Play Off Finals combined XI

Ilic 

Mills Rufus Youds Bowen 
Newton Jones Kinsella Heaney 
Bright Mendonca 

Subs Robinson, Brown, Jones, Taylor, Williams 

ricky_otto said:

Who would be in your team from the players that played in the 2 games against our bitches Sunderland?..... I’d go with:

Phillips
Brown | Rufus | Bauer | Bowen
Cullen | Jones | Kinsella
Williams
Mendonca | Taylor

Manager - Curbishley 

Well that killed 2 mins - only another 3 months to go. 

It's interesting that you have picked Brown over Mills, despite Brown not starting in 98

Talal said:

Cullen is not better than Keith Jones. 

Kinsella up there as one of my all time faves, but having watched that rerun of the Play off final at the weekend, Jones actually had a better game than Kinsella, he was class

Williams for Heaney, Taylor for Bright. The other nine all from 98.

Phillips

Mills (although diabolical in that game), Rufus, Bauer, Bowen

Aribo, Kinsella, K Jones, Robinson

Mendonca, Taylor. 

ricky_otto said:

MrLargo said:

ForeverAddickted said:

Chizz said:

ricky_otto said:

Who would be in your team from the players that played in the 2 games against our bitches Sunderland?..... I’d go with:

Phillips
Brown | Rufus | Bauer | Bowen
Cullen | Jones | Kinsella
Williams
Mendonca | Taylor

Manager - Curbishley 

Well that killed 2 mins - only another 3 months to go. 

It's interesting that you have picked Brown over Mills, despite Brown not starting in 98

Brown surely never played Right-Back? - Then again he wasnt a Goalkeeper!!

He played at right back quite a lot to start with. I believe he was playing right-back when we beat Bradford 4-1 and he scored from about 35 yards, for example. I'd agree that he was probably better at centre back though, and I particularly remember him keeping Cole and Yorke quiet for the first 89 minutes at The Valley in our first season in the Prem.

He seemed like a real Curbs-type player, but Curbs only seemed willing to use him on a short term basis, either in the absence of another player or to change things up a bit. 

Indeed - when he first got in the team it was at Right Back. He certainly played there at Old Trafford in the 94 Cup Quarter final, he did pretty well against Giggs. 

He was a better centre half- particularly in the long winning spell that we had in 99/00, but my early memories of him were as a right back.  

ForeverAddickted said:

God to have a Midfield of Cullen and Kinsella!!

Not the way Cullen has played lately.  K Jones was quality; great energy and battling quality.  No great passing range but neither does Cullen.  

Ilic 

Mills
Rufus
Bauer
Bowen

Aribo
Kinsella
K. Jones
Robinson

Taylor
Mendonca


Tough leaving Cullen out but Jones had a great game that day.

Just quickly....

Bolder

Humphrey Shirtliff Rufus Bowen

Lee K. Jones Kinsella Walsh

Mendonca Melrose

Subs; Taylor, Bright, Miller, Brown, M. Stuart, Peake, Illic, 

All this proves is that the quality of the players are getting worse as time goes on. 

Limiting myself only to players who started in each game, and I've chosen a 4-4-2 diamond as that, I think, gets the best possible XI out there!

GK - Sasa Ilic. I think Phillips is a fantastic keeper, and probably better than Sasa, but you can't forget just how good Sasa was in the run-up to that final. He'd be the form pick.

RB - Danny Mills. Think he's a prick - a proper prick - for various reasons, but there's no debating he is a better choice than a raw, albeit physically gifted and sure-footed, Dijksteel.

CB - Richard Rufus. He pretty much had it all - determination, grit, pace, strength, aerial ability... How did he not play for England?!

CB - Patrick Bauer. I think his lack of pace is made up for by Rufus, and they'd complement each other wonderfully at the back. He's a bit more cerebral and would organise the defence well. I have to also point out that it was mighty tough to choose between him and Bielik, but the 94th minute last year probably gave Paddy the edge...

LB - Mark Bowen. Classy footballer - much more so than Purrington I'm afraid (despite the latter's equaliser!) - and someone I think I'd rely on 90-odd times out of a hundred to keep his cool in a final, and also smash home a penalty. Pretty comfortable on both feet if I recall correctly.

CDM - Keith Jones. I envisage him as swapping roles in a slightly fluid role with Cullen (and to a lesser extent, both of them with Kinsella). That assist for Mendonca's second is something I've always found slightly underrated because of Clive's two touches and finish being so arch - but the bloke had drive and determination in spades.

CM - Mark Kinsella (c). Not sure anyone needs to justify Kins in the side. One of the greatest players I've ever seen in the shirt.

CM - Josh Cullen. It's absolutely mad to think that he's probably my weak link in this side (along with Mills), given he was so important in the run-up to the final last season. But that's a good thing given how instrument he was in breaking up opposition moves through interceptions; tracking back and marking; and his ability to find a concise pass very quickly.

CAM - Joe Aribo. I think his armoury of skill is more than enough to worry a defence, especially when he will essentially have free rein in front of the other midfielders to do what he likes. He can also win the ball back with those long gangly legs. His creativity unleashed with Mendonca and Taylor reading off him... man, that is a tasty thought.

CF - Lyle Taylor. An absolute warrior up front that defenders would hate to play against no matter the era, and an even more perfect foil for Clive than Bright was. He's intelligent and his hold-up play would cause no end of problems for whoever he was up against.

CF - Mendonca. Obviously.

Subs (allowing us seven because it's 2020 now!): Phillips, Dijksteel, Purrington, Bielik, Pratley, Newton, Bright (again, only those who started either game)