Our current team versus sides of the past

[Avinalaff]

How do you rate our current team ?

 

How do you think it would do if it were to face our other title winning sides ?

 

 

Those of us old enough to remember the great teams of the past, enjoyed some great periods in our history, and nothing can take our memories of that away, but sentiment aside, I think the game fans watch today is a very different one to the teams of the 60's, 70's, 80's and even 90's.

 

I guess it 'could' be compared to E type Jaguars or GTi's to todays high performance cars. Video game classics to the wonders of todays modern graphics, and so on.

 

Being positive about todays team doesn't mean we are being negative about yesterdays players, but I'm of the opinion that our current team is as good as any other I've seen at Goodison Park, and the general level of competition it has to face is too.

 

We are still in need of the final pieces to the jigsaw, if we want to achieve perfection, but I personally think this is a team that together with the manager, could be considered our best in recent times, even if it hasn't won a trophy yet.

 

What do you guys think?

[pete0]

Lately we have sold to buy, so it's hard to find a mix of players that actually played together. I was born in '88 so I haven't got as much to compare the current 11 to.

'95: Southall, Watson, Kanchelskis, Limpar, and Ferguson

'96: Southall, Watson, Speed, Barmby, and Ferguson

I think the 2 above aren't far off with 5 making it in todays 11, but squad wise there's no question. However, I'm guessing the older boys will give a better assessment knowing more about our title winning side of the 80's or if they're granddads maybe the team with Ball, Harvey, and Kendall.

As much as Tim Howard has done well, in comparison with previous team it's the most obvious position the current team lacks in.

[MikeO]

We'd struggle v the '80s team at their peak (but so would Barcelona); the '70 championship side was great but it was a one-off, followed it up with a 14th, 15th and 17th .

 

This'd be the team (of players I've seen) I'd choose on individual merit to save my life, but when our current first team is in top gear they are playing some beautiful stuff....and I'm hopeful that in a couple of years time it will have a much more up to date look to it!

 

 

Southall, Stevens, Labone, Ratcliffe, Baines, Steven, Reid, Felli, Sheedy, Ball, Sharp.

 

Subs West, Mountfield, Newton, Harvey, Kendall, Kanchelskis, Latchford.

[Lowensda]

We'd struggle v the '80s team at their peak (but so would Barcelona); the '70 championship side was great but it was a one-off, followed it up with a 14th, 15th and 17th .

 

This'd be the team (of players I've seen) I'd choose on individual merit to save my life, but when our current first team is in top gear they are playing some beautiful stuff....and I'm hopeful that in a couple of years time it will have a much more up to date look to it!

 

 

Southall, Stevens, Labone, Ratcliffe, Baines, Steven, Reid, Felli, Sheedy, Ball, Sharp.

 

Subs West, Mountfield, Newton, Harvey, Kendall, Kanchelskis, Latchford.

 

Love this, so much so, i've stolen it

[Peter H]

We'd struggle v the '80s team at their peak (but so would Barcelona); the '70 championship side was great but it was a one-off, followed it up with a 14th, 15th and 17th .

 

This'd be the team (of players I've seen) I'd choose on individual merit to save my life, but when our current first team is in top gear they are playing some beautiful stuff....and I'm hopeful that in a couple of years time it will have a much more up to date look to it!

 

 

Southall, Stevens, Labone, Ratcliffe, Baines, Steven, Reid, Felli, Sheedy, Ball, Sharp.

 

Subs West, Mountfield, Newton, Harvey, Kendall, Kanchelskis, Latchford.

 

 

Id probably have Kanchelskis in the startin XI. Possibly even Latchford. However i have a hard time removing anyone from your XI . Can i have XIII players in my team?

[duncanmckenzieismagic]

http://www.eplindex.com/19842/evertons-passing-upgrade-opta-stats-analysis.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=evertons-passing-upgrade-opta-stats-analysis

 

 

Seemed as good a place as any to put it!

[rubecula]

We'd struggle v the '80s team at their peak (but so would Barcelona); the '70 championship side was great but it was a one-off, followed it up with a 14th, 15th and 17th .

 

This'd be the team (of players I've seen) I'd choose on individual merit to save my life, but when our current first team is in top gear they are playing some beautiful stuff....and I'm hopeful that in a couple of years time it will have a much more up to date look to it!

 

 

Southall, Stevens, Labone, Ratcliffe, Baines, Steven, Reid, Felli, Sheedy, Ball, Sharp.

 

Subs West, Mountfield, Newton, Harvey, Kendall, Kanchelskis, Latchford.

 

I almost agree with that line up MikeO, but I would obviously add Alex Young to that line up. IMO THE BEST ever player to wear the jersey. (Maybe stick Duncan McKenzie in as a sub too.)

[Romey 1878]

Reading that didn't half make my whole being smile. Being an Evertonian can be the most rewarding thing sometimes.

[MikeO]

I almost agree with that line up MikeO, but I would obviously add Alex Young to that line up. IMO THE BEST ever player to wear the jersey. (Maybe stick Duncan McKenzie in as a sub too.)

 

He left when I was eight Rubes....got no specific memories of him.

[Avinalaff]

Obviously we can pick our Everton fantasy team which is fun, but specifically regarding our current team, I'd be inclined to encourage debate that our current side would actually beat our 80's team, both on the pitch, and in the stats department, such is the improvement of sportsmen and women in the last 30 years, not to mention technology.

 

We were the best team in the 3 or 4 years during the 80's that we did well, but certainly not the best team during the 80's, as our finishes overall show.

 

79-80 19th

80-81 15th

81-82 8th

82-83 7th

83-84 7th

84-95 winners

85-86 Runners up

86-87 Winners

87-88 4th

88-89 8th

 

Our football today, in my own opinion is better than it was back then, depending on what style you prefer.

 

Those who were watching the 80's league winning side watched what was back then the form side in the country, but the football was very different in those days, and certainly not the fluent on the floor passing style that we are playing this season, even though it was great stuff in the day.

 

I think that Moyes has given us a very stable period, and is starting to see rewards on the pitch.

 

On a cold wet day, I think the 80's team would beat us, but on a sunny day on a good pitch, I'd be inclined to fancy our current team if both were playing well.

[Dalziel Kane]

I don't think we was as low as 19th in 1980, not on the back of the UEFA cup place finishes in 1978 and 1979 and we did get to the FA cup semi-finals beating some very good sides and Gordon Lee still had a very good side, and also for 1984, seventh place?, I remember we were in about 18th place by January of that year and Kendall was just about ready for having his ass fired before that amazing turnaround, Adrian Heath at The Manor Ground, etc, so that must have been one hell of a comeback to rise up the league to such a higher position, but you may well be right. I thought also we finished in at least 5th or 6th position in 1989? No time to argue in any event.

 

It's not just about the sides in question, or ability or attributes of players, the manager also plays a pivotal part, and with Moyes sometimes frustrating defense minded banality I wonder maybe if we really could challenge some of the former sides who did well, if Moyes doesn't always fancy going for it or showing enough attacking emphasis then how could we hope to make a challenge or be a threat to some of the great former sides with the wrong mentality or tentative approaches?

 

If we take him out of the equation and i think it's best, and concentrate on todays players alone, I don't think we could quite live up to the side of the mid 1980s, or indeed that great side under Catterick between 1967-71. Even under Lee and the fine team we had at the end of the 1970s with players like Rioch, Mckenzie, Latchford, King and Lyons etc, would prove a difficult game for what we have now and I feel they would even be too strong. Even the team of 1995-96 where we did well, particularly between February and May that season, would be a testing fixture.

 

However if the current set up really wants a success I suggest any of the Walter Smith sides or indeed most other part of the 1990s where we couldn't kick a cow's ass, especially between 1992-94. A most bleak and non eventful time in Toffees history most will remember.

[MikeO]

I don't think we was as low as 19th in 1980....

 

We most certainly was (if memory and Google serve).

 

I mean "were" .

 

http://www.statto.co...e-old/1979-1980

[Avinalaff]

We finished 7th in 83-84 as stated.

 

I personally don't 'remember' didley Squat, even though I went to many of the games back then, but I know a few Everton guys who do.

 

http://www.evertonresults.com/198384.htm

 

http://www.evertonresults.com/198384summary.htm

 

http://www.evertonresults.com/198384summary2.htm

 

Should be your kind of site Dalziel. Everything you need to know on there.

[Formby]

Statistically, the sixties were a better period for Everton in terms of league position (average league position 4.3).

 

1960-61 42 13 4 4 47 23 9 2 10 40 46 50 5th

1961-62 42 17 2 2 64 21 3 9 9 24 33 51 4th

1962-63 42 14 7 0 48 17 11 4 6 36 25 61 1st

1963-64 42 14 4 3 53 26 7 6 8 31 38 52 3rd

1964-65 42 9 10 2 37 22 8 5 8 32 38 49 4th

1965-66 42 12 6 3 39 19 3 5 13 17 43 41 11th

1966-67 42 11 4 6 39 22 8 6 7 26 24 48 6th

1967-68 42 18 1 2 43 13 5 5 11 24 27 52 5th

1968-69 42 14 5 2 43 10 7 10 4 34 26 57 3rd

1969-70 42 17 3 1 46 19 12 5 4 26 16 66 1st

 

Hard to compare teams from different eras but I tend to agree with Dalziel. There were some good squads under Catterick and Lee, too. Dave Thomas and hairy Bob Latchford were a fantastic combination in the seventies.

[Dalziel Kane]

The Best Everton sides of the last fifty years for me in short time peroids would be between 67-71, better than the Championship team of 1963, the late 70s side under Gordon Lee 77-79, (how did we not win a trophy, but came very close in the end), and of course the Kendall side of 84-87 before he went away to Bilbao. Once again there was a spell in the 1995-96 season that we (almost) came close to any of that, but I didn't necessarily include it, and it was only for about three months, and not for years at a time. But we really did play well, one game at Sheffield Wednesday I think stands out, and did Amokachi go on a bit of a run?, but it's something I recall.

 

Of course there will be the European Cup side of 2004-05 that did so well, with standout results against Manchester United and Liverpool amongst others and a surprise 4th place finish, but wasn't sure whether to include them as well.