• Welcome to the ShrimperZone forums.
    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which only gives you limited access.

    Existing Users:.
    Please log-in using your existing username and password. If you have any problems, please see below.

    New Users:
    Join our free community now and gain access to post topics, communicate privately with other members, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and free. Click here to join.

    Fans from other clubs
    We welcome and appreciate supporters from other clubs who wish to engage in sensible discussion. Please feel free to join as above but understand that this is a moderated site and those who cannot play nicely will be quickly removed.

    Assistance Required
    For help with the registration process or accessing your account, please send a note using the Contact us link in the footer, please include your account name. We can then provide you with a new password and verification to get you on the site.

Memory Lane The modern formation - which ex-players fit best?

Napster

No ⭐
Joined
Oct 27, 2003
Messages
37,928
Location
The wilds of Kent
With the current modern formation, who out of our former players would have suited the current system?

Goalkeeper - needs someone who can play out from the back
Three centre-backs - all of whom comfortable with the ball, and hitting crossfield balls. Also, need a left-footed CB.
Wing-backs- need to be fit, defensive, and cross the ball
Centre midfielders - need to dictate the play, cover a lot of the pitch, and link defence and attack.
Forwards - need to be mobile, technically-gifted

Would Otto be a suitable wing-back? Would Prior fit into a back three? Would Sammy be any good with the ball at his feet?
 
With the current modern formation, who out of our former players would have suited the current system?

Goalkeeper - needs someone who can play out from the back
Three centre-backs - all of whom comfortable with the ball, and hitting crossfield balls. Also, need a left-footed CB.
Wing-backs- need to be fit, defensive, and cross the ball
Centre midfielders - need to dictate the play, cover a lot of the pitch, and link defence and attack.
Forwards - need to be mobile, technically-gifted

Would Otto be a suitable wing-back? Would Prior fit into a back three? Would Sammy be any good with the ball at his feet?
you have too much time on your hands mate
 
With the current modern formation, who out of our former players would have suited the current system?

Goalkeeper - needs someone who can play out from the back
Three centre-backs - all of whom comfortable with the ball, and hitting crossfield balls. Also, need a left-footed CB.
Wing-backs- need to be fit, defensive, and cross the ball
Centre midfielders - need to dictate the play, cover a lot of the pitch, and link defence and attack.
Forwards - need to be mobile, technically-gifted

Would Otto be a suitable wing-back? Would Prior fit into a back three? Would Sammy be any good with the ball at his feet?

GK - Definitely not Roycie. Cameron Belford?
Left footed CB comfortable bringing the ball out of defence - Adam Barrett
Central centre-half and organiser of the defence - Paul Clark
Right-sided CB comfortable on the ball - Elvis Bwomono
RWB - Simon Francis (could easily flip him and Elvis)
LWB - Ben Coker
Centre-mid - Nicky Bailey, Keith Jones and Dru Yearwood
Up front - Lee Barnard, Tom Hopper, Martin Carruthers - hardworking, mobile forwards who excelled at pressing, could compete with centre-halves in the air and all scored at a decent rate for us.

A lot harder to find defenders comfortable on the ball (Dangerous Dave Morley anyone?) but an extra forward was easier to find.
 
I feel like the centre-halves in a Maher back three would likely have been full-backs or centre-mids in the 90s.

Maybe Dean Austin and Justin Edinburgh either side of someone like Mark Tinkler?

If we went 3-4-3 Andy Ansah in the Matt Dennis role.
 
Mark Gower as a wide attacker in a 343
Leo Roget as the middle centre back
Jack Payne could work well in a 352 as the advanced midfielder
Ryan Leonard would really suit with his work rate and ability to get box to box
 
Really hard pick but I had to remember the remit and not pick the 'best individuals' but the players that best suit the system. My 3-4-1-2 team is:


Federici

Dervite Mohsni Barrett

Francis Bailey Leonard Harding

Gower

Corr Eastwood



Players I considered:

GK: Bentley
CB: Mkandawire
Wing back: Worrall, McLaughlin, Clohessy
CM: Maher, Macca
CAM: Payne
ST: Barnard, Cox
 
Last edited:
Quite like the latest man city formation.

Bentley

Austin prior Powell

Butler bressington

Ansah Whelan Sussex Otto

Collymore
 
Not really relevant to my mind as not one of you has gone back to the players in the 50s and 60s ,players like Hollis , McCrory , McGuigan, Mc Kinven ,etc These to mymind are legends ofthe club and im sure there were many others pre the 50s etc. but i do understand that you can only really select those you have seen , May i add in the highlight videos i have seen over the years i would have Butler in my team ,that man ran and worked his *** off in midfield made tackles others couldnt also Leonard ,best ive seen for a long time , special mentions to Kev and Mc Cormack, I would certainly have Hollis in also.
 
Last edited:
Not really relevant to my mind as not one of you has gone back to the players in the 50s and 60s ,players like Hollis , McCrory , McGuigan, Mc Kinven ,etc These to mymind are legends ofthe club and im sure there were many others pre the 50s etc. but i do understand that you can only really select those you have seen , May i add in the highlight videos i have seen over the years i would have Butler in my team ,that man ran and worked his *** off in midfield made tackles others couldnt also Leonard ,best ive seen for a long time , special mentions to Kev and Mc Cormack, I would certainly have Hollis in also.

I only go as far back as 73. The biggest difficulty is the question about the ability to play in the modern era (ignore fitness and diet etc). Butler was a shoe in for me for the reasons you stated. Managed to get Moody and Pountney in but there’s a big difference between the ask here and my all time favourite eleven.

Sammy would be my keeper and Donut would have to be in alongside Crown for example.

Would love to hear more memories of the 50s and 60s though (Cricko has covered the 30s and 40s) 😁
 
Interesting seeing franno get a lot of love.

Yes he clearly went on to do great things but at the time he was subject to some abuse from fans for his apathy (something he admitted himself in interviews)
 
If we are playing a 3-4-3 then I’d go:

Gk - Sansome - always seemed pretty comfortable with the ball at his feet (far better at this than Royce (who was the better shot stopper)). Loved a dip of the shoulder round the advancing attacking (I know it failed once (Birmingham at home?) but think he’d fit in as a modern sweeper keeper.

CBS - Barrett left, McNally right. Both comfortable on the ball. Prior centre back. Would probably have Mulgrew left cb over Barrett on ability alone.

Wing backs - Powell (speaks for itself) and Austin right sided.

Centre Midfield - Keith Jones - he would thrive even more in the current game where being diminutive is less of an obstacle in the centre of the park. Mike Marsh - all rounder.

Attackers - Current trend is to invert the wide players which rarely happened back in the day. So I’d go :
Otto on the right (like a better-haired Mo Salah)
Ansah on the left
Collymore down the middle.

If you were playing a more modern 4-3-3 I’d lose Barrett as the extra cb, keep the same wing backs as modern attacking full backs and bring in Gower into the centre of the park.

Honourable mention to Benji who would suit being a modern day 10. You’d probably pick Kightly over Ansah on what they did elsewhere.
 
Back
Top