog BlueFox?

Parker just over Wright

Parker ( who, like Wilson at Lt Bk, was acknowledged as the best Rt Back in the world ) was the last of the old style Fullbacks

By the early 60's 2-3-5 had morphed into 3-2-1-4 Parker Labone Meagan; Kay Gabriel; D. Stevens; Scott Young Vernon Temple.

By 1966 we were lining up with 4 at the back, Wright, Labone, Harris, Wilson. not quite 433 though

The 442 formation for the best team in effect means that' olsstyle fullbacks had to be able to get forward and was also the end of out and out wingers, both the tricky dribblers and the speed merchants, they had to be come left midfield and rightmidfield.

Those wingers with a good engine and a football brain to go with their skill came inside as centre mids Giles Ball Callagahn etc
This 433 meant that Old style fullback had to get forward more Tommy Wright was our first ' overlapping Fullback ' as they were called.


By 1970 Cooper had cornered it for England ( over schnellinger ) and by 74 the Germans and Dutch had players playing all over the show.

 

[Royal Blue Jersey]

From an external perspective - having lived through neither era - I would say the 1970 Championship winning team appears to be the greatest. The Holy Trinity were something special and by all accounts Alan Ball was simply extraordinary. I think, along with Southall and Dixie Dean, he was one of the few players to have played for us that were genuinely the best of their time.

 

[Eggs]

From an external perspective - having lived through neither era - I would say the 1970 Championship winning team appears to be the greatest. The Holy Trinity were something special and by all accounts Alan Ball was simply extraordinary. I think, along with Southall and Dixie Dean, he was one of the few players to have played for us that were genuinely the best of their time.

.......agree with this sentiment, Southall, Ball and Dean are probably the only shoe-ins.

 

[degsy]

No one's put him in one...

quite right too, he's only ( it's all relative though ) a poormans Dave Watson and he hasn't got a mention either

 

[Jacob]

Southall,Stevens,Wilson,Kendall,Labone,Harvey,Vernon,Ball,Dean,Young,Kanchelskis

 

[degsy]

From an external perspective - having lived through neither era - I would say the 1970 Championship winning team appears to be the greatest. The Holy Trinity were something special and by all accounts Alan Ball was simply extraordinary. I think, along with Southall and Dixie Dean, he was one of the few players to have played for us that were genuinely the best of their time.

Having been there and watched them both ( and the 62-63 side ) I will give you my take on the 4 Title winners

In Racing terms it would be a photo for the 1-2-3-4

Deadheat 70 - 85

3rd 63 by a short head

4th 87 by a neck

So to sort the Deadheat out we have to change metaphors * goes to snooker

We would have to play a massive set of frames.As there used to be 42 games per season and as we need a winner I will use 43 frames

Based on what I saw I would give it to 85 over 70 22 frames to 21

Reason; 70 might score more maximum breaks, but in the close frames 85 were just that bit tougher, harder, they had that bit of mongrel in their make up that would not give in.

All subjective I know but thats how I saw it.