Old school players......how good were they?

[jimharri]

The '77 side was a brilliant team. We should have won the league with that side,IMO. Then Big Mal returned as manager, broke up that side and damned near ruined us (financially). With Swales' help, it has to be said. We never truly recovered until HRH rocked up.

 

[Gareth Barry Conlon]

Spot on
If there was a time machine - the modern day City team would utterly destroy the team from 68 for example - I would imagine by double figures. But that is because of improvements in almost everything from training to diet. If the players from 68 were born in the mid 1990s though, there is no reason they wouldn't be much closer to our current team (albeit the fact we have the world to pick from rather than the UK now means todays teams would probably still be better).
In any sport where capability can be objectively measured with the odd individual exception the sport always gets better. The best snooker players or darts players score far heavier than those from years ago, the best athletes are faster and stronger than yesteryear etc etc.

Agree with this. You have to wonder how some older players would do under a modern training regime. Some were pretty tubby even in the 80's.

 

[gouldybob]

I'd have Lakey in goal, Colin Bell in the Ferny role - his main one - David S on a wing, and Bernarbia and Johnstone in the midfield.

Mike Doyle would have been a perfect Pep playing defender, never one to worry about a professional foul, or outright assault.

 

[BillCarlisle]

I'd have Lakey in goal, Colin Bell in the Ferny role - his main one - David S on a wing, and Bernarbia and Johnstone in the midfield.

Alternatively, Lakey in midfield and play Bobby up front. He played there on occasions in his early career. A wee man but with his skill it didn't matter. Job sorted. Some talent in that team !

 

[KS55]

Our current players would have a bit if difficulty playing with a concrete like wet ball on a mud heap.

 

[DontLookBackInAnger]

I think its unfair to compare old school players with new players, if you transported Stanley Matthews into our first team he would look like a crap Scott Sinclair, but if you had a 15 year old Stanley Matthews coming through the academy you would still end up with one of the worlds best wingers, but it wouldn't be the same player Stanley Matthews was.

 

[lancs blue]

Our current players would have a bit if difficulty playing with a concrete like wet ball on a mud heap.

Correct, play the match between the two sides on the Maine Rd of 70/71 season and the pitch would be a definite leveller.

Colin Bell would fit seamlessly into either team, he was a physical freak for his time with a resting pulse rate of about 40 and astonishing stamina as well as his natural footballing ability.

 

[Gray]

Correct, play the match between the two sides on the Maine Rd of 70/71 season and the pitch would be a definite leveller.

Colin Bell would fit seamlessly into either team, he was a physical freak for his time with a resting pulse rate of about 40 and astonishing stamina as well as his natural footballing ability.

If you got today’s squad to do a timed 400/800 metres run, I suspect they would struggle to match King Colin’s times.

 

[Gazza]

I remember re-watching the 1966 World Cup final a couple of years ago (the full unedited match) and thought the standard of football was very poor.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

Mike Doyle would have been a perfect Pep playing defender, never one to worry about a professional foul, or outright assault.

Had we had both Vinny and Aymeric as young 20-odd year olds would Mike have got in between them?