While I'm on a roll. Alan Ball, David Armstrong, Nick Holmes, Jimmy Case, Steve Williams etc etc. Who gets your vote?
Let's not forget the genius of Ronnie Ekelund for the 15 or so games he was fit a joy to watch but failing that Steve Williams to me as youngster growing up in the late seventies early 80's was awesome......I would like to see Terry Hurlock on the list as well LOL
So you're going to leave out England's own Terry Paine..? Bloody hell, I think the older ones need their memories checked. When Painer got older and Bates decided a pure winger was too extravagant, Terry converted to a right-sided midfielder brilliantly. The we have Le Tiss too, surely the very best. If anyone thinks Schneiderlin can pass over a distance, these two could do what he does blindfolded.
We've had some decent midfielders over the years including Keegan, Neil Maddison and Tommy Widdrington but there really can only be one or two serious answers to this. Matthew Le Tissier for me.
Do you count Le Tissier as a midfield? I mean, I know he was a very good winger in his youth but I always saw him as more of a forwad.
Technically he played a free role but i think he was gifted with the honour of first PL midfielder to score 100 PL goals. He also was classed as a midfielder in every fantasy football team I ever played and featured in midfield for England.
Only people who don't know/don't care and lazy journalists who see his goal tally, think Matty was a striker or forward. He was an attacking midfielder. In fact, he was the first midfielder to score 100 goals in the Premier League. Now joined by a couple of journeymen players in Giggs and Lampard. EDIT: Oops, sorry imsaintsme. Should have read your post too.
Take what you say about Le Tiss, but have to agree on Paine. One of the best passers of a ball I have ever seen. Young Channon scored many a goal from a Paine 60 yard pass.
I thought more of a forward in the terms that he could play a midfield or a forward role. A kind of marauding player who didn't have a set position in the midfield or the forward line but played just behind the strikers.
MLT was definitely a midfielder, though he did play anywhere he wanted. Wonderful to see him in his pomp.
Terry Paine - legend. People like Glenn Cockerill and Barry Horne scored some cracking goals. Jimmy Case was the ultimate midfield general. MLT - a class apart.
