Peter Atherton

[Guest struckanerve]

4 minutes ago, Bluesteel said:

I remember him doing some class man marking jobs on Mcmanaman in midfield 

 

Scored some vital goals for us. Just wasn’t as good as the man before him but better than most if not all since.

 

Though when people say he is better than what we have had since him isn't a challenge. We haven't had a decent left or right back since 1993. Last 20 years have been shocking.

[archieswfc]

16 hours ago, lanzaroteowl said:

 

Yes mate.

I also tried to get him to join us in our weekly kick about but he said he wasn't allowed. 

Not sure if that was from the Club or his Mrs.

Any news on when you can reopen yet mate? 

[lanzaroteowl]

16 minutes ago, archieswfc said:

Any news on when you can reopen yet mate? 

 

We could have opened outside terrace at 50% two weeks ago. Monday we can also open 40% inside.

But without international tourism it's not financially viable to do it.

I'm hoping for a restart in September. 

[Bluesteel]

8 hours ago, struckanerve said:

 

Though when people say he is better than what we have had since him isn't a challenge. We haven't had a decent left or right back since 1993. Last 20 years have been shocking.

But I bet some people will talk about Lewis Buxton, Simek or Jack Hunt more fondly than they would Atherton who was better than all of them 

[Lincs Owl]

He was half way between bang average and solid performer.  Neither a fancy Dan, nor a donkey.  Not brilliant by Prem standards, but 100% player, the type we could use at the moment.  

 

On 2nd thoughts, I'm doing him a disservice.  If he was in his 20's again, he'd walk into our current side.  

Edited May 23, 2020 by Lincs Owl

[matthefish2002]

1 minute ago, Lincs Owl said:

He was half way between bang average and solid performer.  Neither a fancy Dan, nor a donkey.  Not brilliant by Prem standards, but 100% player, the type we could use at the moment.  

 

Agree his attitude was always spot on unlike some of the Big Time Charlies we have now on £1m per season.

[Bramhall Owl]

He was a bang average Premier League player, which certainly doesn't make him a bad player, who always gave 100% and rarely let us down. However, for a  team that had finished 3rd, 7th (plus 2 cup finals) and 7th in the previous 3 seasons, we should have been aiming for better quality. His signing, along with Nolan, Pearce, Taylor and Whittingham were symptomatic of why our fortunes declined....and why Francis divides opinion on his quality as a manager. 

[torryowl]

1 minute ago, Bramhall Owl said:

He was a bang average Premier League player, which certainly doesn't make him a bad player, who always gave 100% and rarely let us down. However, for a  team that had finished 3rd, 7th (plus 2 cup finals) and 7th in the previous 3 seasons, we should have been aiming for better quality. His signing, along with Nolan, Pearce, Taylor and Whittingham were symptomatic of why our fortunes declined....and why Francis divides opinion on his quality as a manager. 

You dont think that finance was the issue?....francis when he took over signed the likes of woods ,warhurst,bright,waddle,walker ,bart Williams....2-3 years later he'd downgraded to those you mention .I'd be looking above francis when it comes to apportionating  blame .

[ZicoSterland2]

The original Captain Slow. Solid trier who worked his balls off to make up for his lack of pace. Not the best we have had but far far from the worst. 

[Bluesteel]

17 hours ago, Bramhall Owl said:

He was a bang average Premier League player, which certainly doesn't make him a bad player, who always gave 100% and rarely let us down. However, for a  team that had finished 3rd, 7th (plus 2 cup finals) and 7th in the previous 3 seasons, we should have been aiming for better quality. His signing, along with Nolan, Pearce, Taylor and Whittingham were symptomatic of why our fortunes declined....and why Francis divides opinion on his quality as a manager. 

Was watching highlights back the other day and Whittingham was probably one of the better signings of that lot. Really underrated 

[Bluesteel]

33 minutes ago, ZicoSterland2 said:

The original Captain Slow. Solid trier who worked his balls off to make up for his lack of pace. Not the best we have had but far far from the worst. 

I always think that if a defender is getting a game regularly at full back without much pace they must be really good positionally and actual defending. A lot of quicker full backs are like an extra winger but they just do a bit of a token effort defensively. 

[ZicoSterland2]

4 hours ago, Bluesteel said:

Was watching highlights back the other day and Whittingham was probably one of the better signings of that lot. Really underrated 

Guy Whittingham and Taylor were both decent signings. 

[DJMortimer]

1 hour ago, ZicoSterland2 said:

Guy Whittingham and Taylor were both decent signings. 

 

Taylor could have been a reasonable replacement for Palmer, as he proved at Villa later, but for some reason Francis insisted on putting him out wide where even the player himself could see he was hopeless. You could see the confidence draining from him. 

 

Guy Whittingham didn't really impress as a striker apart from his first few games, but although his move to wide midfield seemed a bit strange, it actually turned out to be the making of him at Wednesday. He was great in that role, endless energy, the ability to create openings and an eye for goal.

 

Edited May 24, 2020 by DJMortimer

[Earlsfieldowl]

On 21/05/2020 at 22:56, hasthagotanycheese said:

Atherton was a good solid top flight defender. A much better player than that noggin Nolan on the other flank.

Workmanlike...we needed better if we were to push in but it didn’t happen.

 

Pearce was a terrible singing - symptomatic of where Francis was taking us at the time.

 

[Animis]

He like Nolan, Magilton, Pembridge and Whittingham were solid players who generally held their own against better players.

 

The PL in the 90s changed dramatically from being a fairly ok league with teams of similar ability, to a top 6 that were head and shoulders above the rest.

 

Man U became champions of Europe; Chelsea were awash with money; Arsenal got Wenger; Newcastle were challenging with amazing players. Even in 96/97 we finished 7th with these 'average' players and missed out on a Europa first round qualification by 1 point. The early 90s other strong teams; Leeds and Blackburn finshed below us.

 

It was Pleat's second season 97/98 that the rot set in. Booth wasn't a suitable replacement for Hirst and partner for Di Canio and the team was totally out of sync with Carbone and Di Canio simply passing to each other at times; ignoring these other average players. Big Ron stopped the rot and brought in two or three decent players in Alexanderson and Hincliffe and Emmerson Thome but the rest is history.

[Bluesteel]

In 96/97 Booth looked decent. Guessing the injuries caught up with him.

[sexpistol]

8 minutes ago, Bluesteel said:

In 96/97 Booth looked decent. Guessing the injuries caught up with him.

Booth had a ‘decent’ first season. After that he was shocking imo. The fans liked him as he was a trier, but he was hopeless in front of goal and so slow.

[gillyno9]

For a bang average player....... I wish we had him at right back right now. 
 

Cost us 800k

Hardly missed a game 

club captain. 
 

 

[vulture_squadron]

Real question is: Who was the best right back we've had since Roland?

 

Cafu Buxton in his later years? I liked Simek in league 1. Jack Hunt had one good season.

[@owlstalk]

Just now, vulture_squadron said:

Real question is: Who was the best right back we've had since Roland?

 

Cafu Buxton in his later years? I liked Simek in league 1. Jack Hunt had one good season.

All three of those got booed