Ha ha ha....just for a minute there I thought you said that back in the Championship, Fox was very good.
This is a tough one. Bale is obviously the most talented although not really at left back anymore. He is also the reason why I didn't vote for Bridge. Bale wanted the ball all the time, would take corners, free kicks etc. Bridge, by contrast just wanted to get rid of the ball as soon as he could albeit he was a good crosser. What made Bridge so effective was playing behind Marsden as they really complimented each other. Anyway, I went for Hollywood. He was something of an 'old-fashioned' fullback. But given the style of the day, he was very effective. Whether he had the skills to play in today's game is another matter. Had he played for longer, I might have gone for Statham as was one of the first modern full backs. Shaw might well have topped the list had he stayed and Bertrand yet might in a couple of years time.
What part of zero positional sense made him good? Serious question. He could take a decent corner though.
His positioning wasn't great, but in the Championship he was good enough to recover and he was very good going forward.
I went for Bertrand, by far the best left back we've had in my time of following Saints (96/97). Shaw has the potential to be the best of the bunch at LB, but he was never the finished article with us. Bale is no longer a left back and I didn't rate him that highly defensively (he was ok in the Championship).
I think we'll never agree on this. I thought he was a complete liability. Funny old game as they say!
You can't have anyone as a complete liability if you get promoted from the Championship at the first attempt. Fox is a good Championship left back.
Was just going to talk about the cross for that goal, I think latching onto a cross field ball from Worthington Dennis for me - shows that I must have been an eighties guy
Also went for Bridge - on the basis of their performances over an extended time period for Saints. Are we in danger of picking the entire 2001-2004 side here?!
Bridge the best, loved Franny more, maybe for a few months more excited by Bale, but Wayne was the best left back. How he must thank Dave Jones (and a few injuries to others) for converting him to LB from LW.
Best player from that list certainly. But not as a left back. Wayne Bridge, on the other hand, would have been England's left back for years if he hadn't had the misfortune to be around at the same time as Ashley Cole.
Once again, here's what we did at Saints Web: Nominations: http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?5239-Saints-Greatest-XI-Nominations-For-Best-LB Poll: http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?5418-Saints-Greatest-XI-Best-Left-Back-Poll I'm sticking with my choice from then - David Peach. A peach of a left back, and another superb Saints penalty taker. He never missed once.
One left back that should get an honourable mention in the thread is the late Steve Mills who died of Leukaemia at the age of 34, his career was cut short by a serious car accident after playing about 60 games for Saints in the 70's, after months and months of rehab. he tried to make a comeback and played in 2 more games before calling it a day. Don't suppose many on here will have seen him play, or even heard of him, but trust me he was a very special young player that was at the time being talked about as a future England international. Spoke to him a few times after he had finished playing and I remember being amazed how upbeat and grounded he was.
