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Ferdinand - Just how good was he?


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Just been on a memory lane session on youtube, videos of Keegan, Entertainers, Shearer and Ferdinand. Think the Shearer and Ferdy videos are taken from the Number 9's DVD. Anyway, just how good was Sir Les? He didnt score many bad goals, and some of them were absolute beauties, every bit as good as Shearers. 41 goals for the toon in just 68 appearances, shows just how badly the PLC affected the club, having to sell him.

 

Another thing i noticed, Beardsley and mainly Gillespie are mostly the supply line for both Ferdinand and Shearer in those days, not so much Ginola. I know the Frenchman scored goals too, but I'd be interested to see the stats for goals/assists in those years of both Ginola and Gillespie. Personally i always prefered Gillespie, and IIRC correctly Ginola was often the one left out when Kegan didnt wonna go with both wingers? (Could be wrong)

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I had a lively debate with my mate the other week with regards to the quality of Sir Les. I claimed that Ferdinand in his prime was better than Shearer in his prime, but Shearers prime lasted 5/6 years while Ferdinands lasted only the two years he was with us.

 

For me, Ferdinand was a sensation. He had everything. Pace, power, workrate, great finishing off both feet, great movement, and above all he was sensational in the air. Probably my favourite Newcastle player ever.

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He was good. Couldn't kick Shearer's arse though. Drogba is better but probably a fairer indication of what Les was capable of. Top bloke and top player but certainly nowhere near Shearer. His touch and control weren't the best but he was a pure athlete. Obviously a very good header of the ball too.

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a 1996/97 home top with Ferdinand 10 on is the seat cover for the seat on which I'm currently sat.  He was my idol as a bairn.

 

Thanks for that one WBCP, never thought I realised what a seat cover was used on.  O0

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We had some canny forwards around that time at National Level like, Shearer was a cut above everyone else mind, but we had the likes of Sir Les, Sheringham, Ian Wright, Fowler, all of them were top class man. I'd love us to have the strength in depth up top now.

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He was quality, i wonder how much our old Keegan years team would be worth these days with all the crazy prices for players. People are comparing Sir Les to Drogba who is worth around 25 m now i guess, Shearer at his best? 40+m?

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i hate freddie shepard, or the PLC or whatever, for demanding the sale of him.

 

 

With him and Shearer a few more years we would have won something. ( hihi )

 

interesting you say "freddie shepard". Why is this ? Do you blame him when it rains, or are you prepared to accept the fact that as a minor shareholder at the time, the decision to go PLC rested with the major shareholders ie the Halls, and therefore they are the ones responsible for going PLC, losing Keegan and selling Ferdinand ?

 

 

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i hate freddie shepard, or the PLC or whatever, for demanding the sale of him.

 

 

With him and Shearer a few more years we would have won something. ( hihi )

 

interesting you say "freddie shepard". Why is this ? Do you blame him when it rains, or are you prepared to accept the fact that as a minor shareholder at the time, the decision to go PLC rested with the major shareholders ie the Halls, and therefore they are the ones responsible for going PLC, losing Keegan and selling Ferdinand ?

 

 

 

What did you make of Wor Les, gaffer?

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He was quality, i wonder how much our old Keegan years team would be worth these days with all the crazy prices for players. People are comparing Sir Les to Drogba who is worth around 25 m now i guess, Shearer at his best? 40+m?

Good point!

 

At their peak you'd be talking £40m for Shearer, £30m for Ferdinand, £20m for Gillespie, £15m for Lee, £15m for Batty, £22m for Ginola, 500k for Barton, £5m for Albert, 650k for Beresford, 400k for Peacock and £3m for Srnicek.

 

Shit that was a good team. Wish to fuck we'd got the likes of Colin Hendry and Tim Flowers here as well. (IIRC they were always being rumoured as well as Pallister)

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Guest LucaAltieri

He was quality, i wonder how much our old Keegan years team would be worth these days with all the crazy prices for players. People are comparing Sir Les to Drogba who is worth around 25 m now i guess, Shearer at his best? 40+m?

Good point!

 

At their peak you'd be talking £40m for Shearer, £30m for Ferdinand, £20m for Gillespie, £15m for Lee, £15m for Batty, £22m for Ginola, 500k for Barton, £5m for Albert, 650k for Beresford, 400k for Peacock and £3m for Srnicek.

 

Shit that was a good team. Wish to fuck we'd got the likes of Colin Hendry and Tim Flowers here as well. (IIRC they were always being rumoured as well as Pallister)

 

No way. £6-7m tops for Batty.

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The PLC had nothing to do with losing Ferdinand, the board felt £6 million for a player of his age was too good to turn down, that and Dalglish wanted to partner Shearer with JDT. After Shearer got injured they asked Ferdinand to stay but he'd already given his word to Spurs and wouldn't go back on it. Keegan left because he felt he couldn't motivate the players anymore didn't think he could move the club to the next level, he says this in his book.

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i hate freddie shepard, or the PLC or whatever, for demanding the sale of him.

 

 

With him and Shearer a few more years we would have won something. ( hihi )

 

interesting you say "freddie shepard". Why is this ? Do you blame him when it rains, or are you prepared to accept the fact that as a minor shareholder at the time, the decision to go PLC rested with the major shareholders ie the Halls, and therefore they are the ones responsible for going PLC, losing Keegan and selling Ferdinand ?

 

 

 

What did you make of Wor Les, gaffer?

 

We have spent years stumbling around from manager to manager, trying to find someone who could do what Keegan did, and finish the job off. It would be brilliant if we signed todays equivalent of Les Ferdinand, especially a young version of him.

 

Simple fact is that some of the managers looked more than capable on paper, of delivering success, especially Dalglish, Gullit and Robson. Only one of those came close to matching Keegan. The other two were both 90 minutes from winning the FA Cup. Its hardly shit, but based on league position they were nowhere near the Keegan team. The board did well to attract these managers, however, and to back them. Maybe Dalglish should have had more time.

 

I don't understand how the Halls get away scot free with criticism. Sir John Hall was persuaded by Fletcher, Hall Jnr and Shepherd to appoint Keegan. The majority shareholders ie the Halls , decided to float the club on the Stock exchange which led to us losing Keegan, yet people harp on about Sir John Hall being so great and knock Shepherd. Fact is, the club has never been the same since Keegan left, and the people who decided to float the club are to blame for losing him. I think that Sir John Hall has been the luckiest bastard alive to have Keegan thrown on him by others, and get all the credit, then escape the blame for losing him too.

 

Now we are back into private ownership, we have our manager back. This tells you everything.

 

 

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The PLC had nothing to do with losing Ferdinand, the board felt £6 million for a player of his age was too good to turn down, that and Dalglish wanted to partner Shearer with JDT. After Shearer got injured they asked Ferdinand to stay but he'd already given his word to Spurs and wouldn't go back on it. Keegan left because he felt he couldn't motivate the players anymore didn't think he could move the club to the next level, he says this in his book.

 

whatever.

 

He also says in his book he wasn't happy with the direction the club was taking. He said exactly the same thing in his press conference this week. He also says in his book that Everton wanted to buy Les Ferdinand for 6m quid and they wanted to take the money to lift the flotation price, which he resisted. Who was the first major player sold by Dalglish ?

 

Yes. You guessed it.

 

You said last night you didn't want to get into a discussion with me. As I said, if you mean it, don't.

 

At the end of the day, I'll blow you away as a know nothing anyway. So it may be for the best if you do stop disputing me, like you said you would.

 

 

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