Naughty that day as loads of Blues, including me,were still outside 15 minutes into the game (think we may have already been 2 down?) so they opened a gate causing a rush to get in which while thankfully nowhere near the level of Hillsborough just makes you wonder what they were thinking about being Sheffield......
This gives a good perspective. Curle ands Phelan were good players, Phelan at his best was a rapid left footed Zabelta - but he was not always at his best. Curle was always a class act, fast & strong, positionally great, loved getting stuck in - a slim line Kompany.
But we struggled for a partner for Curle. If we had kept hold of Hendry then we would have had a CB pair as good as if not better than anyone. Ricky Holden was a tricky winger with all the pace of a sunday league player after a heavy night out, madness that we bought him and sold hendry and lost cash on the way.
The loss of Paul Lake was a blow - especially when you think Garry Flitcroft followed him through and he went on to win the title with Blackburn. A midfield of Lake / Flitcroft would again be as good as anyones.
Its also worth noting that the football of Kendall / Reid was pretty attritional. I think we had the pitch narrowed around this time. And with Quinny in the team it was always a favoured option to lump it forward.
Great postThe football we played under Reid was terrible. Long ball stuff and at the time I remember people 'tolerating it' if we finished well. I think Sam Ellis was a figure in the background who was blamed for the way we played and I also remember that game on MOTD on Sunday afternoon when we played someone like Southampton which was a terrible game. You'd not seen us all year and it was the only real chance to see the players on the TV and we put a real horror show on! Haha!
As others have said, Curle and Phelan were very good players but £5m for the pair at the time was crackers money. We should've spent it elsewhere. I always liked Hendry and quite liked Vonk, but Vonk wasn't as good as Hendry. I might be getting mixed up with dates, but Heath was a terrible forward and needed replacing but he was Reid's mate from the Everton days. I vaguely remember our midfield was full of players like McMahon, Reid, Megson etc and every interview with Reid was about "hard work" and that's how we played - "hard work". And the fans watched "hard work" and it was "hard work" to watch at times.
However, we did well enough for Curle and White to get England call ups only for them to tank! White missed a chance in the first few minutes on his debut which knocked his confidence and Curle went to the Euros(?) and was played out of position which made him look awful. It just summed up what was going to happen next!
I remember Holden being phenomenal for Oldham. He could cross it - seriously - as well as Beckham could no problem. If football was played on paper, then his crosses should've seen Quinn and White getting 50 goals a season. Of course, he tanked for us big style. It was annoying as Earl Barrett, Paul Warhurst, Richard Jobson, Andy Goram, Mike Milligan, Dennis Irwin, Nicky Henry etc all went on to have fantastic careers and we picked the only player from Oldham who didn't - again that kind of summed up what was going to happen next!!
I think we rode on the back of Kendall's team really for a couple of seasons and we were a couple of players away from having a good side. We needed a few more to be genuine title contenders though as basically it was the start of Blackburn's millions and United coming through. Of course, the mismanagement of the club saw us slide down the table for years after.
I remember it getting VERY moody outside the ground with the anti-Swales campaign and "Forward With Franny" stuff. It was like a tinderbox after a poor display or defeat at times.
We have to thank Big Joe, The Goat and Andy Morrison for stopping the slide.
If it wasn't for these absolute LEGENDS there's not a chance we'd have been back in the PL in 2 seasons. Big Joe was the first manager in a while who left the club in a much better state than when he left it and made it possible to get KK in. Under Bernstein the club was very well run and he paved the next few steps for the Sheikh to take over, after the Thaksin shambles. Well, nothing we do is straightforward is it!!
Not forgetting how much we sold both Barrett and Warhurst to Oldham for in the first place!The football we played under Reid was terrible. Long ball stuff and at the time I remember people 'tolerating it' if we finished well. I think Sam Ellis was a figure in the background who was blamed for the way we played and I also remember that game on MOTD on Sunday afternoon when we played someone like Southampton which was a terrible game. You'd not seen us all year and it was the only real chance to see the players on the TV and we put a real horror show on! Haha!
As others have said, Curle and Phelan were very good players but £5m for the pair at the time was crackers money. We should've spent it elsewhere. I always liked Hendry and quite liked Vonk, but Vonk wasn't as good as Hendry. I might be getting mixed up with dates, but Heath was a terrible forward and needed replacing but he was Reid's mate from the Everton days. I vaguely remember our midfield was full of players like McMahon, Reid, Megson etc and every interview with Reid was about "hard work" and that's how we played - "hard work". And the fans watched "hard work" and it was "hard work" to watch at times.
However, we did well enough for Curle and White to get England call ups only for them to tank! White missed a chance in the first few minutes on his debut which knocked his confidence and Curle went to the Euros(?) and was played out of position which made him look awful. It just summed up what was going to happen next!
I remember Holden being phenomenal for Oldham. He could cross it - seriously - as well as Beckham could no problem. If football was played on paper, then his crosses should've seen Quinn and White getting 50 goals a season. Of course, he tanked for us big style. It was annoying as Earl Barrett, Paul Warhurst, Richard Jobson, Andy Goram, Mike Milligan, Dennis Irwin, Nicky Henry etc all went on to have fantastic careers and we picked the only player from Oldham who didn't - again that kind of summed up what was going to happen next!!
I think we rode on the back of Kendall's team really for a couple of seasons and we were a couple of players away from having a good side. We needed a few more to be genuine title contenders though as basically it was the start of Blackburn's millions and United coming through. Of course, the mismanagement of the club saw us slide down the table for years after.
I remember it getting VERY moody outside the ground with the anti-Swales campaign and "Forward With Franny" stuff. It was like a tinderbox after a poor display or defeat at times.
We have to thank Big Joe, The Goat and Andy Morrison for stopping the slide.
If it wasn't for these absolute LEGENDS there's not a chance we'd have been back in the PL in 2 seasons. Big Joe was the first manager in a while who left the club in a much better state than when he left it and made it possible to get KK in. Under Bernstein the club was very well run and he paved the next few steps for the Sheikh to take over, after the Thaksin shambles. Well, nothing we do is straightforward is it!!
We didn't seem to do that well in London in the early 90s on the whole. There was the odd good win at Spurs, Chelsea, Palace, West Ham (never Arsenal!)Great game. Always great atmosphere in away end there. Ooo vonky wonky
You beat me too itGreat post
Was at the QPR game where we won with 9 men.We didn't seem to do that well in London in the early 90s on the whole. There was the odd good win at Spurs, Chelsea, Palace, West Ham (never Arsenal!)
Loftus Road I remember quite a few. The FACup one mentioned, 4:3 in the League Cup, the one where we ended with 9 and Walsh scored when the keeper blasted it at his face and one under Kendall when we won 3:1 (when it was still a bit 'touch and go' with relegation?)
There were some shit games (remember losing 4:0 once) but it always seemed good away support, a good piss up and the home fans from memory always seemed pretty sound.
I’ve always found QPR, like West Ham on the opposite side of London, is still a proper blue collar, working class club. Light years away from the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs. Their fans are generally a very decent bunch of lads and lasses. The pubs around White City and Shepherds Bush were ace as wellWe didn't seem to do that well in London in the early 90s on the whole. There was the odd good win at Spurs, Chelsea, Palace, West Ham (never Arsenal!)
Loftus Road I remember quite a few. The FACup one mentioned, 4:3 in the League Cup, the one where we ended with 9 and Walsh scored when the keeper blasted it at his face and one under Kendall when we won 3:1 (when it was still a bit 'touch and go' with relegation?)
There were some shit games (remember losing 4:0 once) but it always seemed good away support, a good piss up and the home fans from memory always seemed pretty sound.