The latest issue of Four Four Two includes a special supplement on the Perfect XI for each Football League club. The line up for Charlton is:
Goalkeeper: Sam Bartram
Defenders: John Humphrey, Richard Rufus, Chris Powell
Midfielders: Robert Lee, Mark Kinsella, Scott Parker, Allan Simonsen, Eddie Firmani
Forwards: Clive Mendonca, Derek Hales
Manager: Jimmy Seed
There are one or two names from the 1950s that might have been added and there is no one from the team that won the FA Cup. Simonsen was brilliant, but his stay was a relatively short one. And is Chris Powell's inclusion a nod to his present status as manager?
Who would you include?
15 comments:
Wynn
A much easier task would be the worst ever CAFC team , it starts Elliot, Francis........need I go further
No Kish?
Are you suggesting Kish for the best or worse XI? He certainly couldn't pass to his own team mates, but you couldn't fault his commitment.
I only saw Firmani towards the end of his second spell as a player, but I'd have said he was a centre-forward. Wikipedia says he was also an inside forward, but 100 goals scored in both the Italian and English leagues says that was a second string.
Apart from Bartram, I've seen all the others. I'd love to be able to compare and contrast with Kiely. Powell is the best left-back in my time. I think we ought to have another centre-back. Pates?
Wasn't there anyone else in the Jimmy Seed era who's worth consideration? Not even from the 36/37 team that finished 2nd?
From my own experience I might be inclined to go with
Kiely
Humphrey,Rufus,Pates,Powell
Lee,Parker,Kinsella,Walsh
Firmani,Mendonca
Great selection.
I have seen 9 of those, and would add two of my favourites to the mix. Colin Powell and Paul Mortimer.
I don't know where I would fit them in though. Happy days though.
Mike Bailey and Darren Bent should get a look in too Wyn.
how about good old 'Arry Gregory in midield?Anyone remember him?Could always rely on him for a misplaced pass but also the ocasional touch of brilliance!
Odd that 442 are playing 352, but a fair selection.
I'd add a central defender, either Webster or Shirtliff (Welsh?). I'd also wonder if Minto was better than Powell.
Can't comment on Firmani, but Lee, Parker and Kins are good - should simonsen be a midfielder or a striker?
DB instead of Killer, he gives more to the team.
Some Honourable mentions:
Steve Brown - nothing need be said
Colin Walsh - a gent and a classy player
Lee Bowyer - bad but brilliant
Paul Mortimer/Dennis Rommedahl - on their day, unplayable,
Jermain Defoe - for what might have been.
3-5-2 was the classic formation in the 1950s so perhaps they decided to use that.
post 89 onwards. My era
451
Kiely
Humphrey (unlucky Mills)
Powell
Todd (read game so well)
Rufus (limited but excellent)
Lee
Bowyer
Parker
Kinsella (captain)
Jensen (affordable luxury given teamates)
Bent (not Marcus)
Painful looking at some of those names given our current predicament but one day we may have new names to challenge them. That midfield would have won Titles in their prime.
Luke Young
Scott Minto
Claus Jensen
De Canio (if Simonsen counts so does he)
Also, Murphy was better than Kinsella
Like you Wyn, I started suporting Charlton in the 1950's (though little later than you - 1957).
But surely John Hewie (played in just about every position incuding Goalie! - 19 Scottish caps I believe), Stuart Leary and even Sam Lawrie are worth considering. And if, in these days of substitutes, how about Willie Duff as the back up keeper. I know Dean Kiely, Nicky Johns and Bob Bolder will have their advocates but Duff was a fantastic keeper and also could look after himself (I saw him flatten the Everton centre forward with a right hook (big lad by the name of Dave Hickson)in a cup game once. Got sent off naturally!!).
Behind Enemy Lines
My hero Johnny Summers had a significantly higher goals/league match ratio than any of the strikers mentioned so far (100 in 177 league games).
And defender Marvin Hinton never gets a mention, although he was in the 40 man England squad for the 1966 world cup.
Jorge Costa and Di Canio...
I have watched on and off over 1948-2011 and have seen only one mention of Stuart Leary in the various comments. He would be my first choice for any Greatest Charlton XI - an extraordinary football artist, with vision, athleticism and a footballing brain that was at times way ahead of his team-mates. He came the nearest to writing poetry on the Valley pitch.
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