Remember going to see Blackpool play West Ham in the FA Cup when I was 12 (our next door neighbour was a Blackpool supporter). Green absolutely tore apart a star-studded West Ham side, scoring two and setting up a 3rd in a 4-0 win. It was probably the best individual performance I have ever witnessed. It turned out Bobby Moore & Jimmy Greaves had been out on the piss in Blackpool the night before the game but even so.
like I say the bars higher by a great margin.. these players were great in their time, but are not as good as players now.
Okay, I asked before and didn’t get an answer. Are you saying Haydn, Atsu, Ritchie or any of them are better players than Tony Green and/or Paul Gascoigne? Bear in mind they all play regularly in the alleged World’s Best League.
Gazza was playing well after the players I was suggesting would not cut it today. the others would still be better athletes and fair better yes . I won't change my opinion and you have yours mate
I’ll give you your answer for Gazza as you had said last 25 years and he retired about 18 years ago. You are also quite right that it is a question of opinion and you are entitled to yours. I doubt, however, that you will find any that saw those players and Haydn et al will agree with you. We are after all talking about “footballers” not “athletes”. Also final comment/question. Do you not think that if those players played today then they would also be fitter than they were then?
gazza played within the last 25 so you need your muesli again. footballers are very much athletes now unlike then and this is a large reason as to why I'm right.
There is absolutely no difference in the skill levels. These guys were playing on crap pitches with heavy balls. With todays training methods, diets and physiotherapists etc they would hold their own against the best players today.
ahhh but that's a separate debate... those players were not on diets or infant way close to today's level in terms of fitness or athletic ability ...
You said they were not as good as players now. I said they are in fact just as good as players now and you would see that if they were playing today. Its not a different argument at all.
Different debate CC? How? You said Bob was one of the best players we ever had. I listed 13 with no effort who were easily next level up to Bob. You say no. I say if they played today they would be. You say no. The Man U fan says with modern training and diet they would have held their own and you say that is a different debate. How? Frustrated rant over.
In terms of ability, he was pretty good. But the legend list from TGD was players who were HUGELY better than Robert. I'd say there's dozens and dozens more who were simply better, in their own ways and in terms of contributing to the Toon. Lee, Solano, Cabaye, Dyer, Batty, Albert, Cole, Speed even down to Ba, Cisse, Beresford, . If it's down to shots, you could probably put Obafemi Martins on a par with Laurent Robert.
