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Best and Worst Watford players seen

Discussion in 'Watford' started by tworossjenkins, Jun 2, 2011.

  1. Golden Gordon

    Golden Gordon Well-Known Member

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    I'm sure Ashley Young in particular and Mooney wouldn't have been out of place in the 80's team. Both great players. I still follow Ashley avidly at the Villa and for England and am wishing him to the very top.
     
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  2. Norwayhornet

    Norwayhornet Well-Known Member

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    Really hope Ash moves to Man U or Liverpool No disrespect to Villa ,but I think there holding him back now!
     
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  3. Leo

    Leo Well-Known Member

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    Ellington was not one of the worst until you take account of how much we paid for him - the value for money he is in contention

    What about Ramon Vega - might have been a free transfer but his wages !!!!
     
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  4. tworossjenkins

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    David Woodfield - half a game I think. And Baxter - on loan from Hull, stretchered off just before half time and returned to play a blinder.....
     
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  5. goldenboy1993

    goldenboy1993 Member

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    Ashley Youngs free kick against crystal palace to really make it look like we were going to the final was simply magnificant
     
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  6. Leo

    Leo Well-Known Member

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    Real shame about Woodfield though
     
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  7. vic-rijrode

    vic-rijrode Well-Known Member

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    Having watched Watford during the majority of the stays in the bottom division, I have to say that I regard no Watford player in the last 30 years as a "worst" player. Yes there have been poor players for us (not necessarily for other teams though), such as Trevor Senior (a legend at Reading, Middlesbrough & even Chelsea), Devon White and those at the fag-end of their careers - Mick Quinn comes to mind!

    But these pale into insignificance compared to some of the truly awful players I watched in the 50s & 60s.

    A previous writer has mentioned Jimmo Lawton and his amazing miss against SheffielUtd - yes he's up there (down there?) amongst the very worst.

    But there was also Tommy "Goose-Face" Anderson in 1965, who I firmly believe was only played because he looked like Ron Saunders in a desperate attempt to fool defenders. 2 goals in 21 appearances as a 'striker' tells it all.

    The 2 goalkeepers in 64-65, Peter Goy and Frank George were also truly dreadful. Even both of them playing together in goal would still have leaked 70 goals a season.

    In the 70s we had Brian Greenhalgh, who managed his only league goal for the club after 12 appearances in the last game of the 1974-75 season - a 3-2 home defeat against Walsall that sent us down to Div. 4.

    Also there have been numerous players that appeared for us once, twice or a few times to disappear without trace - one signed on loan by no less than GT, Bobby Svarc, who did nothing......
     
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  8. SuffolkHorn

    SuffolkHorn Member

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    Best John Barnes
    Worst Trevor Senior
     
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  9. tworossjenkins

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    I remember Greenhalgh as a sub at a friendly at borehamwood. He mounted the terrace and lead a chant of "Greenhalgh, Greenhalgh" in an effort to get on, which he did. tres amusant!
     
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  10. Warrington Hornet

    Warrington Hornet New Member

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    Brian Greenhalgh - god he was awful!

    Didn't Bobby Svarc only last 23 minutes, got injured and never played again!
     
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  11. Bolton's Boots

    Bolton's Boots Well-Known Member

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    ....and one of them bounced of his boot when he was looking the other way <laugh> Thanks vic - I thought I had successfully managed to blank him from my memory!
     
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  12. Sir_Luther_Blissett

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    Callaghan was the best I saw. Overshadowed by Barnesy so much, but for me Cally was the most talented player I've seen for Watford.
     
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  13. Leo

    Leo Well-Known Member

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    Cally was great - not sure the most talented as I would want to think hard about that - but certainly up there - and another genuinely nice guy - hope he is well now
     
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  14. Norwayhornet

    Norwayhornet Well-Known Member

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    Yeah he is clear of cancer and is working his DJ`ing I wish I could have got to his testimonial!
     
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  15. vic-rijrode

    vic-rijrode Well-Known Member

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    Tony Currie has been mentioned as someone who 'got better' after he had left us - but actually made an enormous impact in only 17 league games, scoring 9 goals - including 2 hat-tricks and a brace - all at Vicarage Road! On his debut for us as a sub at the Victoria Ground against Stoke in the League Cup, with his first touch he dribbled the ball round Gordon Banks and had his shot kicked off the line....He was obviously destined for great things - but I probably share the feeling that he never quite fulfilled his potential.

    Another candidate for one of the best players to appear for Watford is Dennis Bond, another teen prodigy, playing virtually 3 seasons for us before leaving for White Hart Lane. Had GT had him at his prime, instead of at the tail end of what became a 'nearly career', who knows what he would have been capable of. Instead, he whiled away his prime in Spurs reserves and, some say, in the nearby bars.

    Arguably, the sale of these two players (before Franks, Scullion, Eddy etc. trekked off to Bramall Lane) kept the club going during the mid 60s and provided Bonser with the wherewithall to let Furphy build a promotion winning side.
     
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  16. robthehornet

    robthehornet Member

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    I'm going to settle on Tony Coton, simply because I reckon he's the player who made the biggest single contribution to a team - absolute rock at the back

    worst...Jason 'Pineapple' Lee. And I can pinpoint his worst display aswell - away to Millwall, 90s I think, freezing cold midweek away game, he was shocking
     
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  17. vic-rijrode

    vic-rijrode Well-Known Member

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    Rob, I'll go with you on Coton, who is probably, over time, the best goalkeeper that we ever had.

    But 'single contribution', I don't think so. If you look at the goals conceded column for his first few games in 1984-85, then you see he let in 5 on his debut in an amazing 4-5 home defeat against Everton, then 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 0, 3!!!

    It wasn't until John McClelland joined that some semblance of order returned to the defence with 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1 then conceded....

    The two of them together transformed the defence over a number of years until they both left in 1990, with the club in decline.

    Arguably, McClelland was our best central defender ever. But the two of them together were awesome - oh for them now (in their prime of course....).

    Shame you feel that way about Jason Lee - GT didn't - it was only Lee's wife who wouldn't move from Nottingham that prevented Lee from playing much longer for us - personally I thought him a reasonably talented footballer.

    I've seen far, far, far worse players turn in far, far more excruciating performances all over the country for us.
     
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  18. Norwayhornet

    Norwayhornet Well-Known Member

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    I used to like Jason Lee , Coton Best goalie we have had , even without a defence ,that 4-5 could have easily been 7-7 on the day , but I take Vics point John McClelland was awesome ,and with Coton Behind him !
    wasnt that 4-5 with Everton soon followed by a 3-4 to Arsenal? and another high scoring game after that!
     
    #38
  19. andytoprankin

    andytoprankin Well-Known Member

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    Andy Rankin
    Trevor Senior
     
    #39
  20. Leo

    Leo Well-Known Member

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    Coton, McLelland - all those players in our "rise" under GT.

    I'm getting old - who was the Scottish forward who joined us for about a year and then moved on to Celtic - marbles wont let him name spring to mind
     
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