Comparing the ECWC team with today's footballers

[Kowalski]

Not sure if this will have legs, but...

 

I was chatting to a younger Dons fan the other night and telling them about some of the players who won us the ECWC.  I was explaining that McLeish was a very classy centre half and I was asked for comparisons with any players playing today.  I suggested there was perhaps similarities to the likes of (Rio) Fedinand or Pique.

 

Which got me thinking, who in world football today could we compare to some of the team who won us the ECWC?

 

Jim Leighton

Doug Rougvie

Alex McLeish

Willie Miller

John McMaster

Neale Cooper

Gordon Strachan

Neil Simpson

Mark McGhee

Eric Black

Peter Weir

 

John Hewitt

Stuart Kennedy

Bryan Gunn

Andy Watson

Ian Angus

[Guest ally s]

 

I was only 3 when we won the ECWC so I'm not even going to attempt to compare similarities.

 

What I would say is imo you don't get keepers like Jim Leighton anymore, always held the ball when he could. Most keepers nowadays tend to punch/parry it away.  That's my view anyway.

[Superstar Tradesman]

I was only 3 when we won the ECWC so I'm not even going to attempt to compare similarities.

 

What I would say is imo you don't get keepers like Jim Leighton anymore, always held the ball when he could. Most keepers nowadays tend to punch/parry it away.  That's my view anyway.

 

I dunno, I think Van de Sarr would spring to mind but maybe because he's of a different generation of 'keeper.

 

Although Jimbo couldn't kick a ball for toffee due to his bandy legs.

[Kowalski]

I too thought of Van der Sar for Leighton.  Couldn't really think of anyone else.

[glasgowdon]

Simmy - Essien but less of a dick?

[BobbyBiscuit]

Not sure if this will have legs, but...

 

I was chatting to a younger Dons fan the other night and telling them about some of the players who won us the ECWC.  I was explaining that McLeish was a very classy centre half and I was asked for comparisons with any players playing today.  I suggested there was perhaps similarities to the likes of (Rio) Fedinand or Pique.

 

 

Don't agree with Ferdinand there at all. Pique or Vidic, can play a bit as in can pass the ball out of defence but primarily there for their physical presence, not blessed with a huge amount of pace (which, for a centre back, Ferdinand certainly is/was) but quick enough to get themselves out of a hole. Ferdinand is nowhere near as physical a player as McLeish was.

[bilbobaggins]

Vidic is probably a better comparison for Big Eck.

 

Jim Leighton - VDS

Doug Rougvie -

Alex McLeish - Vidic

Willie Miller - Lucio

John McMaster -   

Neale Cooper -

Gordon Strachan - Fabregas 

Neil Simpson -

Mark McGhee - Tevez

Eric Black - Torres? (more like Van Basten but he's hardly contemporary), Pavylucenko?

Peter Weir - Messi

 

[Ptayles]

Doug Rougvie- Puyol? Without the hair

[CtS]

I'd say Willie Miller was more like Puyol.

 

And Mcleish was a far better/more effective player than Vidic IMO opinion.

 

Neil Simpson = Roy Keane

Peter Weir = David Beckham

Gordon Strachan = Messi

[BobbyBiscuit]

I'd say Willie Miller was more like Puyol.

 

Peter Weir = David Beckham

 

 

Really can't agree there CtS I'm afraid. Miller's reading of the game was exceptional, something I find a bit lacking in Puyol who is a more blood and guts defender who also lacks Miller's class on the ball.  Really not sure who I'd compare Miller with these days, the game is so different now and you don't see many guys in Miller's style. At a push, maybe Ayala at his peak because he sat a bit deeper and his reading of the game was excellent, as well as being a hard bastard.

 

Weir's forte was beating players on the wing, something Beckham rarely did because he didn't have the quickness or trickery of Weir. I'd say Giggs was a better fit for Weir.

[Kowalski]

Really can't agree there CtS I'm afraid. Miller's reading of the game was exceptional, something I find a bit lacking in Puyol who is a more blood and guts defender who also lacks Miller's class on the ball.  Really not sure who I'd compare Miller with these days, the game is so different now and you don't see many guys in Miller's style. At a push, maybe Ayala at his peak because he sat a bit deeper and his reading of the game was excellent, as well as being a hard bastard.

 

Weir's forte was beating players on the wing, something Beckham rarely did because he didn't have the quickness or trickery of Weir. I'd say Giggs was a better fit for Weir.

 

Agree with the above.  Can't think of anyone else to compare with for Weir.

 

As for Puyol, he is a great tackler, but as you say does not have the same class as Miller had.

 

Further up, I'm not sure about Strachan and Fabregas.  Both are/were exciting players who drive/drove their teams forward, but Strachan was very much a winger in his days with us!?  How about Aaron Lennon?

[bilbobaggins]

Nah, Strachan relied on his guile rather than pace to beat a man but he also tucked in quite a lot. Maybe Iniesta rather than Fabrega?

 

I thought about Ayala for WM but Miller was more of a leader. as as mentioned there aren't a whole load of real sweepers playing today. Lucio is as close as I can think of today.

 

 

 

 

[CtS]

Miller was more like Puyol than Rougvie, is the the point I was making in reply to Ptayles post. There are no modern players that compare to Rougvie, none that I can think of anyway. He was quite unique.

 

The Giggs/Weir comparison I agree with, but I think Weir's crossing was more like Beckhams, he was also the first player I saw scoring direct from a free kick, which is obviously Beckham's trade mark.

[bilbobaggins]

Rougvie was hardly unique though. He was probably THE stereotypical 80s full back. An athlete with tree trunk legs who'd bomb about all day. Stuart Pearce, Viv Anderson, Mel Sterland, Gary Stevens types.

 

I'd say there has been a move away from that type of fullback though the boy Ivanovic fae Chelsea is a possible.

 

Black = Berbatov?

[Ptayles]

At the end of the day Rougvie was not exactly talented and there are plenty of defender who just put the head on the line

[bilbobaggins]

So Broadfoot it is then?

[Kowalski]

Nah, Strachan relied on his guile rather than pace to beat a man but he also tucked in quite a lot. Maybe Iniesta rather than Fabregas?

 

Yep, great shout!

[BobbyBiscuit]

Rougvie was hardly unique though. He was probably THE stereotypical 80s full back. An athlete with tree trunk legs who'd bomb about all day. Stuart Pearce, Viv Anderson, Mel Sterland, Gary Stevens types.

 

I'd say there has been a move away from that type of fullback though the boy Ivanovic fae Chelsea is a possible.

 

Black = Berbatov?

 

Michel Salgado at his peak was probably a Rougvie style player, nothing fancy and basically just a tough nut, probably had a bit more pace and offered a bit more in an attacking sense as a result.

 

Black's a tough one, I'd have always have said a mix between van Basten (as you'd mentioned earlier) and Mark Hughes.  Could lead the line well and combined strength and power with such a lovely touch and lethal finishing.  Possibly better in the air than Hughes and van Basten though.

 

Cooper is a hard one as well because he wouldn't have lasted two seconds in the game these days. He was also actually a centre half by trade, and not a midfielder.

[Guest ally s]

I don't think there's any one player you could compare Miller with. You'd have to take certain attributes from a few central defenders.

[Kowalski]

Black's a tough one, I'd have always have said a mix between van Basten (as you'd mentioned earlier) and Mark Hughes.  Could lead the line well and combined strength and power with such a lovely touch and lethal finishing.  Possibly better in the air than Hughes and van Basten though.

 

Black was an incredible header of a football, one of the best I've ever seen.

[Guest ally s]

Black was an incredible header of a football, one of the best I've ever seen.

 

Would Larsson be a fair comparison for Black?

[BobbyBiscuit]

Would Larsson be a fair comparison for Black?

 

Definitely in terms of heading prowess.  both had an amazing leap and seemed to almost hang in the air longer than you'd ever think possible

[bilbobaggins]

Aye, Black was awesome in the air, maybe Alan Shearer is a good shout. Both classic British Centre fowards with great touch.

 

Salgado is a good call, hard as nails as well with a nasty streak.

 

Hewitt - Lethal. OG Solskjaer?

[bilbobaggins]

Would Larsson be a fair comparison for Black?

 

Aye, decent shout.

 

 

[Kowalski]

Alan Shearer was a dirty cheating bastard.