Dwight Yorke.

[Deano's Mullet]

One game over 9 years ?

He wasn't the quality striker he became for all of those 9 years though was he?  I remember him being in and out of the side for a long time and him not even being in the matchday squad for the League Cup win over Manchester Utd in '94.  He was top quality by the time he left us though and I'd have only put Shearer ahead of him in terms of Premier League strikers at that point. 

That's because he was pissed about by BFR.

To be fair at that time we probably had the best strike partnership around. Yorkie was invited to be involved in the build up from what I recall

I loved Deano and Dalian but by the time of that particular final there were far more prolific partnerships around - Cole/Beardsley, Rush/Fowler, Wallace/Deane, even Mark Bright and Gordon Watson at Sheff Wed were outscoring our pair of forwards. Dalian didn't score in the league after January and Deano struggled too but thanfully they still were on top form in that cup run. Wright and Shearer on their own still scored more than double the tally of Saunders and Atkinson combined that season. The following year Saunders had a more prolific league campaign but Dalian was dropped in favour of John Fashanu and we all know what happened there.

[dave.woodhall]

One game over 9 years ?

He wasn't the quality striker he became for all of those 9 years though was he?  I remember him being in and out of the side for a long time and him not even being in the matchday squad for the League Cup win over Manchester Utd in '94.  He was top quality by the time he left us though and I'd have only put Shearer ahead of him in terms of Premier League strikers at that point. 

That's because he was pissed about by BFR.

To be fair at that time we probably had the best strike partnership around. Yorkie was invited to be involved in the build up from what I recall

He was pissed about from 1992 onwards. 

And hang on, Saunders and Atkinson the best strike partnership around? Dean 'one in three' Saunders and Dalian 'one week on, six weeks off' Atkinson?

[villan from luton]

Yes Saunders and Atkinson were useless and no way would we have got nearer to the league without the injury to Atkinson, not having a go at Dwight but there is no way he could have split that duo at that time

[dave.woodhall]

Yes Saunders and Atkinson were useless and no way would we have got nearer to the league without the injury to Atkinson, not having a go at Dwight but there is no way he could have split that duo at that time

In the run-in Yorke scored three in seven while Atkinson was missing/injured, then got dropped for the final seven matches in which Atkinson scored none. During those 14 games, incidentally, the ever-present Saunders scored once. Would you also care to guess, without looking it up, the last date on which Atkinson scored during that season?

[Broughty-Villian]

If it's all about effort, why aren't Olney or Ormandroyd or even steve sims 1988 version

[villan from luton]

Yes Saunders and Atkinson were useless and no way would we have got nearer to the league without the injury to Atkinson, not having a go at Dwight but there is no way he could have split that duo at that time

In the run-in Yorke scored three in seven while Atkinson was missing/injured, then got dropped for the final seven matches in which Atkinson scored none. During those 14 games, incidentally, the ever-present Saunders scored once. Would you also care to guess, without looking it up, the last date on which Atkinson scored during that season?

I a, no stato, but what I do know is before Atkinson got injured, his partnership with Saunders was superb. If I had to pick out of the three of them in a  Villa team I would go Yorke, but I am talking at that time.

[dave.woodhall]

Yes Saunders and Atkinson were useless and no way would we have got nearer to the league without the injury to Atkinson, not having a go at Dwight but there is no way he could have split that duo at that time

In the run-in Yorke scored three in seven while Atkinson was missing/injured, then got dropped for the final seven matches in which Atkinson scored none. During those 14 games, incidentally, the ever-present Saunders scored once. Would you also care to guess, without looking it up, the last date on which Atkinson scored during that season?

I a, no stato, but what I do know is before Atkinson got injured, his partnership with Saunders was superb. If I had to pick out of the three of them in a  Villa team I would go Yorke, but I am talking at that time.

Atkinson  and Saunders played together in eleven league matches before Atkinson got injured. They had a decent record, but Atkinson scored his last goal on 5th December. After that he played in ten games without scoring. Saunders got six in 24 games in that time. When Yorke partnered Saunders he scored five in 11. Then he was dropped for Atkinson who, as I said earlier, didn't score in the final seven games of the season.

[Hillbilly]

I'd pretty much forgotten about the bad stuff and only have fond memories of Dwight Yorke. He's one of only two players from the Prem era that I'd unreservedly want to time travel back to see. The other is Le Tissier.

[supertom]

Ron was always going to pick his son over Dwight though. I guess as well, Yorkie was still quite young so that probably figured in BFR's thinking, that Saunders and Atkinson were the experienced men.

[Matt Collins]

Yes Saunders and Atkinson were useless and no way would we have got nearer to the league without the injury to Atkinson, not having a go at Dwight but there is no way he could have split that duo at that time

Saunders and Atkinson were excellent for half a season, then Atkinson got injured and was never the same again and Saunders never prolific enough. We had two full seasons under BFR after that and there's absolutely no way in the world that you could claim Saunders and Atkinson were a top strike partnership after that. Absolutely no way. People were calling for Guy Whittingham to replace Dalian and the following year we bought John fucking Fashanu (who again went into the team).

Little spotted Yorke's potential as a striker pretty quickly.

[Matt Collins]

Up there with McGrath, Platt, Shaw, Little? really?

Yorke? Absolutely. He went on to play for a champions league and treble winning team and was one of their best players. Only Shaw equalled that feat. Obviously that's not the be all and end all but Yorke was absolutely sensational for me. That Little team was functional and effective but mid-table without Yorke. He had everything: could play number 9 or 10, and often both in the same game. Could head it, score of both feet, take it down on his chest with his back to goal, go past a man. Fantastic player. Just lacked the motivation to stay at the top after his first great year with Man U, and I do think lacked a little something to be effective against the very best defences. But the best attacking player I've seen at villa by a mile.

[lovejoy]

Yorke didn't get a look in with Saunders and Atkinson fit. Good player, who gave good years service even though not always a first choice.

[brontebilly]

gabby is more of an atkinson type player isnt he? goes through streaks where he looks one of the best players in the league but generally flatters to deceive.

young was our best attacking player since yorke but never got to that level. his shooting was never as good as Yorke's for a start. Think he kind of felt he was going to be a Yorke type of player towards the end of his time for us, playing off the front man. Thought Young flattered to deceive in that position, taking too much out of the ball.

[Sexual Ealing]

I'd say Gabby is the opposite of Atkinson. Dalian was dripping with talent but couldn't really be arsed.

[Meanwood Villa]

Yes Saunders and Atkinson were useless and no way would we have got nearer to the league without the injury to Atkinson, not having a go at Dwight but there is no way he could have split that duo at that time

Saunders and Atkinson were excellent for half a season, then Atkinson got injured and was never the same again and Saunders never prolific enough. We had two full seasons under BFR after that and there's absolutely no way in the world that you could claim Saunders and Atkinson were a top strike partnership after that. Absolutely no way. People were calling for Guy Whittingham to replace Dalian and the following year we bought John fucking Fashanu (who again went into the team).

Little spotted Yorke's potential as a striker pretty quickly.

I agree that Yorke became a better player than both but Atkinson and Saunders did win us a League Cup to be fair.