Ex Player Best Player - Post 1990

[Oslernorth]

It’s not who did best for oxford ….it’s who was the best player.

By all accounts Gerard or Grobbelar should be in goal, Jonjo from Everton at right back and Windass over Moody

It’s also very difficult to compare different eras. The standard of football in today’s League One is comparable, if not slightly higher than the standard or the Premier League from the mid ‘90s.
A 2022 Cameron Brannagan, who could play at a higher level in today’s game, would have probably played at the highest level 25 years ago.

 

[Berliner]

An interesting (almost unbelievable) point that I've noticed tonight - when we signed Paul Moody in Feb '94, he was 26 years old and had just one senior goal to his name.
https://www.soccerbase.com/players/Paul_Moody

I'm just imagining what the reaction would be if in the next couple of days we sign a striker at that age with that record! I suppose if they turn out half as good as Moody then we'd all take that. Super strong, great in the air, excellent finisher. That first goal in his hat-trick at Cardiff is one of my favourite OUFC goals ever, and unlike Gino's solo goal, Moods actually knew what he was doing. I was only 1 at the time so I'm going off youtube rather than memory, but the sheer class of it just makes me think of that Bergkamp goal against Newcastle which still gets shown in all the highlight reels of best ever PL goals. Except I think Moods' is better! He also scored the first OUFC hat-trick at the Kassam unless I am mistaken?

Similarly, Kemar Roofe's stats before he joined us...

2011–2015	West Bromwich Albion	0	(0)
2011	→ Víkingur Reykjavík (loan)	2	(0)
2012	→ Northampton Town (loan)	6	(0)
2013–2014	→ Cheltenham Town (loan)	9	(1)
2014	→ Colchester United (loan)	2	(0)

 

[Joey]

It’s not who did best for oxford ….it’s who was the best player.

By all accounts Gerard or Grobbelar should be in goal, Jonjo from Everton at right back and Windass over Moody

If that's the case then how does Copa America winner/goalkeeper of the tournament Emiliano Martinez compare to Gerard and Grobbelaar? I'm too young to remember G&G but Martinez has gone on to have a good career, no doubt shaped by the experience of losing 3-0 to Port Vale on the final day of the 11/12 season.

 

[MJB]

It’s also very difficult to compare different eras. The standard of football in today’s League One is comparable, if not slightly higher than the standard or the Premier League from the mid ‘90s.

 

[SteMerritt]

It’s also very difficult to compare different eras. The standard of football in today’s League One is comparable, if not slightly higher than the standard or the Premier League from the mid ‘90s.

It is very difficult to compare, as you've just amply demonstrated

 

[holdsteady]

Good to know that Steve Seddon and Sam Long would of been starting full backs in the premier league in the mid 90s

 

[Followtheox1]

How about poor old Garry Smart? Somehow went his whole career without a single goal to his credit. I always remember him being light on challenges and backing off from the opposing players.
Joey and Cameron for me have to be of the two most gifted players we ever have had playing for us

Paul Powell had some magic too but for whatever reason never quite happend. Also Jamie Brookes was so gifted and who knows what could have been with him.

 

[werthersoriginal]

It’s not who did best for oxford ….it’s who was the best player.

By all accounts Gerard or Grobbelar should be in goal, Jonjo from Everton at right back and Windass over Moody

It’s about who was best for us, surely - well, thats more interesting than who went on to have the best career.

 

[Oslernorth]

Ok fair enough, perhaps I’m getting a little bit carried away there.

 

[Marked Ox]

How about poor old Garry Smart? Somehow went his whole career without a single goal to his credit. I always remember him being light on challenges and backing off from the opposing players.
Joey and Cameron for me have to be of the two most gifted players we ever have had playing for us

Tbf to Gary Smart he played 170 appearances in the Championship for us (195 appearances including cups*). Nothing more, nothing less than a solid full back imo.


*From Rageonline.

 

[greatunclekip]

Paul Powell had some magic too but for whatever reason never quite happend. Also Jamie Brookes was so gifted and who knows what could have been with him.

Paul Powell was good enough to play for England. At a time we were lacking on the left. Something like 11 goals from full back to basically keep us up.

Brooks. Wow. Had everything.

 

[unification]

Corbo. I thought he was terrific. He was playing in a dreadful team, but could obviously have played at a much higher level. Anyone who deliberately shoulder barges his winger off the pitch is good enough for me. I would even say (for all older fans) he might have come off best in a scrap with Briggs or Shotton (unless they teamed up).

Ahh, Mateo Corbo .

 

[Left Wing Cross]

Ahh, Mateo Corbo .

View attachment 10051

More cards than Clintons

 

[unification]

Kee
Tiendalli...futcher...Foster...Sandwith
Narbett....smith...Hutchinson...F.Green
Aylott....Duffy

Youre welcome....

If this is an attempt to create the worst post-1990 XI, have a word. Some of those don't deserve to be in that conversation.

I'd opt for:

Salmon
Tiandalli / Jarman / McGuckin / M. Robinson (2005-06 exclusive)
E. Diaz / Fear / Xemi / Pitt
N. Roach / A. Campbell​

Dishonourable mentions as subs: Anthrobus, Gnohere, Slabber, Dean Morgan, Conor Ripley, Jeannin (on corners).
Treatment room: Pekalski, Winnall

 

[North Wales Yellow]

Toni Martinez has gone on to have a very successful career playing Champions League football.

 

[tonyw]

Paul Powell had some magic too but for whatever reason never quite happend.

I think it was mostly injury (then maybe a bit of attitude), wasn't it?

He was unbelievably good in 1999/00 - the biggest reason why we stayed up that year - which is why I put him at left back in my 'Best since 1990' XI (although he did play left wing quite a lot that year as well).

Believe he was on the cusp of a move to the Premier League (was it Newcastle?) but then he did his cruciate. And he was never the same player again after that.

 

[RyanioBirdio]

Believe he was on the cusp of a move to the Premier League (was it Newcastle?) but then he did his cruciate. And he was never the same player again after that.

Newcastle and Derby were both after him. Was always out in Didcot sinking pints and smoking like a chimney - don’t think that helped when it came to recovering (or not) from his injury.

Used to love watching him bombing down the left towards the London Road. Nobody could catch him between his pace and the fact that he knew how to play the speed and angle of the slope perfectly.

 

[Left Wing Cross]

I think it was mostly injury (then maybe a bit of attitude), wasn't it?

He was unbelievably good in 1999/00 - the biggest reason why we stayed up that year - which is why I put him at left back in my 'Best since 1990' XI (although he did play left wing quite a lot that year as well).

Believe he was on the cusp of a move to the Premier League (was it Newcastle?) but then he did his cruciate. And he was never the same player again after that.

I seem to remember him being strongly linked with Derby too

 

[Marked Ox]

If this is an attempt to create the worst post-1990 XI, have a word. Some of those don't deserve to be in that conversation.

I'd opt for:

Salmon
Tiandalli / Jarman / McGuckin / M. Robinson (2005-06 exclusive)
E. Diaz / Fear / Xemi / Pitt
N. Roach / A. Campbell​

Dishonourable mentions as subs: Anthrobus, Gnohere, Slabber, Dean Morgan, Conor Ripley, Jeannin (on corners).
Treatment room: Pekalski, Winnall

I was trying to remember Courtney Pitt's name as I could remember how bad he was.

 

[Golden Dr Otto]

I was trying to remember Courtney Pitt's name as I could remember how bad he was.

Boston away