03-07-2024, 11:15 PM
Since there's still a few weeks until serious football starts again, I wasted a few minutes wondering what might be the best composite team to have played for us since we were last in the Championship (or second division, as I still prefer to think of it).
I've probably forgotten some decent players who were with us in the earlier years, and there's always the temptation of 'recency bias'. But here goes, in 4-2-3-1, since that's the rough formation we've mostly used in the past 12 years. I'd be pretty happy to have this lot starting for us next month (assuming they would be at their peak).
GK - Forde
Evans Webster Clarke Stevens
Pack Doyle
Wallace Chaplin Lowe
Bishop
Some tricky 'virtual' decisions, of course. Some may prefer Pitman to Bishop, and Chaplin if I recall correctly probably never occupied the role I've given him - though I think he played there for Ipswich? I'd like to have found a space for Burgess, Naismith, Whatmough, maybe even Ricky Holmes, who I enjoyed watching. And probably many, perhaps most, would include Kamara. I think it's also worth remembering that in those difficult League 2 years we did develop some decent players, like Wallace, Webster and Whatmough (also Butler, just to show that your name didn't need to begin with a W to launch a good career.
I've probably forgotten some decent players who were with us in the earlier years, and there's always the temptation of 'recency bias'. But here goes, in 4-2-3-1, since that's the rough formation we've mostly used in the past 12 years. I'd be pretty happy to have this lot starting for us next month (assuming they would be at their peak).
GK - Forde
Evans Webster Clarke Stevens
Pack Doyle
Wallace Chaplin Lowe
Bishop
Some tricky 'virtual' decisions, of course. Some may prefer Pitman to Bishop, and Chaplin if I recall correctly probably never occupied the role I've given him - though I think he played there for Ipswich? I'd like to have found a space for Burgess, Naismith, Whatmough, maybe even Ricky Holmes, who I enjoyed watching. And probably many, perhaps most, would include Kamara. I think it's also worth remembering that in those difficult League 2 years we did develop some decent players, like Wallace, Webster and Whatmough (also Butler, just to show that your name didn't need to begin with a W to launch a good career.