Doonhamer7
Well-known member
- Jun 17, 2016
- 1,391
Was Nicol not a manager of a MLS team?
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[Football] Alan Hansen
- Thread starter Tim Over Whelmed
- Start date
New England or Boston?
I think it was a trait throughout the British Isles in the 70s and 80s that we all preferred 'proper' footballers - certainly international managers did. Skilful ball players who couldn't be easily fitted into a 'four four f***ing two' line-up were never really trusted. Alan Hudson, Tony Currie and Frank Worthington were just three England players of that period who didn't win nearly as many caps as they should have. Even Glenn Hoddle was described as 'lazy' and not international class because he was poor in the air.
It was a bleak period for England - especially as Scotland didn't completely turn their backs on flair and were better than England!
Not a lot has changed then. So-called golden generation after golden generation come and go, and the bottom line is, we actually aren’t that good (across the team).I think it was a trait throughout the British Isles in the 70s and 80s that we all preferred 'proper' footballers - certainly international managers did. Skilful ball players who couldn't be easily fitted into a 'four four f***ing two' line-up were never really trusted. Alan Hudson, Tony Currie and Frank Worthington were just three England players of that period who didn't win nearly as many caps as they should have. Even Glenn Hoddle was described as 'lazy' and not international class because he was poor in the air.
It was a bleak period for England - especially as Scotland didn't completely turn their backs on flair and were better than England!
Will Foden be the next where hype surpasses ability? Brilliant club player, but England? Yet to turn up IMO.
With the exception of Brazil 70, I’ve never seen a team of skilful ball players win anything.
You do need a bit of steel. Hoddle had plenty of chances for England and simply could not replicate his club form (anrguably his best game was his first). Certainly agree with you about Tony Currie though, Hudson I was always a bit meh!
Frank Worthington as well,surely warranted more of a chance, perhaps Stan Bowles as well.
Scotland’s best chance should have been 74 and 78, relatively easy groups
Hadn’t realised Hansen, who was brilliant, hadn’t received many caps.
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In practice though, losers.
I'm praying for the good news of Alan Hansen getting better. 
Will never forget how genuinely upset he was when England were cruelly beaten on penalties at Euro '96 by Germany. As a Jock he took a bit of stick north of the border for that. A good man.
Will never forget how genuinely upset he was when England were cruelly beaten on penalties at Euro '96 by Germany. As a Jock he took a bit of stick north of the border for that. A good man.
Jackthelad
Well-known member
- Mar 31, 2010
- 1,017
He's one of the best pundits ever, if not the best. 90's Match of The Day was unmatched.I'm praying for the good news of Alan Hansen getting better.
Will never forget how genuinely upset he was when England were cruelly beaten on penalties at Euro '96 by Germany. As a Jock he took a bit of stick north of the border for that. A good man.
LamieRobertson
Not awoke
Just caught part of Souness on TS talking about a telephone conversation he had with Hansen over the weekend …impression I got was that AH is getting better
- Jul 10, 2003
- 27,357
LamieRobertson
Not awoke
Caught a rerun of part of what he said “i spoke to him yesterday and he sounded fabulous”……still in intensive care.That would be brilliant if it is the case
Peacehaven Wild Kids
Well-known member
Less matches in “them days” smaller qualifying groups etc. probably equivalent to about 50 caps today, which I appreciate is still low for a player of his quality.
Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo
I believe in Joe Hendry
- Oct 4, 2003
- 11,821
Glad to hear he's hopefully on the mend, can see from the reactions of McCoist and Souness and other pundits how well thought of he is.
That's not strictly true, the groups were about the same size, there are just more groups now. Players play more games now but that's due to more international friendlies etc, nations league, the plays off to qualify, expanding finals tournaments etc.
When Scotland qualified for the 1982 World Cup they were in a 5 team group, the same size as the group they qualified from for the current Euro's. They were in a 6 team group for the 2022 World Cup qualification but that is only two extra games per qualification process, if a country happens to be drawn into those groups.
As others have said in Scotland there were question marks over Hansen's commitment to international football. Both Jock Stein and then Alex Ferguson preferred to play Aberdeen team-mates Willie Miller and Alex McLeish together rather than one of the two with Hansen. This led to Hansen missing quite a lot of games, either on the bench or pulling out of the squads all together. When he pulled out of a game against England just before the 1986 World Cup that effectively ended his international career as he was then left out of the World Cup squad and he only got 3 more caps which all came in the qualifying games for the 1988 Euros.
That's not strictly true, the groups were about the same size, there are just more groups now. Players play more games now but that's due to more international friendlies etc, nations league, the plays off to qualify, expanding finals tournaments etc.
When Scotland qualified for the 1982 World Cup they were in a 5 team group, the same size as the group they qualified from for the current Euro's. They were in a 6 team group for the 2022 World Cup qualification but that is only two extra games per qualification process, if a country happens to be drawn into those groups.
As others have said in Scotland there were question marks over Hansen's commitment to international football. Both Jock Stein and then Alex Ferguson preferred to play Aberdeen team-mates Willie Miller and Alex McLeish together rather than one of the two with Hansen. This led to Hansen missing quite a lot of games, either on the bench or pulling out of the squads all together. When he pulled out of a game against England just before the 1986 World Cup that effectively ended his international career as he was then left out of the World Cup squad and he only got 3 more caps which all came in the qualifying games for the 1988 Euros.
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New England, I saw a game he was in charge for, It was Weird watching a crowd of 2k in the American Football Stadium
Pavilionaire
Well-known member
- Jul 7, 2003
- 31,093
It's incredible to think that while Miller and McLeish were starting you had the likes of Hansen, Gillespie, Gough, Narey too. It was a golden era for Scottish centre-backs.
Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo
I believe in Joe Hendry
- Oct 4, 2003
- 11,821
They did have a lot of talent at centre back in that era. There has been a suggestion of bias against players that were playing in England and maybe this proves it further. Gough who played most of career in Scotland got 60 odd caps, Gillespie who spent the majority of his career in England only got 13 caps.
Doonhamer7
Well-known member
- Jun 17, 2016
- 1,391
Gough got most of his caps in the 90s, after the others had retired. I don’t think Gary Gillespie was ever a real regular at Liverpool, always felt he was 3rd choice
Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo
I believe in Joe Hendry
- Oct 4, 2003
- 11,821
Gough got most of his caps in the 80s. He made his international debut in 1983 and of his 62 caps only 17 came in the 1990s, the last in 1993.
Richard Gough | Scotland | Scottish FA
www.scottishfa.co.uk
Gillespie did spend 2 or 3 seasons as a first choice at Liverpool, although I think one of those seasons was at full back, he eventually replaced Mark Lawrenson at CB when injury pretty much ended Marks career. 13 caps, like Hansen’s 26, seems very low for a player who made over 200 career appearances for Liverpool.
clapham_gull
Legacy Fan
- Aug 20, 2003
- 25,721
Good to see he appears to be on the road to recovery. I've been on and off living in his area for the past few months and people talk him about him like their neighbour.
I think that's a northern thing. People up here don't tend to bat an eye lid if they cross paths in a supermarket.
If you are ever up this way in the "posh" Merseyside, Hansen has a cracking fish and chop in Birkdale.
Parts of it are stunning, I got driven down the coast road the other day and it's beautiful.
I think that's a northern thing. People up here don't tend to bat an eye lid if they cross paths in a supermarket.
If you are ever up this way in the "posh" Merseyside, Hansen has a cracking fish and chop in Birkdale.
Parts of it are stunning, I got driven down the coast road the other day and it's beautiful.