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Best Ever XI, revisited

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3 hours ago, Newtopia said:

Gunn, Aarons, Bruce, Watson, Bertrand, Fox, Maddison, Townsend, Huckerby, Sutton, Pukki - subs Bellamy, Eadie, Polston, Hoolahan and Gordon. Now that team would compete, perhaps not my favourite XI - but i think the best I saw in Norwich shirts

Buendia is allowed to be included.

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17 minutes ago, Midlands Yellow said:

Buendia is allowed to be included.

I guess it is down to opinions, once i choose a 4 4 2 formation Buendia lost out.   There are lots of other personal favourites missing Crook, Fleck, O’Neill, Phelan, Ashton, Drinkell, Fashanu, Van Wijk, Linighan, Culverhouse, Bowen, Barham, Drury..... and Buendia  My favourite 11 would be different.

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On this sorta subject I would say we are lucky to have three outstanding players here at the same time -

Outstanding goalkeeper - Krul
Outstanding goalscorer - Pukki
Outstanding footballer - Buendia

In their positions (and in general for Buendia) you don't see many better players in a Norwich shirt.

 

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59 minutes ago, Newtopia said:

I guess it is down to opinions, once i choose a 4 4 2 formation Buendia lost out.   There are lots of other personal favourites missing Crook, Fleck, O’Neill, Phelan, Ashton, Drinkell, Fashanu, Van Wijk, Linighan, Culverhouse, Bowen, Barham, Drury..... and Buendia  My favourite 11 would be different.

He must improve!!

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11 hours ago, Newtopia said:

I loved Bowen most, I just thought Bertrand was the best left back I saw play for us.  At the time I thought he would go on play for England, he was as good going forward, good with his feet, a solid defender, and left footed.  

Yes, a good player as you say. When we are picking an all time side, it's always going to be small margins

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Chippy all day over Wes for me. Ashton did not play enough matches to really be in contention. Striker is probably the hardest choice, Davies, Sutton, SuperMac, Holt, Roberts, Pukki, Flecky, Drinkell, Deehan, the list goes on. Being old enough to have seen him play, I must go for Ron Davies.

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On 07/01/2021 at 10:11, AJ said:

According to Wikipedia, in 2008, supporters cast votes to determine the greatest ever Norwich City team.

Kevin Keelan (1963–80)
Ian Culverhouse (1985–94)
Steve Bruce (1984–87)
Duncan Forbes (1968–81)
Mark Bowen (1987–96)
Darren Huckerby (2003–08)
Ian Crook (1986–97)
Martin Peters (1975–80)
Darren Eadie (1993–99)
Chris Sutton (1991–94)
Iwan Roberts (1997–2004)

Just out of interest, and to defeat some lockdown boredom, now another decade of football and plenty of players have come and gone, who from this list would still make your side? And who would you consider better than those on the list?

Holt over Roberts? Hoolahan over Ian Crook?

It is a strange fact that four of that team came to us from Spurs. Peters, Culverhouse, Bowen and Crook.

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These things are always tricky. Do you pick the supremely talented player who gave us one season then moved on, but reached high levels with other clubs, or the stalwart who was never a world beater but gave us a decade?

Holt and Hoolahan would always be in my XI

What surprises me is that Danny Mills is never considered in any of these lists. Objectively he proabably achieved more than any right-back we've ever had in his career. Unfortunately his attitude with regard to the club means he cant really be considered

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On 08/01/2021 at 08:36, Crabbycanary3 said:

Yes, a good player as you say. When we are picking an all time side, it's always going to be small margins

Never that impressed with Bertrand. For me Martin Olsson was superior. Bowen was class

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On 07/01/2021 at 21:56, Midlands Yellow said:

As Norwich legends I’m a little reserved but on pure ability Ashton or Sutton must come near. 

Ashton had everything except blistering pace. If not for a tackle by Shaun Wright-Phillips of all players, I firmly believe he would have been the player to most closely resemble Alan Shearer that had emerged since. Such a shame for him

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'Ashton had everything except blistering pace. If not for a tackle by Shaun Wright-Phillips of all players, I firmly believe he would have been the player to most closely resemble Alan Shearer that had emerged since. Such a shame for him'

I agree with this word for word. I saw what was his last away game (possibly last game?) for us at Plymouth Argyle. Sadly he did himself no favours in my eyes as he was very overweight, very unfit & clearly not speaking to the manager (or many of his colleagues) by then. For such an obviously talented player I felt he really let himself down at the end with us & wondered if this attitude would have gone on to blight an England career had injury not caused his early retirement.

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Bowen was - easily - our best left back. I cannot understand anyone even considering anyone else! Honourable mention to Drury but its not even close really.

Iwan was a legend for us but in terms of ability, I don't think he was anywhere near Sutton or Ashton or Bellamy.

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On 07/01/2021 at 10:11, AJ said:

According to Wikipedia, in 2008, supporters cast votes to determine the greatest ever Norwich City team.

Kevin Keelan (1963–80)
Ian Culverhouse (1985–94)
Steve Bruce (1984–87)
Duncan Forbes (1968–81)
Mark Bowen (1987–96)
Darren Huckerby (2003–08)
Ian Crook (1986–97)
Martin Peters (1975–80)
Darren Eadie (1993–99)
Chris Sutton (1991–94)
Iwan Roberts (1997–2004)

Just out of interest, and to defeat some lockdown boredom, now another decade of football and plenty of players have come and gone, who from this list would still make your side? And who would you consider better than those on the list?

Holt over Roberts? Hoolahan over Ian Crook?

I would sub Eadie for Ruel Fox. We’d have two left wingers otherwise. 

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Not many shouts for Wes and quite a few dropping Crook 😞

I first started supporting the team in 92ish so can't really comment on Bruce, Peters etc. Controversially picking Gary Holt but in his pomp was everything good about Norwich City and frees up Crook to just play (yes I have thought about this too much).

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As some on here have remarked, it is virtually impossible to pick a best ever 11.

Having followed City since 1979 I have probably seen more players than the majority on this forum. Yes, I am aware that there are posters who go back a lot further than me & it must be far more difficult for them to choose a best 11 than for me.

The more players seen, the more difficult to select a best team becomes so I will not even try. However, there are two players who have received the briefest of passing mentions in earlier posts that I would have to give very serious consideration to. Martin O'Neill & John Deehan.

Both were technically gifted players with the ability to turn a game on their own at their best &, on their not so good days, still able to receive, hold & distribute the ball effectively, even under pressure. Don't recall either of them having a real howler.

O'Neill caught the eye with great close control & the ability to go past opponents with seemingly little  effort whilst Deehan was less 'flashy' but able to conjure up chances for himself, & teammates, out of nothing. The fact that he also scored one or two goals was also useful as well!

Didn't start following City until my mid 20's, when my company moved me to Norwich, so I had really grown out of the 'favourite' player stage by then. However the nearest I ever had to a favourite was Grant Holt. Apart from his obvious footballing skills, it was his sheer, relentless determination to put the ball in the net that made him stand out for me. Never saw him give less than 100%.

A Liverpool supporting friend took me to Anfield in 2011 & in the first half Suarez was running riot. He didn't score that day but nearly destroyed the goal posts & bar because he hit them so often. He didn't stop running. At the other end Holty matched him stride for stride. Unfortunately he did not have the ball most of the time but he never stopped chasing what was looking a lost cause. He did not stop running after half time either & got the goal he so obviously wanted, coming from nowhere, with a bullet like header when surrounded by two Liverpool defenders & their goalkeeper. They all looked at each other, wondering where on earth he had come from! 

So Holt & O'Neill would be in my best ever 11 & possibly Deehan. The other 8 would be even more difficult to choose!

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