Strike Partnership

[SirSteveUK]

The Aston Villa History VHS released in 1989 - written/narrated by Gerald Sinstadt - is a very good one. Never seen it on DVD mind...

"Gray & Little went together like bacon & eggs - and they sizzled!!"

It was Withe and Shaw. I wish they'd update that video and bring it out on DVD.

I beg to differ....not about the DVD tho

[SirSteveUK]

The Aston Villa History VHS released in 1989 - written/narrated by Gerald Sinstadt - is a very good one. Never seen it on DVD mind...

"Gray & Little went together like bacon & eggs - and they sizzled!!"

It was Withe and Shaw. I wish they'd update that video and bring it out on DVD.

I have that video, I think I've converted to MPEG and have it somewhere. I need to split it up and whack it on Youtube.

YES PLEASE !!!

[PeterWithesShin]

The Aston Villa History VHS released in 1989 - written/narrated by Gerald Sinstadt - is a very good one. Never seen it on DVD mind...

"Gray & Little went together like bacon & eggs - and they sizzled!!"

It was Withe and Shaw. I wish they'd update that video and bring it out on DVD.

I beg to differ....not about the DVD tho

1 min 20 secs in. Brings back such happy memories.

[SirSteveUK]

I concede yr point ....

[Flamingo Lane]

The Withe thing was, I think, probably because we didn't know enough to realise what a good CF he was.

He was also 28 and apart from the Year when Forest won the league he hadn't really done anything.

That reminds of the Monty Python Romans sketch.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I know this is heresy, but I always thought McNaught and Withe looked, erm, clumsy, to say the least. Different times I guess. Don't think the pitches helped!

Peter Withe was far from clumsy, the amount of times he took the ball down with his chest or flicked it on using his chest were countless. He was a very robust, old school centre forward but never stopped working on his game and for me, never given the recognition his technical skill deserved.

Here's an example of Withey using that chest of his to great use..

[Damo70]

If Dalian Atkinson had stayed fit in the first PL season we could have been talking about Deano and Dalian in the same breath as Withe and Shaw as title winners.

[pauliewalnuts]

If Dalian Atkinson had stayed fit in the first PL season we could have been talking about Deano and Dalian in the same breath as Withe and Shaw as title winners.

Dalian really was a great example of a player making a huge amount of skill go nowhere near as far as he should have.

[villan from luton]

Read Ron Atkinson's book. He spoke of how he spoke to Dalian that he could be better than Alan Shearer and get in the England squad. His response was something along the lines of "you pay me what he earns and I will perform like him". Ron also spoke of when Dalian was in Turkey (can tremember if it was Fenerbache or Galatasary) and they played against the other team. The president said if he got a hat trick he would buy him a mercedes. Dalian got a hat trick in the first 15 minutes, then couldnt be arsed to kick the ball for the rest of the game. Such a talent, what a waste

[nigel]

Read Ron Atkinson's book. He spoke of how he spoke to Dalian that he could be better than Alan Shearer and get in the England squad. His response was something along the lines of "you pay me what he earns and I will perform like him". Ron also spoke of when Dalian was in Turkey (can tremember if it was Fenerbache or Galatasary) and they played against the other team. The president said if he got a hat trick he would buy him a mercedes. Dalian got a hat trick in the first 15 minutes, then couldnt be arsed to kick the ball for the rest of the game. Such a talent, what a waste

And that's why he shouldn't be mentioned in the same breath as Withe, Shaw, Little, Gray & Deehan

[nigel]

The one partnership I would have liked to have seen bloom was Keith Leonard & Brian Little.
Unfortunately KL's career was cut short due to injury.

[rutski]

Read Ron Atkinson's book. He spoke of how he spoke to Dalian that he could be better than Alan Shearer and get in the England squad. His response was something along the lines of "you pay me what he earns and I will perform like him". Ron also spoke of when Dalian was in Turkey (can tremember if it was Fenerbache or Galatasary) and they played against the other team. The president said if he got a hat trick he would buy him a mercedes. Dalian got a hat trick in the first 15 minutes, then couldnt be arsed to kick the ball for the rest of the game. Such a talent, what a waste

And that's why he shouldn't be mentioned in the same breath as Withe, Shaw, Little, Gray & Deehan

remember villa playing qpr in last game of one season and first game of next. cant remember exact year but around 91,92,93 ish. Dalian had more skill than most strikers but he had non of the ethics of hard work of Les Ferdinand. the 3-4 month gap between those two games were extraordinary with ferdinands improvement being immense. he went on to play for england many times and dalian went where?
The problem is that football is littered with hundreds of players who with a greater desire could have been,would have been, should have beens. Dalian, i personally was convinced, had everything that a pro footballer needed to be the VERY best, except desire, and that looks like it may be the most important facet.

[Damo70]

When I was at a Q&A with Brian Little last year he commented on his favourite partner being Andy Gray but his regrets about being unable to have a longer partnership with Keith Leonard and spoke about how good Leonard was. He also said Ron Saunders told him he had bought Peter Withe to play alongside him and as well as BL's obvious regret at that not happening he himself thought he and Withe would have been even better than his partnership with Gray. Andy Gray also regularly names Brian Little as his best strike partner ahead of John Richards and Graeme Sharp.