[Albion] Would this team beat our current best eleven?

Seagull on the Hill · Oct 12, 2024

My son sent me this question, what do you reckon?
Aimed at the older posters as many on here won't remember that team from 1980(?).

veuve · Oct 12, 2024

Good question,I'm going for an honourable draw 1 v 1.

Questions · Oct 12, 2024

It would be a close match.

wellquickwoody · Oct 12, 2024

No. Three or four not up to our current standard. McNab, Horton and Williams stand out, and probably not Wardy either.

Runs for cover.

SeagullsoverLondon · Oct 12, 2024

wellquickwoody said:
No. Three or four not up to our current standard. McNab, Horton and Williams stand out, and probably not Wardy either.

Runs for cover.

I think it depends. Played in December at the Goldstone on a boggy pitch. Imagine how the current team's fizzy short passes at the back would just get stuck in the mud for Robbo and Wardy to run onto.

However, at the Amex I suspect the fitness of the modern players, the 80s side would be played off the pitch.

Seagull on the Hill · Oct 12, 2024

SeagullsoverLondon said:
I think it depends. Played in December at the Goldstone on a boggy pitch. Imagine how the current team's fizzy short passes at the back would just get stuck in the mud for Robbo and Wardy to run onto.

However, at the Amex I suspect the fitness of the modern players, the 80s side would be played off the pitch.

This is what I was thinking too.

The Fits · Oct 12, 2024

On a modern pitch with modern balls and kit not a chance.
Never really understood this argument. Even if it was in 80s conditions I still don't think it would be close.
Footballers are basically as physically fit as it is humanly possible to be now. You have central defenders who are as fast as some of the fastest people on the planet. Whilst also being 6ft4.
After 60 minutes the 80s teams would be on the floor.
These were people who's training mostly consisted of crosscountry running and who spent the evening after a match drinking and even smoking. Totally unrealistic to think they'd compete.

Brian Fantana · Oct 12, 2024

It would be an absolute thrashing in favour of the current team. It's always tough comparing eras because every aspect of the game has moved on enormously since then.

dazzer6666 · Oct 12, 2024

The Fits said:
On a modern pitch with modern balls and kit not a chance.
Never really understood this argument. Even if it was in 80s conditions I still don't think it would be close.
Footballers are basically as physically fit as it is humanly possible to be now. You have central defenders who are as fast as some of the fastest people on the planet. Whilst also being 6ft4.
After 60 minutes the 80s teams would be on the floor.
These were people who's training mostly consisted of crosscountry running and who spent the evening after a match drinking and even smoking. Totally unrealistic to think they'd compete.

This. Wouldn’t be close.

The Fits · Oct 12, 2024

Also the elephant in the room is this:
Clubs spend millions of pounds on a variety of things that have a huge impact on all this...
Fitness coaches. Medical staff. Analysts. Training facilities. Equipment.
They spend hours a week focussing on players health, diet, condition, how they use their rest time, strength and conditioning, mentality, mental health etc.
Why would they bother if it doesn't make a difference? It obviously does. Hugely. Factor those gains over the last 40 years and the improvement in the base level of a professional footballer is enormous.

GT49er · Oct 12, 2024

Assuming that's the October 1980 game, just before Wardy left - that team finished 19th. (out of 22) by the skin of their teeth, so no, they wouldn't.

Really loved that team though!

Playing it in wet mud, with 1980 rules on what constituted a 'fair tackle' might be an eye-opener for today's youngsters though! That seminal moment early in the match when the CB traditionally 'Let the forward know he was there' would be interesting!

Flounce · Oct 12, 2024

GT49er said:
Assuming that's the October 1980 game, just before Wardy left - that team finished 19th. (out of 22) by the skin of their teeth, so no, they wouldn't.

Really loved that team though!

Playing it in wet mud, with 1980 rules on what constituted a 'fair tackle' might be an eye-opener to today's youngsters though! That seminal moment early in the match when the CB traditionally 'Let the forward know he was there' would be interesting!

True, on the Amex pitch, with laws as they are now the current team would win by a country mile. At the Goldstone on a muddy pitch, with laws from then the game would be abandoned as the current team go down to 7 players with months long injuries for the 4 injured ones and just the one (?) sub available

Nobby Cybergoat · Oct 12, 2024

GT49er said:
Playing it in wet mud, with 1980 rules on what constituted a 'fair tackle' might be an eye-opener to today's youngsters though! That seminal moment early in the match when the CB traditionally 'Let the forward know he was there' would be interesting!

Well, it would be just like the Crawley match

Titanic · Oct 12, 2024

Only one sub would be interesting.

Driver8 · Oct 12, 2024

Not with that ref.

Lenny Rider · Oct 12, 2024

Its the age old argument, and there’s no definitive answer, as the Tardis is fiction not fact.

Two things do stand out, Mark Lawrenson still the finest player to ever pull on an Albion shirt, and at £400,000 aged 20, Michael Robinson still probably one of the greatest VFM signings in the clubs history.

And Forest were the reigning European Cup Winners, CL for the younger NSCers, so quality opposition.

This was the game at which Alan Minter was the half time guest, he not only told Tony Millard he was going to beat Marvin Hagler in their proposed rematch he then answered ‘Mr 0898’ question about what team he supported with the reply “Crystal Palace”.

Clearly old Boom Boom hadn’t done his homework

Cheshire Cat · Oct 12, 2024

But what if the current team was at 1980s levels of training and fitness (plus the booze and fags) ?

hart's shirt · Oct 12, 2024

Seeing as those players that are still here are all in their late 60s or 70s, it's probably unlikely.

Lenny Rider · Oct 12, 2024

Cheshire Cat said:
But what if the current team was at 1980s levels of training and fitness (plus the booze and fags) ?

Gordon Smith said at least 8 of them walked to work on Goldstone matchdays, sometimes via The Stadium or the Hove Park Tavern

Bodian · Oct 12, 2024

Ward & Smith - they'd fit in well with this sort of interchange that we have between forwards and midfielders nowadays.

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