6 minutes ago, Eddie said:

I love conversations like this, the type of stuff that you can lose hours in a pub over that ultimately has no right answer.

I’d push back on that and say it’s not possible to judge how good Bradley was for us, running past some shit League 1 left backs, when compared to the likes of Hunt and Steinsson who had to defend against the likes of Ronaldo.

Bradley looked brilliant, but was the Bradley we had good enough to play in a top 8 Prem team like Hunt did for 4 seasons? Not for me. Hunt got / gets a lot of stick, and if he’d only played one season for us at that level then I’d maybe say there’s some merit in it, but his longevity in a team that was genuinely one of the best in the country for a sustained period says that he should get far more credit than he does. Bradley is nowhere near him in a BWFC XI (nor are any of our players from the L1 / L2 era - they can’t be).

Like you, I enjoy conversations like this. No right or wrong.

I think both, Hunt and Bradley, are worthy contenders. 

I’m probably siding just with Bradley over Hunt. I think Hunt was very much a beneficiary of the players around him, the system and a manager getting the best out of him. Still nevertheless a vital cog in the machine and an iconic home grown talent, still quite rightly lauded today.

I think you put Bradley in that top 8 team we had, he’s not doing any worse than Hunt. And probably has qualities above and beyond Hunt.

Going against the WWs form and not overly extreme on the positives/negatives of any of them.

I think it’s great there’s so many options and variations of a world class Bolton 11.

I bet it’s up there smashing most aside 👏

The best XI players to have ever played for Bolton will be very different to the 11 best in a Bolton shirt.

Mario Jardel scored 204 goals in 198 games for Porto, Galatasaray & Sporting Lisbon prior to coming to Bolton.

2 minutes ago, Traf said:

Mario Jardel scored 204 goals in 198 games for Porto, Galatasaray & Sporting Lisbon prior to coming to Bolton.

Correct, also played a key part in getting us to the league cup final so worthy of a spot on my bench

Just so I can bring him on as a sub to to watch him waddle on to the pitch

Hierro and Nakata weren't loans 

1 hour ago, Big E said:

I always think of Barness when I think of great solid players. Am convinced I’m wrong mind ha ha 

Simon Charlton to

51 minutes ago, jmjhb said:

Hierro and Nakata weren't loans 

Nor Candela it seems so adapted the criteria to include short term deals of one session or less

1 hour ago, Big E said:

I always think of Barness when I think of great solid players. Am convinced I’m wrong mind ha ha 

 

42 minutes ago, L/H White said:

Simon Charlton to

Aye, was going to say the same 

Underwhelming to say the least when they signed, but solid, reliable and were regulars when getting us promoted to and established in the PL

 

Another keeper being linked with us, Murphy Cooper from QPR, he was on loan at Stevenage recently.

https://www.westlondonsport.com/qpr/clubs-interested-in-qpr-keeper

35 minutes ago, Zico said:

 

Aye, was going to say the same 

Underwhelming to say the least when they signed, but solid, reliable and were regulars when getting us promoted to and established in the PL

 

We can add Mike Whitlow that solid, reliable cohort from that era. 

2 hours ago, Eddie said:

I love conversations like this, the type of stuff that you can lose hours in a pub over that ultimately has no right answer.

I’d push back on that and say it’s not possible to judge how good Bradley was for us, running past some shit League 1 left backs, when compared to the likes of Hunt and Steinsson who had to defend against the likes of Ronaldo.

Bradley looked brilliant, but was the Bradley we had good enough to play in a top 8 Prem team like Hunt did for 4 seasons? Not for me. Hunt got / gets a lot of stick, and if he’d only played one season for us at that level then I’d maybe say there’s some merit in it, but his longevity in a team that was genuinely one of the best in the country for a sustained period says that he should get far more credit than he does. Bradley is nowhere near him in a BWFC XI (nor are any of our players from the L1 / L2 era - they can’t be).

 

Yep, no right or wrong answer at all. And I didn't intend it to take up so many pages in the transfer thread.

But the answer to the question, could the Bradley we had have played in a top 8 Prem team? He was doing it a few months after he left us, so why not?

Hunt did fantastically well to play as many Premier League games as he did. But he dropped out of the team at 24 and didn't find regular football again until he was at Accy in League Two. Had he started his career somewhere else he'd have never reached the top level.

If I was picking a team (again, based off players as they were when they were here) I'd have Steinsson over him.

Simon Charlton was class when he had to play centre back despite being a dwarf

4 minutes ago, Tombwfc said:

 

Yep, no right or wrong answer at all. And I didn't intend it to take up so many pages in the transfer thread.

The correct answer is Roy Hartle.

It's ingrained in my memory one radio commentator always referring to Barness as "The impeccable Anthony Barness" 

We've given Bradley a new contract 

Edited May 17, 20251 yr by L/H White

5 minutes ago, L/H White said:

We've given Bradley a new contract 

🤮

39 minutes ago, Blondi said:

Another keeper being linked with us, Murphy Cooper from QPR, he was on loan at Stevenage recently.

https://www.westlondonsport.com/qpr/clubs-interested-in-qpr-keeper

Piss off with your transfer gossip.

Was never a fan of Hunt, he had some good moments though, I did like Mendy for while, though that's because he was pally with Okocha, I  think RB as been our weakest position when compared to others since the Sam days, but I did think Joey O'Brien was great at times when he was playing consistently and not injured, Steinsson was meh, Bradley was immense and whilst it was at a lower level, his talent eclipsed many before him, doubt we'll ever see better for some time, especially if we continue to be stuck at this level.

Neil Cox was alright, I think. Vaguely remember him scoring one of the tightest angled goals I've ever seen in front of the North Stand.

Edit: Might have been Robbie Elliot actually.

Edited May 17, 20251 yr by Cheese

Liked Nicky Hunt had a decent cross and long pass in his locker too.  Him being a hunchback stick man possibly went against him as he wasn't the most pleasing on the eye 

2 hours ago, Cheese said:

🤮

Signed Frimpong to apparently 

Edited May 17, 20251 yr by L/H White

2 hours ago, Didledee said:

Was never a fan of Hunt, he had some good moments though, I did like Mendy for while, though that's because he was pally with Okocha, I  think RB as been our weakest position when compared to others since the Sam days, but I did think Joey O'Brien was great at times when he was playing consistently and not injured, Steinsson was meh, Bradley was immense and whilst it was at a lower level, his talent eclipsed many before him, doubt we'll ever see better for some time, especially if we continue to be stuck at this level.

Steinsson was fucking ace

3 hours ago, deeane Koontz said:

It's ingrained in my memory one radio commentator always referring to Barness as "The impeccable Anthony Barness" 

I always thought it was "immaculate" 😄.  Me and a mate never referred to him as anything other than the immaculate Anthony Barness.  A class player and came across as a class bloke.  

1 hour ago, mickbrown said:

Steinsson was fucking ace

My favourite BWFC manager signed him.

10 hours ago, tomski said:

Surely when we say all time you don’t get past Hartle?

Id never seen him play but from my dad’s review and BWFC career stats. This probably isn’t up for debate. 

This is why the all time debates are a bit rubbish. Way too subjective in your eras.

i say the more good the merrier. 
 

 

You missed a treat if you didn’t see Roy Hartle and paired with Syd Farrimond on the left arguably as good a full back pairing as we’ve ever had, always allowing for the fact of course that they were employed as out and out, though shalt not pass defenders unlike today’s jacks of all trades.