Perfect Saints XI
Sunday, 20th Mar 2011 21:27

Four Four Two magazine has done a supplement of clubs greatest XI's read about Saints here.

the magazine has compiled a list of what supporters of each football club consider to be their best XI, the Saints entry is chosen by Christian O' Connell who appears to be a DJ and to be frank seems to have limited knowledge of the club judging by his picks and the comments he has made.

His team is as follows.

Peter Shilton

Jason Dodd, Claus Lundekvam, Neil Ruddock, Francis Benali,

Alan Ball, Nick Holmes, Glenn Cockerill, Jimmy Caee.

Matt Le Tissier Mick Channon

Manager Lawrie McMenemy.

Of course every Saints supporter would have their own idea about who they would pick and there wouldnt be many teams alike but to be frank I dont think many Saints supporters would put Ruddock or Benali in defence, nor Glenn Cockerill in the midfield whom O'Donnell also names as a hard nut !

But other untruths seem to appear, Shilton only just get Christians nod over Tim Flowers who is described as having played the most games in nets for Saints, firstly Flowers isnt the record holder for a keeper that would be Tommy Allen, to be fair i had to look that one up, but in more recent times its Eric Martin who pushes Flowers into third, but who uses the phrase "Nets" I ask you.

Then Francis Benali is desribed as having a curry house as 500 yards from the Den (Sic) Im assuming this is a publishers typo, but in any case the place in question was in Oxford Street some 1 1/2 miles from the Dell and certainly more than 500 yards even from St Mary's apparently this Curry house once belonged to Francis's dad.

Of course we are blessed with many great legends to choose from and much as i love Francis Benali, I would be hard pushed to pick him ahead of David Peach, Wayne Bridge or even Mark Dennis at left back.

Neil Ruddock ahead of Dean Richards, Dave Watson, Chris Nicholl, Mark Wright Ken Monkou or Michael Svensson to name but five.

Simiarly Glenn Cockerill in the midfield ahead of such greats as Terry Paine, Steve Williams, Dave Armstrong and many more.

It seems that O'Donnell's choices come from who was playing when he was a kid in Southampton in the mid 80's onwards, only Mick Channon and Alan Ball are from before that era and no one from after it, he seems to have chosen just from those and thrown in Channon and Ball because they played for England so must have been good.

So what would your Greatest XI be answers below

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schatfield added 22:24 - Mar 20

mmmm.....tough one and I dont have long to answer before tea, so I will just throw out a few names that come to thought. Firstly, that entire back 4 would not likely make it for me. They were good servants, but have to say, thats all. For true talent, and I am more thinking in recent times, Michael and Anders Svennson (I say Anders when he could be bothered), Wayne Bridge, Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott and lastly, the great Kevin Keegan (my list is picked from who i have seen in real life, and not on tv highlights from the past, excepting the boy keegan)

saintmartin65 added 23:32 - Mar 20

so many great players.i would go for shilton,golac,watson,m.svensson,peach,armstrong,case,ball,channon,le tiss and terry paine.the subs bench would be pretty good.keegan,wallace danny,frank worthington,chris nicholl,wayne bridge,nick holmes and peter wells.its differcult to leave out midfielders like steve williams,jim mccalliog,chris marsden and forwards like steve moran,rod wallace,alan shearer,peter osgood,joe jordan,martin chivers,peter crouch,james beattie defenders,mel blyth,jim steele,gareth bale, mark dennis,mick mills,mark wright,jose fonte.have i missed anyone out ,i could pick at least two great saints teams.but as we can only pick 18 in todays squads i would change my first eleven.lawrie mac would be the only manager with dave jones next.

saintmartin65 added 23:36 - Mar 20 sorry wouldnt change! my first eleven
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mangobean added 00:38 - Mar 21

The point "chosen by Christian O'connel (not O'Donnel (Sic) Im assuming this is a publishers typo) seems to be lost on you. It is quite obviously a personal choice and not in any way supposed to be the general concensus.

Having said that, I have to agree with the majority of his team selection.

I'm fairly gobsamcked, particularly given some of the recent comments, that you would pick Dean Richards over Neil Ruddock!!!

That said, I'm amazed there is no Shearer or Wallace, given the apparent era of choice. And I definitely think Mark Dennis deserves a shout, along with, in my opinion, Chris Marsden, David Armstrong and Steve Moran.

I went to school with Christian (I don't believe that has anything to do with the team choice, and I always thought he was a bit of tw@t, even then) but don't ever recall him being particularly outspoken about being a Saints fan. Surely Craig David (eugh), Fiona Phillips (barf) or even Dan Lobb (had to wiki after FA cup 2nd round draw) are more famous as being Saints supporters!

SaintNick added 09:03 - Mar 21 At no stage did i insinuate that he was giving a general consensus, in fact i made it clear that I thought that every saints fan would have different choices etc. With regard to Richards, at no stage have i said that he was anything else but great for Saints, my points were the manner in which he left the club, that wouldnt affect his performances as a player
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eusebio added 09:05 - Mar 21 4-4-2 is dated FACT
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bstokesaint added 13:10 - Mar 21

I went to my first game in around 1987 when I was 10 years old when my next door neighbour (may he RIP) took me. I can still remember that day and it brings back fond memories even now. The Saints have been blessed with some great players in that time. I personally don't think I could leave out Bale, M Svennson and Shearer from my starting XI. Also had much admiration for the Wallaces, Dean Richards, Barry Horne, Paul Rideout, Fabrice Fernandes and hard man Chris Marsden.

SeafordSaint added 16:35 - Mar 21

My daughter, who is about to go to Uni this summer, thinks I'm senile and should be in a home for the elderly! Anyway this would be my preferred Saints line up having supported them since the mid-1960's: -

Shilton

Mick Mills Dave Watson Chris Nichol David Peach

Terry Paine Jimmy Case Alan Ball Matt Le Tissier

Mick Channon Ron Davies

Subs: - Antti Niemi Martin Chivers Kevin Keegan Claus Lundekvam Michael Svennson David Armstrong Wayne Bridge

Well, that's a team that an old boy would put together. Managed, of course, by Mr Southampton - Ted Bates.

SfS.

bstokesaint added 17:52 - Mar 21 I am ashamed to admit the admission of Niemi from my starting XI. He was a goalkeeper you'd feel confident about and was the best I've seen in a Saints' shirt. My team would be managed by George Burley.. No, seriously that was just a bad joke. It'd be Gordon Strachan for me.
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saintossie added 22:42 - Mar 21 Supporting saints since 74 and this is based on players seen Shilton, Golac, Nicholl, svennson, Bale channon, Ball, Le tissier, Armstrong keegan, Osgood, Subs, Niemmi, Mills, Paine, Shearer, Wallace (d) , Wright, (m) Manager. Lawrie Mac
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