I am struggling to come up with alternatives. Diame and Huddlestone were "unplayable" at their peak, but they didn't peak very often.
Technically Diame was arguably our most gifted player ever. Factually,he was lazy and that's probably why Big Fat Sam got rid.
Were we overcommitted with the FAC though? What PB did in 2007/8 did was bring in players who had PL experience and knew what it took to get us over the line. TN himself had played in the First Division, but in the squad who else had? He brought in Baxter but it wasn't enough. Waggy and Chillo were in decline, and we did well to sell CC for 92K to CCFC. Throughout the 70s we tried to recreate that striker partnership...Holme, Fletcher, Wood, Warboys etc Pearson was great but not suited to playing alongside Waggy. Needler decided cheque book was closed and then he died in 1975. The rest. as they say, is history. A quarter of a century of instability followed.
Livermre was bang average in my opinion. Only thing he had going for him was grit and determination and stamina. Otherwise he was mediocre in every department, tackling ,passing , heading shooting , pace and skills. £10 million is a good deal for us imo.
Anything that we achieve will never give me that same feeling that I had at Wembley in 2008 at the final whistle, I honestly don't think anything could ever come close.
He may be one of the best midfielders we have ever had but I think that speaks volumes about our perennial struggle. The same can be said of Myler. Champions of huff and puff and giving the ball away too often Edit - sorry ,Dave not in the list
Which is true but the huff and puff of Meyler and Jake got us out of the Second Division and into the first Division, twice in Meylers case, something the super heroes of the 60's and early 70's could never do. So what does that tell you?