Debate 2- which Fulham side was the best?

[dannyboi-ffc]

From promotions to cup finals and 2 seperate decades in the top flight. We've had some great teams down the years. Putting your biased views for your favourite team aside. Which team do you think was the best?

I don't go back as far as some of you so the best 2 for me picks themselves. Tigana's promotion team and Hodgson's Europa league team. Imo I think Tigana's team would have beaten them. They were just as organised with a solid defence led by Cookie. There was a lot more pace in the side and they had better full backs. But it's certainly not clear cut, it would have been close.

I'm expecting a lot of Malcolm McDonald's sides fans and the 60s era built around the Maestro with a wealth of talent. And some of you may well go for the side that won promotion in the late 40s or the other in the late 50s both to the top division. 

I'm going for Tigana's side. It was exciting, entertaining and they were just brilliant.

[bill taylors apprentice]

I didn't see Haynes at his best and as much as I my love for the club stems from seeing the likes of Langley, Cohen, Leggat (my favourite) Cook etc they weren't a great team.

The Cup final team had limited success and was short lived although it contained some of my all time favourites who spanned many years and different teams eg Conway, Barrett, Mullery.

Similar feelings for our Europa Cup team, an amazing time when the whole is greater than the sum of the parts and gave us such great memories.

Macdonald's team was packed with potential and should have gone on to greater things, it was a real time of hope after years of struggle but worse was to come.
This team is my emotional favourite with the game against Lincoln City to go up one of my favourite matches while the team really blossomed the following season and played some great football but it was all too short.

The team of Micky Adams must take bow as it was a massive relief after all that had gone before.

If Macdonald's team is in my heart then I fully acknowledge that Tigana's team was the classiest ever Fulham team and the best.

[Holders]

I didn't see Haynes at his best and as much as I my love for the club stems from seeing the likes of Langley, Cohen, Leggat (my favourite) Cook etc they weren't a great team.

The Cup final team had limited success and was short lived although it contained some of my all time favourites who spanned many years and different teams eg Conway, Barrett, Mullery.

Similar feelings for our Europa Cup team, an amazing time when the whole is greater than the sum of the parts and gave us such great memories.

Macdonald's team was packed with potential and should have gone on to greater things, it was a real time of hope after years of struggle but worse was to come.
This team is my emotional favourite with the game against Lincoln City to go up one of my favourite matches while the team really blossomed the following season and played some great football but it was all too short.

The team of Micky Adams must take bow as it was a massive relief after all that had gone before.

If Macdonald's team is in my heart then I fully acknowledge that Tigana's team was the classiest ever Fulham team and the best.

I totally agree.

I said to myself: "which Fulham team would I most like to see again?". It was difficult but it has to be Tigana's.

[Peabody]

Tigana's team for me, even though they struggled a bit in the Premiership.

[Take Me Home MAF]

This is a non starter for me, pound for pound the Europa League finalists were a better quality of player and harder to beat. In Tiganas promotion side how many players would have forced out one of Roys, maybe Finnan for Pantsil/Baird. Saha maybe more than Zamora although its close.

Tiganas side were a class above in Division One, we used to roll over teams who were meant to be up there like Watford on boxing day.

But if Tiganas were such a good side we would of eventually progressed more in the Uefa Cup and not be knocked out by an average Hertha side.

Roys team gave us our highest finish and our best cup run. No comparison for me, they would have beaten Tiganas side.

[Two Ton Ted]

The best side in our history was Hodgson's 2009/10 (highest league position ever, European final).

The most pleasing to watch was Tigana's Div 2 winning side in 2001, with MacDonald's 1982 team in a close second.


My favourite team (and season) was Micky Adam's 96-97 promotion winning team, simply because of the 15 years of dross we had endured prior to it.

[dannyboi-ffc]

This is a non starter for me, pound for pound the Europa League finalists were a better quality of player and harder to beat. In Tiganas promotion side how many players would have forced out one of Roys, maybe Finnan for Pantsil/Baird. Saha maybe more than Zamora although its close.

Tiganas side were a class above in Division One, we used to roll over teams who were meant to be up there like Watford on boxing day.

But if Tiganas were such a good side we would of eventually progressed more in the Uefa Cup and not be knocked out by an average Hertha side.

Roys team gave us our highest finish and our best cup run. No comparison for me, they would have beaten Tiganas side.

Not quite true. Hertha Berlin and the Uefa Cup came two years later. That's like comparing the Europa League final side with Martin Jols team 2 years later. For starters we had Riise instead of Konchesky and 2 different managers. Senderos had broken up H&H, no more Simon Davies on the wing. But we did have Dembele instead of Etuhu so the two cant be compared. The promotion side had a front 3 of Boa, Hayles and Saha. We lost to Hertha away with an own goal from Sava and Marlet in the side. Completely different to the debate were having as the facts you've used aren't relevant.

Another big difference was there was no Coleman at the heart of the defence 2 years on in the Uefa Cup and the players didn't have the magic and atmosphere of the Cottage as we were renting out the little shed round the corner.

The season we were promoted Coleman would have got in the team. The H&H partnership was special but player for player Coleman was a much better player than Hughes. Finnan was head and shoulders above Pantsil/Baird/Kelly even if you combined the 3 into one player, I'd still have Finnan. Brevett was more reliable than Konchesky who was always a player you could never be sure wouldn't make a costly mistake.

Lee Clark, John Collins and Sean Davis were all better than Etuhu who did a good job in his role for the team but if we're breaking this up player for player he wasn't better than any of them. I'd take Boa over Duff.

To be honest the only players I'd definitely say we're better and good enough for Tiganas side were Davies over Goldbaek, Hangeland over Symons or Melville, Schwarzer over Taylor although that doesn't exactly make Maik a weak link. And obviously Murphy would be in there. Zamora was vital to the team that season, the best at what he did. But player for player imo it's not even close. Saha was unstoppable.  Gera for Bazza but you've gotta love Baz.

So I make that 6-5 to Tigana's side player for player.

Schwarzer
Brevett
Hangeland
Coleman
Finnan
Boa
Murphy
Clark
Davies
Gera/Zamora
Saha

[Take Me Home MAF]

This really is rose tinted glasses, there is not a chance that Rufus was a better player than Konch.

The reason I use the Hertha example is the team Tigana had put together a stronger side and they still did not progress, excuses aside of the way we went out, we were poor at Loftus that night. We built and had added Steed, EVS, Goma to the same group of players with the same manager.

The Europa League Finalists were and are the best team we have had, both in terms of quality and achievement.

We will never know how good Coleman would have been at a higher level, this was cruely taken away.

[dannyboi-ffc]

Here's the lineup vs Hertha 2nd leg

Taylor
Brevett
Melville
Goma
Finnan
Wome
Djetou
Davis
Malbranque
Boa
Marlet

Subs used
Legwinski
Inamoto
Goldbaek

And I know in the 1st leg Sava scored an own goal. So completely different team to the Div 1 side

[dannyboi-ffc]

This really is rose tinted glasses, there is not a chance that Rufus was a better player than Konch.

The reason I use the Hertha example is the team Tigana had put together a stronger side and they still did not progress, excuses aside of the way we went out, we were poor at Loftus that night. We built and had added Steed, EVS, Goma to the same group of players with the same manager.

The Europa League Finalists were and are the best team we have had, both in terms of quality and achievement.

We will never know how good Coleman would have been at a higher level, this was cruely taken away.

Not really Rose tinted glasses.  Konchesky was just part of a good team as was Brevett. Neither were great players. Imo Brevett was more reliable. Either way I'd say 5 each with this one debatable.

In some ways your argument suggests Tiganas team should have been better. Hodgson's side clearly achieved the greatest but in many ways they over achieved. If Coleman had remained fit should we have achieved more? I'd say yes, Tigana certainly underachieved in the prem but surely that just highlights how special the side was in the promotion season?

So its hard to argue with the fact Hodgson's side reached heights no other team did. But right now I'd want more of Tiganas players in our side than I would Hodgson's. 

Imo it had the better players. Actually you've given me a little idea for a new debate, although I think it will sway your way to be honest.