2006 v 2019 - Who would win?

[quote=54]

Croft
Jones R
Whittle
Reddy
Jones G

would walk in as far as I am concerned

What a back three Jones R, Whittle and Ohman would make

Personally would add Bolland, believe our demise started the day he got his bad injury, and as good as Macca is think Mildenhall was the better keeper.

When you look at the quality in that 2006 squad, and then remember how we never turned up at Cardiff it makes you angry at how poor we were that day.  Yes there was lots going on behind the scenes, but even if most of that team had been at 75% of their potential level we should've buried Cheltenham  

Quoted from lee65

When you look at the quality in that 2006 squad, and then remember how we never turned up at Cardiff it makes you angry at how poor we were that day.  Yes there was lots going on behind the scenes, but even if most of that team had been at 75% of their potential level we should've buried Cheltenham  

Indeed. We'd not lost to them in 4 games; drew 1 and won 3 including two successive wins at their place. Cheltenham didn't play particularly well at Cardiff and if we'd stepped on it we would have won. Sure there'd be nerves and stuff which you can't account for, but most of the sub-standard performance came down to leadership, or lack of it.

The final wasn't out the blue though, we'd been stumbling ever since Reddy got injured (I think it was 2 wins in the final 9 league games).

We should've had a bloody penalty though!

Quoted from Lincoln Mariner 56

[quote=54]

Croft
Jones R
Whittle
Reddy
Jones G

would walk in as far as I am concerned

What a back three Jones R, Whittle and Ohman would make

Personally would add Bolland, believe our demise started the day he got his bad injury, and as good as Macca is think Mildenhall was the better keeper.

Curtis Woodhouse would pìss it as well. He was better than League Two at the time. A 2005/6 Kalala would be a close call too.

Slade shafted us for his own benefit in that final I have no doubt. I’d got over it and anyone was better than Bignot when he returned, but he has to go down as one of Town’s all time villains.

If he ever gets another job in professional football I’d be very surprised.

I think this team at it's peak would beat them. Plays better football and is definitely fitter and more technically gifted overall. Plus, everyone forget during that season we didn't beat a single team in the top four - all who played better football than us - and we were ultimately undone by Cheltenham, another better footballing side.

That 2006 side was dominant for large parts of the season, if you get chance have a look at the goals video from 05/06 that is on YouTube.  Especially up until about January/February time we were unplayable at times.  

I hated what Slade did in his second spell here but he built a side that season that was tailored to do one thing, win.  Everything was done to perfection, the side gelled and we had a handful of players operating at least one division below their natural abilities.  

The Reddy injury did us in but it was more the persistence in playing him than anything else that cost us.  Gary Cohen was chomping at the bit to take his place but Slade persisted and then even tried Junior Mendes up top, I think Marc Goodfellow got a game up there too!

January was a poor transfer window too.  Curtis Woodhouse was a good individual but he never really fitted in with the team ethos in my opinion and displaced Ciaran Toner who was building a good pairing with Paul Bolland.  JPKK had gone well off the boil by Xmas.  Ben Futcher wasn't a patch on Simon Ramsden.  Junior Mendes and Marc Goodfellow were just poor signings all round, Mendes especially.  

At its best, the 2006 side would probably wipe the floor with the current crop.  Mildenhall was a superb goalkeeper who commanded his area and had fine distribution.  That defence was dominant and although we looked good on Saturday up front, for large parts of this season we've looked toothless.  Our strength is in midfield but I think Bolland would be more of a match in terms of energy for Clifton and Hess.  At the back we look vastly improved but Ohman would have his hands full with Reddy who would have the legs on every defender we've got.  I think Gary Jones would be too cute for them all too.

That's not a slur on this side, because I think it's got the makings of something special.  But when in flow, 2006 were unstoppable.  

If you actually watch the highlights of the 2006 play-off final we weren't actually that bad ([url=https://goo.gl/QH4xSv]some very low quality highlights here if you want to judge for yourself [/url]). Still had a bunch of chances and were mugged out of clear penalty. I mean yeah definitely wasn't a good performance compared to how well that team had shown it could play earlier in the season, but I'd put that down to Reddy only being half fit and Slade being more bothered about moving to Yeovil than preparing for the playoff final.

No, we weren't as good as everyone remembers especially against the better teams. Slade's promotion record speaks for itself - he has never got anyone over the line, including us.

Quoted from Paris Mariner

No, we weren't as good as everyone remembers especially against the better teams.

We were alright against Spurs