The Mail Bag
If only...
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Here's a an Everton XI (based on last 20 years or so) of players who either never fulfilled their potential because of injury, gave us fleeting glimpses of brilliance then disappeared to build a career elsewhere, or those who arrived but never quite lived up to their reputation.
My 'if only XI':
Richard Wright;
Ian Snodin, Slaven Bilic, Marco Materazzi, Michael Ball;
Andrei Kanchelskis, Joe Parkinson, Olivier Dacourt, Gary Speed;
Duncan Ferguson, James Beattie
Just a starter for ten while we sit through a non-blue weekend...
Chris Jones, Posted 27/03/2009 at 22:38:28
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Parkinson was, for me, one of the most underrated platers of that era. If he?d been playing for a team that wasn?t always at the wrong end of the table, I reckon he?d have gone on to play for England.
In fact, I remember losing £20 to a red nose mate with whom I had a bet that Parkinson would play for England before Rob Jones!
Back down to earth again now, but I wish we?d held on to Phil Jevons a bit longer.
Like the shouts for Billy Kenny and Gazza. This is really the post-Reid / Bracewwll / Lineker era, or we?ll end up with Tony Kay and Mickey Thomas on the list!
I would add Pat Nevin purely for how he performed for Chelsea and for THAT great goal against Man Utd. I would also add Tony Cottee even though his goal ratio per game for us was good.
As a link to one of the postings above, I had a mate who worked part-time for Match Weekly in 80s and he had been double-booked so I got in Press Box for free (my only ever free match other than bunking in the last 15 mins in Bullens Road in the 80s). Everton beat Coventry 3-1 but I gave Man of the Match to Ian Snodin ? excellent player but another Blue hard luck story.
Could we add Duncan McKenzie to the list? And has anyone noticed our defence has never been the same since Per Krøldrup left? Regarding the Nyarko comment above, I saw one of his last matches for us ? after the big bust-up. He got subbed in a midweek evening game after playing a blinder and his smile was something to remember when he realised (it took him a few seconds) that the crowd were standing and applauding HIM.
I would strike Slaven Bilic from the list as an undeserving, undisciplined mercenary who?s retirement partly contributed to our financial decline.... along with another Hammer... Danny Williamson.
Big Dunc was not the most talented player around but he did what he did well with his physical game. I would probably Mikael Madar in his place.
Tobias Linderoth was another one who failed to live up to his potential whilst he was here.
As for Parkinson, sure he was injured but he was an effective player of limited ability who won an FA Cup final, so I’d say he overachieved rather than underachieved.
Rooney and particularly Jeffers are the two that grate the most, especially with how pathetically Jeffers career went after he left. Down to him being a cocky twat from what I’ve heard.
Gareth Farrelly though would be my vote for central midfield.
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1 Posted 28/03/2009 at 08:29:07
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And, whilst this is going to cause controversy, I can’t help but mention the fat shite at Utd.....
Paul Bracewell in for Parkinson......
Andy van der Meyde gets an honourable mention......
Let just hope that we’re not adding James Vaughan to this list in 3 years time. Or Yakubu for that matter, if he comes back 3 stone heavier next season!!