Thursday, October 17, 2019

Ireland/Nortrhern Ireland combined team World Cup1986

Northern Ireland 1986 World Cup
Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.

Ireland/Northern Ireland Combined Team
Ireland, Northern Ireland
Argentina World Cup 1946
Sweden World Cup1950
Scotland World Cup 1970
United Kingdom World Cup 1970
England World Cup 1974
United Kingdom World Cup1982
Spain without Catalan players World Cup 2010
USA World Cup 2010
If Ronaldo and Messi played for Australia in 2006
Brazil 1982 with Careca,etc

 The idea of an imaginary combined or unified team for the Island of Ireland in the given tournament came while I was re-working on my Ireland/Northern Ireland combined All-Time Team.  It would be similar to what I did with what I did with United Kingdom 1970. I do not know enough about Irish politics and its relations with the football world to see if it is possible to have a combined team for the Island of Ireland.  George Best famously called for an unified team throughout his career.  Meanwhile, Irish Rugby Football Union and Hockey Ireland has created combined national teams for their sports without any problem. So it is not a far fetched idea.

 Ideally, I wanted to team up the best players from both sides.  However, the Republic did not have a good team until Jack Charlton took over the national team in 1986.  They did not produce result until the European Championship in 1988.  Meanwhile, Northern Ireland's best teams are in the 1980's and George Best's peak was in the early 1970's.  So the greatest players from each side did not overlap. In the 1970's, Johnny Giles, Billy Bingham, George Best, Pat Rice and Pat Jennings could have formed a strong squad, but I decided to go with the 1986 World Cup Finals when Northern Ireland qualified for the Finals while Jack Charlton took over the Republic that year. Pat Jennings, Norman Whiteside, Sammy McIlroy, Liam Brady, Paul McGrath, Mark Lawrenson, David O'Leary, Ronnie Whelan, Frank Stapleton, Kevin Sheedy and John Aldridge would make a strong All-Ireland team.  I might work on a combined team for the 1970 or 1974 World Cup Finals later.

Ireland Euro 1988


 Team(Only 22 players taken in the 1986 WC Finals)
GK: Pat Jennings (N.Ireland/Everton)
Pat Jennings is considered among the greatest goalkeeper of all-time.  The prime of his career was spent with both Tottenham Hotspurs and Arsenal.  In 1973 the Football Writers' Association named him as its footballer of the year. Three years later he won PFA's version of the award – he was the first goalkeeper to receive this accolade, and to this date remains only one of two, along with Peter Shilton. He earned 119 caps for Northern Ireland and went to two World Cup Finals.

 GK: Packie Bonner (Republic/Celtic)
Packie Bonner played 80 times for Ireland.  He played every tournaments from the European Championship of 1988 to the edition in 1996 as Ireland qualified for 5 straight tournaments. He was best remembered for winning the penalty shootout against Romania at 1990 World Cup Finals in Italy.  He spent 20 years playing for Celtics in Scotland. He signed for Celtic on 14 May 1978, becoming Jock Stein's last signing for the Parkhead club.

 GK: Jim Platt (N.Ireland/Coleraine)
Platt played for the majority of his career at Middlesbrough between 1971 and 1983. He also played for Hartlepool United, Cardiff City and Ballymena United. Platt had 23 caps, largely because of playing at the same time as Pat Jennings.  He was also in the Irish team that won the Home Championship the last time it was played.


 RB: Jimmy Nicholl (N.Ireland/West Bromwich Albion )
Born in Canada, Nicholl started with Manchester United in 1974, where he played until 1982. He helped the club win the 1977 FA Cup Final and collected a runners-up medal in 1979.  After that, he played with many cliubs, including stints Toronto Blizzard, Rangers, Sunderland, West Bromwich Albion, etc. He earned 74 caps for Northern Ireland.  He went to 1982 and 1986 World Cup Finals.
 Jimmy Nicholl 
CB: Mark Lawrenson (Republic/Liverpool)
Mark Lawrenson was a key defender for Liverpool in the 1980's.  He won one European Cup and 5 league titles. He played for Ireland between 1977 and 1987.  He helped Ireland to qualify for its first ever major tournament in 1988, but an injury prevented him from going to the Finals of the European Championship in 1988. Ireland went on to qualify for the next four tournaments, but he already retired by then.

CB/DM: Paul McGrath (Republic/Manchester United)
Paul McGrath is one of Ireland's greatest ever players.  He played 83 times for Ireland. He appeared at the 1990 and 1994 World Cup Finals, as well as the Euro 1988.  He played for St Patrick's Athletic and then, joined Manchester United in 1982.  He had a run-in with Sir Alex who was the new manager at Manchester United and moved to Aston Villa in 1989 where he won the PFA Player of the Year in 1993. He later played for Derby County and Sheffield United.
Paul McGrath 
CB: David O’Leary (Republic/Arsenal)
O'Leary made a record of 722 appearance for Arsenal.  For Arsenal, he won the English League, FA Cup and the League Cup, two of each.  He also played briefly with Leeds United at the end of his career. With 68 caps, he represented Ireland at the World Cup Finals in 1990, scoring the winning penalty against Romania in the penalty shootout.

 CB: Kevin Moran (Republic/Manchester United)
From 1978 to 1988, Kevin Moran spent over a decade playing for Manchester United, winning two FA Cups.  He joined Sporting de Gijon in 1988. He moved to Blackburn Rovers in 1990 and helped to secure a promotion to the top division.  He was capped 71 times between 1980 and 1994, and he went to Euro 1988 , and the 1990 and 1994 World Cup Finals.  

 CB: Alan McDonald (N.Ireland/QPR)
Alan McDonald was capped 52 times for Northern Ireland between 1986 and 1996. He was a part of the team that went to the 1986 World Cup Finals in Mexico. He spent most of his career with Queens Park Ranger, reaching the League Cup Final in 1986. He also had short spells with Charlton Athletic while on loan in 1983and Swindon Town at the end of his career in the 1990's.
Alan McDonald 
LB: Jim Beglin (Republic/Liverpool)
Beglin played for Shamrock Rovers before playimng for Liverpool between 1983 and 1989. He won the Double in 1986.  A serious injury forced him out of the club.  He later played for Leeds United with loan spells on loan with both Plymouth Argyle and Blackburn Rovers.  He only played 15 times for Ireland between 1984 and 1987.

 LB: Chris Houghton (Republic/Tottenham Hotspurs)
After making his professional debut aged 20, Hughton spent most of his playing career with Tottenham Hotspur, leaving in 1990 after 13 years.  He later played with West Ham United and Brentford. Born in England, he represented Ireland.  He was the first mixed race player to represent the nation. He earned 53 caps and played in the Euro 1988. 

LM/CM: Ronnie Whelan (Republic/Liverpool)
Ronnie Whelan played for Liverpool during the 1980's, where he won the 1983-1984 European Cup and 6 league titles. He was ranked the 30th greatest player for Liverpool.  Whelan finished his career at Southend United, where he was also player-manager.  He was capped 53 times.  He played at Euro 1988 and the World Cup Finals in 1990 and 1994 for the Republic of Ireland.
Ronnie Whelan
DM/CM: David McCreery (N.Ireland/Newcastle United)
McCreery played in every position bar goalkeeper. He made 67 appearances for Northern Ireland, and played in boith 1982 and 1986 World Cup Finals.  He was named in the All Star team at the World Cup 1982.  He started his career with Manchester United.  His longest stint was with Newcastle United.

 DM/CM: Nigel Worthington (N.Ireland/Sheffield Wednesday)
Worthington started his career with Ballymena United in 1979, where he was Ulster Football Writers Young Player of the Year in 1981. He moved into English football with Notts County in 1981. 
He had a long career with Sheffield Wednesday.  He had 66 caps and went to the 1986 World Cup Finals. 

 CM: Sammy McIlroy (N.Ireland/Manchester City)
Sammy McIlroy joined Manchester United in 1969, becoming Matt Busby's last signing at the club.  He stayed there until 1982.  At one point, Manchester United dropped to the 2nd division, where he helped them to grain promotion. He joined Stoke as their record signing.  He also played for Manchester City, Bury, etc. He played in the 1982 and 1986 World Cup Finals. He was the captain of the 1986 World Cup side in Mexico.
Sammy McIlroy 
RW/CM: Ray Houghton  (Republic/Oxford United)
Born in Scotland, Ray Houghton was capped 73 times for the Republic.  He was best remembered for scoring the winning goal against England at Euro 1988 and against Italy at the World Cup Finals in 1994.  He was also remembered for his career at Liverpool between 1987 and 1992, where he played with John Aldridge, Peter Beardsley and John Barnes.

 LW/AM: Liam Brady (Republic/Inter Milan)
Liam Brady played over 200 times for Arsenal in the 1980's.  He was the PWA Player of the Year in 1979.  He was one of the few successful Irish players playing outside the UK.  In 1980, he moved to Juventus, where he won two Series A titles in two seasons.  He was replaced by Michel Platini, but he went on to play for Inter Milan and Ascoli in Italy. He made 72 caps for Ireland between 1974 and 1990, but he never went to a major tournament.

 LW: Kevin Sheedy (Republic/Everton)
Kevin Sheedy spent the largest portion of his playing career with Everton – with whom he won the FA Cup, European Cup Winners' Cup and two Football League titles – and also played for Hereford United, Liverpool, Newcastle United and Blackpool. Born in Wales, he played 46 times for the Republic of Ireland and scored the country's first ever goal in a World Cup finals during Italian 1990.  He also played in Euro 1988. 
Kevin Sheedy 
FW/CM Norman Whiteside (N.Ireland/Manchester United)
In 1982, Norman Whiteside  became the youngest player ever played in a World Cup Finals.  He also played in the 1986 World Cup Finals.  For his club career, he made his debut with Manchester United as a 16 years old in 1982.  He became a starter in the 1982-1983 season as a teenager.  However, his career was marked with injury problems. He moved to Everton in 1989, which was then a more successful club than Manchester United at the time.  He retired in 1991.

 ST: Billy Hamilton (N.Ireland/Oxford United)
Billy Hamilton is best remembered as the man who crossed the ball for Gerry Armstrong to score for Northern Ireland in their win against the hosts Spain at the 1982 World Cup. He also played in the 1986 World Cup Finals. At club level, Hamilton played for Linfield, QPR, Burnley, Oxford United, Limerick, Sligo Rovers, Coleraine and Distillery. 

 ST:  John Aldridge (Republic/Oxford United)
John Aldridge is still the 6th highest goal scorer in the history of English football.  He was best remembered with his career at Liverpool from 1987 to 1989. He joined the club as a replacement for Ian Rush.  He linked up with Peter Beardsley and John Barnes to form one of the most exciting attacking lines in the club's history. He had 69 caps for the Republic of Ireland.  He played in Euro 1988, and with 1990 and 1994 World Cup Finals.

 ST: Frank Stapleton (Republic/Manchester United)
Frank Stapleton was Ireland's all-time leading scorer for a decade.  He had 71 caps. He captained Ireland at the European Championship in 1988.  It was Ireland's first major tournament. At the club level, he is best remembered for his time at Arsenal and Manchester United, where he won a single FA Cup for both clubs. He also played in Holland, Belgium and France after he left Manchester United.
Frank Stapleton 
Honorable Mention
Mick McCarthy (Republic), Tony Cascarino (Republic), Niall Quinn (Republic), Dave Langan (Republic), Gerry Peyton (Republic), Gerry Armstrong (N.Ireland), Steve Penney (N.Ireland), John Byrne (Republic), Mal Donaghy (N.Ireland).

 Squad Explanation
-- To reduce confusion, all players from the Republic of Ireland are listed as "Republic".  Ireland meant this combined team.
-- I was deciding whether to do a combined Irish team for the 1982 or 1986 World Cup Finals.  Northern Ireland had better results in 1982 than in 1986.  Pat Jennings and Liam Brady were in their prime.  George Best was still an active player in 1982, but was no longer playing for Northern Ireland. In 1982, I could have fielded the three of the greatest ever Irish player.  However, the Republic had not figure much internationally in 1982.  I decided the 1986 team might be more interesting because the Republic was already under Jack Charlton's revolution in 1986. Northern Ireland qualified for the 1986 World Cup. Basically, I am combining Jack Charlton's Euro 1988 team with Northern Ireland's 1986 World Cup team.
-- The FAI approached Jack Charlton to be their manager in December, 1985. The list of candidates narrowed down to Bob Paisley, Jack Charlton, John Giles or Liam Tuohy.  Paisley who turned down the same job previously was the favorite for the job. However, Charlton was appointed the manager of Republic's team in February, 1986. He was the first non-Irishman to be appointed to the position. Moreover, he was an Englishman. His first game in charge was on 26 March 1986 against Wales at Lansdowne Road which ended in a 1–0 defeat.
-- Northern Ireland was managed by Billy Bingham, his second spell as their manager.  His second spell made him the most successful ever manager for Northern Ireland. He led the nation to victory in the British Home Championship in 1980, only the nation's second outright victory in 96 years.  Northern Ireland also qualified twice for the World Cup Finals. B
-- In 1986, both team was coached by their greatest ever manager, but I was not building a team managed by either of them.  I was only using their selections and teams as part of my resource for my research.
 -- Adidas sponsored both national teams in 1986.
-- Northern Ireland qualified for the World Cup Finals, but the combined team is stocked with players from the Republic.  I selected 13 players from the Republic and only 9 from Northern Ireland. I did drop eligible Republic's players for Northern Irish players to balance the team.
-- Pat Jennings and Paddy Bonner easily made the first two goalkeeper spots.  I took Jim Platt who was Northern Ireland's goalkeeper in Mexico for the third keeper. Gerry Peyton (Republic), Jim McDonagh (Republic) and Phil Hughes (N.Ireland) were in the pool.
-- Mark Lawrenson and Paul McGarth were on the PFA Team of the Season in the 1985-1986 season.  
-- David O'Leary (Republic) was dropped by manager Jack Charlton in May, 1986 for a tournament in Iceland because of a feud over O'Leary's family vacation.  He would not play for Ireland until 1988.  In this imaginary team, Jack Charlton was not the manager.  I do not place a real manager on the team.  Furthermore, in this alternative world, the Republic would not be playing in the tournament before the World Cup Finals. I doubt O'Leary would be complaining about his family vacation if it was the World Cup Finals. The feud would not have happened.  O'Leary would have gone to Mexico.
-- I was choosing between Kevin Moran, Alan McDonald and John O'Neil for the last and 4th central defender.  Kevin Moran had an injury filled year in the 1985/86 season.  Alan McDonald led the QPR to the League Cup Final while John O'Neil was playing for Leicester Town. In the end, I decided to bring five centerbacks.  Moran was too famous to be dropped.  I added McDonald because of the League Cup.
-- Jim Beglin (Republic) took over the leftback position from the departing Alan Kennedy at Liverpool that season.  Chris Houghton was an established leftback with Tottenham Hotspur. So Mal Donaghy (N.Ireland) lost his spot to them even through he was a top leftback at the time.
-- In 1986, Denis Irwin transferred from Leeds United to Oldham.  He had not made his senior debut with the Republic until 1990.  He was playing in the Under-21 level.
 -- In 1985-1986 season, Liam Brady was still playing regularly for Inter Milan.  He would transfer out of the club that summer.  In real life, he never played in a major tournament.  He received a suspension and then, an injury that kept him out the 1988 European Championship.  He also had some issues with Jack Charlton. Again, this team was not managed by Charlton.  The feud issue did not exist in this imaginary setting.
--  Ronnie Whelan won the Double for Liverpool that season. Across the Mersey, Kevin Speedy's team Everton finished second in both FA Cup and the League.  In the 1985-1986, Speedy seemed to be injury-riddled, but he did play at the end of the season, including 90 minutes at the 1986 FA Cup Final.
-- Ray Houghton had a great season that year.  He was eligible for Scotland, but Scotland did not select him for the actual 1986 World Cup Finals.  Then, he made his debut for Ireland in January of 1986, which making him officially a player for Ireland by the time of the World Cup Finals. 
-- In 1986, Ray Houghton, Billy Hamilton and John Aldridge were playing together at Oxford United.  They won the League Cup that year (Hamilton missed the Final through an injury).  Billy Hamilton and John Aldridge were known for their partnership.  So I am bringing both. Northern Ireland never lost a game when Billy Hamilton scored. He played all three games in Mexico.
-- Frank Stapleton struggled in the 1985-1986 season, but he was the captain of the Republic before and after the appointment of Jack Charlton.  John Aldridge scored 23 goals in the English league that season.  He was tied for third top scorer with Ian Rush. Norman Whiteside played all three matches in Mexico.
-- At the time of the World Cup Finals, John Byrne only played three times for the Republic. He scored a stunning solo goal against Chelsea in March, 1986. But i did not want to gamble a newer player.  I went with the bigger names.
-- Frank Stapleton, Norman Whiteside, Paul McGrath and Kevin Moran played for Manchester United.  Mark Lawrenson, Ronnie Whelan and Jim Beglin played for Liverpool FC. 
-- Gerry Armstrong was the hero of Spain 1982.  In real life, he went to Mexico, but he only played a handful of games that season for West Bromwich Albion and Chesterfield.  His form was in question. The addition of players from the Republic kept him out of this team.
-- Niall Quinn was 19 years at the time of the World Cup Finals.  He made his senior debut on May, 1985.  He still played on the Under-21 team that year.
-- The addition of David McCreery, Nigel Worthington, Jimmy Nicholl and Jim Platt was to balance the team with players from both sides of the Island. 

Formation
I am not certain if I have the best lineup for the year 1986.






Posted by at 1 comment:
Labels:

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Southampton Greatest All-Time Team

This blogger Artur Yanturin of Russia copied many of my blog teams.  This blog was one of them.  It was my Russia All-Time Team here.  His team was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.   His Spartak Moscow All-Time team entry of was published in October 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2017.  His entry of the Dutch-German rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.  He also copied many many of my blog entries.

His Facebook and Instagram


FA Cup winner in 1976

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.

 This is my selection of a 25 member all-time team for Southampton. The number 25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions' League.

Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal,
Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester City, Everton,
Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, 
Leeds United, Leicester City, West Ham, Wolverhampton Wanderers
North West England
South East England
Southampton were originally founded at St. Mary's Church, on 21 November 1885 by members of the St. Mary's Church of England Young Men's Association. 
 
Their home ground since 2001 has been St Mary's Stadium, before which they were based at The Dell. The club has been nicknamed "The Saints" since its inception in 1885 due to its history as a church football team, founded as St. Mary's Church of England Young Men's Association, and play in red and white shirts. Southampton has a long-standing rivalry with Portsmouth due to its proximity and both cities' respective maritime history. Matches between the two sides are known as the South Coast derby.
The club has won the FA Cup once, in 1976, and their highest-ever league finish was second in the First Division in 1983–84. Southampton were relegated from the Premier League on 15 May 2005, ending 27 successive seasons of top-division football for the club. They returned after a seven-year absence, and have played there ever since.
The 1983-1984 team that finished second in the league
Team
GK: Peter Shilton (England)
Peter Shilton is considered one of the greatest keepers ever.  He is England's all-time cap record-holder with 125.  He earned his first cap in 1970 and his last 20 years later in 1990.  He took England to 4th place in the 1990 World Cup.  He played for 11 different clubs in his career, all in England.  He won two straight European Cups in 1979 and 1980 with Nottingham Forrest. He was PFA Players' Player of the Year: 1977–78, an award rarely won by a goalkeeper.
Peter Shilton
GK: Tim Flowers (England)
Flowers began his career with Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1984.  He was Peter Shilton's unberstudy with Southampton before becoming their starter in the 1989–90 season. He was notably part of the Blackburn Rovers side that won the Premier League in 1995. He also played for  Swindon Town, Leicester City, Stockport County, Coventry City and Manchester City.  He had 11 caps.  He went to both Euro 96 in England and the 1998 World Cup.

GK: Tommy Allen (England)
Allen started with Sunderland. From 1920 to 1928, he played for Southampton. In the 1921–22 season, Southampton took the Division Three South title. Saints total of only 21 goals conceded in a 42 match season was a Football League record which stood until 1979 and remains a record for Southampton. Later, he played for Coventry.

 RB: Jason Dodd (England)
Jason Dodd started with his native Bath City in 1988. From 1989 to 2005, he played with Southhampton, with a loan spell with Plymouth Argyle. In 2005, he left the club.  However, injuries prevented from him playing juch with Brighton and Conference South team Eastleigh.  

 RB: Ivan Golac (Yugoslavia)
Golac made over 350 appearances for FK Partizan and won League championship medals in 1976 and 1978.  In 1978, he joined Southampton, where he was the club's first ever foreign player.  He also played for AFC Bournemouth and Manchester City, and a second spell with Southampton.  He played once for Yugoslavia in 1976 against Algeria.

 CB: Claus Lundekvam (Norway)
Lundekvam started Brann at home.  In 1996, he joined Southampton, whee he played until 2008. He was the team's first choice for captain for several years.  He was forced to retire in 2008 because of an injury.  He had 40 caps for Norway between 1995 and 2005.  His first international goal, against Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2002, was the 1,000th goal in the history of the Norwegian national team.

CB: Mark Wright (England)
Mark Wright started with Oxford United in 1980.  Later, he had spells with Liverpool, Derby County and Southampton during the 1980s and 1990s. With Liverpool, he won the 1992 FA Cup as its captain. He made 45 appearances for the English national football team, and was a member of the team which reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in 1990.  He scored his only goal for England in the group stage.He also went to Euro 1988 and 1992.
Mark Wright 
CB: José Fonte (Portugal)
Fonte started his professional career with Sporting CP B, moving to England with Crystal Palace in 2007. In 2010 he signed with Southampton where he made 288 appearances in all competitions, until he joined West Ham United in January 2017; he then represented Dalian Yifang in China and Lille in France. Fonte was part of Portugal's squad at Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup, winning the former tournament.

 CB: Chris Nicholl (North Ireland)
Nicholl played for Burnley, Witton Albion, Halifax Town and Luton Town, before establishing himself with Aston Villa.  He captained the side to victory in the 1976/1977 League Cup. He scored one of the greatest goals in any Aston Villa match. From 1977 to 1983, he played for Southampton.  He had 51 caps for North Ireland, representing them at the 1982 World Cup.

 LB: Tommy Traynor (Ireland)
From 1950 to 1952, Trayor played for Dundalk. He then played for Southampton from from 1952 to 1966.  During his time at The Dell he amassed 487 appearances for the club, scoring eight goals. He is Southampton record appearance holder.  He played 8 times for the Republic of Ireland.  

 LB: Wayne Bridge (England)
Born in Southampton, Bridge played with his hometown club between 1998 and 2003. He then played for Chelsea between 2003 and 2009.  He later played for Manchester City, Fulham, West Ham Sunderland, Reading and Brighton. From 2002 to 2009, he played 36 times for England.  He went to 2002 and 2006 World Cup Finals and the 2004 European Championship.
Wayne Bridge
CM/RM/RB: Steve Williams  (England)
Williams made his debut with Southampton aged 17 in 1976.  He succeeded Alan Ball as team captain and led The Saints to an F.A. Cup semi-final and to runners-up position in the 1983–84 First Division.  From 1984 to 1988, he played for Arsenal. Then, he played for Luton, Exeter and Derry City. He payed 6 times for England.

 CM: Jimmy Case (England)
Known for having one of the hardest shots in the British game, Case shot to fame with the powerful Liverpool side of the 1970s and early 1980s. He was a part of the team that won the European Cup winner in 1977, 1978 and 1981.  He was voted in at No. 45 in the 2006 poll "100 Players Who Shook The Kop". He also played for Brighton, Southampton, Bournemouth, Halifax Town and Wrexham.  He appeared once for England in 1976.

CM: Alan Ball  (England)
Alan Ball was the youngest member of the World Cup winning team in 1966. He started his career with Blackpool.  He also played with Everton, Arsenal, Southampton and various clubs in North America and Hong Kong.  He played 72 times for England and was a key player at the World Cup finals in 1966 and 1970. He missed the ill-fated match vs Poland in 1973 due a suspension that eliminated England from the 1974 World Cup Finals in West Germany.

CM/LM: David Armstrong (England)
Armstrong played with Middlesbrough from 1972 to 1981, before moving to Southampton in 1981 where he played for a further six seasons. He was a part of the Saints' great team in the 1980's. He was Southampton's Player of the Season (1983-1984). He played for Bournemouth in 1987–88. Between 1980 and 1984, he played 3 times for England.

 RW/LW: Terry Paine (England)
Paine is best known for his career with Southampton, for whom he made over 800 appearances (a club record) in 18 seasons with the club between 1957 and 1974. He was known for his partnership with John Sydenham, Ron Davies and Martin Chivers.  He later played for Hereford United, and briefly worked at Cheltenham Town as a player-manager.  For England, he played 19 times and was a member of the 1966 World Cup team.
Terry Paine
LM/LB: Nick Holmes (England)
Between 1972 and 1987, Holmes played for Southampton. He was a part of their 1976 FA Cup winning team as well as a part of their great team in the 1980's finishing second in the league in the 1983-1984 season.  After leaving Saints he spent the 1987–88 season with East Cowes Vics. Except for that stint, he is considered to be a one club player.

 LW/FW: Danny Wallace (England)
From 1980 to 1989, Wallace played for Southampton. His debut in 1980 at the time was the youngest ever for the club. He also played with his brothers Rod and Ray, where it was the first time three brothers had played in the same team in English professional top-flight football since 1920.  He also played for Manchester United, Millwall, Birmingham City and Wycombe Wanderers. He won one full cap for England.

AM: Matt Le Tissier (England)
Le Tissier spent his entire club career from 1986 to 2002 with Southampton before turning to non-League football in 2002; his loyalty garnered special affection from Southampton's fans who nicknamed him "Le God".   Born in Guernsey, he is one of the few English internationals not born in England. Between 1994 and 1997, he only earned 8 caps, despite being one of the most gifted players of his generation.
Matt Le Tissier 
FW: Ron Davies (Wales)
Born in Holywell, Flintshire, Wales, he went to the same school as the Spurs defender Mike England, whom he played alongside in internationals for Wales.  He was known for his career with Southampton, whom he played between 1966 and 1973. He was the league top scorer twice between 1966 and 1968.  He also had a lengthy career with Norwich before that.  He also played for Chester, Luton, Manchester United, etc.  For Wales, he had 29 caps.

CF: Bill Rawlings (England)
Rawlings began his career with Southampton in 1918. He finished as the club's top-scorer eight times in nine seasons from 1920–21 to 1927–28, helping the "Saints" to win the Third Division South title in 1921–22 and to reach the FA Cup semi-finals in 1925 and 1927. He also won himself two England caps in 1922, both of which were from British Home Championship games.

 ST: Rickie Lambert (England)
Lambert is one of the few players who had scored in the top four divisions in England, the Champions League and for the national team.  He was known for his career with Southampton, he helped the club to move from the League One to Premiership.  He also played with Liverpool FC, West Bromwich Albion, etc.  He earned 11 caps between 2013 and 2014.  He went to the 2014 World Cup Finals.

 ST: Mick Channon (England)
Mick Channon played notably for Southampton from 1965 and 1977, and then from 1979 and 1982.  He is considered one of the greatest ever players from the club. He was the league top scorer in 1974. Between the two stints, he played for Manchester City. At the age of 34, he joined Norwich, where he played form 1982 and 1985. He was capped 46 times, but England failed to qualify for the World Cup Finals during his career.
Mick Channon
ST: Alan Shearer (England)
Shearer is the all-time leading top-scorer for the Premiership.  In 1992, he joined Blackburn Rovers from Southampton in a record transfer. He won the Premiership for 1994-1995 season.  In 1996, he joined his home town club, Newcastle United for a world record transfer fees. He was FWA Player of the Year in 1994, and PFA Player of the Year in 1995 and 1997.  For England, he earned 63 caps. In 1996, he led England to the semi-final of Euro 1996 at home, himself winning the Golden boot award. 
 
ST/SS: Kevin Keegan (England)
Kevin Keegan was two-time European Footballer of the Year in 1978 and 1979. He won the European Cup in 1977 with Liverpool. He also found successes in the Bundesliga with Hamburger SV.  He later played for Southampton and Newcastle United. He had 63 caps for England. However, his World Cup appearance was limited to 20 minutes against Spain at the World Cup Finals in 1982.
Kevin Keegan 
Honorable Mention 
Steve Moran (England), James Beattie (England), Alan Shearer (England), John Sydenham (England), Eric Martin (Scotland), Antti Niemi (Finland), Ian Turner (England), George Clawley (England), Kelvin Davis (England), Paul Jones (Wales), Francis Benali (England), Martin Chivers (England), Peter Osgood (England), José Fonte (Portugal), Luke Shaw (England), David Peach, Marian Pahars (Latvia), Bobby Stokes (England), Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands), Gareth Bale (Wales), Adam Lallana (England), Ron Davis (Wales), Ted Bates (England), Marian Pahars (Latvia).

Squad Explanation
-- Southampton spent over half of its history in the lower division.  Many players selected here starred for the club while they played in the lower division.
-- Mick Channon, Matt Le Tissier and perhaps Terry Paine are the greatest footballers for the club.
-- In 2018, the fans of Southampton voted for its greatest starting eleven.  They are Perer, Shilton, Jason Dodd, Claus Lundekvam, José Fonte, Wayne Bridge, Alan Ball, Matt Le Tissier, Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert, Mick Channon and Alan Shearer. As in most modern polls, the players are geared toward the modern era. I did not select some of them to this all-time team.
-- In the early 1980's, Southampton probably had its greatest team.  Kevin Keegan, Peter Shilton, David Armstrong, Mick Channon, Danny Wallace, Nick Holmes, Ivan Golac  and Alan Ball were all a part of that generation.
-- Peter Shilton is probably England's greatest goalkeeper.  The prime of his career was spent with Southampton. Tim Flowers also had a wonderful career as a young player that led to a even greater career elsewhere.  The third goalkeeper is a question mark. Eric Martin, Tommy Allen, Antti Niemi, Ian Turner, George Clawley, Kelvin Davis and Paul Jones are considered.  In the end, I chose Tommy Allen who had the most appearance for the club.
-- Ivan Golac is Southampton's first ever foreign player.  He is also considered among their best ever defender.
-- Leftback Tommy Traynor is Southampton record appearance holder. He played mainly in the lower division. Wayne Bridge edged out Francis Benali because Bridge had a better international reputation. Luke Shaw also made his name here as a left back, but I preferred someone with a longer career here.
-- Nick Holmes can also play in the left back position. He won the FA Cup with them.  He was an unsung hero of the club. 
-- Alan Ball had two spells with the club.  Later, he coached the team.
-- Matt Le Tissier is one of the most technically gifted English players of his time.  He was often overlooked by the English national team, including by manager Glenn Hoddle who was also not appreciated by England for his technically gifted ability.  He also played in the same generation as Paul Gascoigne.  
-- John Sydenham, Terry Paine and Ron Davies formed a dangerous trio.  However, I only have spaces for Davies and Paine.
-- Kevin Keegan seldom got a mention among the greatest player ever played for Southampton.  He only played two seasons there, but Southampton had their best ever finishes in the league during his time there. He was also awarded the PFA Players' Player of the Year for the 1981–82 season. I do not understand why he was being ignored.  I do believe that he is a very serious candidate.  
-- Theo Walcott made his professional debut as a 16 years old. Gareth Bale also played a single season here.  He is their second youngest debutant.  They made honorable mention.
-- Martin Chivers helped the club to grain promotion in 1966, but he spent most of his career in the 2nd division.  He was often viewed as a second fiddle to Ron Davies and Mick Channon. I do not have space for him.
-- George O'Brien also played mainly in the lower division for Southampton.
-- Steve Moran missed out because of Channon, Keegan, Davies and Shearer.  Then, I decided to select an older player, Bill Rawlings and a younger player Rickie Lambert. Lambert actually scored over 100 goals for the club. Ted Bates, Marian Pahars and James Beattie were some of their other great strikers.
-- In 2021, I updated the team.  I decided to add Allan Shearer and took Derek Reeves to honorable mention.
-- Alan Shearer left the club at the age of 21.  He only scored 29 goals for the club in total, but was selected into England national team.  Sometimes, I selected home grown players who made it to the very top with a different club to their mother team.  For example, Roberto Baggio was on my Fiorentina All-time team even through his time there was very limited.  However, I still do not think Gareth Bale should be considered.  He only played a single full season with the club as compared to Alan Shearer's five seasons here (three as a major player).
-- Derek Reeves joined Southampton FC in December 1954 having been demobbed from National Service. He scored on his debut against his home town club, Bournemouth. He was known for his performance in the upset win over Manchester City in 1960 during a FA Cup match.  He was also known for his partnership with wingers John Sydenham and Terry Paine.  He also scored 40 goals in a single season. He later played with  Bournemouth and Worchester City.   
 
Formation

 

Posted by at 1 comment:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)