The Best Brighton XI in the past twenty years

[big nuts]

Do you think the current first team is the best team to grace the blue and white stripes in recent memories. They are certainly the best to watch.

Or do you think the consecutive title winning team of 01/02 would of had their number.

This may sound strange but my personal take on this is the team that ended the 2002/03 season which unfortunately got relegated under Steve Coppell is the best team I have seen. If it wasn't for the 10 consecutive defeats under Martin Hinshelwood we would of finished play offs or just outside with the team below.

5-3-2 formation

Kuipers/Roberts GK
Blackwell Ingimarsson Cullip CB

Watson Brooker WB

Carpenter Sidwell Rodger CM

Zamora Rougier ST

 

[drew]

I thought this was going to be a serious thread then I noticed you have Rougier as a our 2nd best striker over the last 20 years (assuming you are not considering him above Zamora!).

Oh dear!!!!!

 

[big nuts]

I think you have mis-understood my question, or I haven't made myself very clear. It's not a composite eleven of the past twenty years, it's the best individual team player for player. So in 2002/03 Rougier partnered Zamora up front with either Hart, Kitson or Barrett as back up strikers on the bench.

 

[Mackenzie]

1991 play off team

 

[big nuts]

I should of titled the thread best Brighton team of the last twenty years.

The contenders I suppose are:-

90/91 Play off final team
2000/01 Div 3 Champs
2001/02 Div 2 Champs
2002/03 Relegated team which finished the season like a train under Steve Coppell
2003/04 Promotion winning side via the playoffs
2004/05 Miraculously survived relegation on a shoe-string under Mark McGhee
2010/11 Current Albion side playing wonderfully attractive football under Gus Poyet.

 

[cattlin'srockshop]

91 play off final team

 

[Gritt23]

You can't beat a team with John Byrne in it. 1991 for me.

 

[16bha]

Current team, but with Zamora up front with Murray

 

[Perkino]

2010/2011 - I know we don't have Zamora but our wingers this season are possibly the best 3 wingers the league has ever seen

 

[big nuts]

A lot of people going for the 90/91 playoff final team. Great strike force with Byrne and Small upfront with backup from Garry Nelson. Great delivery from both wings in Barham & Walker. But my feeling is they had a soft underbelly. They ended the season in the final playoff spot with a minus goal difference (the only team in playoff history to do this) They got tonked on a few occasions most notably 6-1 away at Oldham but there were a few other heavy defeats.

Wilkins & Codner were very inconsistent in midfield and very lightweight. That was a definite weakness and Perry Digweed though not a poor keeper never inspired me with a lot of confidence.

You could argue that in the past twenty years they have finished in the highest spot occupied by any Albion side, however the quality of English football in 1991 was nowhere like the quality seen in the 2000's and a lot of the quality filtered down into the lower divisions so arguably the 2nd tier of English football was stronger post millenium.

 

[drew]

I think you have mis-understood my question, or I haven't made myself very clear. It's not a composite eleven of the past twenty years, it's the best individual team player for player. So in 2002/03 Rougier partnered Zamora up front with either Hart, Kitson or Barrett as back up strikers on the bench.

Thanks. In that case it can only be the team that narrowly failed to get into the old first division.

 

[driller]

Do you think the current first team is the best team to grace the blue and white stripes in recent memories. They are certainly the best to watch.

Or do you think the consecutive title winning team of 01/02 would of had their number.

This may sound strange but my personal take on this is the team that ended the 2002/03 season which unfortunately got relegated under Steve Coppell is the best team I have seen. If it wasn't for the 10 consecutive defeats under Martin Hinshelwood we would of finished play offs or just outside with the team below.

5-3-2 formation

Kuipers/Roberts GK
Blackwell Ingimarsson Cullip CB

Watson Brooker WB

Carpenter Sidwell Rodger CM

Zamora Rougier ST

thank god you are not our manager

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

The 91 play-off team was good, but Adams' promotion side was the best.

 

[big nuts]

thank god you are not our manager

The spine of that team was utter class.
Kuipers - fantastic keeper at his peak then
Cullip - leader of men and great defender
Blackwell - established premiership defender and class act
Ingimarrson - international class defender who went on to play 2 seasons of premiership football and didn't look out of place
Carpenter - albions most complete central midfielder of the last 20 years
Rodger - like blackwell still a class act despite being in the autumn of his career
Sidwell - went on to sign for Chelsea & villa still a good player
Zamora - the king