24/25 Stats

[Howmanheyman 43837]

2 hours ago, Craig said:

When you consider Wharton & McDonald played alongside each other for 3 years, that's some return from our defence.

As Alex points out McDonald was the penalty taker for a couple of years so that explains some of them. He's another one we missed (alongside Goddard) following the summer of 1988 and we never adequately replaced. IIRC he got the hump because McFaul kept playing him as a right winger when he preferred right back.

 

McDonald had his best season for us in 87-88 so off the back of that season Everton paid half a million iirc so off he went, he used to get a bit of stick from the boo boys and got called Spotty until that last season when it died off a bit. After reading about the drinking culture at Everton when he went there and a distrust of new players from the older ones I'm not that surprised he didn't do much as I think at that point Kendall was hitting the sauce quite a bit and I'm sure he was a quiet lad?

[Craig 12329]

9 minutes ago, Howmanheyman said:

 

McDonald had his best season for us in 87-88 so off the back of that season Everton paid half a million iirc so off he went, he used to get a bit of stick from the boo boys and got called Spotty until that last season when it died off a bit. After reading about the drinking culture at Everton when he went there and a distrust of new players from the older ones I'm not that surprised he didn't do much as I think at that point Kendall was hitting the sauce quite a bit and I'm sure he was a quiet lad?

I've tried a few times over the years to rationalise what the thought process was that summer in terms of transfer dealings. 

IIRC we went into the summer trying to persuade Gazza to stay - at least publicly we were. Robertson had already been signed in the March so I think the intention was for him to potentially play with Gazza instead of replace him. I wonder if it was McFaul's 2nd attempt to replace Beardsley after the disaster that was Glyn Hodges. 

Hendrie I assume was intended as McDonald's replacement on the right wing with Anderson to be first choice full back. 

Spending over £1.5m on Beasant & Thorn I never understood. I know McFaul wanted to sign a certain Peter Schmeichel 12 months earlier but the board didn't back him but Beasant's / Wimbledon's style was so far removed from how we played it just didn't make sense to me. Fairly certain Thorn coming on board pissed Peter Jackson off who was soon on his way back to Bradford. 

As for replacing Goddard, I can only assume they earmarked Michael O'Neill to play alongside Mirandinha as opposed to instead of him. Given the language barrier, Mirandinha's selfishness and O'Neill being only 19 at the time I think the Beasant / Thorn money would have been better spent on a direct replacement for Goddard.

[wykikitoon 28489]

[Dougle 4589]

3 hours ago, Howmanheyman said:

 

 

Frank Hudspeth, 19*, Newcastle United.

 

 

*Probably 

 

iPhone 4 in the hand there too. Ahead of his time that lad

[ohhh_yeah 3619]

 

Non-penalty goals per 90:
Woltemade - 0.52
Ekitike - 0.47
Gyokeres - 0.34
Pedro - 0.32
Sesko - 0.31

Non-penalty xG per 90:
Gyokeres - 0.43
Woltemade - 0.38
Ekitike - 0.36
Pedro - 0.36
Sesko - 0.32