Rivals to the "106" team?

[The Rouge]

I don't have many issues with Sidwell/Harper being compared to Ledge/Karacan, its comparing our full back and wing play that is ridiculous.

[Hoop Blah]

Anyone who thinks the 2005-6 squad was stronger overall than the 2011-12 squad is living in cloud cuckoo land.

Goalkeeper Hahnemann Stack 2
Left-back Shorey Makin Golbourne 3
Central defenders Ingimarsson Sonko Brown 3
Right-back Murty Halls 2
Central midfielders Sidwell Harper Gunnarsson 3
Right wingers Little Oster Sinnott 3
Left wingers Convey Hunt Hayes 3
Forwards Kitson Doyle Lita Long Cox Rendell 6

Total players in First team squad. 21 Players played in league games. Total 25


2011-12

Goalkeeper Federici Andersen McCarthy Locke 4
Right back Cummings Griffin Arnold 3
Central defenders Gorkss Pearce Connolly Gunnarsson Morrison Jack Mills
Hector MacDonald McHugh 9
Left back Harte Joe Mills Raymond 3
Defensive central midfielders Leigertwood Karacan Tabb Mullins
Gage C.Edwards Goddard 7
Attacking central midfielder/ hole Howard D’Ath Taylor 3
Attacking wide midfielders McAnuff Kebe Robson-Kanu Cywka Antonio Obita Losasso
R.EdwardsWalcott 9
Central strikers Roberts Hunt Afobe Le Fondre Church Manset Williams
Baseya Sheppard Bignall Ugwu Murphy Samuel 13

Total with squad numbers 51

You're not comparing apples with apples there.

As IR said, you've missed out Obinna and Baradji, but also Dobson, Federici, Osano (who I thought played but that must've the year after) and Castle as examples of players around the squad who are just as involved as the likes of some of those you've mentioned for this years squad.

[andrew1957]

You're not comparing apples with apples there.

As IR said, you've missed out Obinna and Baradji, but also Dobson, Federici, Osano (who I thought played but that must've the year after) and Castle as examples of players around the squad who are just as involved as the likes of some of those you've mentioned for this years squad.

I accept that Obinna, Baradji and Dobson were in the squad but only made 8 sub appearances between them and never started a game. They had left by the time I compiled my list in early May 2006.

Osano did not get a squad number until summer 2006 and Federici also signed that summer after we were promoted.

Castle had left in summer 2005. So to be entirely accurate the squad total goes up from 25 to 28.

[Hampshire Royal]

I wonder how a game between the current team and the 106 team would turn out. If we take the points gained from the last six games in the 06 season, also take off the points gained by each team from the first six games (it is generally accepted that while Brian was reforming the team, the games played before then weren't representative of what the team is now capable of), the total points are 05/06: 79; 11/12: 72. Not a million miles apart.

I know that the 106 team played the better football, and gained their success by playing this way. The current team, however, play the defensive, counter-attacking game very well. It would be a game between teams playing different styles of football, but none the less enjoyable for that.

In my opinion, the 106 team would narrowly win.

[andrew1957]

I wonder how a game between the current team and the 106 team would turn out. If we take the points gained from the last six games in the 06 season, also take off the points gained by each team from the first six games (it is generally accepted that while Brian was reforming the team, the games played before then weren't representative of what the team is now capable of), the total points are 05/06: 79; 11/12: 72. Not a million miles apart.

I know that the 106 team played the better football, and gained their success by playing this way. The current team, however, play the defensive, counter-attacking game very well. It would be a game between teams playing different styles of football, but none the less enjoyable for that.

In my opinion, the 106 team would narrowly win.

A very interesting point. I think I would go for the draw - but if it went to extra time - I would give it to the 11/12 team, as they are very resilient.

Sadly we will never know.

[Hoop Blah]

You're not comparing apples with apples there.

As IR said, you've missed out Obinna and Baradji, but also Dobson, Federici, Osano (who I thought played but that must've the year after) and Castle as examples of players around the squad who are just as involved as the likes of some of those you've mentioned for this years squad.

I accept that Obinna, Baradji and Dobson were in the squad but only made 8 sub appearances between them and never started a game. They had left by the time I compiled my list in early May 2006.

Osano did not get a squad number until summer 2006 and Federici also signed that summer after we were promoted.

Castle had left in summer 2005. So to be entirely accurate the squad total goes up from 25 to 28.

Osano and Federici were unused subs that season. Federici was, according to soccerbase, signed in September 2005.

Castle apparently signed for Rushden in the January of 06. He might've been on loan, but so are some of those in your current squad list.

[Wimb]

@Wimb

I agree with the gist of what you're saying but for me there are a few salient points to make.

Take your point about Hunt/Oster/Gunnarrsson but in terms of actual matchwinning/saving contributions when coming off the bench or covering then Gunnarsson aside I think the likes of Le Fondre,Church,HRK even Manset earlier on in the season offer more of an option and more of a chance of ousting a 1st choice selection on merit. Oster/Hunt were important in preserving Little and to a lesser degree Convey by replacing them with plenty of time in games but I don't think they were ever in any danger of replacing them in the starting line up on merit at any stage. I think the 4 players I mentioned above have all had several starts this season and also could make a genuine claim to merit selection at various points of the season.

How many selection decisions did Coppell have to make in 05/06 as opposed to McD?

It was just as much that side's sheer consistency of performance and excellent disciplinary record as much as it's injury record that saw so many players play 40+ games.

I don't know, that I agree with the fact that Coppell had fewer selection issues than Brian has now.

As much as HRK has played it's been in large part due to injuries to Kebe and a lesser extent McAnuff. Jobi has never been dropped and I think Kebe's only been on the bench when coming back from an injury. Hunt's immediate impact in 2006 shows that he would have certainly been pushing Convey who had an out of this world type of season. Similarly Oster played two years in the Premier League at a decent standard and was only kept out by an exceptional Little.

Whoever of Doyle,Kitson, Lita and then Long that was on the bench was in my eyes a better option than Church/Alfie/Manset, while it's true we've got more depth in terms of numbers, a 1 for 1 swap the 05/06 team had the better option to win a game, but that's just my own opinion on it!

Since January we've had virtually an unchanged team except for Mullins' two game flirtation with right back. As Snowball said Coppell was coming off a season where he had 7-8 names pencilled in, Brian had a much more unstable base to build off so took a while longer to settle on a team but when he's had it settled he hasn't been changing it.

Really his team for most of the season seems to have been

Federici
Harte
Gorkks
Pearce
Cummings
McAnuff
Leigertwood
Karacan
Kebe
Hunt
Church/Roberts

Those players have been near automatic choices this season and who has really pushed them for it? Has he really had a selection dilemma other than at the start of the season with left back and the continuing carnage of our forward options pre-Roberts?

[Vision]

Hunt was nowhere near ousting Convey for a starting place that season.

Gunnarrsson might have given him pause for thought but ultimately it was always Harper/Sidwell once fit.

The only choice really was which 2 out of Lita/Doyle/Kitson on the few occasions all 3 were fit. Long was nowhere near the starting line up either.

It's incredibly rare to know your best 11 and have them all perform as consistently as they did in 05/06 with little or no drop off in form. Thats every bit as rare as our injury record was that season I'd say.

Once the season has been underway McD has bought in players such as Gorkss,Roberts,Connolly specifically to start and I'm pretty certain Le Fondre was also bought in as a starter originally.That simply didn't happen in 05/06 The full backs were chopped and changed a lot not necessarily due to injury and until Roberts arrived McD still didn't seem to know what his best strike partnership was (HRK was even being touted as an option for a fair while).

True enough Kebe,McAnuff,Karacan,Leigertwood picks itself in a similiar way to Little/Convey/Harper/Sidwell although Tabb was preferred to Karacan for a spell earlier this season.

I just don't think when you compare the two teams there is much to choose,if anything at all, as far as the injury record goes. If the current side doesn't have as many 40+ performers in it, it's more likely to be due to them being brought in after the start of the season or to a managerial selection decision than anything to do with an inferior injury rate.

[SCIAG]

Anyone who thinks the 2005-6 squad was stronger overall than the 2011-12 squad is living in cloud cuckoo land.

Goalkeeper Hahnemann Stack Federici 3
Left-back Shorey Makin Golbourne 3
Central defenders Ingimarsson Sonko 2
Right-back Murty Halls 2
Central midfielders Sidwell Harper Gunnarsson Baradji Dobson 5
Right wingers Little Oster 2
Left wingers Convey Hunt 2
Forwards Kitson Doyle Lita Long Cox Obinna 6




2011-12

Goalkeeper Federici Andersen McCarthy 3
Right back Cummings Griffin 2
Central defenders Gorkss Pearce Connolly 3
Left back Harte Joe Mills 2
Central midfielders Leigertwood Karacan Tabb Mullins Gunnarsson 5
Attacking wide midfielders McAnuff Kebe Robson-Kanu Cywka Antonio 5
Central strikers Roberts Hunt Afobe Le Fondre Church Manset 6

Removed players who have played no role (debatable: Obita and sub goalkeepers). Both squads had three goalkeepers, five central midfielders and six strikers. This team has one extra centre back and 05/06 had one extra full back, given versatility that balances out. So the masses of extra depth this team has comes down to... one winger. This squad has one extra player who has been really on the fringes- I've highlighted those who barely played, excepting the sub goalie. Add to that that the subs in this team aren't as good (give me that Lita over Alfie any day) and the "cloud cuckoo land" claim looks ridiculous.

[leon]

106 team - every day of the week. They destroyed this league - 106 points. Just like our present team - it was all about the team. But Sidwell, Kitson, Doyle, Little, Ingi, Hahnemann were the best in their position that season.

[Z175]

I think the acid test is finishing 8th in the premierleague.

Clearly we had some stars then but didn't strengthen and they wanted to leave.
I worry if we go up we might fight the last war and bring in numerous players and destroy the team spirit. This time round unless we buy 11 stars I say stick. Jobi legs karacan etc would all die for this team, can't see any of this lot demanding moves.

[Hoop Blah]

Jobi legs karacan etc would all die for this team, can't see any of this lot demanding moves.

Federici and Kebe have pretty much done that in the recent past already.

If players like Robson-Kanu, Cummings, Karacan, Le Fondre etc all performed well enough for more ambitious, bigger, and higher paying sides to come in for them then 9 times out of 10 they'd leave in the same way as Shorey, Hunt and Sidwell etc did.

This time 5 or 6 years ago you'd have said exactly the same about Sidwell, Doyle, Hunt and Harper.

[Drew_3]

If we are looking for any more comparisons then how about Karacan's injury and lita's? The team spirit suggests they want to finish the job, just like the 106 boys did for lita.

Not trying to be funny it just struck me as similar when I read what might be the extent of jem's injury.

[Skyline]

Our last 20 league games have resulted in an incredible record of

P20 W16 D1 L3 F37 D14 Pts49 GD+23

Whilst I appreciate that "if my aunty had had balls she'd have been my uncle", thought it worth mentioning that had we kept this level if success up for a full season, our finishing record would have been

P46 W37 D2 L7 F85 A32 Pts113 GD+53

I'll get my coat ...

Still wouldn't break the 100 goals then ...

[Skyline]

Not just lack of injuries, but excellent discipline played a part in them all playing so many games - and that's not down to luck.

Something I still find amazing is that, in the 2004/5 and 2005/6 seasons, Ingi and Sonko played in a total of 175 (out of a possible 184) league games between them (Ingimarsson 90, Sonko 85), yet only picked up a total of 5 yellow cards. You'd normally expect your centre-backs to pick up at least that many each per season.

[Snowball]

Our last 20 league games have resulted in an incredible record of

P20 W16 D1 L3 F37 D14 Pts49 GD+23

Whilst I appreciate that "if my aunty had had balls she'd have been my uncle", thought it worth mentioning that had we kept this level if success up for a full season, our finishing record would have been

P46 W37 D2 L7 F85 A32 Pts113 GD+53

I'll get my coat ...

Still wouldn't break the 100 goals then ...

Since Roberts started...


Played 14 Won 12 Drew 01 Lost 01 28-09 GD +19 2.643 ppg = 122 Point Season

[Snowball]

The Roberts era "scaled up" to 46 games

P46 92-30 GD 62 W39 D3 L3

(plus one other game, the rest is decimals)

46 31-13-02 99-32 +67 106 Points 2005-06
46 39-03-03 92-30 +62 122 Points* RFC with Roberts


Multiplying up gives 39.45 games won

[Ian Royal]

Snowball, why are you quoting a post about our current form still not getting us 100 goals, with another sample of form which doesn't get us 100 goals?