strongest ever squad ?

[BLUEBLOOD]

Flahavan
Hunt Edwards Barrett Wilson

JCR Maher Guttridge Cole

Goater Lawson
============================================== Eastwood Gray

Gower Smith Bentley Pettefer

? ? Prior Jupp
Griemink

Forgetting the obvious (ie 2 spaces in the 'alternative' line up) Have we ever had a stronger squad than the current one ?? i dont even think Webbys team from the early 90s could compare with the players at Tillys disposal.

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

Whoops ... i think a couple of players have slipped out of position a tad !!!!

Eastwood may do ok out wide, but not that wide surley !!!!

 

[Angell Delight]

We have a great squad but no it's not as good as 91/92 (1st year in "old old" Div 2) IMHO. That was the best squad this football club has had in my lifetime.

 

[canveyshrimper]

Think you may be getting a bit carried away there Blueblood.

The 90's team with the likes of Sansome, Powell, Austin, Angell, Collymore, plus Prior & Edwards. Prior and Edwards are back here and Sansome, Austin, Powell & Collymore are better than the current players. Like for like i think Goater is better than Angell.

This obviously excludes players who came afterwards like Otto, Whelan, Marsh, Lapper etc

 

[Westcliff Shrimper]

Good question, and while it is hard to compare different teams from different eras, I think the class of 1991-92 would beat the class of 2005-06...

However, JCR is to make his full debut tonight - can't wait to see a Southend team playing with two wingers again...

Come on ! !

 

[W4 Shrimper]

The strength of the bench is what has really encouraged me - Prior, Gray, Eastwood, Smith and Griemink. You'd be happy to see any of those in the starting line-up.

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

The point i was really trying to raise was not a Webb vs Tilly XI match, as i believe 'Webbs Wonders' (Echo headline from years back ??) would edge past the current team, but more the fact that today we could name virtually 2 teams of equal bidding, and though i can't readily recall the back-up from the 90s i'm sure it wasn't as strong as today.

 

[Upminster Blue]

Quote[/b] (Angell Delight @ Sep. 27 2005,12:18)]We have a great squad but no it's not as good as 91/92 (1st year in "old old" Div 2) IMHO. That was the best squad this football club has had in my lifetime.

Without question the 91/92 starting 11 would beat the current starting 11. But, would the 91/92 reserves beat the current reserves? Can't recall us having particularly strong back up in 91/92, so I'd go for the current reserves, hence IMHO the current squad is stronger.

 

[canveyshrimper]

Quote[/b] (BLUEBLOOD @ Sep. 27 2005,12:52)]The point i was really trying to raise was not a Webb vs Tilly XI match, as i believe 'Webbs Wonders' (Echo headline from years back ??) would edge past the current team, but more the fact that today we could name virtually 2 teams of equal bidding, and though i can't readily recall the back-up from the 90s i'm sure it wasn't as strong as today.

That is more than a fair point, because nowadays clubs can name an eleven plus 5 subs the squads need to be bigger in terms of quality.

Back in the early 90's you named an eleven plus one sub, a few years after that it became 13, and eventually 16.

Overall i would still take the 90's side to beat the current side, you are probably right in saying that our strength in depth is better currently.

 

[Hong Kong Blue]

Strongest squad was IMHO probably Barry Fry's.

We had only lost a couple of players from the legendary 1990-2 squad, but with all the Stanley cash Judas had been signing players on an almost daily basis.

 

[gazzacat42]

It is the strongest squad since we dropped out of the old first division.
And arguably the strongest in this division.

 

[Hong Kong Blue]

Is this the same squad (plus Jamal Campbell-Ryce) which before the start of the season everyone was complaining how small it was, and that whilst our first team would match more or less anyone else's first team in the division, our achilles heel would be our lack of squad depth?

 

[Matt the Shrimp]

Quote[/b] (Hong Kong Blue @ Sep. 27 2005,13:49)]Is this the same squad (plus Jamal Campbell-Ryce) which before the start of the season everyone was complaining how small it was, and that whilst our first team would match more or less anyone else's first team in the division, our achilles heel would be our lack of squad depth?

Yes.

Was it you doing most of the moaning, HKB...?

We still need cover at left back, by the way. Actually, we still need a left back... (sorry Che). Incidentally, Matt - are you going tonight? If so, drop me a PM...

Matt

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

IMO the difference between now and the start of the season is who could've predicted the impact James Lawson would have, im afraid to say i thought he was gonna be another Kightly type player who promised much, but in reality deliverered very little, the very fact that he's scoring goals and keeping the likes of Eastwood and Gray out the side is testament to his early achievements. When we signed Gutts i was not at all impressed (just my opinion !!).. yet this season he's virtually first name on the teamsheet, outstanding i'd say.. and the way the Eagle has come back into things, and is keeping Spinner out of the side on merit.Cole was an unknown quantity.. just cos he'd played alongside Freddy at Grays didn't give us the right to think he could cut it at this level.. another huge plus.Would the Goat still be hungry for goals (er, YES !!).
By the way, i do tend to rabbit on a bit sometimes !!!
Basically what i'm trying to say is that we have maybe half a dozen players doing far better than i for one thought we could've hoped for, and this is making our squad stronger FROM WITHIN.

 

[Hong Kong Blue]

Quote[/b] (Matt the Shrimp @ Sep. 27 2005,14:03)]

Quote[/b] (Hong Kong Blue @ Sep. 27 2005,13:49)]Is this the same squad (plus Jamal Campbell-Ryce) which before the start of the season everyone was complaining how small it was, and that whilst our first team would match more or less anyone else's first team in the division, our achilles heel would be our lack of squad depth?

Yes.

Was it you doing most of the moaning, HKB...?

We still need cover at left back, by the way.  Actually, we still need a left back... (sorry Che).  Incidentally, Matt - are you going tonight?  If so, drop me a PM...

Matt

On the contrary, I was one of the few who was relatively happy with the squad. Other than the need for a 3rd striker (Goater) and a first choice left back, I thought the squad was in a decent shape.

I certainly wasn't crying over our failure to sign Jozic, Wright (although we've gone and signed him as a YTS anyway), Kevin Gray or anyone just to make the numbers up. The key for me was always going to be quality and not quantity.

Incidentally, I think this team still has to prove itself in bad weather. I have no doubts about the likes of Benno in the cold and wet, but Guttridge, Cole, JCR, Goater are all unkown quantites once the pitches get heavy.

 

[OlvisIII]

Quote[/b] (Hong Kong Blue @ Sep. 27 2005,13:16)]Strongest squad was IMHO probably Barry Fry's.

We had only lost a couple of players from the legendary 1990-2 squad, but with all the Stanley cash Judas had been signing players on an almost daily basis.

I agree - that team was tremendous, made on the back of the Collymore money. Otto still has to be one of the most exciting players I've ever seen at the Hall. At his best it took three men to stop him getting by.

 

[Matt the Shrimp]

Quote[/b] (Hong Kong Blue @ Sep. 27 2005,14:53)]I certainly wasn't crying over our failure to sign Kevin Gray

C'mon, we were all secretly gutted that Kev Gray didn't sign. He was worth his not inconsiderable weight in comedy gold, surely...

 

[Bucks_blue]

Quote[/b] (W4 Shrimper @ Sep. 27 2005,12:38)]The strength of the bench is what has really encouraged me - Prior, Gray, Eastwood, Smith and Griemink. You'd be happy to see any of those in the starting line-up.

Yep there are those who'd be happy to have him in their starting line up. Some may be even happier with him than our current custodian!

 

 

[lucus]

Quote[/b] (Matt the Shrimp @ Sep. 27 2005,15:34)]

Quote[/b] (Hong Kong Blue @ Sep. 27 2005,14:53)]I certainly wasn't crying over our failure to sign Kevin Gray

C'mon, we were all secretly gutted that Kev Gray didn't sign.  He was worth his not inconsiderable weight in comedy gold, surely...

Ha ha, I can remember his debut against Chelmsford. So comical it was. Made light of what was a poor game. For instance he waited for the ball to stop rolling when he was played through one on one with the keeper. All he had to do was run and shoot... where is he now I wonder

 

[Guest]

The strength of our squad is reassuring, every one of them can do a decent job at this level. I never saw the 90-92 squad in action so I can't really make any comparisons there.

I was one of the moaners about our squad size / depth. I am happy to say I was completely wrong about it all along!