Best XI in your lifetime. (Excluding the 106 team)

[SCIAG]

If it included the 106 team, I'd have Hislop over Hahnemann, A N Other over Convey and I'd have to fit Sigurdsson in somewhere.

The thing that would give Ivar/Sonks and Kitson/Doyle the nod for me is the combination at CB of brains and brawn and up front, both Kitson and Doyle were intelligent, tireless and selfless players. For me, only Jimmy Quinn comes close in the respect.

That's the thing with the 106 team, the partnerships within the team are what made it so great as well as the individual talent.

Think the best way to slot Gylfi into the side is as a like-for-like replacement for Little. Don’t think they could really have played in the same side.

[Jack Celliers]

Hislop

Gunter
Kerr
Mills
Moore

Karacan
Caskey
Kebe
Sigurrdson

Senior
Friday

Gunter is the best right-back you've seen play for us?

Let's give him some credit and assume he's excluded Murty as he was part of the 106 team, making Gunter 2nd best (considering how many times he appeared, it doesn't leave too many other options)

I suppose I could have gone for two left backs or three centre halves, like some of the above, but Gunter was the one that came to mind in a distant second place after Murty. I remember Peters, Richardson and , preferred Williams as a winger and had completely forgotten about Bernal.

Gunter has been a good player for us.

[From Despair To Where?]

I did consider Bernal but he could go from being rock solid to an utter calamity in the space of 5 minutes and was always good for forgetting what code of football he was playing.

[Zip]

Wdowcyzk at left back?

[South Coast Royal]

I suspect others have suddenly thought of somebody else after they have posted their team.
Thanks to FWTD for reminding me about Steve Wood.
Do posters remember Branfoot's corner-kick routine with Steve arriving really late in the box from deep?

There are players over the years that have made me disappointed when they have been transferred and top of that list for me would be Simon Osborn.
I had the same feelings when Webb (why Pompey at such a low price?), Dixon, Senior and Cureton left as well but I did financially benefit when Hurlock and Steve Wood went to Millwall.

That season Millwall lost their first 3 games and having been quite well fancied after bringing some decent players in their price went out to 40/1.
As a fan of both Hurlock and Wood I had a bet on them of £25 (quite a lot of money for me at the time).
When they played at Bournemouth near the end of the season I listened to the game on our local radio-Millwall stuffed them and went on to be Champions and we had a really good Summer holiday plus a new fridge.

[Forbury Lion]

I did consider Bernal but he could go from being rock solid to an utter calamity in the space of 5 minutes and was always good for forgetting what code of football he was playing.

When reading match reports I always seem to think of his name listed as Bernal with a red card symbol next to it

[From Despair To Where?]

I suspect others have suddenly thought of somebody else after they have posted their team.
Thanks to FWTD for reminding me about Steve Wood.
Do posters remember Branfoot's corner-kick routine with Steve arriving really late in the box from deep?

I meant Darren Wood

[Snowflake Royal]

Surprised nobody's included Long - surely wouldn't get in for 05-07 but a contender for that playoff season.

Gonna play 4-2-3-1 for Gylfi.

Shaka
Gunter, Pearce, Dariusz, Armstrong
Leigertwood, Norwood
Kebe, Sigurdsson, McAnuff
Fozzy

Subs: Al-Habsi, Mariappa, S. Kelly, Swift, Beerens, Gilkes, Long

Lots of pace and skill. Not really anyone to get on the end of the crosses from the silky wing legends tho.

[The Royal Forester]

I find it noticeable that very few recent or current players feature in the best elevens. I wonder why. Oh, I do know the answer to that of course.

[One87One]

Hislop

Gunter
Kerr
Mills
Moore

Karacan
Caskey
Kebe
Sigurrdson

Senior
Friday

Gunter is the best right-back you've seen play for us?

Let's give him some credit and assume he's excluded Murty as he was part of the 106 team, making Gunter 2nd best (considering how many times he appeared, it doesn't leave too many other options)

This is all about opinions, but Griffin, Bridge...

And in keeping with the OP rules, we're picking players we've watched, and JC was watching us when Friday played, so there's a fair few to choose from.

[Snowflake Royal]

I find it noticeable that very few recent or current players feature in the best elevens. I wonder why. Oh, I do know the answer to that of course.

It's almost like successful teams have better players than unsuccessful ones isn't it.

Best league placings:
1) 8th - 2006/07
2) 18th - 2007/08
3) 19th - 2012/13
4) 21st - 2005/06
= 21st - 2011/12
6) 23rd - 1994/95
= 23rd - 2016/17
24th - 2002/03
= 24th - 2008/09
10) 25th - 2010/11
11) 27th - 2004/05
= 27th - 2013/14
13) 29th - 2003/04
= 29th - 2009/10
15) 35th - 1986/87
16) 37th - 2015/16
17) 38th - 1996/97
18) 39th - 1995/96
= 39th - 2014/15
20) 40th - 2017/18
= 40th - 2018/19

Interestingly* the last few seasons are still in our top 20 best ever! (post war at least).

[grey_squirrel]

Death

Mark White
Hetzke
Wood
Harte

Gilkes
Osborne
Scott Taylor
Kebe

Friday
Bremner

Subs: Shaka, Hurlock, Hicks, Senior, Gylfi

Manager: Branfoot or Pardew

[Forbury Lion]

Gunter is the best right-back you've seen play for us?

Let's give him some credit and assume he's excluded Murty as he was part of the 106 team, making Gunter 2nd best (considering how many times he appeared, it doesn't leave too many other options)

This is all about opinions, but Griffin, Bridge...

And in keeping with the OP rules, we're picking players we've watched, and JC was watching us when Friday played, so there's a fair few to choose from.

Griffin yes, but Bridge was a left back.

Are we supposed to be naming XI best player or a team of XI?

[Broxroyal]

Death

Bacuzzi
Hicks
Dariusz
Meldrum

Bowman
Gooding
Osborn
Jenkins

Dixon
Friday

[SCIAG]

Surprised nobody's included Long - surely wouldn't get in for 05-07 but a contender for that playoff season.

Gonna play 4-2-3-1 for Gylfi.

Shaka
Gunter, Pearce, Dariusz, Armstrong
Leigertwood, Norwood
Kebe, Sigurdsson, McAnuff
Fozzy

Subs: Al-Habsi, Mariappa, S. Kelly, Swift, Beerens, Gilkes, Long

Lots of pace and skill. Not really anyone to get on the end of the crosses from the silky wing legends tho.

Kebe wasn’t much of a crosser (decent cross on him, but it wasn’t usually his first option) and McAnuff was good at coming inside to link play. I guess you’re right that that’s a string that Long had but Fozzy didn’t but I was trying to balance the team between eras. Although looking at it, I’ve chosen seven players from McDermott’s first spell so obviously I didn’t do a good job!

Don’t fancy Quinn as a lone striker but he’d have to get the nod in a two. But if you play with two then you have to put Gylfi out wide, or use 3-4-1-2.

Screw it, 3-4-1-2:

Shaka; Dariusz, Mariappa, Bikey; Kebe, Norwood, Parky, Gilkes; Gylfi; J. Quinn, Fozzy

Subs: Al-Habsi, Moore, McAnuff, Legs, Tshibola, Swift, Long

Leaving out Pearce because I think you need more mobility in a back three than a back four. Not much between Gilkes and McAnuff. Legs should be ahead of Parky really. Kermorgant plays if Quinn is unavailable.

Guess the left field pick there is Tish - decided I wanted a genuine CM from since our last relegation, and Tish was ultimately a better player than Kelly or Williams or Stephen Quinn despite limited game time. Nearly went with Baker before I remembered I’d deliberately overlooked Miazga and Upson because they were only loanees.

[Barney]

Death

Mark White
Hetzke
Wood
Harte

Gilkes
Osborne
Scott Taylor
Kebe

Friday
Bremner

Subs: Shaka, Hurlock, Hicks, Senior, Gylfi

Manager: Branfoot or Pardew

Very good. Like that a lot.

[Zip]

Death

Mark White
Hetzke
Wood
Harte

Gilkes
Osborne
Scott Taylor
Kebe

Friday
Bremner

Subs: Shaka, Hurlock, Hicks, Senior, Gylfi

Manager: Branfoot or Pardew

Very good. Like that a lot.

I think that midfield would struggle the dirty, defensive side of the game.

[Barney]

Death

Mark White
Hetzke
Wood
Harte

Gilkes
Osborne
Scott Taylor
Kebe

Friday
Bremner

Subs: Shaka, Hurlock, Hicks, Senior, Gylfi

Manager: Branfoot or Pardew

Very good. Like that a lot.

I think that midfield would struggle the dirty, defensive side of the game.

Good call. A bit nicey nicey. Maybe lob on Hurlock if it starts to kick off
With Hetzke, Hurlock, Friday, Taylor and Bremner on the pitch...opposition might think twice about starting a ruck

[Zip]

Very good. Like that a lot.

I think that midfield would struggle the dirty, defensive side of the game.

Good call. A bit nicey nicey. Maybe lob on Hurlock if it starts to kick off
With Hetzke, Hurlock, Friday, Taylor and Bremner on the pitch...opposition might think twice about starting a ruck

Yes I was going to say just that about Hurlock. As you say plenty of aggression elsewhere in that side. Friday and Bremner up front would be brutal.

[Franchise FC]

Death

Mark White
Hetzke
Wood
Harte

Gilkes
Osborne
Scott Taylor
Kebe

Friday
Bremner

Subs: Shaka, Hurlock, Hicks, Senior, Gylfi

Manager: Branfoot or Pardew

Very good. Like that a lot.

Not quite so keen on two very left footed full backs, though