our two promotion teams (from this league), how does the current team COMPARE?

[turienzo's lovechild]

2001-2002....this, from what i remember is the team that faced and beat READING

GK: Michel Kuipers

RB: Paul Watson
CB: Danny Cullip
CB: Simon Morgan
LB: Kerry Mayo

CM: Junior Lewis
CM: Richard Carpenter
CM: Steve Melton

RW: Gary Hart
LW: Paul Brooker
CF: Bobby Zamora

notable back-ups: Lee Steele, Paul Rogers, Charlie Oatway, Nathan Jones, Robbie Pethick


For me, this team was based around having a SHIT HOT defence, and by FAR the best striker in the league. Carpenter was also one of the best midfielders around that year


2003-2004

(from the play-off final)

GK: Ben Roberts

RB: Adam Virgo
CB: Danny Cullip
CB: Guy Butters
LB: Dan Harding

RM: Gary Hart
CM: Richard Carpenter
CM: Charlie Oatway
LM: Nathan Jones

CF: Leon Knight
CF: Chris Iwelumo

notable back-ups: Michel Kuipers, Kerry Mayo, Paul Reid, John Piercy, Chris Mcphee, Trevor Benjamin(briefly)

again, a solid, if unspectacular unit helped us win promotion, very hard to break down, and again with a great striker


2008-2009
(possible line-up)

GK: Michel Kuipers

RB: Andy Whing
CB's: Tommy Elphick/Joel Lynch/Adam Virgo/Colin Hawkins
LB: Joel Lynch?

RM: Dean Cox
CM: David Livermore
CM: Steve Thomson
LM: Kevin McLeod

CF: Glenn Murray
CF: Nicky Forster


how do YOU think that this current squad compares to the glory teams of ye past?

 

[Da Man Clay]

Probably marginally better than the 03/04 team. Certainly has more goals in it IMO. Defence maybe not quite as strong.

Not quite as good as the 01/02 team, mainly due to Zamora!

 

[lizard]

Probably marginally better than the 03/04 team. Certainly has more goals in it IMO. Defence maybe not quite as strong.

Not quite as good as the 01/02 team, mainly due to Zamora!

Similar to what i think.
Should be an entertaining season, let's just hope our optimism hasn't dissapeared after the first few games! (Remember Micky's start last time!)

 

[BensGrandad]

You suprise me that the 3 midfielders in 2001/2 were Lewis, Melton Carpenter. I thopught but perhaps I am wrong that C harlie Oatway and Paul Rogers played in most games.

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

You suprise me that the 3 midfielders in 2001/2 were Lewis, Melton Carpenter. I thopught but perhaps I am wrong that C harlie Oatway and Paul Rogers played in most games.

"this, from what i remember is the team that faced and beat READING"

midfield for reading was lewis, melton, carpenter

 

[pishhead]

You suprise me that the 3 midfielders in 2001/2 were Lewis, Melton Carpenter. I thopught but perhaps I am wrong that C harlie Oatway and Paul Rogers played in most games.

He mentioned that the line up he was referring to was against Reading towards the end of the season.

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

although saying that, for a few games throughout the season i seem to remember us playing 4-4-2 with steele/webb with zamora

 

[the right footed denilson]

Its very difficult to judge given how little we have seen of most of the new players. Really don't like the look of Thompson AND Livermore as CM...perhaps they'll have too much quality despite their obvious limitations.

No one touches Bobby Z though.

 

[dougdeep]

We still need a left back and a back up striker to get to the previous teams quality.

 

[Flavor Flav]

03/04 team is the best, looking back it's amazing we didn't win the league!

 

[Rookie]

Personally think the team that finished last season, with Richards, Racoon and the Leeds lad was better than what we have at the moment

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

When I look at the 01/02 team I'm reminded of how good a unit we were and how well the players worked with each other. At the moment I cant see our current team gelling (sp) together like that, however a few comparisons I would make are;

Centre backs - both partnerships are very good

Carpenter and Livermore - I think Livermore will be an excellent player for us, chippy's ball retention was top-notch, I think Livermore's will be aswell.

Brooker/Hart and Cox/Mcleod - could play similar roles and both have the talent to succeed.

 

[Wilka]

Our defence, minus a left back, is much stronger now in terms of strengh in depth than it was in both those years.

Midfield is still to be proven but the signs are good

And upfront Murray and Forster could be the best partnership in years. Just need some sort of back up.

 

[chez]

I'm hoping the team MA is putting together now will rival these other two as a whole although as people have already said there are positions that we can't hope to better. For instance Zamora & Roberts.

That 01/02 midfield was quality - Melton was a very underated player IMO

 

[supaseagull]

That 01/02 midfield was quality - Melton was a very underated player IMO

Couldn't agree more...a real unsung hero of that season. He always came in, did his job and didn't do anything wrong.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

I think that the other thing you would have to consider is that the quality of the opposition has also improved, making it even tougher to gain promotion, but we should be there, or there abouts.