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Best Opposition Player You've Seen at SJP


snakehips
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Following Stevie's remark about him thinking Steven Gerrard was his, who is yours?

 

Mine has to be Wayne Rooney when he first played for Everton in the League Cup game as a 17 (?) year old. Man oh man, what an eye-opener for me. Here was a kid who was just a baby, yet he seemed a fuckin' leviathon on the field to me.

 

So who is yours? League, Cup games, Champions League, Uefa Cup, who is it? I'm sure I'll be reminded of someone else, but Rooney is the person who comes immediately to mind for me.

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I always remember a game from my childhood where Glenn Hoddle was a step, no, a gulf away from everybody else on the pitch in terms of ability. He seemed to be able to float along effortlessly with the ball attached to his foot. It was also my first game in the Gallowgate, maybe that's why it sticks in my mind.

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Depends if you mean 'best player' in general or if you're talking about individual performances.

 

The likes of Steve Nicol, Steve Bull, Paul Ince, Dennis Bergkamp & Arjen Robben have torn us apart during a particular game during the years I've supported the club.

 

Who's the greatest we've seen overall? Probably Bergkamp or Zola IMO.

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no laughing....

 

Best ever performance by a player at St James Park for me was Thomas Graveson for Everton probably in about 2003. Think the game finished 4-2 to us but he was absolutely oustanding absolutely ran the show the rest of ther team was shite but he single handedly played against our 11

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I was first taken to the match in 1985, and from the following season if you include Cup games I've probably averaged 20-22 games a season every year bar two since. So that's approaching 500 games I've seen us at home, and I can honestly say not just once or twice but Gerrard is the best player I've seen at SJP, well as good as Peter and I can't give him higher praise than that.

 

Best individual one off performance would have to be Steve Bull when he scored four here in one game for Wolves, the biggest roasting I've seen our centre halfs ever have.

 

Aside from Gerrard the one player who consistently played well here over the years for me was fuckin Schmeichel, I reckon if we never win the league I'll be bitter till I die about that night in March 1996. Henry never played THAT well here imo, odd decent performance but that's it.

 

Best player I've seen from an European team here on a given night was probably Emmanuel Petit when he played here for Monaco he was fantastic at centre half, funny how he'd never played midfield till he moved to Arsenal the next season.

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Not at SJP but the roasting Drogba gave our centre halves in stade velodrome had to be seen to be believed.

Horrific defending caused both goals, a proper side would've avoided the two, he was good though, and he was good here in the first leg, nearly scored a pearler on the volley iirc.

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I'll whisper it quietly but the times Gabbiadini played here he always looked the best player on the pitch.

Even for Derby when we had a class side under KK.

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Not at SJP but the roasting Drogba gave our centre halves in stade velodrome had to be seen to be believed.

Horrific defending caused both goals, a proper side would've avoided the two, he was good though, and he was good here in the first leg, nearly scored a pearler on the volley iirc.

 

Woodgate missing - I know it was normal but that really fucking cost us that night.

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Not at SJP but the roasting Drogba gave our centre halves in stade velodrome had to be seen to be believed.

Horrific defending caused both goals, a proper side would've avoided the two, he was good though, and he was good here in the first leg, nearly scored a pearler on the volley iirc.

 

Woodgate missing - I know it was normal but that really fucking cost us that night.

...and Bellamy.

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There was a thing on the radio the other day about players who receive excellent ovations at away grounds. I seem to remember Fat Pat getting such an ovation when he played at SJP for Barca. Pobbibly the night they beat us two nought and he got one.

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There was a thing on the radio the other day about players who receive excellent ovations at away grounds. I seem to remember Fat Pat getting such an ovation when he played at SJP for Barca. Pobbibly the night they beat us two nought and he got one.

I was actually thinking about that match although I thought Riquelme was even better on the night.

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Not necessarily the best player (but he wasn't bad ;) ) but I'll always remember Ian Wright's performance up front, on his own, when Adams was sent off really early in a game against Arsenal at SJP.

 

He absolutely worked his nuts off for his team as well as playing superbly.

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I always thought the two goal performance by dutch international Johnny Rep for Bastia? at SJP in the UEFA Cup was outstanding. The boy had an absolutely ferocious shot on him, and boy could he play.

 

That aside, I was priviledged to see George Best at his "best", Bobby Charlton, Denis Law etc as well as the likes of Jimmy Greaves, Alan Gilzean, Ralph Coates, Jonny Giles, Billy Bremner, KK, Toshack, Derek Dougan and Peter Knowles. Colin (Nijinsky) Bell stands out as one of the best players I have seen though, he had everything that Gerrard has but his stamina was remarkable (hence the nickname) and if he was playing today he would have run the legs off Gerrard.

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I always thought the two goal performance by dutch international Johnny Rep for Bastia? at SJP in the UEFA Cup was outstanding. The boy had an absolutely ferocious shot on him, and boy could he play.

 

That aside, I was priviledged to see George Best at his "best", Bobby Charlton, Denis Law etc as well as the likes of Jimmy Greaves, Alan Gilzean, Ralph Coates, Jonny Giles, Billy Bremner, KK, Toshack, Derek Dougan and Peter Knowles. Colin (Nijinsky) Bell stands out as one of the best players I have seen though, he had everything that Gerrard has but his stamina was remarkable (hence the nickname) and if he was playing today he would have run the legs off Gerrard.

Aye cos Gerrard's lacking in energy and stamina isn't he? I've often argued Pele wouldn't get a game in the conference and I stand by that. Old football was slow, people were putting tabs out on the half way line till the 1940's.

 

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I started on a list earlier which included Kluivert and Rep.

 

 

I'd also mention Trevor Steven for Everton in 84/85 - they beat us 4-0 and he had a blinder.

86/87 Boxing day and I agree, probably the best team performance I ever saw at SJP.

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Scholes when they beat us 6-2 was obscene.

I was there for that game too and he really was outstanding.

 

I seem to remember us scoring first as well. A Jenas screamer.

Lovely consolation by Shola as well ;)

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