10 Years On

[PannickAtTheDisco]

So this weekend 10 years ago we lost to Wigan 1-0 at home, Caleb Folan managing to score. Says it all. Anyway, just thought I'd see how each of the "big 6" have changed in those 10 years.

So our 2007 v Wigan team: Weaver, Richards, Dunne, Distin, Ball, Trabelsi, Ireland, Barton, Beasley, Samaras, Corradi.
Compared to Monaco home: Caballero, Sagna, Stones, Otamendi, Fernandinho, Yaya Toure, De Bruyne, Sterling, Silva, Sane, Aguero.

It's amazing how far we've come, but how do we compare to our now rivals?

This weekend 10 years ago we had the following teams:

2007 Dippers: Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Riise, Alonso, Gerrard, Sissoko, Gonzalez, Bellamy, Kuyt.
2017 Dippers: Mignolet, Clyne, Matip, Klavan, Milner, Can, Wijnaldum, Lallana, Firmino, Mane, Coutinho.

2007 Rags: Van der Sar, Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Carrick, Scholes, Ronaldo, Giggs, Rooney, Larsson.
2017 Rags: De Gea, Valencia, Jones, Rojo, Shaw, Carrick, Pogba, Mata, Rooney, Martial, Ibrahimovic.

2007 Gooners: Lehmann, Gallas, Djourou, Clichy, Gilberto Silva, Denilson, Fabregas, Ljungberg, Walcott, Hleb, Julio Baptista.
2017 Gooners: Cech, Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Xhaka, Ox-Chamberlain, Iwobi, Welbeck, Giroud.

2007 Chelsea: Cech, Diarra, Carvalho, Makelele, Cole, Essien, Lampard, Ballack, Shevchenko, Drogba, Robben.
2017 Chelsea: Courtois, Azpilicueta, Luiz, Cahill, Moses, Kante, Fabregas, Alonso, Pedro, Hazard, Diego Costa.

2007 Spuds: Robinson, Chimbonda, Dawson, A Gardner, Lee Young-Pyo, Tainio, Jenas, Ghaly, Lennon, Berbatov, Defoe.
2017 Spuds: Lloris, Walker, Dier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies, Wanyama, Dembele, Alli, Eriksen, Kane.

So is the PL better or worse than 10 years ago? I think the decline in the Rags is most noticeable, Spurs have obviously improved a lot, Chelsea have changed, I think they have a weaker squad now but make more of it. Arsenal what you give with one hand you take with the other, and Liverpool are better in some areas but much worse in others.

We are on the other hand, have made a simply meteoric rise. It's amazing with all the money in the English game how the top of the league is actually rather worse off.

 

[Bozo]

I remember that game well; a very depressing affair. I do have a soft spot for Samaras, but he and Corradi will probably go down as our worst ever strike force.
Apart from Spurs, I do think the other 3 are worse off now. At the time I thought Lennon, Berbatov and Defoe would go on to be a lethal trio, never quite worked out.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

Sunday is also the 10th anniversary of the Open Meeting for the Supporters Trust, which voted overwhelmingly to formally set the Trust up. The day of the Wigan game I spent a number of hours before and after the game filming with Kevin Day & the MOTD2 crew. The club were claiming they were in talks with a mythical investor, which was a lie as they were desperately stalling for time. Fortunately for them, Thaksin came along a few weeks later to dig Mackintosh out of the hole he'd dug for himself as the Takeover Panel were starting to ask him some pointed questions. Exciting days.

 

[Manchester_lalala]

City and Chelsea are clearly the strongest teams, but it does show how much the premiership has declined. That Chelsea side from 2007 is class, uniteds isn't bad either.

 

[M14Exile]

Would love to see Micah Richards circa 2007 in our current team.

 

[TravisBickle]

Would love to see Micah Richards circa 2007 in our current team.

Really???
He had a few great games the one that springs out is the 2007 Derby win at home where he had Tevez in his pocket the whole match.
But basically he was a very average footballer hence where he is now.

 

[RandomJ]

Really???
He had a few great games the one that springs out is the 2007 Derby win at home where he had Tevez in his pocket the whole match.
But basically he was a very average footballer hence where he is now.

Being harsh there. He was brilliant in our title winning season.

 

[Alex - City Matters]

Sunday is also the 10th anniversary of the Open Meeting for the Supporters Trust, which voted overwhelmingly to formally set the Trust up. The day of the Wigan game I spent a number of hours before and after the game filming with Kevin Day & the MOTD2 crew. The club were claiming they were in talks with a mythical investor, which was a lie as they were desperately stalling for time. Fortunately for them, Thaksin came along a few weeks later to dig Mackintosh out of the hole he'd dug for himself as the Takeover Panel were starting to ask him some pointed questions. Exciting days.

I remember that day! Walking around on the industrial zone near the Etihad and handing out flyers on Joe Mercer Way, just for my five seconds of fame ;)

 

[citizenyank76]

Wow. I totally forgot Beasley was still playing. And only 34 as well.... guy is like the Energizer bunny.

 

[East Level 2]

Ah the 2006-2007 season. Ten goals at home all season; and people still don't accept Pearce was a waste of space.
Ooh but it could have been 12 had Barton and Vassell not wasted penalties in the final two home games. Fortunately we picked up a few wins on our travels.