Squad Comparisons - 1986 v today.

[kippaxvilla2]

Not quite apples with apples due to squad numbers.  But I take back what I said yesterday about this being a worse team than 1986.  In terms of the starting line up yesterday I think it's worse, but in terms of the squad quality, today's is much better.  You'd like to think that from that 2012 squad, there is a first eleven that is capable of keeping us in this division and it is down to Mr Lambert to rethink his current philospohy.  Which of those 1986 players would have got into yesterday's starting line up.....Spink, Dorigo, Elliot, Evans, Keown, Birch, Daley, Walters, Shaw, Thompson?

1986 (the last squad that we were relegated with)
Goalkeeper
Kevin Poole   21/07/1963 
Nigel Spink   08/08/1958 
Defender
Neale Cooper   24/11/1963 
Tony Dorigo   31/12/1965 
Paul Elliott   18/03/1964 
Allan Evans   12/10/1956 
Martin Keown   24/07/1966 
Gary Williams   17/06/1960 
Midfielder
Paul Birch   20/11/1962 
Andy Blair   18/12/1959 
Tony Daley   18/10/1967 
Mark Walters   02/06/1964 
Forward
Warren Aspinall   13/09/1967 
Ian Olney   17/12/1969 
Gary Shaw   21/01/1961 
Simon Stainrod   01/02/1959 
Garry Thompson   07/10/1959

2012
Goalkeeper
1 Shay Given   20/04/1976 
22 Brad Guzan   09/09/1984 
33 Andy Marshall   14/04/1975 
Defender
32 Nathan Baker   23/04/1991 
27 Joe Bennett   28/03/1990 
6 Ciaran Clark   26/09/1989 
5 Richard Dunne   21/09/1979 
30 Eric Lichaj   17/11/1988 
34 Matthew Lowton   09/06/1989 
29 Enda Stevens   09/07/1990 
4 Ron Vlaar   16/02/1985 
37 Derrick Williams   17/01/1993 
Midfielder
12 Marc Albrighton   18/11/1989 
25 Barry Bannan   01/12/1989 
40 Samir Carruthers   04/04/1993 
16 Fabian Delph   21/11/1989 
8 Karim El Ahmadi   27/01/1985 
38 Gary Gardner   26/06/1992 
31 Chris Herd   04/04/1989 
14 Brett Holman   27/03/1984 
7 Stephen Ireland   22/08/1986 
10 Charles N'Zogbia   28/05/1986 
19 Stilian Petrov   05/07/1979 
15 Ashley Westwood   01/04/1990 
Forward
11 Gabriel Agbonlahor   13/10/1986 
9 Darren Bent   06/02/1984 
20 Christian Benteke   03/12/1990 
21 Jordan Bowery   02/07/1991 
36 Graham Burke   21/09/1993 
26 Andreas Weimann   05/08/1991

[old man villa fan]

The 1986 squad looks quite good on paper but you have to remember that a number of those players were on the way down and a number that were injury prone plus a couple that did not want to be here.  That is why we were relegated.

[Des Little]

I think the key similarity is that we were fcuking shit back then and we are now. And we play in the same colours too.

[damon loves JT]

I remember only Keown playing consistently well. In spite, as it turned out, of not really wanting to be there.

I try to remember that when he's trundled out as an `ex-Arsenal player' on the telly. Palace fans must feel the same about Ian Wright.

[Mister E]

Which of these 1986 players would have got into yesterday's starting line up.....Spink, Dorigo, Elliot, Evans, Keown, Birch, Daley, Walters, Shaw, Thompson?

I've sussed out why we were so bad in 1986: we played with only 10 men.

[TopDeck113]

There's names not listed, e.g. Andy Gray (the original), David Norton and Paul Kerr.

The squad we were relegated with had too many experienced players who were suffering long-term injuries and the kids were generally not good enough - although the fact that a number did go on fulfill their potential elsewhere suggests other issues.

[Lky]

The 86 squad surely had more midfielders ?

Worringly the 86 team looks far better (on paper) at least.

Looking back the young players showed real promise that maybe the current crop don't. Keown, Dorigo and Walters were always top quality players that were going to play for the top clubs.

Paul Elliot - oh dear - he was far worse than we have at the moment.

From memory Evans, Daley and Shaw didn't play much because of age, youth and injury respectively. The others though would certainly be an improvement to the current side.

The commom denominator worringly seems to be the midfield being woefully not good enough.

[rutski]

The 86 squad surely had more midfielders ?

Worringly the 86 team looks far better (on paper) at least.

Looking back the young players showed real promise that maybe the current crop don't. Keown, Dorigo and Walters were always top quality players that were going to play for the top clubs.

Paul Elliot - oh dear - he was far worse than we have at the moment.

From memory Evans, Daley and Shaw didn't play much because of age, youth and injury respectively. The others though would certainly be an improvement to the current side.

The commom denominator worringly seems to be the midfield being woefully not good enough.

for fucks sake, we were ace 2 weeks ago. now apparantly, we are shit. get a fucking grip!

[walsall villain]

Bringing back horrible memories. I recall we were especially crap up front. Don't think Gary Shaw played much

[Des Little]

Which of these 1986 players would have got into yesterday's starting line up.....Spink, Dorigo, Elliot, Evans, Keown, Birch, Daley, Walters, Shaw, Thompson?

I've sussed out why we were so bad in 1986: we played with only 10 men.

We did yesterday. The number 7 didn't turn up.

[mr woo]

The 86 squad surely had more midfielders ?

Steve Hunt was a mainstay I recall, and Neale Cooper was a centre mid too, although the o.p. should be given a housepoint for including the elusive Scottish teamsheet-dodger in the first place.

[Lky]

The 86 squad surely had more midfielders ?

Worringly the 86 team looks far better (on paper) at least.

Looking back the young players showed real promise that maybe the current crop don't. Keown, Dorigo and Walters were always top quality players that were going to play for the top clubs.

Paul Elliot - oh dear - he was far worse than we have at the moment.

From memory Evans, Daley and Shaw didn't play much because of age, youth and injury respectively. The others though would certainly be an improvement to the current side.

The commom denominator worringly seems to be the midfield being woefully not good enough.

for fucks sake, we were ace 2 weeks ago. now apparantly, we are shit. get a fucking grip!

Getting a fucking grip what don't you agree with ?

[old man villa fan]

The 86 squad surely had more midfielders ?

Steve Hunt was a mainstay I recall, and Neale Cooper was a centre mid too, although the o.p. should be given a housepoint for including the elusive Scottish teamsheet-dodger in the first place.

I actually saw him make his debut (or one of his first games for us, not quite sure) up at Celtic in a preseason friendly.  Mind you, the Celtic fans were not too friendly to him that day.

[kippaxvilla2]

There's names not listed, e.g. Andy Gray (the original), David Norton and Paul Kerr.

The squad we were relegated with had too many experienced players who were suffering long-term injuries and the kids were generally not good enough - although the fact that a number did go on fulfill their potential elsewhere suggests other issues.

That sounds awfully similar to today's problems.

[kippaxvilla2]

The 86 squad surely had more midfielders ?

Steve Hunt was a mainstay I recall, and Neale Cooper was a centre mid too, although the o.p. should be given a housepoint for including the elusive Scottish teamsheet-dodger in the first place.

I think there are a couple of inaccuracies/omissions.  For a start off the website I  trawled this from said that GT was the manager in that season which of course he most certainly was not.