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Author Topic: Squad Comparisons - 1986 v today.  (Read 9600 times)

Offline Pat McMahon

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Re: Squad Comparisons - 1986 v today.
« Reply #30 on: December 31, 2012, 11:38:50 AM »
Well Phil Robinson made his only appearance for us didn't he I'm the game at Old Tradford.

By all accounts, Dean Glover was a willing player, tho I never saw him in the flesh

I have a fuzzy memory of Phil Robinson scoring in our 1-2 home defeat to Sheffield Weds which sent us down in 1987. I knew what was coming ( i had been at Highbury 2 days before and the writing was on the wall) so had a lot of beer before the game, and it is all a bit misty.

Dean Glover was indeed an honest journeyman, but not good enough for top flight football.

Offline onje_villa

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Re: Squad Comparisons - 1986 v today.
« Reply #31 on: December 31, 2012, 11:53:55 AM »
Anyone who is too young to remember the 86 team should click below;
http://youtu.be/F6T42PGarqs

The clearance attempt by Elliott is the most pathetic bit of defending I have ever seen in the Professional game.

The 86 team had some players who played for some trophy winning clubs, plus 2 European Cup winners. I remember an article in Shoot magazine where Allan Evans made a scathing report on his teammates. Wish I still had it, as it would have been interesting to read again.

Both that team and our current allow the opposition to split us open at every opportunity. As someone mentioned before, we desperately need a spine in the team, with midfield the priority. Hope Vlaar returns soon so we can rest Clark, he's looking extremely down.
Fuck me they could have had 26!

Online pauliewalnuts

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Re: Squad Comparisons - 1986 v today.
« Reply #32 on: December 31, 2012, 12:18:48 PM »
Did Neale Cooper ever actually kick a ball for us?

Time plays tricks with the memory, but I only really remember him as being permanently injured.

Offline Lastfootstamper

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Re: Squad Comparisons - 1986 v today.
« Reply #33 on: December 31, 2012, 12:29:28 PM »
Did Neale Cooper ever actually kick a ball for us?

Time plays tricks with the memory, but I only really remember him as being permanently injured.

Offline jimmygreen

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Re: Squad Comparisons - 1986 v today.
« Reply #34 on: December 31, 2012, 12:30:23 PM »
Yeah it was a deflected shot at the Witton End, we were two down by that point and the goal was greeted with a half-hearted yuh. I think it was Stuart Richie (?) that made his only appearance at Old Trafford, his only contribution nodding back the cross for Birchie (possibly) to score. Lots of possibly in there, someone wiser could probably fill in the gaps.

All I remember from that season was that we had a purple patch from beating Cov away 0-1, then Southampton at home 3-1.  Then one or two games 2-0 at home - one being Leicester. We then got beat 4-2 at Watford and other than the League Cup, didn't win again 'til Spring, again against Cov. There was one more win against West Ham 4-0, when it could have been six - Aspinall's best game for us. And other than a couple of decent draws (manure 3-3 at home, Liverpool 3-3 a 2-2 h) that was it. 86-87 a couple of games where we tonked the opposition and the rest a load of garbage.

Finally Evans played plenty. He was close to being/was top scorer, along with Bruno and Monkey Poo with six.  Neale Cooper played six or so games, notably scoring on a pitch that would have been iced off against Chelsea in the Cup and kicking Stuart Pearce rather hard in the 0-0 at home.
« Last Edit: December 31, 2012, 12:33:57 PM by jimmygreen »

Offline jimmygreen

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Re: Squad Comparisons - 1986 v today.
« Reply #35 on: December 31, 2012, 12:32:11 PM »
Sorry quote fail - deflected shot by Phil Robinson v Sheffield Wed.

Offline MarkM

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Re: Squad Comparisons - 1986 v today.
« Reply #36 on: December 31, 2012, 12:32:50 PM »
Yeah it was a deflected shot at the Witton End, we were two down by that point and the goal was greeted with a half-hearted yuh. I think it was Stuart Richie (?) that made his only appearance at Old Trafford, his only contribution nodding back the cross for Birchie (possibly) to score. Lots of possibly in there, someone wiser could probably fill in the gaps.

All I remember from that season was that we had a purple patch from beating Cov away 0-1, then Southampton at home 3-1.  Then one or two games 2-0 at home - one being Leicester. We then got beat 4-2 at Watford and other than the League Cup, didn't win again 'til Spring, again against Cov. There was one more win against West Ham 4-0, when it could have been six - Aspinall's best game for us. And other than a couple of decent draws (manure 3-3 at home, Liverpool 3-3 a 2-2 h) that was it. 86-87 a couple of games where we tonked the opposition and the rest a load of garbage.

Finally Evans played plenty. He was close to being/was top scorer, along with Bruno and Monkey Poo with six.  Neale Cooper played six or so games, notably scoring against Chelsea on a pitch that would have been iced off against Chelsea in the Cup and kicking Stuart Pearce rather hard in the 0-0 at home.

The headline in the newspaper after the West Ham win was "It's vintage claret!"

Offline MarkM

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Re: Squad Comparisons - 1986 v today.
« Reply #37 on: December 31, 2012, 12:37:42 PM »
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 ?
i will tell you that i cannot believe everyones response  with 3 defeats, as i said if something is so right 2 weeks ago why is it all so fucking wrong 3 defeats later?

In my view it wasn't 'so right' 2 weeks ago, it's was not as bad as it had been, the Liverpool game was a good win but had they scored while they bossed the first 25 mins it could have been different.

With regard to the last 3 games did you watch any of them? We lost 8-0 and it could have been12, the 4-0 could have been 6 as could the Wigan game.

Our team is as week as I have seen in a long time

Offline Lastfootstamper

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Re: Squad Comparisons - 1986 v today.
« Reply #38 on: December 31, 2012, 12:41:07 PM »
I remember when we signed Cooper, I knew nothing about him, hoping he was some mercurial genius. I'm pretty sure  his first game was against Forest at ours. Answered all my questions within about four seconds. His first "touch" was to put one of their players into the third row of the witton. So, as to whether he kicked a ball for us, I'll leave that for someone else to recall

Offline Irish villain

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Re: Squad Comparisons - 1986 v today.
« Reply #39 on: December 31, 2012, 12:49:50 PM »
The defending in that 86/87 loss to Forest is the worst I have ever seen as a villa supporter.

We are not that bad today.

Offline CT

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Re: Squad Comparisons - 1986 v today.
« Reply #40 on: December 31, 2012, 12:51:09 PM »
Didn't Robinson make his debut away at Southampton?

I was there that day - 4-0 down after 17 minutes but did superbly well to only lose 5-0 by the end.

Although comparing that to the Wigan game wouldn't see much difference overall, we had a fucking clueless manager then with no idea. At this point we have a plan and a manager who I trust to get us through this.

Offline Irish villain

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Re: Squad Comparisons - 1986 v today.
« Reply #41 on: December 31, 2012, 12:54:21 PM »

Although comparing that to the Wigan game wouldn't see much difference overall, we had a fucking clueless manager then with no idea. At this point we have a plan and a manager who I trust to get us through this.

Agreed. Lambert is the most positive thing we have had in two years. He gives me hope. He will get it right.

Offline MarkM

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Re: Squad Comparisons - 1986 v today.
« Reply #42 on: December 31, 2012, 12:55:08 PM »
I can remember standing on the Holte toward the end of the season after another defeat waiting for the results from other games and trying to do some mental maths to see if we were going or gone.

Not a good feeling, and I am getting that feeling again this season.

Offline oldham_villa

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Re: Squad Comparisons - 1986 v today.
« Reply #43 on: December 31, 2012, 05:00:00 PM »
There must have been major major problems behind the scenes back in 86. The back 4 v Forest was; Gary Williams, Allan Evans, Paul Elliott and Tony Dorigo.

Forest had a fantastic team back then, but that performance was criminal.

I would dearly love Allan Evans to write a detailed autobiography, as he saw the biggest high and low at the Villa

Offline Ross

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Re: Squad Comparisons - 1986 v today.
« Reply #44 on: January 09, 2013, 12:07:17 AM »
Seems quite an apt bump, as that shower tonight and of recent weeks  is certainly no better than McNeill's team in my opinion.  There is the same stench of relegation as '87.

 


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