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Author Topic: World Class Villa Players  (Read 8168 times)

Online Brend'Watkins

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Re: World Class Villa Players
« Reply #30 on: December 14, 2017, 03:51:14 PM »
Bosnich, good shot stopper, atheletic, good keeper overall except for dreadful distribution so wasn't even near world class. McGrath, yes, he qualifies as does Yorke who was excellent for us and for ManU for a good while too.

Offline cdbearsfan

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Re: World Class Villa Players
« Reply #31 on: December 14, 2017, 04:05:45 PM »
I guess Peter Schmeichel, though that was short term. For a period in his career, Bosnich was world class, he'd make saves few would, though his kicking was awful.

Bosnich was one of a number of Villa players who could have been world class but didn't quite make it for a number of reasons. See also Shaw G (injuries) and Platt D (conveniently forgets he played for the Villa).

Platt was undoubtedly World Class for a while.

In my time watching us the ones I would class as World Class, at least for a spell, were Platt, McGrath, Yorke, Bosnich and Benteke.

Benteke? I wouldn't say a striker who has never scored 20 league goals in a season and has just a dozen international goals is anywhere near. He was on fire at times for us it is true, but wasn't up with the best in the world.

I did say "for a spell". Between Christmas and the end of the season, when he first joined, only Messi and Ronaldo scored more goals (in the serious leagues). So it would be a struggle to say he wasn't World Class when those were the only two ahead of him.

Offline Ads

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Re: World Class Villa Players
« Reply #32 on: December 14, 2017, 04:10:33 PM »
Benteke on his day was unplayable, as was Dalian.

Offline darren woolley

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Re: World Class Villa Players
« Reply #33 on: December 14, 2017, 04:11:48 PM »
For me Paul McGrath a legend and truly world class player but I would also say Paul Merson on his day was something else.

Offline manic-road

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Re: World Class Villa Players
« Reply #34 on: December 14, 2017, 04:27:01 PM »
McGrath truly exceptional player, always in the right position by superb reading of the game

Offline Pat McMahon

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Re: World Class Villa Players
« Reply #35 on: December 14, 2017, 05:19:06 PM »
Based purely on their time with us I would say only McGrath makes the cut. Cowans, Platt and Yorke  in particular stood out as being top class and able to perform at the highest level. I think Bosnich may have made the list it if the back pass law had not been introduced, making kicking an important skill for keepers.

It is interesting speaking to fans of other clubs about McGrath. When you ask for the best defenders they have seen they rattle off the usual suspects and overlook him. When prompted, they acknowledge how good he was, though it seems to be mainly based on his international career. The next comment is usually "did he ever win anything though?". I point out the 2 league cups and the FA cup, but that doesn't impress outsiders a lot. I have also yet to meet a Man U fan who would put him in their best ever team.

The big loss for me in this category was Gary Shaw. I am convinced he would have been world class.


Offline Breezeblock

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Re: World Class Villa Players
« Reply #36 on: December 14, 2017, 05:32:12 PM »
Brian Little

Offline garyshawsknee

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Re: World Class Villa Players
« Reply #37 on: December 14, 2017, 05:45:04 PM »
Gary Shaw was definitely on his way to being world class, if he stayed fit he no doubt would have been sold by Doug and gone on to great things for club and country. If Hateley and Archibald ended up at AC Milan and Barca, Shaw would have equalled that.

Offline SteveN

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Re: World Class Villa Players
« Reply #38 on: December 14, 2017, 05:53:47 PM »
McParland, McGrath and Yorke

Online dave shelley

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Re: World Class Villa Players
« Reply #39 on: December 14, 2017, 06:29:29 PM »
Gerry Hitchens

I was going to offer this earlier and explain that in his time football was so much different then, fitness, tactics, diet etc, but Gerry was an all-rounder as we discussed in another thread not too long ago.  Gerry could play hold-up man, he could shoot with either foot, he was good in the air and, in the football of those days; was a real battering ram of a centre forward.  The thing that made him world-class IMO, was apart from being an England international (not enough caps in my opinion) was the fact that he made a successful career as a goal scorer in Italy.

Offline manic-road

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Re: World Class Villa Players
« Reply #40 on: December 14, 2017, 06:29:51 PM »
Before my time but my old man reckoned that Gerry Hitchens was world class. Scored 96 goals in 140 appearances for the Villa before Inter signed him. Scored 5 goals in 7 appearances for England, the only reason he didn't get more caps was because Alf Ramsey would only pick home based players.

Offline IFWaters

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Re: World Class Villa Players
« Reply #41 on: December 14, 2017, 07:13:03 PM »
How about changing World Class to 'best in their position in the league while at Villa'.

In that respect I would say, based on watching since 1989 :

McGrath, Platt, Daley, Bosnich, Atkinson, Barry, Milner, Benteke, Terry

Offline Mister E

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Re: World Class Villa Players
« Reply #42 on: December 14, 2017, 07:34:12 PM »
Cowans was class - in Tottenhams first home game of the 1978-79 season, Sid gave WC winners, Villa and Ardiles, a masterclass in MF play, and AV won 4-1. Had Ingerland picked him alongside Hoddle more often, we'd have seen a very classy side.
Andy Gray was - on his day - the most unplayable CF for a defender I've ever seen: I think he eclipsed Malcolm MacDonald, Geoff Hurst and others in the CF position; on a par with Shearer at his best.
McGrath also gets the nod, for me.

Offline Exeter 77

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Re: World Class Villa Players
« Reply #43 on: December 14, 2017, 07:54:46 PM »
A German publication, I forget which one but possibly Kicker, used to rate German players with the top two categories being International Class and World Class. In the time I've been watching Villa I think  we have had many in the International category including many of the 1977 and 1980 - 1983 squads and a few since such as Laursen, Mellberg and Ashley Young since but I would only really class Sid Cowans, David Platt and Paul McGrath as being in the World Class category.  Strange as they all played together in the same team.

Online WarszaVillan

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Re: World Class Villa Players
« Reply #44 on: December 14, 2017, 08:04:55 PM »
A German publication, I forget which one but possibly Kicker, used to rate German players with the top two categories being International Class and World Class. In the time I've been watching Villa I think  we have had many in the International category including many of the 1977 and 1980 - 1983 squads and a few since such as Laursen, Mellberg and Ashley Young since but I would only really class Sid Cowans, David Platt and Paul McGrath as being in the World Class category.  Strange as they all played together in the same team.

And all (re)bought - along with Yorke - by SGT for less than a million quid. Now there's world class.

 


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