[Albion] 2024 Who's the flairest of them all? Round 1 Group D

[stewart12]

The final group is here. Group C is still running

Group A (Closed)
Group B (closed)
Group C (open)

Same again, 48 hours, who's the flairest, top 4 progress

Group D contenders

Anthony Knockaert

Nationality: French

Albion Career: 2016-20 (127 appearances, 25 goals)

Credentials: Moody, enigmatic, occasionally sulky winger who possessed incredible levels of natural ability.

Leon Knight

Nationality: English

Albion Career: 2003-06 (108 appearances, 34 goals)

Credentials: The ultimate “unfulfilled potential” player. Great player with one of the worst attitudes in football history. Absolute controversy magnet who simply loves drama. Fell out with almost every club he played for.

Bas Savage

Nationality:: English

Albion Career: 2007-08 (36 Appearances, 9 goals)

Credentials: Moonwalk celebration. Was capable of the spectacular despite having limited ability. Had blue hair for a bit.

Kazenga Lualua

Nationality: DR Congo

Albion Career: 2010, 2011-2018 (158 appearances, 17 goals)

Credentials: Great celebration, inconsistent playing style.

Alan Duffy

Nationality: English

Albion Career: 1970-72 (50 appearances, 8 goals)

Credentials: Scruffy, unkempt maverick with terrific sideburns

Lorenzo Pinamonte

Nationality: Italian

Albion Career: 1999-00 (9 appearances, 2 goals)

Credentials: The original Italian stallion. Long haired striker with a ridiculously hard shot

Percey Tau

Nationality: South African

Albion Career: 2018-21 (3 appearances, 0 goals)

Credentials: One of the most ridiculous transfer/work permit sagas in club history. Brought with him an entourage of devoted South African fans who were all over the clubs social medica content. Once he eventually got here, did very little before naffing off to Egypt.

Neal Maupay

Nationality: French

Albion Career: 2019-22 (102 appearances, 26 goals)

Credentials: The ultimate wind up merchant who had opposition fans in his pocket on a number of occasions

Maheta Molango

Nationality: Swiss/Congolese

Albion Career: 2004-07 (6 appearances, 1 goal)

Credentials: Scored about 3 seconds into his Albion career and then did absolutely nothing.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Much as I couldn't abide the bloke, Leon Knight.

Trakz and crepz

 

[stewart12]

I'm a bit undecided on who to go for with this one, but it's worth recanting the ultimate Bas Savage tale.

Bas Savage, one of footballs ultimate good guys, eternally likeable

We were away to Hartlepool who had tragically lost one of their players that week (I think in a car crash). It was clearly a very emotional day. Minutes silence, black armbands etc. The grieving family guests of honour in the (very small) main stand.

Anyway, with the game poised at 1-1, Bas Savage picks up the ball on the left wing. He was one of those classic lower league players who were skillfull without being skillfull. Often didn't really seem to know what he was doing but was effective none the less.

Despite never once having control of the ball he manages to beat about 5 players with the ball just constantly bouncing off him as a he bulldozed his way through their defence before beautifully curling it into the bottom corner.

Now, what was his trademark celebration? Of course, it was the moonwalk. Where did he decide to do this? About 5 yards away from the dead players grieving family. Cue absolute bedlam. Tommy Elphick rips off his black armband for some reason, Dean Wilkins gets a cup of tea thrown at him, there's absolute carnage. All because of a moonwalk from one of the nicest guys in the game.

 

[stewart12]

Much as I couldn't abide the bloke, Leon Knight.

Trakz and crepz

fell out with almost every manager and club he played under. To the extent that one side, Rushden and Diamonds, refused to relinquish his registration meaning he couldn't play in England which led to his nomadic tail end of his career

then there's the video of him narrating him banging in goals in Northern Ireland

then there's his online war of words with Jamie O'Hara and Danielle Lloyd

then there's his disgraceful views on almost anything

then there's the fact that at one point he was one of the most sought after players in England and was basically retired by the age of 30 due to burning bridges everywhere

 

[Brian Fantana]

I'm a bit undecided on who to go for with this one, but it's worth recanting the ultimate Bas Savage tale.

Bas Savage, one of footballs ultimate good guys, eternally likeable

We were away to Hartlepool who had tragically lost one of their players that week (I think in a car crash). It was clearly a very emotional day. Minutes silence, black armbands etc. The grieving family guests of honour in the (very small) main stand.

Anyway, with the game poised at 1-1, Bas Savage picks up the ball on the left wing. He was one of those classic lower league players who were skillfull without being skillfull. Often didn't really seem to know what he was doing but was effective none the less.

Despite never once having control of the ball he manages to beat about 5 players with the ball just constantly bouncing off him as a he bulldozed his way through their defence before beautifully curling it into the bottom corner.

Now, what was his trademark celebration? Of course, it was the moonwalk. Where did he decide to do this? About 5 yards away from the dead players grieving family. Cue absolute bedlam. Tommy Elphick rips off his black armband for some reason, Dean Wilkins gets a cup of tea thrown at him, there's absolute carnage. All because of a moonwalk from one of the nicest guys in the game.

I was at that game too. I live pretty close to Hartlepool and I go to a few of their games when I can't watch the Albion. Whenever I mention that I'm a Brighton fan, the above is mentioned.

(Bas is clearly the obvious vote in this group too though).

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Knocky wins for me.

He is the epitome of the sort of player that you love if he plays for your club, but everyone else hates.

Neal Maupay is similar, but clearly not as flairtastic as AK.

He’s up there as one of my favourite ever Albion players.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Clearly there should only be one winner of this group

 

[Kosh]

I’m just glad my man, big Lorenzo, made it to the group stages.

He won’t win through, but by God this little renaissance has reminded us all of his lovely hair if nothing else.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I'm a bit undecided on who to go for with this one, but it's worth recanting the ultimate Bas Savage tale.

Bas Savage, one of footballs ultimate good guys, eternally likeable

We were away to Hartlepool who had tragically lost one of their players that week (I think in a car crash). It was clearly a very emotional day. Minutes silence, black armbands etc. The grieving family guests of honour in the (very small) main stand.

Anyway, with the game poised at 1-1, Bas Savage picks up the ball on the left wing. He was one of those classic lower league players who were skillfull without being skillfull. Often didn't really seem to know what he was doing but was effective none the less.

Despite never once having control of the ball he manages to beat about 5 players with the ball just constantly bouncing off him as a he bulldozed his way through their defence before beautifully curling it into the bottom corner.

Now, what was his trademark celebration? Of course, it was the moonwalk. Where did he decide to do this? About 5 yards away from the dead players grieving family. Cue absolute bedlam. Tommy Elphick rips off his black armband for some reason, Dean Wilkins gets a cup of tea thrown at him, there's absolute carnage. All because of a moonwalk from one of the nicest guys in the game.

To add a bit to the narrative of this game (and defining moment), Hartlepool had played the entire second half with 10 men after a straight red at the end of the first half. They'd battled all second half a man down, and scored a very late equaliser (through Richie The Bear Barker) to lighten the mood for the home crowd. then Bas did his thing in injury time, and carnage ensued.

A notable little footnote, is that unused sub John Sullivan got a yellow card for coming onto the pitch to join in the celebration - meaning that for over a year (until his debut) he had the ignominious record of having more yellow cards than appearances.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Knocky wins for me.

He is the epitome of the sort of player that you love if he plays for your club, but everyone else hates.

Neal Maupay is similar, but clearly not as flairtastic as AK.

He’s up there as one of my favourite ever Albion players.

Yep, this. I love Knocky, his shithouse celebrations, his moodiness but ultimate devotion to the Albion. And his real flairista quality is that, if you can equate a player to a team, then he looked like 1970 Brazil in the Championship and 1995 Port Vale in the Prem. They should have created a Division 1.5 just for him.

 

[stewart12]

y

Yep, this. I love Knocky, his shithouse celebrations, his moodiness but ultimate devotion to the Albion. And his real flairista quality is that, if you can equate a player to a team, then he looked like 1970 Brazil in the Championship and 1995 Port Vale in the Prem. They should have created a Division 1.5 just for him.

yeh he was definitely more flair when we went up as he'd drift in and out of games more with occasional acts of brilliance

in the championship he was a bit TOO consistent

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Yep, this. I love Knocky, his shithouse celebrations, his moodiness but ultimate devotion to the Albion. And his real flairista quality is that, if you can equate a player to a team, then he looked like 1970 Brazil in the Championship and 1995 Port Vale in the Prem. They should have created a Division 1.5 just for him.

Being the perpetrator of the single worst 'tackle' I have seen in my 4 decades watching the Albion, is also worth a point or two.

The best bit was, is that you could see it unfold a full 2 or 3 seconds before he launched himself. That red card was the moment that Chris Hughton's reign was unquestionably up.

The one thing you could offer in knocky's defence, is that that Adam Smith really is an absolute ****.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Being the perpetrator of the single worst 'tackle' I have seen in my 4 decades watching the Albion, is also worth a point or two.

The best bit was, is that you could see it unfold a full 2 or 3 seconds before he launched himself. That red card was the moment that Chris Hughton's reign was unquestionably up.

The one thing you could offer in knocky's defence, is that that Adam Smith really is an absolute ****.

Awaits replies suggesting Dean Saunders offering in the team photoshoot, as the worst tackle they've seen...

 

[stewart12]

daily bounce

 

[MattBackHome]

How many of these contenders are so thin skinned they've come onto NSC in order to hit back at criticism?

How many have recorded videos of themselves screaming "I touched that like I touch my gyal... delicate" over grainy footage of scrambled goals vs Rushden?

Also how many have scored TWENTY EIGHT goals in a single season for the Albion?

LK is - by a country mile - the winner here.




edit: ".......just subtle"

 

[Soton Seagull]

Big bad Bas for his mesmorising half pitch+ run and goal away to Hartlepool. He confused himself & the crowd by gliding around defenders and putting it away beautifully.

One of my favourite goals as it was so unexpected. Also showed there was a player in there somewhere.

 

[stewart12]

How many of these contenders are so thin skinned they've come onto NSC in order to hit back at criticism?

How many have recorded videos of themselves screaming "I touched that like I touch my gyal... delicate" over grainy footage of scrambled goals vs Rushden?

Also how many have scored TWENTY EIGHT goals in a single season for the Albion?

LK is - by a country mile - the winner here.




edit: ".......just subtle"

 

[Mellotron]

Yeah I can't quite see why Leon Knight's voting is so low.

I know he doesn't tick every flair box, but the ones he does, he scores VERY VERY highly in.

Waste of talent and off field drama - he's possibly the best in the biz at these.

I think one element of flair CAN be that the person in question should be likeable or charming in some way...

 

[stewart12]

I don't think anyone comes even vaguely close to matching Knight for off field drama and controversy. He's the absolute master of it

I wonder if his instinct to overstep the line counts against him. Like some of his, particularly online, shenanigans is pretty grim and possibly oversteps the boundaries of traditional flair

including the time he recanted the tale of how he first met the mother of his children. This involved going up to her in a Swansea nightclub and proclaiming that he was going to "tear her insides to pieces"

 

[Marty McFly]

Yeah I can't quite see why Leon Knight's voting is so low.

I know he doesn't tick every flair box, but the ones he does, he scores VERY VERY highly in.

Waste of talent and off field drama - he's possibly the best in the biz at these.

I think one element of flair CAN be that the person in question should be likeable or charming in some way...

I think you're right about the likeability aspect. I just can't get on board with Leon Knight (He's not alright).