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Class of 85 - The Greatest team you never saw?

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Joey66 said:
Thats correct the league was harder different era mud baths of pitches too - the year we won the league we had a small glitch - Bally suspended - Harvey out with eye trouble - our lead was cut by a great Leeds dirty side - the year before was incredible 2nd half of the season - I went home and most away games you knew they were champions in the making the holy trinity just clicked Bally was the heartbeat of a great all round classy team - who played football from the back - the pace the passing - Bally had that much time he could sit with his backside on the ball what a box to box playmaker he was - world class - Kendall the silent destroyer in the tackle, and what a passer and volleyer of the ball - Harvey the defensive playmaker whose speed was again non stop - one forward in Big Joe - with Husband and the underrated Moggsy on the flanks - the team were lightning fast - John Hurst at the back alongside Captain Labby were immense, in a nutshell the football was so telepathic you held your breath at times as you could not see such a classier team - you went expecting a win - Tommy Wright from the youth team into England's team at right back in Mexico -
hard to compare with the 1980's team who won more in a different era , but the holy trinity - I am glad I had the pleasure of seeing them - on today's value priceless!
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roydo said:
Only saw them in the cup final,(live) and the 0 0 away at Bayern, (on TV). Didnt realise the coverage was that poor, and goes a long way to explain why that side never ever get mentioned when a random "Best club side ever" debate starts on radio to fill 15 minutes.
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Only twice have I had absolute certainty, an inevitability that it was all going to be ok.
Once was at the start of the 69 - 70 season at a friendly Vs Dundee U. They went a goal up, we just laughed, Everton that, they obviously hadn't read the script...we just went up a gear and pasted them. A few days later I was in a bar in Luxembourg telling all and sundry how we were going to win the league and we did.
The other was Vs Bayern; 0-0 in Away in the first leg and we go a goal down...not worried at all, we just went up a gear and pasted them.
 
rochdaleblue said:
Some of our older supporters might be able to confirm whether this was true, but I’ve heard we actually played better football the season before we won the league in 70 despite finishing third. Was this true?
Similar to us finishing running up in 86 and winning the league the following season. I happen to believe we played better football in 86, but just faltered in the run in.
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TBH, it was more a case of the RS going on an amazing run to nick it. Something like 38 points out of the last 42 available.
 

Thetigerblue said:
I have to disagree. Lineker was an exceptional forward but he became the focal point of the attack. In 85, goals were being scored all over the shop. From memory, the 85 team had 5 players who scored 10 goals or more, including Mountfield, a remarkable tally really for a centre half. Basically a team couldn't defend against that number of options.
And we really felt in in 86 when Lineker was injured and not at his best, especially away at Oxford.
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I've argued the same as you over the years many times.

In 84-85 we played a nominal 4-4-2 but it was so fluent it was total football.

85-86 we played a more static 4-4-2. Relying on the fire power up front especially the pace of Lineker. Fair enough, if you're going to play that system you couldn't get much better players to do it. However, when the front line failed as you mentioned, we didn't have the back up goals wise.

I'm over simplifying it obviously. More for my own sake than anyone else's as I'm no tactical analyst but just the way I remember it.

To be fair, we had a lot of injuries aswell. I'm sure I read that after the 84-85 season our midfield four only played a total of 17 games together. A crying shame as we possibly (probably) would have won the league that season too.
 
Thetigerblue said:
I have to disagree. Lineker was an exceptional forward but he became the focal point of the attack. In 85, goals were being scored all over the shop. From memory, the 85 team had 5 players who scored 10 goals or more, including Mountfield, a remarkable tally really for a centre half. Basically a team couldn't defend against that number of options.
And we really felt in in 86 when Lineker was injured and not at his best, especially away at Oxford.
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Yeah, and we changed the way we played for accommodate Lineker's style. Hitting longer balls for him to chase with his pace. Not as easy on the eye.
 
How have I missed this topic???

My first memories of Everton come from that time.

Very good team with some exceptional players. To my understanding Reid, Steven and Sheedy were top, top players. The irish was something of a mistery: he didn't work hard, he didn't have pace but went up and down with a deceptive silky left foot who could struck a thunderous shot.

It puzzles me what would have been that side if Bracewell hadn't had that injury. And what if we had kept McMahon...or why did we sell Richardson.

The way I see it, we needed 2 or 3 players that would take us to another level. John Barnes springs to mind as why we couldn't sign him. But those 2 who let go would have helped to have a much richer squad.
 

deipnosophist said:
yes, we lost a talisman with Nev's injury.

But Oxford United...
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Them and Carlisle, sent by Lucifer as part of the pay off for the rs selling their souls.
He gets them into Div 1...they do a job on us, then back to the obscurity from whence they came.
Everton that.

Also; If wed managed a draw in the first early Derby that season, instead losing in a 'glorious', but futile fight back.
That 2 points they didnt and 1 we did puts them on 86 and us on 87.
Again, Everton that.
 
zzebra said:
Indeed.Especially as there was only one sub back then.

I was only talking to another blue about the fringe players of that squad the other day.

Were we right in saying Ian Atkins and Terry Curran also made a (very) few appearances too that season?Was Alan Irvine still at the club at the very start of the 84/85 season?

Were there any other "forgotten" players who played that season?
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Terry Curran certainly played. I remember watching us away at Ipswich in the 84/85 season (won 0-2 I think) and Curran was playing on the wing and getting some right stick from us.

Eric Gates was the only decent player Ipswich had at the time and all we could chant was 'How much for Gatesy?'

Happy days.
 
sotnas said:
How have I missed this topic???

My first memories of Everton come from that time.

Very good team with some exceptional players. To my understanding Reid, Steven and Sheedy were top, top players. The irish was something of a mistery: he didn't work hard, he didn't have pace but went up and down with a deceptive silky left foot who could struck a thunderous shot.

It puzzles me what would have been that side if Bracewell hadn't had that injury. And what if we had kept McMahon...or why did we sell Richardson.

The way I see it, we needed 2 or 3 players that would take us to another level. John Barnes springs to mind as why we couldn't sign him. But those 2 who let go would have helped to have a much richer squad.
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There was no other level for us to aspire to. There was however, Heysel. The ban from Europe with the result that the side disintegrated.
 
There should be an age limit on this thread.... maybe only allow anyone born before 1980!!!! :p

(just jealous... at least I'm old enough to remember winning the 95 cup lol)
 

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