Progress under LR

Luton putting paid to that somewhat. I think there's still a place for workhorses. Milner's made a career on it. Meyler, who we've just mentioned, exemplified it for us, and that wasn't that long ago in the PL.

 

It is different because Slater isn’t the same type of player Ashbee and Meyler were. You’re constantly making these false equivalencies like it’s a big ‘gotcha’.

 

I mean they have signed very good central midfielders for the level in Barkley and Lokonga though?

 

How am i falling into the trap of it? I’m quite literally saying we need one of them? Slater works hard yes, he averages 1 tackle a game. We are consistently overran in games through the middle, our defence is however on an individual basis the best of the rest. Greaves and Jones is a top 3 centre back partnership and they get the midfield out of trouble.

No slight on Slater he just really doesn’t fit the bill of what you’re describing.

 

Thought we were talking more broadly about effort and workhorses underpinning a PL side, regardless of position. There's a few in that side.

 

"The odd wise old dad type". I'll take that.

 

If you have a bit of ability, then versatility can be a career changer, when combined with a certain mentality.

 

Slater probably more comparable to Quinn than Meyler.

 

Interesting stat about Slater, he and Macca are the only 2 players in the squad to have a negative goal difference from their minutes on the pitch.

 

Weren’t you one of the ones who used to slag meyler off all the time?

 

Meyler was also a lot better technically than he's given credit for. He lacked a bit of pace, but he was technically better than Slater & that's probably why he played 100 PL games

 

Not "the odd wise old dad type" but "the anyone who knows anything about football type".
Myth that he was unpopular. Some continued to question his ability to do it at the next level up, but he answered those critics every time. Remember his song? Plenty had "Ashbee" on their shirts. #legend (at the time and still now)

 

Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008 Cork City 2 (0)
2008–2013 Sunderland 25 (0)
2012–2013 → Hull City (loan) 10 (3)
2013–2018 Hull City 147 (13)
2018–2019 Reading 5 (0)
2019 → Coventry City (loan) 5 (0)
Total 194 (16)

just looked this up on Wiki - never realised that Meyler played almost exclusively for us - 25 appearances for Blunderland over 5 years and hardly any appearances after he left - City legend probably remembered as much for the Pardue headbutt and his humorous comments to Grosicki but he played an important role in the Bruce era that should never be forgotten - yes he came under a bit of criticism, from myself included because his passing was somewhat wayward at times, I remember one match when it was around 43% accuracy - but non the less always gave City 100% and that should never be forgotten

 

Marvelous goal at Wembley too

 

OK then, an over played or overstated myth.
The OP said ,verbatim, "he was very unpopular" and that was what I was responding to. Simply not true, other than with a minority of know nowts. Why the hell peddle such a 'myth' about an absolute club legend. Bizarre.

 

He was very unpopular. Far more used to moan about him than rate him. If you've forgotten that then I suppose it's understandable to be making the same mistake again.

 

He very clearly said the moaning stopped once we hit the PL.

 

It seemed like only a handful of people could see what he brought to the game, most just slagged him off.

 

I enjoyed Mr Meyler’s biography.

He’s a sound bloke.