Best player seen at Dell and St .Mary,s?

This shows some of Best's magic: soundtrack is "My Immortal" by Evanescence which seems fitting.

[video=youtube;nplemK3Y4ns]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nplemK3Y4ns[/video]

 

The best player from my personal point of view in a Saints shirt was Alan Ball. Everything was channelled through him in the 77/78 and for a few seasons thereafter on our return to the top flight. He gave shape and direction to a side that few others have achieved. Admittedly, there have been more gifted Saints players but he would be the number name on any teamsheet for me to build a team around.

 

Vieira has to be up there.

 

Chilco, thanks for that vid. Incredible. Never saw him in the flesh but my old man used to rave about him constantly.

On a side note, some of the challenges going in, brilliant!

 

Fred Kemp..!

Nah, just kidding. Anyway, we're talking opposition players aren't we [?], so it has to be George Best, doesn't it..? I mean, who else gets close..? Bergkamp..? But that's comparing a football genius to an excellent player. It just doesn't compute. For those who never saw Best, I believe there's plenty on Youtube. Go and look.

EDIT: Just watched the video provided by Chilco's link. Enough said really. He did that all the time, in an era where most games weren't televised. And he's doing it when people were really allowed to cut someone in half with a tackle and get away with it. They used to say Bobby Charlton was a master at riding tackles, but look at George in that video. He simply couldn't be shaken off the ball. Diving..? He wouldn't know the meaning of the word. And he retired early in his career, yet there are oodles of examples, and plenty more elsewhere.

 

It's difficult to argue about Best after seeing that video but I took the question to be "who's the best player that you have personally seen at The Dell/SMS".

 

Well, having seen that video compilation, you've personally seen Best. It wasn't a cartoon. It was real. He played several times at The Dell, and usually put on a show. You can work out the rest.

I was in the 31,044 Dell crowd on a Wednesday night when ManU won 3-0. Best scored the first. Actually, I believe Saints played quite well, but it's all a blur nowadays. I do know we couldn't contain him though. Funny thing was I used to really dislkike him because he was so bloody good. Older and wiser.

 

We're getting bogged down in semantics, George Best may well be the best player ever to play at The Dell/SMS, but the best player I've had evidence of seeing with my own eyes is Ian Wright, although there is no doubt that George Best was a better player.

 

Thanks Chilco for the video ,the second goal was I think his hatrick against us at the Dell I was in the chocolate box in direct line when he scored that and the clip dosnt do it justice I was mesmerised by it and it has stayed in my mind all these years, when he was in the mood you couldn't get the ball of off him even if you just tried to kick him,if he was playing today I would think united would be playing against 10 men every game because at least one player would be sent off for tackles on him,just a wonderful one off talent ,

 

Came across some old 1970,s programes and looking at the team sheets the 70,s was a fantastic period for great teams ,arsenal double winners ,United with Best ,Don Revies Leeds ,Rodney Marsh ,Stan Bowles etc etc a saints player that stuck out for me was Tom Jenkins if any of you oldies can remember him ? Never achieved what he was capable of in my opinion ,also a lot of younger fans mention killer but what about John McGrath talk about no prisoners lol ,it's funny but I remember saints in those times with rose tinted specs but we were forever struggling to stay up and infact went down during that era had we not won the FA cup the Seventies would have actually been grim as far as league position but great games to watch ,I can understand where the saints fans can't quite get Cortese,s ambition for the club as it dosnt fit with the saints little family club that we've all grown up to love and get frustrated with , who knows in 10 years time we may just be regarded as a top 6 regular ? Still dosnt sound right eh lol

 

Very True Channelsaint.
I started watching Saints with a Forward line of Terry Paine and John Sydenham on the flanks and Martin Chivers and the best header of a ball i have ever seen ( and played against ) Ron Davis.
Far to many Great players in the Red and White and opposing sides to chose from.

 

chicken George Lawrence

 

Most memorable team of performances that I have seen live (sorry I know a 3-4-3 is not realistic):

GK: Schmeicle
DR: Neville
DL: Alba
DF: Cannavaro
MF: Vieira/Ince
MF Latapy
MF: Pirlo
MF: Zidane
ST: Henry
FW: Cantona
FW: Villa

 

Exactly what i was going to say!

 

How did you get to play against Big Ron, Possum? Please tell us more! That was the lineup when I first started watching Saints too, so I'd agree about his heading ability. Matt Busby once described Ron Davies as the best centre forward in Europe, which is pretty amazing praise considering the players he must have seen.

 

I played against big Ron at the very very end of his career and unfortunately he did smell as if he had a few but he still had quality stamped All over him and it didn't tarnish my memories of him in the red and white stripes.

 

In what capacity, SP..? Who were the teams..? Where was Ron playing [I believe he had a go at CB for a while]..? Who won [if you can remember]..?

Details..!

 

As good as Best was, he was playing generally playing against defenders who these days wouldn't get into professional football, it's impossible to compare him to the likes of Henry, Messi, Ronaldo and the like because they're playing at a much higher standard than he was.

 

Jack Cork! Enough said!

 

Just not true. Bobby Moore? Ron Yeats? And as was pointed out above, there was far more physical contact in those days so ball players had to ride tackles. Referees would be far more reluctant to give free kicks or penalties unless they could see blood. There was one sequence in the clip I posted where Best just skipped over 3 tackles any of which a modern day player would have hit the deck for and been given a free kick, and the defender red-carded most likely.