Can you enjoy/like a player from a rival team?

[* ORM *]

The other plus with Akinfenwa is that he took all the stick he was given with a big smile on his face. I admired Barrett at Bristol Rovers. It amazed me how someone so poor could get a professional contract. I knew then that no other club would ever offer him a contract. I know he dreamed as a lad of captaining his local club. Shame that would never happen.

 

[OldBlueLady]

The other plus with Akinfenwa is that he took all the stick he was given with a big smile on his face.

Bas Savage does that too, doesn't mean I like him! Actually, don't like him at all but I do admire the way Lee Hughes answers all the abuse he gets from the stands with a pretty good performance on the pitch.

 

[Firestorm]

Boyer and MacDougall at Bournemouth

Bannister and Warboys at Bristol Rovers (Smash and Grab)

I would love to have had them in the side at the time

I remember a couple of youngsters I saw who looked a bit lively too, One lad for Scunthorpe , listed in the programme as Kevin Geegan was very useful, as was a kid up front for Chester, Ian Rush

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

but I do admire the way Lee Hughes answers all the abuse he gets from the stands with a pretty good performance on the pitch.

I find your support of this killer rather unpalatable Kay :thumbdown:

 

[Ricky Otto]

I remember once going to Layer Rd with a QPR mate hoping to see Col Ewe get thumped in the LDV/Autowindscreens or whatever it was. What I actually saw was Lomana Lua Lua take QPR apart single handedly, couldn't help but admire him, didn't do it publicly til he moved though.

 

[Beefy]

Certainly Trundle and Akinfenwa, if Swansea count. Just looking at Colchester and Orient I can't think of too many. I did think that Iwelumo was a lot better than he was given credit for on here (when he was grouped in with Jon Parkin and Grant Holt as donkeys who would never do anything in the game) and quite rated Matt Lockwood, or at least his set-pieces.

 

[canveyshrimper]

Certainly Trundle and Akinfenwa, if Swansea count. Just looking at Colchester and Orient I can't think of too many. I did think that Iwelumo was a lot better than he was given credit for on here (when he was grouped in with Jon Parkin and Grant Holt as donkeys who would never do anything in the game) and quite rated Matt Lockwood, or at least his set-pieces.

I always liked Jamie Cureton once of Col Ewe and now of the Ooze. It pains me to say the hat trick he scored at Roots Hall in the Championship was top class.

 

[Beefy]

Yeah, I've liked Cureton at his various clubs down the years and his 20 goals in the Championship was a great achievement.

 

[South Bank Hank]

I thought Fat Frank just oozed class against us at Stamford Bridge. While I love Southend the way the rest of you love Southend and for the same reasons, it did make me a little envious of those who support Prem clubs, especially if it's their local team, when they get to watch talent like that week in week out.

 

[OldBlueLady]

I find your support of this killer rather unpalatable Kay :thumbdown:

Don't quote me selectively and say you don't approve Lee, I said "Actually, I don't like him at all but I do admire etc..." so I clearly said I DON'T like him!

 

[loz]

i had a grudging respect for Sean Thornton for a while, vile when he was playing against us but probably would have liked him if he was in our team (i imagine opposition fans often felt something similar about Gutts/Bailey, who were in a similar mouthy centre-mid mould)...

 

[Matt the Shrimp]

Another vote for Trundle, and good shout for Beefy with Grant Holt - I always thought he was a class act, and was amazed that it took so long to prise him away from Rochdale. Another shout would be David Graham in his Torquay days - I remember him taking us apart at the Hall a few years ago, on a day that the Gulls got promoted, and thought he was real quality. Keiren Westwood, the Carlisle keeper a few years ago (now at Sunderland, it seems), fairly knocked my socks off as well.

One player whom I detested but secretly admired was Marco Gabbiadini. Dirty, dirty northern b@stard... but he was bloody good. I've not seen many better at holding the ball up, and he also knew where the back of the net was; a player whom I often coveted for the mighty SUFC when he was at Darlo.

 

[loz]

good shout, I had Gabbiadini in with Luke Rodgers in the 'annoyingly good northern strikers category'. However i also remember being highly impressed with a certain B. Paynter when Vale early on back in League One.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Just thought of another, someone who I always felt played well against us and was secretly quite pleased when he made it into the Prem with Blackpool - Gary Taylor-Fletcher. I remember the Lincoln team at the time he was there all seeming like they'd been standing in grow bags, and he used his height pretty well.

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

Don't quote me selectively and say you don't approve Lee, I said "Actually, I don't like him at all but I do admire etc..." so I clearly said I DON'T like him!

its not the first time you've publicly defended him though mate, the McCormick thread was another :peace:

 

[discord]

Trundle was a good player to watch, but as with Granty etc annoying players like Thornton are memorable too even if its because of how they went down like a sack of spuds, but for me the player who seems to always score at the Hall and repeatedly is Phil Jevons Yeovil 0-1 stopped us getting autos for that goal, magnificent free kick we all knew he was gonna score 4-1 which was a win (Freddie and team were on fire that game) and Morecombe & Wise the other week (still he got pay back from granty :whistling:)

 

[OldBlueLady]

its not the first time you've publicly defended him though mate, the McCormick thread was another :peace:

I think, but I may be wrong, that I said something similar there though. I can't help but admire the way he's applied himself since the conviction, in that the best way to answer detractors in any walk of life is to go out and prove them wrong. That's exactly what he does.

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

I think, but I may be wrong, that I said something similar there though. I can't help but admire the way he's applied himself since the conviction, in that the best way to answer detractors in any walk of life is to go out and prove them wrong. That's exactly what he does.

You just did it again :scared: :hilarious:

 

[OldBlueLady]

You just did it again :scared: :hilarious:

But isn't that what the thread is about? Players you can't help having a sneaking admiration for?!!!

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

But isn't that what the thread is about? Players you can't help having a sneaking admiration for?!!!

Valid point :stupidme: :blush: