Best opposition player seen at hall ?

[Ailsa Road Shrimper]

I remember Simon Sturridge scoring a hat-trick for Stoke City against us in the mid 90’s. The only time I can recall an opposition player being awarded the sponsor’s man of the match award.

 

[WestyReturns]

Jay Emmanuelle-Thomas single handedly destroyed us a few years ago. What a waste of talent he was/is.

 

[LCBB72]

13th August 1977 King Billy Best playing for Northampton Town in the League Cup , has to be the greatest player to ever grace Roots Hall .

 

[RobQ]

Strangely enough I started this week by writing on a post it note the best XI of opposition players I'd seen at the Hall. It quickly turned into a full match day squad (7 subs not 5) and realised the squad included England's two most capped players Shilton & Rooney. Plus 2 other 100+ cappers in Ashley Cole & Lampard. In addition 3 of the top 4 England goalscorers in Rooney, Lineker and Jimmy Greaves plus a Heavyweight World Champion in Frank Bruno (Greavesy's strike partner on the day - played in white trainers and kept falling over! Will add Frank just missed out to Bergkamp in my squad!).

If we are going for lesser known players but very memorable performances I'd add Lloyd Owusu for Brentford another player who always seemed to score goals against us. Also another very memorable Brentford performance was Keith Jones in the Leyland Daf Southern Semi Final in 1991. We had smashed a few teams on our way to this match, and just remember Jonesy absolutely bossed the game from midfield. Enough so that we signed him the next season! Those were the days.....

 

[LCBB72]

Sean Thornton, opening day of 07/08. Lazy, alcoholic waste of talent for the most part, but he always showed up for the important games. Absolutely magic that day.

Wasnt he in The Quite Man film .

 

[RobQ]

Wasnt he in The Quite Man film .

Yes Trooper Thornton. Woman of the house where's me tea. Classic. My favourite John Wayne film, but don't tell me dad!

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

Question?
Reading some of these replies is the Q related to just seen, as in appeared but best by repute and fame? Or best by performing on the turf, on the day, as the two are slightly at odds.
No one, certainly not me, could argue that any player was better than Ronaldo but his show at The Hall was unimpressive?

 

[Ricky Otto]

Question?
Reading some of these replies is the Q related to just seen, as in appeared but best by repute and fame? Or best by performing on the turf, on the day, as the two are slightly at odds.
No one, certainly not me, could argue that any player was better than Ronaldo but his show at The Hall was unimpressive?

Yep best player has to be CR7 but best performance I can think of is Adam Lallana

 

[Dave Smiths Love Child]

I enjoyed Paulo Wanchope ,when he played for Derby against us in the league cup, and scored a great goal in front of the North Bank

 

[archibald]

Kinkladze

 

[Texas Eslan]

Peter Beardsley for Hartlepool on what I think was the last day of the season 1999. Movement and passing were so good and would have been better suited at a higher level still.

 

[LennySUFC]

I always remember David Nugent for Preston - pretty sure he bagged a hat-trick against us in that game and was linked with moves to the Prem.

 

[stewart]

I think history has proved it has to to C RONALDO.

 

[stewart]

Ronaldo , but Jimmy Greaves ,Moore ,beckham once visited the Hall

 

[LBBlue]

The best goalkeeper was Peter Bonetti who kept out everything in the 1972 league cup tie.

The best goal scored was by Gerry Francis in 1983 when he was player manager for Exeter City. Everyone in the massive crowd of 2342 stood and applauded.

The best 16 year old would be Gareth Bale.

The best 11 would be Liverpool in 1979.

The best troubled genius would be George Best.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Another vote for Lee Trundle, always an absolute gent and took banter in good part too.

Best one away, then I think those who saw the yoofies play at Liverpool might remember a certain Raheem Sterling absolutely ripping them a new one and demolishing them singlehandedly in a cup tie some years back.

 

[Angell Delight]

Hard to choose one, there have been so many. Remember a young Theo Walcott at Southampton who was outstanding in a cup game against us. As others have said Lee Trundle, what a player and what a talent.

We’ve had THAT United game and the Chelsea game where Ballack put manners on us after Barrett put us ahead.

I also remember Szezceny playing on loan for Brentford and he was outstanding before he went off injured.

For me personally though I remember a player at Doncaster who absolutely destroyed us and I remember sitting in awe of his display against us and I thought he would have an outstanding career at the top level, he did not. The player was Lewis Guy.

But when you can compare him to some of the players we’ve had like Ballack, Ronaldo, Rooney etc hes nothing.

Think you mean Nathan Dyer, Walcott was an unused sub that night. I don’t think he’s ever played against us but Dyer was mustard that night.

BBC SPORT | Football | League Cup | Southend 0-3 Southampton

news.bbc.co.uk

For me I’d say Kinkladze, Bergkamp, Ronaldo, Lampard and Ballack were the high-profile standouts (with honourable mentions to Trundle and Lallana).

 

[Ricey]

Think you mean Nathan Dyer, Walcott was an unused sub that night. I don’t think he’s ever played against us but Dyer was mustard that night.

BBC SPORT | Football | League Cup | Southend 0-3 Southampton

news.bbc.co.uk

For me I’d say Kinkladze, Bergkamp, Ronaldo, Lampard and Ballack were the high-profile standouts (with honourable mentions to Trundle and Lallana).

I swear I’ve seen Walcott play at Roots Hall for Southampton.

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

I swear I’ve seen Walcott play at Roots Hall for Southampton.

I don’t think so mate. He was an unused sub in the cup game mentioned above. When we played them in the league after that he was already at Arsenal. Prior to that game we are going back to mid 90s.

 

[sufcrocks]

Jamie Cureton, he severely embarrassed us!