Is our squad better now than when we lost in the playoffs?

[Ex Lion Tamer]

Automatic promotion isn't totally out of the question but the playoffs are starting to look like a more realistic aspiration. So how do we look against the team that lost to Derby in the playoffs? Possibly pretty similar? My memory of that team is pretty sketchy, so I'd be interested in being corrected on this: 

Davis - Bazunu (not sure Davis was great at this point in time though)
Makin - KWP
Baird - THB
Cranie - Bednarek (I can't honestly remember if Cranie was any good)
Skacel - Manning
Viafara - Smallbone
Pele - Downes
Guthrie - S Armstrong (I completely forgot about Guthrie, had to look him up)
Surman - Sulemana
Best - A. Armstrong
Saganowski - Stewart

[Saint_clark]

God the scenes when Rasiak hit that equaliser. 

And then...the scenes when Idiakez hit the roof. 

[Green]

We had a player called Gareth Bale in the first leg but he got kicked off the park and couldn’t make the second leg. 

[Lighthouse]

If I had to make a combined XI from then and now

Bazunu

KWP    Baird   THB    Bale

Sully    Pele    Downes    Skacel

Rasiak    Saganowski

[Appy]

11 hours ago, Lighthouse said:

If I had to make a combined XI from then and now

Bazunu

KWP    Baird   THB    Bale

Sully    Pele    Downes    Skacel

Rasiak    Saganowski

Was Pele good? 
 

My lasting memory of him was giving away a stupid penalty in the 1st leg. 

[Ex Lion Tamer]

4 hours ago, Appy said:

Was Pele good? 
 

My lasting memory of him was giving away a stupid penalty in the 1st leg. 

Career history suggests he was quite the journeyman

 

[Ex Lion Tamer]

Also why did Rasiak only start on the bench for both playoff games? We he carrying an injury or just past it?

[bpsaint]

32 minutes ago, Ex Lion Tamer said:

Also why did Rasiak only start on the bench for both playoff games? We he carrying an injury or just past it?

Saganowski and Kenwyn Jones were both bang on form from what I recall? Leon best had popped up with a few as well.

[Gloucester Saint]

8 hours ago, Appy said:

Was Pele good? 
 

My lasting memory of him was giving away a stupid penalty in the 1st leg. 

Pele is an interesting story. When it’s been discussed on here about Stephens or Lyanco possibly being better at DMC, that’s what happened with Pele. He was signed by Burley for a decent fee but was all over the place as a CB. Due to injuries and suspensions in midfield, he was played there, was better than expected and stayed there for the rest of the campaign. Became a bit of a cult hero with the fans.

The reason he played CB in the play off first leg was Claus’s career ending injury in the final league game v Southend which we had to win to make the play offs. Brought down Pearson for the penalty and lucky not to get a second yellow. Derby should have been down to at least 10 by that stage with two awful fouls to crock Bale and in-form Kenwyne Jones (hence slightly out of form Rasiak on the bench). 

IIRC, Burley got a decent offer from West Brom and sold him that summer as he wanted to sign Safari from Norwich

Edited 8 October, 2023 by Gloucester Saint

[Sheaf Saint]

19 hours ago, Lighthouse said:

If I had to make a combined XI from then and now

Bazunu

KWP    Baird   THB    Bale

Sully    Pele    Downes    Skacel

Rasiak    Saganowski

Not sure I would have Bazunu in ahead of Davis TBH. Kelv had his limitations but was a decent shot stopper at times. I don't see Baz emulating his MOTM performance against Leeds anytime soon.

[Lighthouse]

1 hour ago, Sheaf Saint said:

Not sure I would have Bazunu in ahead of Davis TBH. Kelv had his limitations but was a decent shot stopper at times. I don't see Baz emulating his MOTM performance against Leeds anytime soon.

That was one game, Kelvin had a regular habit of being beaten at his near post and his kicking was far, far inferior. Kelvin has Elland Road, Baz has Old Trafford, I wouldn’t judge either on one specific game (although losing 5-0 at Hillsborough has to be worth a mention).

[Bad Wolf]

14 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

That was one game, Kelvin had a regular habit of being beaten at his near post and his kicking was far, far inferior. Kelvin has Elland Road, Baz has Old Trafford, I wouldn’t judge either on one specific game (although losing 5-0 at Hillsborough has to be worth a mention).

Though I feel it's unfair to judge a keeper of that time on their kicking against a current keeper who's grown up learning more about that side of it no doubt.

[Fabrice Fernandes no.1 fan]

13 hours ago, Lighthouse said:

That was one game, Kelvin had a regular habit of being beaten at his near post and his kicking was far, far inferior. Kelvin has Elland Road, Baz has Old Trafford, I wouldn’t judge either on one specific game (although losing 5-0 at Hillsborough has to be worth a mention).

I've seen you mention this game so often in the past few days, and I don't think the comparison is there. One is a game where we got 1 point against a team we should probably have got a draw against based on the balance of play and were relegated anyway. The other was a brilliant away win, against a quality team who should have battered us based on the amount of respective chances we had, that helped us be promoted. 

I'd have Kelvin from any season with us (except the first back in the PL) over Baz any day.