Our best defensive and strike partnerships

[Sleaford Shrimper]

Phil Brown's comment in his Echo interview after the Peterborough match that he had stuck with Cox and Fortune up front because they have developed such a good mutual understanding set me thinking about great partnership pairings in attack and in central defence that I have seen over the course of my 50 years watching professional football at all levels of the game. In the top division I can think, off the top of my head, of Alan Gilzean and Jimmy Greaves up front at Spurs, Malcolm Macdonald and John Tudor up front at Newcastle and Jack Charlton and Norman Hunter at the back for Leeds.

What would you regard as the most effective Southend United central defensive and strike partnerships that you have seen over the years?

I'll set the ball rolling with Gary Moore and Billy Best up front and Pat Scully and Spencer Prior at the back.

 

[blake]

Phil Brown's comment in his Echo interview after the Peterborough match that he had stuck with Cox and Fortune up front because they have developed such a good mutual understanding set me thinking about great partnership pairings in attack and in central defence that I have seen over the course of my 50 years watching professional football at all levels of the game. In the top division I can think, off the top of my head, of Alan Gilzean and Jimmy Greaves up front at Spurs, Malcolm Macdonald and John Tudor up front at Newcastle and Jack Charlton and Norman Hunter at the back for Leeds.

What would you regard as the most effective Southend United central defensive and strike partnerships that you have seen over the years?

I'll set the ball rolling with Gary Moore and Billy Best up front and Pat Scully and Spencer Prior at the back.

Agreed with Sammy McCrory and Kevin Baron up front close behind.

 

[Barling Magna]

Here's a couple of leftfield ones for other teams: Ted McDougall and Phil Bowyer for Bournemouth, and Ray Houghton and John Aldridge for Oxford.

For us I'd say Billy Best and Bill Garner, with Moore, Peter Taylor and Terry Johnson in a five man forward line.

 

[MK Shrimper]

Freddy & Goater.

 

[blake]

I should have added Roy Hollis to my suggestion of Kevin Baron and Sammy McCrory. How could I have forgotten him?

 

[Clinton Baptiste]

Rawle and Bramble

 

[Magnum PI]

Conlon and Tolson

 

[Napster]

Angell and Collymore

 

[Napster]

Rawle and Bramble

They could have worked better if Webb hadn't played them on the wings. Tes could have done so much better than he did.

 

[LennySUFC]

Waide Farehurst and Matt Paterson for me

 

[MK Shrimper]

Waide Farehurst and Matt Paterson for me

Get out and leave your membership card at the door. :angry:

 

[jaffa1]

Freddy & Goater.

Agreed, and I can't think of any defensive pairing who played better than Ferdinand and Thompson are at present.....

 

[Shrimper Neil]

Prior and Scully took some beating but Ferdinand and Thompson are on the way to that level. Thompson's improvement playing alongside Anton has been incredible.

Forward pairings is a tough one. I used to think Eastwood and Gray were a perfect pairing at that time. Wayne Gray was prepared to do all the running for Freddie, leaving him to smash in 50 odd goals in two seasons (not forgetting Goaters contribution as well)

 

[Shrimper Neil]

Slowest front two that I have ever seen was McDonough and Benjamin. For some reason I went and watched Chelmsford City at their old ground (mid 90's) and these two were the strike pairing!!

 

[Zeuss]

I should have added Roy Hollis to my suggestion of Kevin Baron and Sammy McCrory. How could I have forgotten him?

How? Because your memory must be failing you.Baron was the "schemer",he played some way behind the goal scorers,Hollis and McCrory.They get my vote as best pairing and at the back it has to be Neil Townsend and Alan Moody

 

[Zeuss]

Angell and Collymore

v WHU and Sheff. W. stick in the memory but they didn't play many games together cos Angell was out injures.Stan had to play alongside a feeble youngster called Steve Brown.

 

[Leoblue]

Funny enough I just started a new thread about our squad. I struggle to remember when we had a better strike force as we have and as for the centre backs, I'm struggling with that one too. We have depth all over the place.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

Benji and Angell
Prior and Scully

 

[Leoblue]

Benji and Angell
Prior and Scully

They're the only two partnerships that I can compare our current ones too.

 

[RobM]

Maybe not the best but a favourite;
Dave Cusack and Alan Moody.