Have you been picking your team of the decade?

[Curtis]

I think it’s an interesting and engaging survey on the Club web-site, I’m surprised it hasn’t instigated any discussion on here already.

[GlenSTFC]

I have been and I feel it’s going to be a very common theme of picking the majority of this season’s squad! Only 1 of the 5 so far have not been in this seasons squad.

[SloughFlyer]

Yep, mine so far has been:

Mark Scott, Sean Fraser, George Wells, Guy Hollis and Dave Woozley.

Looking forward to the midfielders soon.

[GlenSTFC]

Surprised at that, only had Woozley not from our current lot.

[Curtis]

I nearly chose Dave Woozley, but for me Mark Nisbet just edged him out.

[Radders]

I think it depends on how you judge. If it’s on outright quality then it’s only natural it will be our current squad or at least players who have played for us at this level (dobbo, etc). However, I have tried to judge my choices based on that players impact at the level we were at when they played for us. 

[GlenSTFC]

I guess it depends on if who you choose is a favourite player or best quality? We’re at the highest level in the last 10 years so the majority of our squad should be included obviously.

[A Rebel and a Saint]

I think given the majority of our current support has only watched since 2016, the pre Arbour Park players will not get much of a look in.

So far I've gone for Turner, Fraser, Wells, Woozley and Nisbet.  Looking ahead I can't see past Warren and Dobbo on the wings, central midfield is a bit more interesting though.

In terms of strikers, if you look at goals scored there is only really Ed Smith and Danny Burnell, miles in front of everyone else and both on the top 20 goal scorers of all time list.

[Curtis]

There are some very difficult choices to make, but I couldn’t leave out a player who’s won two promotions & made over 200 appearances.

[Martin]

Turner, Sweeney, Wells, Nis and Woozley for me so far. 

Sweeney and Wooz obviously played for us at lower level but were class acts and at their best and in prime would be pushing the current eleven. Give it another season and obviously Sam Togs would be in.

 

[Reading Rebel]

It should be based on 'who is the best player'  in that position that you've seen play for the rebels over the last decade.

Unfortunately as is human nature a % of supporters will always vote for their favourites/sentimental reasons rather than the best player. 

So far I've chosen Turner, Sweeney, Wooz, Hollis and Wells.  

[Curtis]

1 hour ago, Reading Rebel said:

It should be based on 'who is the best player'  in that position that you've seen play for the rebels over the last decade.

Should it?

So if I thought Billy Clifford was the best midfielder I have seen play for us, even though he only played about a dozen matches, I should put him in my team of the decade? 

Or should I pick someone who has played for seven seasons, in over 250 matches & scored more than 50 goals?

[Reading Rebel]

2 hours ago, Curtis said:

Should it?

So if I thought Billy Clifford was the best midfielder I have seen play for us, even though he only played about a dozen matches, I should put him in my team of the decade? 

Or should I pick someone who has played for seven seasons, in over 250 matches & scored more than 50 goals?

You're right.

I would hope that any player nominated would have been with us for a certain period of time of maybe at least a season upwards.

 

[Matt]

After a couple of closely-contested polls in the defenders category, it’s on to midfielders tomorrow morning. I suspect central midfield will be the biggest talking point!

[Reading Rebel]

Just done the midfield which I found to be a relatively straight forward decision.

[Curtis]

Strikers could be interesting.... I think it is much more difficult for a striker to make the transition & succeed as a Club progresses through the levels.

[3spirit]

12 hours ago, Curtis said:

Strikers could be interesting.... I think it is much more difficult for a striker to make the transition & succeed as a Club progresses through the levels.

I haven't done my team, even though it is right up my street. My dilemma is that it is an impossible pick, as the players are all at different levels and hard to compere, and for me, I would rather pick a squad from all those players, and not necessarily a 4-4-2 .

I thought Mark Scott had the ideal stature as a goalkeeper, and not for that cruel neck injury,would have likely been our keeper for a long time to come.  However,Jack Turner is a better shot stopper than Mark and also his all round kicking of the ball is far better but I preferred Mark's presence,size,strength and his honest form of play, in that he didn't time waste or feign injury. That said IMO Jack's all round game has got the edge on Mark Scott's but it is by a fine margin,I think.    

I would have liked to have seen Ben Edwards and Adam Foulser in their prime [ both players who could play in defence and midfield, and excel at both!]. Both I rated highly.

Steve Perkins we got too late in his career[in his prime - a better centre midfielder, than he ever was a defender] and then there's Dave Woozley, who took a good while to settle into our team, to then become a ever present consistent performer and one of the first names on the team sheet, but he also arrived late in his football career , so how can you compare him to say Mark Nesbit, who has played well from the moment he arrived in our team and has been a steadying influence for all these successful years. Then you have the rock solid no nonsense,hard as nails Guy Hollis,who is a far better player that he gets credit for, and a managers dream to have in a squad when the chips are down, and the experienced ex pro Sam Togwell,who leads from the front and has been a revelation since his arrival.Nathan Bowden Howse was no mug centre half but for me Simon Sweeney was our best defender of the decade, in terms of versatility and natural ability as a out and out stopper, as he seldom got beat one on one by anyone.He was class but we had him late in his football career,too.  He could play in any position in the back line but as an attacking full back he was very limited. George Wells is a better left back, in terms of playing at a higher level, so how can you compare him with Danny Murphy. I would consider Danny Murphy to be unfulfilled potential,whose engine,in terms of fitness to go forward to attack and back to defend, was second to none and would definitely be worth a place in my squad but George Wells is the first eleven. Paul Stonehouse was no mug either.

Then you've got a player like Jake Parsons, a likeable bloke who when fit was a real handful for defenders and a great attacking threat but nowhere near the fitness level or work rate of Warren Harris. So many midfielders that I could name who would all do justice to the shirt but all very varied in style,substance and energy/box to box ie Jamie McClurg, Nathan Webb, Ryan Hope, Adam Logie, Stuart Swift, Matt Lench,etc.

Up front I liked Charlie Strutton at other clubs but he was at Slough only for a loan and carried an injury, Charlie Mpi for his work rate, spirit and his pace to unsettle teams, Ed Smith for his clever play,his goals and his ability to set up chances,who could operate as a 9 or 10, and who wouldn't want Manny Williams in their squad! I also think highly of Chris Flood, and Dan Roberts is getting better with every game and I think Francis Armatey has a bright future in the game regardless of whether he stays at Slough. Dan Burnell's scoring ratio cannot be underestimated.

So many more that could be mentioned and while naming a team of the decade is just a bit of fun, I just found it impossible to narrow it down to a first eleven,so hopefully fans can appreciate for me it seemed an impossible task but I must say I'm interested to see what teams fans have chosen.

[Curtis]

So it’s:-

Turner,

Fraser, Nisbet, Hollis, Wells,

Harris, Togwell, Lench, Dobson,

Smith, Williams

[3spirit]

8 hours ago, Curtis said:

So it’s:-

Turner,

Fraser, Nisbet, Hollis, Wells,

Harris, Togwell, Lench, Dobson,

Smith, Williams

A good team but a very predictable line up.

[Reading Rebel]

38 minutes ago, 3spirit said:

A good team but a very predictable line up.

I'd say 9 of the 11 were predictable.