Okay then. 08/09 players I would consider: Geo Ashbee Deano Turner Myhill McShane, as he is still here! Only Turner would be near the starting XI though. I'd rather have Deano than King just on principle.
It would be ***an for me as I thought before the Gutherie tackle at Newcastle he was one of our best performers and seemed to be improving by the game. Just how I saw it at the time. Folan never set the place alight but he has the tag of being our first million pound player if I'm not mistaken. Garcia always gave everything he had and wasn't it him who juggled with the ball and gave Manucho the ball to score away at Fulham, vital win that basically kept us up. Could be wrong though.
The 08/09 team was third in the league, it maybe wasn't quite as good as this but a combined team below would be our strongest imo Myhill Rickets Turner Davies Dawson Ashbee Huddlestone Aluko Geovanni Brady King
Garcia I've always thought to be one of our most under-appreciated players. At Championship level he was very good and even at PL level I thought he could offer something with decent management. However PB started playing him as a lone striker which was just ridiculous and never where he was meant to be. ***an was like that annoying wasp - no matter where you run it's always two inches away and annoying the hell out of you. Someone I'd prefer to be on our team than against. But I thought Garcia was the more talented of the two and was quite gutted when his contract was not renewed last year - I thought he'd earned a bit more time. Folan - well provided a few vital goals from the bench in 07/08 but was nothing great. From our 2008/09 side I'd only consider Turner, Myhill and Geo. Possibly Ricketts but I'd say Rosie's better. We have a far better squad this time around.
I'd stick Mendy in for his pace - nobody likes playing against pace. He wouldn't start in our current squad - but great to bring on when the opposition tired to run at the defence.
***an is currently plying his trade in League Two, Folan was released having been unable to score in the Malaysian league, but Garcia is still playing at a decent level and he's the oldest. Tells you all you need to know.
Garcia played a big part in our biggest achievement ever. He was injured for the last few league games and our form went to ****. He came back for the playoffs and all was well again. Plus that MASSIVE Barmby goal against Watford at home was down to his header.
Just looked, ***an is without a club after being released by Bury at the end of last season and Folan signed a deal with Bradford yesterday by the looks of it until the end of December
Got to be Garcia. Folan was alright in the Championship as an impact sub and I'll never forget his goal against Fulham for our first ever PL win, but he was too clumsy to be an out and out PL striker and his best football at the top level came under Iain Dowie, which says it all really. Garcia, when played in his favoured right midfield role, was a really, really good player. I think people are being unfair, or they're comparing them to what we have now, which you can't really do because the two squads are very different. ***an was alright, he scored the goal that technically kept us up (against Bolton) but he wasn't an out and out striker either, he was more of a winger. If I could have anybody back in the squad... Brewster Frizzell. Come on, any kid with a name like a gastro-pub deserves a shot at greatness.
Folan has just signed for Bradford City. Just awaiting his international clearance to come through. ***an i suspect will end up non-league. He has no club atm But i would take Garcia every time.
