Leicester's greatest ever players are...

[enmac]

Esteban Cambiasso, winner of 21 trophies. 

[bovril]

Kante to score the winning goal and get motm in the Euros final and take his rightful place as the GOAT.

[enmac]

2 hours ago, Sampson said:

He really wouldn't. I grew up on Worthington and Weller and neither could stop a football or beat a man like Mahrez could even though they played in an era before high pressing. Mahrez was a far better and more talented player than either Worthington or Weller.

 

We were a decent lower-half side under Bloomfield who could play great stuff on our day but were actually built round a good defence and didn't score enough goals, the equivalent of Bournemouth under Eddie Howe or Brighton under Graham Potter today really.

 

We had one very good season in 76 but we also went on horrendous spells of form under Jimmy - I believe the longest winless run in the club's history still stands under Bloomfield.

 

It only seemed to be a few years later where people started to revise the Bloomfield era as being so great - probably because the Pleat era was the most depressing in the club's history.

 

Not saying Weller and Worthington weren't great players at their peaks but some fans definitely over-romantacicse just how consistently good they were - they had a couple of great seasons for us and the other Bloomfield seasons we desperately suffered from a lack of creativity and were in relegation battles for most of the season.

 

They weren't amongst the best players in the league at the time, let alone amongst the best players in the history of the English game as some would have you believe. Leicester fans can go blue in the face about their lack of England caps being a bias against us, but there was good reason at the time why they rarely got in the England squad in the mid 70s - which was the least successful and least talented England side in history where we consistently failed to even qualify for tournaments.

 

Someone earlier even mentioned Weller as being the 2nd greatest dribbler in the history of English football behind Ryan Giggs (who wasn't event that great a dribbler and wouldn't be anywhere near that accolade himself), which is blue tinted specs to the extreme.

England caps gained in the 70s is not a good guide to ability. Many top players got few caps. Alan Hudson 2 caps? 

[fuchsntf]

4 hours ago, Carl the Llama said:

True, true. Kante scored more goals for us though 

Only just...

[Foxaholic ME]

13 hours ago, Aus Fox said:

Don’t forget we still have English Football’s all time leading goal scorer.

Arthur Rowley’s 434 goals is the most by any player in the history of football in this country- 251 of those as a Fox. 
He never seems to get the recognition he deserves at Leicester. I’ve said before on here respecting past legends is one thing we do poorly as a club. Rowley’s goals and two second division league titles should make him part of the conversation. Interestingly Rowley is not a member of the English Football hall of fame - something again as a club or support base we should be asking for.

This isn’t to undermine the achievements of Vardy, Kasper and the modern heroes, just, for me needs to be part of the conversation.

I  couldnt agree more too many on here forget   there was an era before the Premier league and cup far harder to win played more matches no resting and tougher tackling and  not playing on bowling greens .Arthur Rowley and Gordon Banks are streets ahead . How many  Vardy being a good example have been good enough to gain a regular place in mediocre England sides which lose to Iceland. 

[String fellow]

7 hours ago, Duquesne Whistle said:

As much as I love Worthington and Weller, I totally agree, Mahrez skills outdo both. Pretty much any footballer from that bygone era attempting to trap the ball, 30 feet out of the air, whilst simultaneously sprinting alongside a fullback, then turning said full back inside out before curling it into the top corner, may have ended their own career. Mahrez made it look simple.

By the same token, Mahrez would have been snapped in half by most of the defenders marking Weller or Wortho. 

More skilfull though, Mahrez for me.

 

Don't forget Len Glover. Terrific dribbler on the left wing, who lit up the crowd every time he had the ball. Unfortunately, he later did time, as did team-mate Graham Cross, another City great.

Edited 6 June 2021 by String fellow

[Post Horn Galloper]

16 hours ago, Aus Fox said:

Don’t forget we still have English Football’s all time leading goal scorer.

Arthur Rowley’s 434 goals is the most by any player in the history of football in this country- 251 of those as a Fox. 
He never seems to get the recognition he deserves at Leicester. I’ve said before on here respecting past legends is one thing we do poorly as a club. Rowley’s goals and two second division league titles should make him part of the conversation. Interestingly Rowley is not a member of the English Football hall of fame - something again as a club or support base we should be asking for.

This isn’t to undermine the achievements of Vardy, Kasper and the modern heroes, just, for me needs to be part of the conversation.

To be English football's greatest ever goalscorer is a unique achievement and we should be more generous in recognising that. I saw him often as a kid but in truth my memories of him in the flesh have faded. How can we compare the  relative merits of Chandler or Hine or Rowley with Vardy when we cannot see footage of them? At least we know them from the club's list of scorers - but there were undoubtedly excellent non-strikers in the great team of the twenties, who may deserve to be included in this debate, but never can be. It strikes me as odd that a hundred years or more from now Foxes' fans will be able to debate the relative merits of players of their own day with Vards, Mahrez etc and see the FA Cup being lifted by Kasper and Wes. It is a pleasure denied us when we speak of our great players of the past. But having often seen the cultured Jack Froggatt (part of the Pompey side rhat won the League three years in a row, and who represented England at outside left and later at centre half) as well as Rowley (but never Sep Smith!) I know that some of them were very good indeed.

[Sampson]

3 hours ago, Foxaholic ME said:

I  couldnt agree more too many on here forget   there was an era before the Premier league and cup far harder to win played more matches no resting and tougher tackling and  not playing on bowling greens .Arthur Rowley and Gordon Banks are streets ahead . How many  Vardy being a good example have been good enough to gain a regular place in mediocre England sides which lose to Iceland. 

That's obviously very disingenuous and one-sided though. It obviously wasn't much harder back then and if we're honest, Vardy would probably be breaking Dixie Dean's record if you stuck him back in the 50s because he'd be so much faster, fitter, have a better tactical understanding and no one would be able to deal with his high-pressing style.

You know very well teams could play more matches because they played in games before high pressing and before the backpass rule still existed when players probably ran half the distance they do now in a normal match. That's why they could play more while training 2 or 3 days a week, while many players smoked, drank, ate a diet of steak and chips and were overweight.

Forest under Clough for example, who were notorious for their days off in training and Clough's lack of belief in sports science and fitness training, completely collapsed when the backpass rule was brought in because they just didn't have the fitness levels to play in the much less stop-start game the sport became after the backpass rule came in.

Edited 6 June 2021 by Sampson

[An Sionnach]

20 minutes ago, Sampson said:

That's obviously very disingenuous and one-sided though. It obviously wasn't much harder back then and if we're honest, Vardy would probably be breaking Dixie Dean's record if you stuck him back in the 50s because he'd be so much faster, fitter, have a better tactical understanding and no one would be able to deal with his high-pressing style.

You know very well teams could play more matches because they played in games before high pressing and before the backpass rule still existed when players probably ran half the distance they do now in a normal match. That's why they could play more while training 2 or 3 days a week, while many players smoked, drank, ate a diet of steak and chips and were overweight.

Forest under Clough for example, who were notorious for their days off in training and Clough's lack of belief in sports science and fitness training, completely collapsed when the backpass rule was brought in because they just didn't have the fitness levels to play in the much less stop-start game the sport became after the backpass rule came in.

You should watch some videos of 1970s games and then you might reassess whether these players were fit or not. Watching Leicester at the worst in recent matches you see stationary play with the ball being passed across the back four and Vardy spending far more time walking than running. The heavy pitches and physicality of the play then forced you to be fit.

Edited 6 June 2021 by An Sionnach

[Sampson]

7 minutes ago, An Sionnach said:

You should watch some videos of 1970s games and then you might reassess whether these players were fit or not. Watching Leicester at the worst in recent matches you see stationary play with the ball being passed across the back four and Vardy spending far more time walking than running. The heavy pitches and physicality of the play then forced you to be fit.

I grew up in the 70s when the England national team used to fail to qualify for tournaments. Lived through the worst ever England side of the mid-70s and the dross of English football and the half-full stadiums of post-heysel. But thankfully I didn't become one of those old men who looks through everything with nostalgia spectacles and thinks everything was better in their day. The quality of football is far, far better now than it was in the 70s and 80s and the ability, athleticism, tactical awareness and fitness levels of your average player is far higher too, I don't even think that's that subjective.

I do occasionally watch old clips, but whenever I've tried to go back to watch old matches, I find it's tough going watching games pre-back-pass rule nowadays, as the game was so much slower and more stop-start. It's just a reminder of how little the ball actually used to be in play compared to today and not in the keeper's hands or kicked into touch.

[An Sionnach]

1 minute ago, Sampson said:

I grew up in the 70s when the England national team used to fail to qualify for tournaments. Lived through the worst ever England side of the mid-70s and the dross of English football and the half-full stadiums of post-heysel. But thankfully I didn't become one of those old men who looks through everything with nostalgia spectacles and thinks everything was better in their day. The quality of football is far, far better now than it was in the 70s and 80s and the ability, athleticism, tactical awareness and fitness levels of your average player is far higher too, I don't even think that's that subjective.

I do occasionally watch old clips, but whenever I've tried to go back to watch old matches, I find it's tough going watching games pre-back-pass rule nowadays, as the game was so much slower and more stop-start. It's just a reminder of how little the ball actually used to be in play compared to today and not in the keeper's hands or kicked into touch.

International football is largely rubbish anyway but Liverpool, Leeds, Nottm.Forest were  great teams and yes very fit. I am not nostalgic at all but I certainly won't buy your argument that modern football is necessarily better. The greatest team I have ever seen were A.C.Milan in the early nineties, They would almost certainly hammer any current team.

[OntarioFox]

no mention of Leon Crncic smh

[ARM1968]

Jim Melrose was decent........

[Post Horn Galloper]

11 minutes ago, Sampson said:

I grew up in the 70s when the England national team used to fail to qualify for tournaments. Lived through the worst ever England side of the mid-70s and the dross of English football and the half-full stadiums of post-heysel. But thankfully I didn't become one of those old men who looks through everything with nostalgia spectacles and thinks everything was better in their day. The quality of football is far, far better now than it was in the 70s and 80s and the ability, athleticism, tactical awareness and fitness levels of your average player is far higher too, I don't even think that's that subjective.

I do occasionally watch old clips, but whenever I've tried to go back to watch old matches, I find it's tough going watching games pre-back-pass rule nowadays, as the game was so much slower and more stop-start. It's just a reminder of how little the ball actually used to be in play compared to today and not in the keeper's hands or kicked into touch.

I hope that l have not become one of those nostagia-ridden old men always elevating the past above the present. There is always a problem with comparing different eras, when styles of olay have changed. But l do not think it is in anyway disrespectful of our terrific team in 2021 to say that we have had some really excellent players in past years who can be mentioned in the same conversation - and the player who has scored more than any other since the League was founded in 1888 might just be one of them.

[Guest]

46 minutes ago, Sampson said:

The quality of football is far, far better now than it was in the 70s and 80s and the ability, athleticism, tactical awareness and fitness levels of your average player is far higher too, I don't even think that's that subjective.

How anyone can seriously argue with this, especially the fitness part, is insane to me

[An Sionnach]

23 minutes ago, Post Horn Galloper said:

I hope that l have not become one of those nostagia-ridden old men always elevating the past above the present. There is always a problem with comparing different eras, when styles of olay have changed. But l do not think it is in anyway disrespectful of our terrific team in 2021 to say that we have had some really excellent players in past years who can be mentioned in the same conversation - and the player who has scored more than any other since the League was founded in 1888 might just be one of them.

As a boy I watched Rowley play alongside Derek Hines. Tis true he was more of a Mastiff than a greyhound but his shooting was terrifying in fact only Bobby Charlton and Stuart Pearce matched his power in my experience.

[Post Horn Galloper]

1 minute ago, Guest said:

How anyone can seriously argue with this, especially the fitness part, is insane to me

I wouldn't argue with it, although it doesn't follow that our great players of the past, if given the coaching and training that players today receive, couldn't succeed in 2021.

[An Sionnach]

4 minutes ago, Guest said:

How anyone can seriously argue with this, especially the fitness part, is insane to me

Watch Alan Ball in the '66 world cup final. 120 minutes non-stop.

[Post Horn Galloper]

2 minutes ago, An Sionnach said:

As a boy I watched Rowley play alongside Derek Hines. Tis true he was more of a Mastiff than a greyhound but his shooting was terrifying in fact only Bobby Charlton and Stuart Pearce matched his power in my experience.

Hines and Rowley were a great duo. I recall that there was more to Rowley's game than brute force. He started as an orthodox centre forward with, l think Fulham and WBA, but it was only on coming to City, and being converted to an inside left, that the goals began to really flow.

[Guest]

Just now, Post Horn Galloper said:

I wouldn't argue with it, although it doesn't follow that our great players of the past, if given the coaching and training that players today receive, couldn't succeed in 2021.

You're probably right and as you say it's a bit pointless trying to compare individuals between eras because the realities of being a footballer now and fifty or so years ago are completely different. Overall, however, I think it's indisputable that the standards today are much higher in a number of areas

[String fellow]

This link gives a list of 25 celebrated City strikers, which has Arthur Chandler at the top, quite rightly. But why are Okazaki and Ulloa listed? Imo, Mike Stringfellow should be mentioned in there somewhere. Perhaps also Derek Dougan.

https://www.90min.com/posts/6598801-the-25-greatest-strikers-in-leicester-city-s-history-ranked

[Guest]

21 minutes ago, An Sionnach said:

Watch Alan Ball in the '66 world cup final. 120 minutes non-stop.

I'm sure he worked exceptionally hard by the standards of the time. What that has to do with my argument I'm not so sure.

 

I have watched that game by the way and one thing it demonstrates pretty conclusively is that football has progressed immeasurably since then.

[Wymsey]

10 hours ago, String fellow said:

Arthur Chandler scored 154 goals for City in the old First Division in the five seasons between 1925 and 1930, including a double hat-trick against Portsmouth in 1928. He's surely got to be one of City's greatest ever players.

YeS, BuT tHe GaMe WaS WaY EaSiEr BaCk ThEn. 

-

Best rise to fame - Vardy by a massive distance.

Most skilful - Mahrez (post-2000).

 

To be honest, there's too many players to count - especially historically - that could be defined as the greatest club player.

Edited 6 June 2021 by Wymsey

[Post Horn Galloper]

12 minutes ago, Guest said:

I'm sure he worked exceptionally hard by the standards of the time. What that has to do with my argument I'm not so sure.

 

I have watched that game by the way and one thing it demonstrates pretty conclusively is that football has progressed immeasurably since then.

Yes - it's in colour now!

[Buce]

17 hours ago, String fellow said:

Don't forget Len Glover. Terrific dribbler on the left wing, who lit up the crowd every time he had the ball. Unfortunately, he later did time, as did team-mate Graham Cross, another City great.

 

I've met Len Glover a few times through mutual aquaintances. Nice bloke.

 

Didn't know that about Crossy; what did he do?