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One player from history - 2014/15 edition

If you could pick one player from our history for current team who would it be?

  • Total voters
    47
Re: One player from history - 20114/15 edition

Bullet said:
A few nights ago Jimmy Greaves said that Dave Mackay was the best Spurs player ever, are you going to go against that? Remember Greaves played throughout the 60s with all the greats, and for England too.

Mackay was AMAZING and would also get the rest of the team to play 20% better each, and get the opposition to play 20% worse by breaking their hearts in the tunnel with his juju.
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It's a convincing argument. It is hard to see a side with Mackay in it settling for a draw against Palace at home.
 
Re: One player from history - 20114/15 edition

I always think you need to think of the biggest gap in our current squad, decide on the profile of the ideal player to fill that, and then think who matches the profile (otherwise the answer would always be Hoddle).

With the emergence of Fazio-Verts and Mason-Bentaleb as partnerships over the past few weeks, LWF has jumped to the top of the priority list for me now (ahead of CM and CB; though I do like Chadli).

Candidates then would naturally be Bale, Ginola and Cliff Jones. I've not seen much of Jones, so will go with Bale as a better fit for our system, than the more individualist Ginola.

So Bale for me
 
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Re: One player from history - 20114/15 edition

milo said:
It's a convincing argument. It is hard to see a side with Mackay in it settling for a draw against Palace at home.
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I saw Mackay live lots, Robson, Keane and Souness are the most comparable to him but he was plus 15% on any of them, Mullery is a very underated Spurs player he also was excellent in that style of play.

Also Jones was electric, a real team player.

As an after thought I swear to this day that Noel Cantwell done him ( broken leg ) he was never quite the same afterwards.
 
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Re: One player from history - 20114/15 edition

galeforce said:
Greaves, our biggest problem is scoring goals.
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You certainly can't argue with the scoring record of Greaves. But he was before my time and in polls like this I try to judge based on personal experience rather than stats. And as I say, you can't argue with Greaves' stats. Having said that, with Hoddle we'd have the ultimate midfield creator who would massively improve all of our forward players, and also a player who - from midfield - still makes our all-time top 15 scorers list.

If I'd been around when Greaves or MacKay were weaving their magic I might feel differently. But based just on what I've seen with my own eyes, it's got to be Hoddle.
 
Re: One player from history - 20114/15 edition

Hemant said:
You cannot possibly discuss Mason and Bentaleb with Hoddle. His decision making, vision and accuracy was miles better than the two mids we have, put together. And that would be with Hod told to use only his supposedly weaker left foot whilst being blind folded, especially if the metric was forward passing.
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Unfortunately I never got to see Hoddle play for Spurs, although obviously i've seen videos. I was reading a book however, where they interviewed one of the coaching staff who was at Spurs when Hoddle was coming through the youth teams. The kids had had a basket ball game in the sports hall and he went in after the game was finished. One of the lads had stayed behind and he was hitting the ball from one end of the room into the basket at the other end with his right foot, then doing it with his left, then his right, then his left. The coach was so awestruck that he stood there just watching him for about 10 minutes.
 
Bale, while people have fond memories of past players, the truth is modern players are far superior athletes, quicker, stronger, technically superior, different ball, different boots (most players from even 15 years ago would struggle badly in my opinion)

Bale is what we need, pace/strength/goals/assists all in one package.
 
Raziel said:
Bale, while people have fond memories of past players, the truth is modern players are far superior athletes, quicker, stronger, technically superior, different ball, different boots (most players from even 15 years ago would struggle badly in my opinion)

Bale is what we need, pace/strength/goals/assists all in one package.
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I think that you have to take a leap of imagination with these kind of things and pretend that the older player had the benefit of modern training/preparation.
 
I'm drooling over the idea of having Mackay, leading out our young team - we'd be half way to beating our opponents in the tunnel just before kick-off, however I've gone for Jurgen Klinsmann, as I feel he'd also be Pochettino's pick . Klinsmann is one of the best ever at defending from the front and he also got the goals.
 
I'd take Luka Modric or Gareth Bale back any day of the week, but certainly wouldn't mind any of the players mentioned in the poll. Though, truth be told, never seen Greaves, Hoddle, Perryman or Mackay play for us.
 
Would have gone for Graves but didn't think that would have been fair seeing as he was way before my time. So out of the two I have actually seen play (Bale and Berbatov) I opted for Berbatov. Tbh I wanted Berbatov from Fulham before he went to Monaco and would still take him now.
 
I love these questions. For me the answers always been and always will be Hoddle, regardless.

Defence a bit leaky? Which former player would you bring back? Hoddle
Missing some steel in midfield? Which former player would you bring back? Hoddle
Lacking width? Which former player would you bring back? Hoddle
Need some electric pace? Which former player would you bring back? Hoddle

I don't even care if hes not the answer........he's the answer. :lol:

I can't even imagine how good he would be now with modern diet, training techniques, recovery plans, medical treatments, referee protection.
What. A. Player.

More seriously, and based on who i saw play, i am always surprised Graham Roberts doesn't get more of a mention in these type of threads where a lack of on-field leadership is mentioned. The guy would have died before he gave anything less than 100% and like Mackay he was a better player than given credit for.
 
I'm gonna be controversial and say Berba. I know he's a lazy *******, but hear me out.

Anyone on here remember the Bolton game at WHL a few years back (chocolate kit year I think)?? We were a couple of goals up but Robbie Keane got sent off and IIRC we had to play well over 45 mins with just one striker. Berbatov worked his nuts off in that game, and did the job of two men. If he'd have given that type of performance every week then UTD wouldn't have been the only one's after him. Aside from that though, he could score goals all types, long range, close quarters deft finishes and headers. He could create goals, beat a man and hold the ball up with his velcro chest hair. All in all a great #9.
 
Re: One player from history - 20114/15 edition

NWND said:
Unfortunately I never got to see Hoddle play for Spurs, although obviously i've seen videos. I was reading a book however, where they interviewed one of the coaching staff who was at Spurs when Hoddle was coming through the youth teams. The kids had had a basket ball game in the sports hall and he went in after the game was finished. One of the lads had stayed behind and he was hitting the ball from one end of the room into the basket at the other end with his right foot, then doing it with his left, then his right, then his left. The coach was so awestruck that he stood there just watching him for about 10 minutes.
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This is the strategy I use when coaching.
Every drill is done with alternate footwork. Every player improves their technique and has more confidence using their weaker foot. I bet I could even get inverted wingers to be more effective.
Hod has some excellent ideas on improving skill, I.e using tennis or size 2-3 balls, massively improves touch and coordination, alas our International players were 'too insulted' when he introduced this idea to them.
 
Re: One player from history - 20114/15 edition

K.D.D.D.D.Soc said:
Dave Mackay, a born leader, complete midfield player, creative and hard tackling. He joined an average team and within 3 years we were champions.
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How long did he take at Derby County? About the same, wasn't it? Of course, he was "finished" by then.
 
Raziel said:
Bale, while people have fond memories of past players, the truth is modern players are far superior athletes, quicker, stronger, technically superior, different ball, different boots (most players from even 15 years ago would struggle badly in my opinion)

Bale is what we need, pace/strength/goals/assists all in one package.
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On the other hand, MacKay would have taken Bale out of the game inside five minutes with a chest bump :)

I think one has to assume that this flight of fantasy works on the basis that person X from the past had been born circa 1990 and has had all the benefits of modern training, nutrition and state of the art equipment.

As Einstein never said, it's all relative.
 
Never saw Mackay or Greaves so will omit them.

All of those players would be welcome, especially Hoddle as he was my fave as a kid but the main thing we miss is leadership and a bit of Steel so my vote goes to Steve Perryman. Versatile in a similar vein to Mabbutt but with a bit more aggression in his game and a deeper voice to give out orders to the other players not doing their jobs, which a lot of the current team don't seem to be doing.
 
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