Alan Kennedy

[Tooj]

Bryan Robson never gets the praise he deserves from the Sky generation of fans who just all think of him as a s*** manager, not one of the best players we have ever produced.

You're right. The subsequent activities players get up to shouldn't distract from their excellence as players. Some play well in patches (e.g. Keith Gillespie was a far better player than many will recognise him as now) and others become shit managers. that seems to distract from what they did previously. It shouldn't. Now Bryan Robson definitely  is a Newcastle fan!

 

He's exactly what we needed in Russia, as opposed to the oh so overrated Stevie G, he would have rallied the troops, he would have grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck, he'd have been doing the job of the rest of the team, he'd have been all over the park trying to make something of it for us.

[Mick]

 

 

He's exactly what we needed in Russia, as opposed to the oh so overrated Stevie G, he would have rallied the troops, he would have grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck, he'd have been doing the job of the rest of the team, he'd have been all over the park trying to make something of it for us.

 

Another player held back by injury when his country needed him.

[ChezGiven]

Robson was great player but of that era you've got to give Hoddle great ackowledgement. Never did it properly on the international stage for whatever reasons. He was a different type of player to Robson though, a classy footballer with superb technique who struck the ball ridiculously well. Apparently Cruyf gave him his shirt after he took Feyernood apart in the UEFA cup. Robson was far more consistent though and a different type of player that appealed more to England fans at the time. Spurs fans would probably rank him as better though

[macbeth]

 

 

He's exactly what we needed in Russia, as opposed to the oh so overrated Stevie G, he would have rallied the troops, he would have grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck, he'd have been doing the job of the rest of the team, he'd have been all over the park trying to make something of it for us.

 

Another player held back by injury when his country needed him.

 

he was great, and lovable, but he ALWAYS seemed to be injured, partly because of the way he played. Not sure he was the best of his generation, although the mid 70s to mid 80s didn't have much competition.

 

Gerrard isn't over rated, he has got hsi club to major finals and the won finals for them. That is performing under pressure.

[Tooj]

 

 

He's exactly what we needed in Russia, as opposed to the oh so overrated Stevie G, he would have rallied the troops, he would have grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck, he'd have been doing the job of the rest of the team, he'd have been all over the park trying to make something of it for us.

 

Another player held back by injury when his country needed him.

 

he was great, and lovable, but he ALWAYS seemed to be injured, partly because of the way he played. Not sure he was the best of his generation, although the mid 70s to mid 80s didn't have much competition.

 

Gerrard isn't over rated, he has got hsi club to major finals and the won finals for them. That is performing under pressure.

 

Never done it for his country though when we've needed him.

[macbeth]

Robson was great player but of that era you've got to give Hoddle great ackowledgement. Never did it properly on the international stage for whatever reasons. He was a different type of player to Robson though, a classy footballer with superb technique who struck the ball ridiculously well. Apparently Cruyf gave him his shirt after he took Feyernood apart in the UEFA cup. Robson was far more consistent though and a different type of player that appealed more to England fans at the time. Spurs fans would probably rank him as better though

 

in 88 when Monaco played us in a friendly I was dying to see the young Gazza play against Hoddle, clearly the southern poofter wouldn't stand a chance. Hoddle took him apart, vision, control, awareness, everything. Gazza looekd like the kid he was. Gazza was ulitmately better, but not that night

 

 

[Cajun]

I can't help but think footballers along with lots of other famous people at the top of their chosen field are thought of a lot more highly years after they retired/died.

 

Not saying these players weren't very good just maybe not much better than current "over-rated" players.

 

Just a thought...

[Tooj]

I can't help but think footballers along with lots of other famous people at the top of their chosen field are thought of a lot more highly years after they retired/died.

 

Not saying these players weren't very good just maybe not much better than current "over-rated" players.

 

Just a thought...

 

Nah.

[Cajun]

I can't help but think footballers along with lots of other famous people at the top of their chosen field are thought of a lot more highly years after they retired/died.

 

Not saying these players weren't very good just maybe not much better than current "over-rated" players.

 

Just a thought...

 

Nah.

 

Just think no matter how good someone is they will struggle to be considered as good as the footballing "gods" like Pele and Maradona due to their reputations in the game.

[macbeth]

 

 

He's exactly what we needed in Russia, as opposed to the oh so overrated Stevie G, he would have rallied the troops, he would have grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck, he'd have been doing the job of the rest of the team, he'd have been all over the park trying to make something of it for us.

 

Another player held back by injury when his country needed him.

 

he was great, and lovable, but he ALWAYS seemed to be injured, partly because of the way he played. Not sure he was the best of his generation, although the mid 70s to mid 80s didn't have much competition.

 

Gerrard isn't over rated, he has got hsi club to major finals and the won finals for them. That is performing under pressure.

 

Never done it for his country though when we've needed him.

 

I'm not disagreeing, but it could be argued that Robson never really did it for his club, and his country never got any further than Gerrard's has. Reallly not sure there is much to choose. Probably Robson, although in 1984, when we failed to qualify for the Euro championships he was exactly the age Gerrard is now, so still plenty time for Gerrard to impress.

[Keefaz]

I'm starting to think this Green chap must be over-rated. You hear his name all the time as one of the greatest Newcastle players ever, but he played about the same number of matches as, say, Hugo Viana. Was he really that good? And what would've happened if he'd stayed injury-free?

[Tooj]

I can't help but think footballers along with lots of other famous people at the top of their chosen field are thought of a lot more highly years after they retired/died.

 

Not saying these players weren't very good just maybe not much better than current "over-rated" players.

 

Just a thought...

 

Nah.

 

Just think no matter how good someone is they will struggle to be considered as good as the footballing "gods" like Pele and Maradona due to their reputations in the game.

 

But Maradona managed to achieve Pele like status, so it is possible if you're good enough.

[Guest Pie]

Robson was great player but of that era you've got to give Hoddle great ackowledgement. Never did it properly on the international stage for whatever reasons. He was a different type of player to Robson though, a classy footballer with superb technique who struck the ball ridiculously well. Apparently Cruyf gave him his shirt after he took Feyernood apart in the UEFA cup. Robson was far more consistent though and a different type of player that appealed more to England fans at the time. Spurs fans would probably rank him as better though

 

in 88 when Monaco played us in a friendly I was dying to see the young Gazza play against Hoddle, clearly the southern poofter wouldn't stand a chance. Hoddle took him apart, vision, control, awareness, everything. Gazza looekd like the kid he was. Gazza was ulitmately better, but not that night

 

 

1987 Gazza played against Hoddle and embarrassed him at SJP. Gazza played him off the park in a very important game for us. Mind you Hoddle scored early on iirc. From that game on Gazza's form was the best I have seen from any player. There again he did it to most. I stood in the Kop when we got beat 4-0 and Gazza had a blinder. He played them on his own, people were drooling about him (over my back as I found out when I left the ever so friendly, loveable scouse shithole). Steve Williams at Arsenal was a force back then too and Gazza was in a different league to him.

[Incognito]

I know it hasn't been the easiest of rides over the years for us.

 

But at times I am quite gutted I'm only 22 and never got the chance to see the likes of Tony Green, Gazza during the 86/87 season (which me dad never shuts up about) Nattrass, Hibbett, Tommy Craig etc in their pomp for us.

 

It works both ways mate,you never saw Glen Keeley either.God if you thought Titus was bad!!!!!!!!!!

[ChezGiven]

Robson was great player but of that era you've got to give Hoddle great ackowledgement. Never did it properly on the international stage for whatever reasons. He was a different type of player to Robson though, a classy footballer with superb technique who struck the ball ridiculously well. Apparently Cruyf gave him his shirt after he took Feyernood apart in the UEFA cup. Robson was far more consistent though and a different type of player that appealed more to England fans at the time. Spurs fans would probably rank him as better though

 

in 88 when Monaco played us in a friendly I was dying to see the young Gazza play against Hoddle, clearly the southern poofter wouldn't stand a chance. Hoddle took him apart, vision, control, awareness, everything. Gazza looekd like the kid he was. Gazza was ulitmately better, but not that night

 

 

Similar players definitely.

[Incognito]

I know it hasn't been the easiest of rides over the years for us.

 

But at times I am quite gutted I'm only 22 and never got the chance to see the likes of Tony Green, Gazza during the 86/87 season (which me dad never shuts up about) Nattrass, Hibbett, Tommy Craig etc in their pomp for us.

 

 

Football in the days of standing terraces etc was better than now johnny, thats the main difference. It was great seeing those individual players, but believe me, supporting Newcastle now is watching a far better club than those days. You will grow up and talk about Shearer, Rob Lee, Ginola, Sir Les and the title challenge in 1996. People of my age never had anything like that.

 

It is less of a working mans game now, and so has suffered. Those players were players who were closer to the public than too many players now.

 

 

 

Hear hear,and that comes from a man who lives 250 odd miles awy from the team i've supported since i was 5,and watched them in the flesh twice a season if i was lucky

[Guest Pie]

I can't help but think footballers along with lots of other famous people at the top of their chosen field are thought of a lot more highly years after they retired/died.

 

Not saying these players weren't very good just maybe not much better than current "over-rated" players.

 

Just a thought...

 

Nah.

 

Just think no matter how good someone is they will struggle to be considered as good as the footballing "gods" like Pele and Maradona due to their reputations in the game.

 

But Maradona managed to achieve Pele like status, so it is possible if you're good enough.

Its hard to compare cos the game has changed. For most they would do it irrespective of the era. Gazza was that good, seriously. The games from March 1987 til he left were littered with outrageous skill, pace, power and shit finishing! Happily he got better on the latter! My dad always talks about Bobby Mitchell being his favourite player to thisday. His other favourite is Tony Green, I saw him apparently but more to do with indoctrination than being able to see who was doing what. No idea how good he was but I my dad hasnt been wrong very often on players.

Still think some players wouldnt do quite so well e.g. Jan Molby might get over-run due to lack of athleticism etc

Maradona was a freak, in a league of his own for me. Gullit and Mattheus were exceptional too though, just in a different way.

[macbeth]

I can't help but think footballers along with lots of other famous people at the top of their chosen field are thought of a lot more highly years after they retired/died.

 

Not saying these players weren't very good just maybe not much better than current "over-rated" players.

 

Just a thought...

 

unless you have some means of measuring you just have to accept that say Billy Wright getting 100+ caps in the 50s/60s has to be fantastic. Never saw him play, may not have fitted now, but he was clearly way ahead of his generation, in England.

 

In Germany, since the 80s their sports paper has rated all their players. So they look at the national team and try and judge how many are world class. World class means if you were picking a World XI then a German woudl be in it. So in 1990 when they won the World Cup, they took the view that only Brehme and Mattaus were truly World class. They then judged how many were interntaional class. Their definition od that was that the player woudl get in any interntional side, or be first choice for Germany. This brought in 3 or 4 more. They do this all the way down through their leagues, for each team. They are very hard in their judgements

 

If they did England now, then I'd guess there would be no English players inthe World XI. Players liek Owen and Rooney may get in the international class, and so on.

 

You can do this with clubs too.

 

How many of our players are international class ? So first choice for theri country ....  Owen, Rozenhal, Given, Emre, Viduka. This gts a bit blurred as how many woudl be in the Premeriship Team of the year ? Maybe Owen? How many are Premiership class, or first choice for us  ? Well clearly most of them get a game for us, but how many would be in our first XI, clearly only eleven of them, at the most.

 

How many of our cuyrrent side get in out own personal best Newcastle XI. For me none of them !!

[Incognito]

Robson was great player but of that era you've got to give Hoddle great ackowledgement. Never did it properly on the international stage for whatever reasons. He was a different type of player to Robson though, a classy footballer with superb technique who struck the ball ridiculously well. Apparently Cruyf gave him his shirt after he took Feyernood apart in the UEFA cup. Robson was far more consistent though and a different type of player that appealed more to England fans at the time. Spurs fans would probably rank him as better though

 

in 88 when Monaco played us in a friendly I was dying to see the young Gazza play against Hoddle, clearly the southern poofter wouldn't stand a chance. Hoddle took him apart, vision, control, awareness, everything. Gazza looekd like the kid he was. Gazza was ulitmately better, but not that night

 

 

Similar players definitely.

 

To be fair,Hoddle is the best i've seen in my lifetime in the flesh.Beckham couldn't lace his boots.What a passer of the ball,and as for dead ball situations.A great video to watch is BBC,s 101 Greatest Goals.Hoddle scores about 5.The one at Watford circa 1984 where he back heel turns and chips the keeper inside a crowded penalty area is the best i've ever seen.

[ChezGiven]

Robson was great player but of that era you've got to give Hoddle great ackowledgement. Never did it properly on the international stage for whatever reasons. He was a different type of player to Robson though, a classy footballer with superb technique who struck the ball ridiculously well. Apparently Cruyf gave him his shirt after he took Feyernood apart in the UEFA cup. Robson was far more consistent though and a different type of player that appealed more to England fans at the time. Spurs fans would probably rank him as better though

 

in 88 when Monaco played us in a friendly I was dying to see the young Gazza play against Hoddle, clearly the southern poofter wouldn't stand a chance. Hoddle took him apart, vision, control, awareness, everything. Gazza looekd like the kid he was. Gazza was ulitmately better, but not that night

 

 

Similar players definitely.

 

To be fair,Hoddle is the best i've seen in my lifetime in the flesh.Beckham couldn't lace his boots.What a passer of the ball,and as for dead ball situations.A great video to watch is BBC,s 101 Greatest Goals.Hoddle scores about 5.The one at Watford circa 1984 where he back heel turns and chips the keeper inside a crowded penalty area is the best i've ever seen.

 

I know the goal. Absolute quality.

[Keefaz]

I can't help but think footballers along with lots of other famous people at the top of their chosen field are thought of a lot more highly years after they retired/died.

 

Not saying these players weren't very good just maybe not much better than current "over-rated" players.

 

Just a thought...

 

unless you have some means of measuring you just have to accept that say Billy Wright getting 100+ caps in the 50s/60s has to be fantastic. Never saw him play, may not have fitted now, but he was clearly way ahead of his generation, in England.

 

In Germany, since the 80s their sports paper has rated all their players. So they look at the national team and try and judge how many are world class. World class means if you were picking a World XI then a German woudl be in it. So in 1990 when they won the World Cup, they took the view that only Brehme and Mattaus were truly World class. They then judged how many were interntaional class. Their definition od that was that the player woudl get in any interntional side, or be first choice for Germany. This brought in 3 or 4 more. They do this all the way down through their leagues, for each team. They are very hard in their judgements

 

If they did England now, then I'd guess there would be no English players inthe World XI. Players liek Owen and Rooney may get in the international class, and so on.

 

You can do this with clubs too.

 

How many of our players are international class ? So first choice for theri country ....  Owen, Rozenhal, Given, Emre, Viduka. This gts a bit blurred as how many woudl be in the Premeriship Team of the year ? Maybe Owen? How many are Premiership class, or first choice for us  ? Well clearly most of them get a game for us, but how many would be in our first XI, clearly only eleven of them, at the most.

 

How many of our cuyrrent side get in out own personal best Newcastle XI. For me none of them !!

 

Are you saying England had more 'world class' players in the 70s/80s than now?

[NE5]

I'm starting to think this Green chap must be over-rated. You hear his name all the time as one of the greatest Newcastle players ever, but he played about the same number of matches as, say, Hugo Viana. Was he really that good? And what would've happened if he'd stayed injury-free?

 

used to think you were ok mate, but that is the saddest thing I've saw in ages

 

 

[NE5]

Robson was great player but of that era you've got to give Hoddle great ackowledgement. Never did it properly on the international stage for whatever reasons. He was a different type of player to Robson though, a classy footballer with superb technique who struck the ball ridiculously well. Apparently Cruyf gave him his shirt after he took Feyernood apart in the UEFA cup. Robson was far more consistent though and a different type of player that appealed more to England fans at the time. Spurs fans would probably rank him as better though

 

in 88 when Monaco played us in a friendly I was dying to see the young Gazza play against Hoddle, clearly the southern poofter wouldn't stand a chance. Hoddle took him apart, vision, control, awareness, everything. Gazza looekd like the kid he was. Gazza was ulitmately better, but not that night

 

 

1987 Gazza played against Hoddle and embarrassed him at SJP. Gazza played him off the park in a very important game for us. Mind you Hoddle scored early on iirc. From that game on Gazza's form was the best I have seen from any player. There again he did it to most. I stood in the Kop when we got beat 4-0 and Gazza had a blinder. He played them on his own, people were drooling about him (over my back as I found out when I left the ever so friendly, loveable scouse shithole). Steve Williams at Arsenal was a force back then too and Gazza was in a different league to him.

 

He may have been a kid in fact he was.

 

I also saw Gazza play in the Youth cup final at Watford in 1895 and he dominatee the whole game.

 

IMO Hoddle was a poser with talent, but Gazza imposed himself on games

 

 

[Mick]

 

He may have been a kid in fact he was.

 

I also saw Gazza play in the Youth cup final at Watford in 1895 and he dominatee the whole game.

 

IMO Hoddle was a poser with talent, but Gazza imposed himself on games

 

 

 

Old bastard. 

[Incognito]

Robson was great player but of that era you've got to give Hoddle great ackowledgement. Never did it properly on the international stage for whatever reasons. He was a different type of player to Robson though, a classy footballer with superb technique who struck the ball ridiculously well. Apparently Cruyf gave him his shirt after he took Feyernood apart in the UEFA cup. Robson was far more consistent though and a different type of player that appealed more to England fans at the time. Spurs fans would probably rank him as better though

 

in 88 when Monaco played us in a friendly I was dying to see the young Gazza play against Hoddle, clearly the southern poofter wouldn't stand a chance. Hoddle took him apart, vision, control, awareness, everything. Gazza looekd like the kid he was. Gazza was ulitmately better, but not that night

 

 

1987 Gazza played against Hoddle and embarrassed him at SJP. Gazza played him off the park in a very important game for us. Mind you Hoddle scored early on iirc. From that game on Gazza's form was the best I have seen from any player. There again he did it to most. I stood in the Kop when we got beat 4-0 and Gazza had a blinder. He played them on his own, people were drooling about him (over my back as I found out when I left the ever so friendly, loveable scouse shithole). Steve Williams at Arsenal was a force back then too and Gazza was in a different league to him.

 

He may have been a kid in fact he was.

 

I also saw Gazza play in the Youth cup final at Watford in 1895 and he dominatee the whole game.

 

IMO Hoddle was a poser with talent, but Gazza imposed himself on games

 

 

 

I dont think you can compare the two-Hoddle was clearly a better passer of the ball,whereas Gazza could beat players with a trick.Both were superb set piece takers though.