Dwight Yorke.

[supertom]

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.

So did Yorke.

[Deano's Mullet]

Saunders scored in streaks. In his last season I remember he had a spell early January-Feb where he scored 7-8 goals in 9 games and was capable of decent scoring runs but he never really had a settled partner after Dalian's 1992-93 injury. Whittingham, Fenton, Fashanu, Yorke and Johnson, even Stefan Beinlich at times. BFR sometimes played 4-3-3 with Whttingham, Atkinson and Deano up front but it just didn't work. A lot of the time Deano would drift out to the wings a because he was receiving zero service. Unlike Dalian he always gave 100% work rate. His best supplier of goals were Froggatt and Parker but Froggy got injured and Parker struggled to get in the team once we bought Townsend. In the league cup season Dalian's last league goal came in January but thankfully he still looked interested in the cup. I would argue that Yorke/Savo was a much better partnership overall but Dalian and Deano when on song were a match for any defence.

[supertom]

I think both Atkinson and Saunders (particularly) were more old fashioned sort of strikers. Deano was that sort who'll run solidly for 90 minutes and liked to find pockets of space in the box. Atkinson was a beast, quick and powerful. In Saunders cases you knew what you'd get from him. Atkinson, when on form, you knew what you'd get but he was of course erratic.

Yorke for me was one of those forwards who was ahead of his time. Able to drop either with the touch and ability of a good midfielder. He had a bit of unpredictability. He's that number 10 kind of player. I'm not sure those kind of players were massively popular back then. Beardsley was one example, or Le Tiss. But the more old school managers, which Big Ron is (he's almost the archetypal 70's-80's football manager) probably preferred a more straight up front two. You had the strength and pace of Atkinson and the movement and workrate of Deano, and it often worked. I'm not sure that Big Ron would have been a big exponent of playing a dropped off forward. Little did that. He let Yorke play in the pocket (or just where-ever he wanted).

[Deano's Mullet]

Both Savo and Yorke were different in that both had supreme talent in holding up the ball, both being exceptionally skilful. Deano and Dalian  both generally were called upon to chase through balls with their pace rather than hold up the ball waiting for the midfield to catch up. Kevin Keegan called it right in the 1994 Coca-Cola Cup Final when he said Man United could hold the ball up with Mark Hughes but Deano for all his qualities was a much smaller presence and not so good at it. Dalian could do it if he was interested but as people said he didn't do it enough.

[olaftab]

His love for us didn't stop him kissing the Man Utd badge in front of us at Old Trafford.

This. He can say what he like now but we know what he is!

[saunders_heroes]

His love for us didn't stop him kissing the Man Utd badge in front of us at Old Trafford.

This. He can say what he like now but we know what he is!

So what? He scored a shit load of goals for us and was a fantastic player for Villa. That's what I'll remember.

[villan from luton]

saunders_heroes, I totally agree he was a fantastic player for Villa and will always be remembered by me as one of the best players in my 43 years of watching them . Still think his way of leaving was wrong, dont blame him for leaving for Man Ure but not the way he did it

[Ian.]

His love for us didn't stop him kissing the Man Utd badge in front of us at Old Trafford.

This. He can say what he like now but we know what he is!

So what? He scored a shit load of goals for us and was a fantastic player for Villa. That's what I'll remember.

Exactly, it was many happy days when Yorke was here. Blimey haven't we all made mistake in life? I sure have, especially in the heat of the moment when emotions are running high.

[olaftab]

Well everyone is entitled to their opinion. I prefer heroes like Little, Shaw, Mortimer, Cowans and Taylor. Really don't care about Yorke once he left and his badge kissing antics.

[Dave Clark Five]

They all want to come back here. Sports Forums R Us.

[pooligan]

Someone who says he cares about the club  like Yorke  does,would do what the likes of  Ramsey did against Cardiff or even Curtis Davis did against the baggies and not celebrate .Would not be surprised to see him cheering if the reds score tomorrow

[Toronto Villa]

This whole not celebrating against your former club is all a bit false and the concept is very recent. I don't recall it happening much during Yorke's day where you'd go out of your way not to celebrate.

[pooligan]

All about opinions Toronto, i was at Old Trafford that day and i will always remember him for that badge kissing and his words upon joining Small Heath than for anything else End of as far as i am concerned

[dave.woodhall]

All about opinions Toronto, i was at Old Trafford that day and i will always remember him for that badge kissing and his words upon joining Small Heath than for anything else End of as far as i am concerned

What do you think of Andy Gray?

[pooligan]

As a player for villa in his first spell i thought he was the best centre forward i had ever seen for his bravery and his goals. As a person though,i never really liked him