Players we really should’ve kept hold of

[Mitch Ward's Minder]

Ruddy;
Dunne, Mustafi, Duffy, Ball
Dacourt, Hutchison, McCann
Johnson, Naismith, McBride

I've put Naismith in as I think we should've kept him until the end of the 15-16 season. Imagine if we'd brought him on instead of Kone in the SF at city or if he'd played in the SF v utd. May have had an impact, who knows.
McBride should've been signed considering Campbell had 1 season left in him and Dunc being injury prone.
Hutchison and McCann formed a decent partnership for Sunderland as I recall.

 

[Papa Shango]

Still shiver when I think of that Villa game.

Well he was just thrown in there. He was no worse than anyone else that day (not saying much like) and we got a few humpings that season. I remember that game ruined christmas.

I reckon he came to England too early (if that makes sense, not that he could come here now in his 40's or whatever...) he was a footballing centre back and it seems like his shocking time playing for us was the exception rather than the rule in his career.

 

[Daveysgingerlovechild]

Still shiver when I think of that Villa game.

Quite incredible that our scouts/manager failed to clock he wasn't suited to the Prem / was hopeless in the air. Especially under the Moyes regime who were reputed to be thorough to the point of paralysis.

 

[Daveysgingerlovechild]

Well he was just thrown in there. He was no worse than anyone else that day (not saying much like) and we got a few humpings that season. I remember that game ruined christmas.

I reckon he came to England too early (if that makes sense, not that he could come here now in his 40's or whatever...) he was a footballing centre back and it seems like his shocking time playing for us was the exception rather than the rule in his career.

Wrong league for him, particularly at that time. Fault lies with the club there for not doing their homework imho.

 

[Daveysgingerlovechild]

I watched a reserve game at Southport,and a young lad playing up front for Oldham ran him ragged,so after that I was never a fan,but he did go on to have a decent career (except for his og record).Bit like Keane in that he could only play well in teams that defended deep.

Aye, not perfect by any means but not the worst CB to pull on the shirt.

 

[SiEdmo]

the injuries where common knowledge but I had heard rumblings of underhand things, baring in mind it was basically the same year of Ball's problems, being the same medical team im not suprised

Haven't heard that one Si.

However, the striker had come to Highbury recovering from an injury and soon discovered how things can go wrong in football. “I had got a bad ankle injury at Everton and got it operated on before I went to Arsenal that summer. It was never quite right. I needed another ankle operation after my first season and was struggling to get into the team.

A chronic ankle injury, a problem that hampered his progress at Everton before he had even set foot gingerly down in north London, has shown few signs of improvement since his £8million move last summer.

sources:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/feb/10/sport.comment
https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/in...-of-accringtons-fight-for-league-8540020.html

 

[jtl60]

Gary Linekar, Sadly that one season we had him for is becoming more and more of a distant memory and generations of blues will never know just how good he was.

 

[Sharpies volley]

The Andy Gray shouts are baffling. He was terrible for Villa when he left us and proved it was the right decision to let him go.

That happens to a lot of players when they leave their spiritual home. Gray had wanted to stay. Just his presence in the dressing room would have been worth a couple of extra points a season. There where times that year when we blew it when we needed him to come on and put himself about. One game I can remember is Chelsea at home when we scraped a draw and they out toughed us. That wouldn't have happened with Gray in the team.

 

[evertonarntwe]

Ruddy;
Dunne, Mustafi, Duffy, Ball
Dacourt, Hutchison, McCann
Johnson, Naismith, McBride

I've put Naismith in as I think we should've kept him until the end of the 15-16 season. Imagine if we'd brought him on instead of Kone in the SF at city or if he'd played in the SF v utd. May have had an impact, who knows.
McBride should've been signed considering Campbell had 1 season left in him and Dunc being injury prone.
Hutchison and McCann formed a decent partnership for Sunderland as I recall.

he deffo outstayed his welcome, absolute garbage he was.

theres a reason he went to a struggling club who got relegated and then even couldn't get a game for them in the lower division, he wasn't good enough

the night some fans clapped him for scoring past us made we wanna spew

 

[ToffeeTim]

The Yak

Boss.

 

[-Rob-]

I can't believe Tony Hibbert hasn't had a mention. It's scandalous that we only got 18 years out of him. We let him go before he even had a chance to score a premier league goal ffs

 

[Eggs]

I can't believe Tony Hibbert hasn't had a mention. It's scandalous that we only got 18 years out of him. We let him go before he even had a chance to score a premier league goal ffs

..he’s got plenty of mentions in the ‘kept too long’ thread, 5 years too long.

 

[-Rob-]

..he’s got plenty of mentions in the ‘kept too long’ thread, 5 years too long.

It was the faint hope of the 'Hibbert Riot' that kept him at the club.

 

[Blackwell Livermore]

Dacourt, Ferrari and Beardsley apart from Materazzi (didn't care much for Mustafi and Keown wanted out)

 

[barneygumble]

Has anyone seen the Echo now running a very similar story to this

Hi lads, great journalism. Scouting a forum for yer goss.