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One of our best squads ever?


Runaway
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Could the current team go down as one of the best Saints sides ever?

The number of goals scored since the start of last season and possibly two consecutive promotions could put then into the history books at least. I've only been following Saints for about ten years, but I'm not sure I've seen such a positive and exciting squad since then.

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Good grief! There are some miserable sods around. Runaway, I can’t remember a more exciting three seasons since 1965. The squad epitomises “team”. The football is often exhilarating with goals galore. There are heroes everywhere you look. The Club is settled, planning for a successful future and well run financially. Four years ago I never expected to see us the Championship again, let alone at the top of the table with a dozen or so matches left of the season. I would say this squad has given me my most enjoyable time as a fan and for this reason I’d be happy to endorse it as “one of the best squads ever”.

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It's been a good couple of years but you have to bear in mind the level of opposition. Some of the teams/squads we had during 27 years of top flight football would be better than this lot (but one or two would be worse).

 

Even looking at that video of the saints/spurs FA cup tie that we eventually lost 6-2 I thought that we were playing a much faster passing game then than we do now.

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Yeah, whilst I'm thoroughly enjoying our resurgence, to say this is one of our best squads ever may be a tad overkill, given we're still in the championship and you could point to several good seasons in the top flight (peak being 84-85 season of course).

 

You never know though, should we go up......

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Even looking at that video of the saints/spurs FA cup tie that we eventually lost 6-2 I thought that we were playing a much faster passing game then than we do now.

 

Nah! Its the ravages of time taking its toll on the film-stock, look at the old black and white newsreel type films made pre 1930, everyone is walking like they are in a race. Watch that game in 25 years time you would question how they found the energy: or realise why we lost ;)

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yeah 10 years = ever

why do these threads keep getting started. we havent even got promotion yet

 

Nothing to do with the orignal point and if he has been following the team for only ten years why shouldn't he ask.... on a football forum.

 

For what it is worth, I've got another 25 years on him and the current squad do rank as one of the most exiciting teams we have had (In my time). Of course we have to consider the leagues we've been playing in and the standard of the opposition, but as they say "You can only play against, what is in front of you".

 

The last two years have been great and will have helped create the next generation of Saints fans. In our two relegation seasons, you could see the family enclosure getting smaller and smaller and whilst they have moved it to the Chapel, two seasons of what we have had will have saved more than a few reaching out for man utd tops.

 

From all the shiite we have had in the last few years, why you have a pop at a young Saints fan who is clearly enjoying his football, is just a bit strange.

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Yeah, whilst I'm thoroughly enjoying our resurgence, to say this is one of our best squads ever may be a tad overkill, given we're still in the championship and you could point to several good seasons in the top flight (peak being 84-85 season of course).

 

You never know though, should we go up......

 

It was 83-84 when we finished second

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I'm old enough to remember the excitement of the days when Paine and Sydenham emerged as great goalmakers with Reeves and later O'Brien to put the ball in the net--more than 100 goals in one season! For excitement that team of young local stars and later the team of old international stars that McM built must be top of my list but the OP asked about squad which is different from exciting stars and I would think for dedication, professionalism and team spirit this squad is as good as any if not better.

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The squad managed by Alan Pardew in L1 is still the backbone of the present team - Davis, Richardson, Fonte, Schneiderlin, Lallana, Guly, Lambert - together with a few who are now more like second, rather than first choice, but still important to the squad, such as Harding, Butterfield, Hammond, Connolly. For a L1 team, with a few additions, to be knocking on the door of the Prem is remarkable

 

But we are still a second tier club, so to compare this team with teams of the past is comparing Apples and Pears. The past squads include the experienced team that won the cup in 1976 with Osgood, Rodrigues, Steel, Channon and McCalliog; or the team that won promotion to the old Div One in 1978 under the captaincy of Alan Ball; or the League Cup Final team of 1979 that included Ball, Golac, Steve Williams, Chris Nichol and Phil Boyer; and then there was the Divsion One side of the early 1980s with Keegan, Channon, Ted MacDougal and Charlie George; and all of that before a certain Matt Le Tiss featured in the first team.

 

So, lets enjoy what we have, but not build them up into a super-team yet, not until we are in the top six in the top tier league, where we have been before. But Runaway can be forgiven because anyone who didn't see Saints playing their fast close passing football in Div One games at The Dell doesn't have the experience to make the judgement. How sad it is to be young.....

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The squad managed by Alan Pardew in L1 is still the backbone of the present team - Davis, Richardson, Fonte, Schneiderlin, Lallana, Guly, Lambert - together with a few who are now more like second, rather than first choice, but still important to the squad, such as Harding, Butterfield, Hammond, Connolly. For a L1 team, with a few additions, to be knocking on the door of the Prem is remarkable

 

But we are still a second tier club, so to compare this team with teams of the past is comparing Apples and Pears. The past squads include the experienced team that won the cup in 1976 with Osgood, Rodrigues, Steel, Channon and McCalliog; or the team that won promotion to the old Div One in 1978 under the captaincy of Alan Ball; or the League Cup Final team of 1979 that included Ball, Golac, Steve Williams, Chris Nichol and Phil Boyer; and then there was the Divsion One side of the early 1980s with Keegan, Channon, Ted MacDougal and Charlie George; and all of that before a certain Matt Le Tiss featured in the first team.

 

So, lets enjoy what we have, but not build them up into a super-team yet, not until we are in the top six in the top tier league, where we have been before. But Runaway can be forgiven because anyone who didn't see Saints playing their fast close passing football in Div One games at The Dell doesn't have the experience to make the judgement. How sad it is to be young.....

fox, lee, sharp, chaplow, cork...?

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Interesting responses guys... it's nice to hear from seriously long-term followers who also think the current squad have been exciting to follow over the last couple of seasons. Obviously Nige is a big factor in that too! Long may it continue!!

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I started following Saints in 1988/89 when we were on a shocking run of something like 20 games without a win and hovering dangerously close to the relegation zone. The following season - 1989/90 - is still the best season and, to my mind, the best team we have had in all that time since. Our first choice eleven that year was...

 

Flowers

Dodd

Ruddock

Osman

Benali

Le Tissier

Case

Horne

R Wallace

Shearer

Rideout.

 

We finished tenth in the old Div 1 that year with Le Tiss and Wallace bagging 45 goals between them (from the wings!) and played some of th best football I have ever seen from any side, let alone Saints (including the 4-1 demolition of eventual champions Liverpool where we made them look like a pub team). There was never a dull moment that year, and some of the games that really stick in my mind are the 4-1 home win over Norwich with Matty getting his second hattrick in a week, the 6-3 win over Luton, the 4-1 away at QPR and the 4-4 draw away at Norwich.

 

To go back to the original point of the thread though, our current team is undoubtedly the best we have had since that point. Not just in terms of the number of good players in the team, but the whole squad ethic and positive belief that Adkins has instilled since his arrival.

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I started following Saints in 1988/89 when we were on a shocking run of something like 20 games without a win and hovering dangerously close to the relegation zone. The following season - 1989/90 - is still the best season and, to my mind, the best team we have had in all that time since. Our first choice eleven that year was...

 

Flowers

Dodd

Ruddock

Osman

Benali

Le Tissier

Case

Horne

R Wallace

Shearer

Rideout.

 

We finished tenth in the old Div 1 that year with Le Tiss and Wallace bagging 45 goals between them (from the wings!) and played some of th best football I have ever seen from any side, let alone Saints (including the 4-1 demolition of eventual champions Liverpool where we made them look like a pub team). There was never a dull moment that year, and some of the games that really stick in my mind are the 4-1 home win over Norwich with Matty getting his second hattrick in a week, the 6-3 win over Luton, the 4-1 away at QPR and the 4-4 draw away at Norwich.

 

To go back to the original point of the thread though, our current team is undoubtedly the best we have had since that point. Not just in terms of the number of good players in the team, but the whole squad ethic and positive belief that Adkins has instilled since his arrival.

 

I'm with you on this. I started following Saints around 88, and that season was fantastic. Still got the official video of the season on VHS, and used to watch it in the dark days to cheer myself up. For entertainment value, that team and season takes some beating.

 

Such a shame that we didn't kick on from there, as that was a great young team which should have gone on to bigger and better things. I suppose a lot of the players did, but with other teams. Thinking about it, I reckon Flowers, Ruddock, Horne, Wallace, Shearer and Rideout all went on to win either League title or FA Cup after leaving us.

 

Current team is up there for me though among the best to watch.

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The team of 03....

 

Niemi, Dodd, Claus, Svensson, Bridge

Fernandes, Oakley, Svensson, Marsden

Beattie, Ormerod

 

With Jones, Higginbotham, Williams, Delap, Prutton, Telfer, Tessem, Davies, Pahars all in reserve.

 

That was a very good 'team'. Maybe not the best players but they worked so well together and everything just clicked and had the right balance. Admittably I only started watching Southampton properly in about 95/6 when I was 7 or 8!!

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It's hard to compare and contrast teams over different eras, particulary as the rules, pitches and even balls have changed so much. I dont think we'll ever be able to have a team with the quality of some of Lawrie's did, but there's only 3 or 4 sides in England that could in future. We didn't just have good top flight players, we had world class players, and in the case of Shilts , KK & Bally 3 all time greats (ok maybe Bally and KK were past their best).We had a mixture of youngsters and fantastic players, and played a style of football that was a joy to watch. That said, this is a fantastic side for where we are now, where we were, and for the era we watch the game in. It has been a fantastic couple of seasons, and we have played some fantastic stuff. RL & AL are on their way to becoming legends, loved every bit as much as some of our previous greats. And Kelvin must be there already.

 

If we go up this season then Nigel will join Ted and Lawrie as the only men to take us up to the top flight. He is on his way to being mentioned in the same breath as those two, and that is a remarkable achievement in only 2 short years at the club..

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This team is no where near the best saints team ever. On the basis of technique and style of football it probably isnt even in the top 5 maybe even top 10.

However in terms of getting results, i.e. winning, it is most definitely in the top 5 if not much higher. Winning is exciting and in sport the most important element. How you achieve consistant success is the fans discussion point and the coaches peadology

We are very fortunate to have the people we do at our club right now. Sometimes its good to forget the analysis and just enjoy the sport for the sport!

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i didnt mean to shout down the opening post so apologies but more my point was why we seem to start these up.

we are out of our dip and going welll again but then people go straight back to 'is it best ever.....' which are all pretty time based as someone younger with 10 years of support is not going to be able to compare with teams he never has seen.

 

i know it is a discussion point but to come round so often seems stupid and we shouldnt get carried away so quickly - that doesnt mean i am moaning and not happy with all that is going on and thoroughly enjoying it all

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I started following Saints in 1988/89 when we were on a shocking run of something like 20 games without a win and hovering dangerously close to the relegation zone. The following season - 1989/90 - is still the best season and, to my mind, the best team we have had in all that time since. Our first choice eleven that year was...

 

Flowers

Dodd

Ruddock

Osman

Benali

Le Tissier

Case

Horne

R Wallace

Shearer

Rideout.

 

We finished tenth in the old Div 1 that year with Le Tiss and Wallace bagging 45 goals between them (from the wings!) and played some of th best football I have ever seen from any side, let alone Saints (including the 4-1 demolition of eventual champions Liverpool where we made them look like a pub team). There was never a dull moment that year, and some of the games that really stick in my mind are the 4-1 home win over Norwich with Matty getting his second hattrick in a week, the 6-3 win over Luton, the 4-1 away at QPR and the 4-4 draw away at Norwich.

 

To go back to the original point of the thread though, our current team is undoubtedly the best we have had since that point. Not just in terms of the number of good players in the team, but the whole squad ethic and positive belief that Adkins has instilled since his arrival.

 

We actually finished 7th and IIRC correct could have finished third if we'd won rather than lost our last two games. We played some great football and won games by outscoring the opposition.

 

Utter nonsense to say this squad is undoubtedly the best since then. What about Strachans team that finished 8th and got to the cup final in 03? Alan Balls side that finished midtable? Hoddles team, Dave Jones side that finished midtable?

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We actually finished 7th and IIRC correct could have finished third if we'd won rather than lost our last two games. We played some great football and won games by outscoring the opposition.

 

Utter nonsense to say this squad is undoubtedly the best since then. What about Strachans team that finished 8th and got to the cup final in 03? Alan Balls side that finished midtable? Hoddles team, Dave Jones side that finished midtable?

 

Yeah, you're right and I knew that. Don't know whay I typed tenth. Must have been my spellchecker ;-)

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I'm with you on this. I started following Saints around 88, and that season was fantastic. Still got the official video of the season on VHS, and used to watch it in the dark days to cheer myself up. For entertainment value, that team and season takes some beating.

 

Such a shame that we didn't kick on from there, as that was a great young team which should have gone on to bigger and better things. I suppose a lot of the players did, but with other teams. Thinking about it, I reckon Flowers, Ruddock, Horne, Wallace, Shearer and Rideout all went on to win either League title or FA Cup after leaving us.

 

Current team is up there for me though among the best to watch.

 

Didn't we beat West Ham 4-1 at home on the opening day of the season - Rideout hat trick?

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The squad of 1959/60 cemented my support for Saints. I'd been an interested schoolboy, following them in Div 3 but more interested in some of the Div 1 teams until that season but the team Ted Bates put together was electric! He'd put 14 players on the transfer list and brought in nine new ones. The team included Derek Reeves, George O'Brien, Cliff Huxford, John Sydenham and Terry Paine but it took more than just a few star players to be top of Div 3 by Christmas and Champions at the end of the season. OK, so it was the old 3rd Division, but this team was top quality as they proved against first division Man City in the 3rd round of the FA cup, drawn away from home at Maine Road where they annihilated City 5-1. Derek Reeves scored 39 goals that season, so even Rickie Lambert has a way to go....... That was a memorable squad for those of us old enough to have seen them play and in Payne and Sydenham it had two wingers who played for England u-23 (as it was in those days) and Payne of course went on to play in the England World Cup squad, by which time Saints had just been promoted to Div One.

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Good grief! There are some miserable sods around. Runaway, I can’t remember a more exciting three seasons since 1965. The squad epitomises “team”. The football is often exhilarating with goals galore. There are heroes everywhere you look. The Club is settled, planning for a successful future and well run financially. Four years ago I never expected to see us the Championship again, let alone at the top of the table with a dozen or so matches left of the season. I would say this squad has given me my most enjoyable time as a fan and for this reason I’d be happy to endorse it as “one of the best squads ever”.

Really, you think this is better than the first few seasons in Division 1 with Channon, Davies, Paine, Sydenham and so on. Sure we got tonked a few times but we also were exciting to watch and could beat top teams on our day. I agree we weren't as professional then, but boy we were certainly more exciting then. What about the squad that got us promoted after the FA Cup win, very comparable. Then again in the Keegan era that squad was arguably the best ever, with quality throughout. I wouldn't put the Le Tiss era squads in the same category because frankly the rest of the squad was not in the same league as Le Tiss. Still can't argue that its great to see us winning and being very professional on and off the field. For pure excitement though, no.

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For the moment I'm inclined to think that pretty much all of our top tier squads, including the one that finished bottom in 2005/6, were better than the one we have at the moment. If/when we get to see how this lot do in the top tier, then I may amend my thinking.

 

For those taking issue with the 2005/6 comment, that squad featured

 

Niemi, Killer, Claus, Le Saux, Oakley, Pahars, Anders, Beattie (at the start of the season, Camara at the end), Phillips, and Crouch, as well as the crap like Davenport and Nilsson.

Edited by The9
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The team of 03....

 

Niemi, Dodd, Claus, Svensson, Bridge

Fernandes, Oakley, Svensson, Marsden

Beattie, Ormerod

 

With Jones, Higginbotham, Williams, Delap, Prutton, Telfer, Tessem, Davies, Pahars all in reserve.

 

That was a very good 'team'. Maybe not the best players but they worked so well together and everything just clicked and had the right balance. Admittably I only started watching Southampton properly in about 95/6 when I was 7 or 8!!

 

Surely Pahars was the "first choice" in that team?

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Didn't we beat West Ham 4-1 at home on the opening day of the season - Rideout hat trick?

 

No that was the season before.

 

and it was 4-0. I dont think it was Rideout hatrick either, So other than the year, the score and scorers being wrong, it was spot on.

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He was already on a serial sickie by then. Played very few games in 02/03,hernia op IIRC,then sending off,then ankle injury.

 

Yeah, Pahars' goal in the 3-0 against Pompey in 2003/4 was already a "comeback" goal. He played 9 league matches in 2002/3 and only 3 league games in 2003/4 before that December win.

 

His miraculous return to fitness in early 2004 (I remember he scored in the win at Man City in April 2004 under Sturrock too) coincided nicely with Latvia's Euro 2004 appearance.

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I would have to agree, Frank Worthington was playing for us I am sure, Steve Williams? or had he gone to Arsenal?
It was the season that we lost the FA Cup semi-final to Everton - when Steve Williams was picked even though he was clearly unfit to play - so no, he had not gone to Arsenal at that stage. I remember getting his autograph in Bitterne Bowl when he was 18 - not sure why I remember that, but I do.
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It was the season that we lost the FA Cup semi-final to Everton - when Steve Williams was picked even though he was clearly unfit to play - so no, he had not gone to Arsenal at that stage. I remember getting his autograph in Bitterne Bowl when he was 18 - not sure why I remember that, but I do.

 

He moved to Arsenal that summer and was replaced by Jimmy Case.

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He moved to Arsenal that summer and was replaced by Jimmy Case.

 

Sorry Mr. Pedant.

 

Williams left just after Xmas 84. Unless you were in the Southern Hemisphere, thats pretty much winter.

 

Also, Case made his debut in March 85 in a 5-1 stuffing at Spurs, which still gives me the shivers. That also wasn't in the summer.

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Sorry Mr. Pedant.

 

Williams left just after Xmas 84. Unless you were in the Southern Hemisphere, thats pretty much winter.

 

Also, Case made his debut in March 85 in a 5-1 stuffing at Spurs, which still gives me the shivers. That also wasn't in the summer.

 

You are correct. I was gutted when he left, him, Moran and Mark Dennis were my favourite players as a kid. Jimmy Case would soon become a more than able replacement though. Either way though he was here in the 83/84 season.

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