Best four midfielders to have played for Burnley

SouthLondonexile · Post by **SouthLondonexile** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 3:50 pm

Here’s my best four:
Trevor Steven
Martin Dobson
Steven Defour
Geoff Nulty

Aclaret · Post by **Aclaret** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 3:52 pm

Potentially a great thread.

Stockbrokerbelt · Post by **Stockbrokerbelt** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 3:58 pm

Taking into account where the club was at the time, Trevor Steven, Martin Dobson, john Deary, Dean Marney.

fatboy47 · Post by **fatboy47** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 4:07 pm

O'Neil.
Dobson.
Steven
Defour.

From '64 to present day.

Aclaret · Post by **Aclaret** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 4:11 pm

fatboy47 wrote: ↑
Thu Nov 25, 2021 4:07 pm
O'Neil.
Dobson.
Steven
Defour.

From '64 to present day.

Would agree with that.

Royboyclaret · Post by **Royboyclaret** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 4:13 pm

Bob Kelly
Jimmy McIlroy
Brian O'Neil
Steven Defour

Local cricketer · Post by **Local cricketer** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 4:17 pm

Connor Roberts

Im_not_Robbie_Blake · Post by **Im_not_Robbie_Blake** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 4:24 pm

I agree with the original post but would include Leighton James instead of Geoff Nulty if we can have wide players

claretandy · Post by **claretandy** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 4:25 pm

From 88

Deary
Defour
Barton
Marney

RalphCoatesComb · Post by **RalphCoatesComb** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 4:31 pm

Martin Dobson
Steven Defour
Brian O'Neil
Ralph Coates (If we are including wide players)

Rowls · Post by **Rowls** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 4:38 pm

In my life

I've only gone with centre mids here and I've specified when as some had peaks and troughs in their time with us.

Steven Defour (2017)
Joey Barton (2016)
Dean Marney (2014)
Jack Cork (2017)

Steve1956 · Post by **Steve1956** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 4:41 pm

Defour
Hendrick
Cork
Westwood

Newcastleclaret93 · Post by **Newcastleclaret93** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 4:42 pm

Defour
Barton
Cork
McNeil

ClaretAL · Post by **ClaretAL** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 4:43 pm

In my time... Undoubtedly better in the earlier days but didn't see them live so cant comment on them...

Glen Little
Steve Defour
Paul Gascoigne
Dean Marney

Steve1956 · Post by **Steve1956** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 4:45 pm

Steve1956 wrote: ↑
Thu Nov 25, 2021 4:41 pm
Defour
Hendrick
Cork
Westwood

And the one that got away....Lansbury.

onewillieirvine · Post by **onewillieirvine** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 4:46 pm

In my time watching

Brian O'Neil
Martin Dobson
Brian Flynn
Steven Defour

boatshed bill · Post by **boatshed bill** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 5:05 pm

fatboy47 wrote: ↑
Thu Nov 25, 2021 4:07 pm
O'Neil.
Dobson.
Steven
Defour.

From '64 to present day.

It's difficult to disagree with these 4.

basil6345789 · Post by **basil6345789** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 5:19 pm

Jimmy Adamson - have we had anyone else win Footballer Of The Year?

jedi_master · Post by **jedi_master** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 5:21 pm

Going on since 1992, and I’m sticking to central midfielders rather than wingers:

Joey Barton
Steven Defour
Eric Djemba-Djemba
David Jones

minnieclaret · Post by **minnieclaret** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 5:21 pm

Jimmy Mac
Dobo
Trevor Steven
Steven Defour
With apologies to so many great options.

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 5:30 pm

My dad would tell me to include Reg Attwell and he'd also give me a push towards Harry Potts, but I can only list the ones I saw play - and the first two take no thinking about at all, the third because along with his ability he made a huge contribution to the club, the fourth who, despite not being able to play anything like enough for us, was hugely talented.

Jimmy McIlroy
Brian O'Neil
Martin Dobson
Steven Defour

fatboy47 · Post by **fatboy47** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 5:32 pm

jedi_master wrote: ↑
Thu Nov 25, 2021 5:21 pm
Going on since 1992, and I’m sticking to central midfielders rather than wingers:

Yep... I'd always read it as the players playing in the middle of the field and controlling the game. Otherwise you're trying to choose from an impossible amount of contenders.

James for example was an out and out attacking left winger in his pomp... I'd never think of him as a midfielder

Silkyskills1 · Post by **Silkyskills1** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 5:33 pm

Central midfielders from me from a given era

Jimmy Mc
Brian O'Neil
Martin Dobson
Paul Cook

Dark Cloud · Post by **Dark Cloud** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 5:42 pm

I'm ignoring wide players and counting them as wingers and not strictly midfielders, otherwise Super Glen would be 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th choice!!

All relative of course due to the level we were at at the time, but.... Dobson
Deary
Defour
Steven
With a highly commended for Noble and Flynn

aclaretinstevenage · Post by **aclaretinstevenage** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 5:43 pm

O'Neill
Dobson
Coates
McIlroy

Vino blanco · Post by **Vino blanco** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 5:50 pm

Jimmy Mac
Brian O’Neil
Trevor Steven
Martin Dobson just beats Dufour

trawdenclaret · Post by **trawdenclaret** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 6:10 pm

Trevor Steven
Kevin Young
Joey Barton
Kevin Ball.

Longsidelenny1882 · Post by **Longsidelenny1882** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 7:15 pm

Why as nobody picked dale Stephens utc

DCWat · Post by **DCWat** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 7:17 pm

ClaretAL wrote: ↑
Thu Nov 25, 2021 4:43 pm
In my time... Undoubtedly better in the earlier days but didn't see them live so cant comment on them...

Glen Little
Steve Defour
Paul Gascoigne
Dean Marney

Did you watch Gazza playing for us?

PadihamThickNeck · Post by **PadihamThickNeck** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 7:21 pm

Gareth O’ Connor
John Spicer
Alan Mahon
Graham Branch

Malvern claret · Post by **Malvern claret** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 7:27 pm

For me the first three are easy, McIlroy , O’Neill and Dobson, then it gets difficult. There have been some great wide players: James for one, were Steven’s best days not as a wide player and after he left Burnley? I hardly saw him play for Burnley so difficult for me to judge, others will know far better.

I presume the question means whilst they were playing for Burnley, otherwise Gascoigne would have to be considered.

I think I would have to include Defour as the fourth choice.

ClaretAL · Post by **ClaretAL** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 7:29 pm

DCWat wrote: ↑
Thu Nov 25, 2021 7:17 pm
Did you watch Gazza playing for us?

Absolutely, totally out of shape, obviously under the influence, and hardly ever moved out of the centre circle, but he bossed the park by his vision and passing and the only player I have ever seen play for Burnley who could play a ball inch perfect with back spin to land exactly right for the player intended, and that includes to the dipped corner, and also hold the ball at his feet in 6 square feet and no matter the tackle by how many players they couldn't get off him

warksclaret · Post by **warksclaret** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 7:46 pm

Dobson
O'Neil
Stevens
Mclroy

IanMcL · Post by **IanMcL** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 7:50 pm

As I never saw Jimmy McIlriy play live for Burnley, I just take him as read.

However, my witnessed 4
Ralph Coates
Trevor Steven
Martin Dobson
Steven Defour

tiger76 · Post by **tiger76** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 9:08 pm

From the early 90's to the present.

Barton (a real leader of men, and if we hadn't signed him when we did we probably wouldn't have gone up automatically, let alone lift the title)
Cook (brought real class and poise to our play, and despite his advancing years oozed quality whenever he got the ball)
Defour (shame about his injuries, but similar to Cornet now, he looked at home in the PL, and his FK at OT will live long in my memory)
Little (for what we paid Glenn was a cracking signing, and if he hadn't got injured in the 01/02 season who knows what might have been under Stan.

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 9:22 pm

DCWat wrote: ↑
Thu Nov 25, 2021 7:17 pm
Did you watch Gazza playing for us?

I suppose he was one of the best four midfielders to have played for us, but that would be based on how he played for other clubs and very definitely not for us.

Devils_Advocate · Post by **Devils_Advocate** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 9:29 pm

Tony Grant + 3 others

warksclaret · Post by **warksclaret** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 9:34 pm

Considering for many, the period is up to 60 years, there is an amazing amount of consistency with the names that are being posted

steve1264b · Post by **steve1264b** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 10:00 pm

I talked to a fella who had been a season ticket holder in the Star Stand. He said Bob Kelly was the best burnley player ever.

Commy · Post by **Commy** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 10:08 pm

I've always believed that we started going downhill after Geoff Nulty left so he would be one of my 4. Deary was another one that once gone we seemed to go backwards. Trevor Steven was too good for the division, even at a young age. Premier has to be Defour.

Burnley Ace · Post by **Burnley Ace** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 10:10 pm

Trevor Steven, when he played for us, wasn’t in the top 4 ever.

BurnleyFC · Post by **BurnleyFC** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 10:16 pm

In my era:

Although he wasn’t the out and out most talented, my absolute favourite central midfielder for us has to be Dean Marney.

Dean Marney
Steven Defour
Joey Barton
Eric Djemba-Djemba

Silkyskills1 · Post by **Silkyskills1** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 10:43 pm

ClaretAL wrote: ↑
Thu Nov 25, 2021 7:29 pm
Absolutely, totally out of shape, obviously under the influence, and hardly ever moved out of the centre circle, but he bossed the park by his vision and passing and the only player I have ever seen play for Burnley who could play a ball inch perfect with back spin to land exactly right for the player intended, and that includes to the dipped corner, and also hold the ball at his feet in 6 square feet and no matter the tackle by how many players they couldn't get off him

Not at Bramhall Lane he didn't. An embarrassment, both to himself and the club. From my vantage point he did well to stay on his feet.

JarrowClaret · Post by **JarrowClaret** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 11:03 pm

Silkyskills1 wrote: ↑
Thu Nov 25, 2021 10:43 pm
Not at Bramhall Lane he didn't. An embarrassment, both to himself and the club. From my vantage point he did well to stay on his feet.

I was at that game as well I still cringe and feel so sad when I think about him, such a special player lowered himself to that. level

JarrowClaret · Post by **JarrowClaret** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 11:07 pm

It is amazing how many choose Defour even ones that go back to watching in the 60s. I won’t do the full list so hard to choose and I would have to leave 1 of my favorite clarets John Deary. If I was choosing though Defour would be number 1 in my list simply the best player I have seen play for us, such a shame about the injuries.

Ric_C · Post by **Ric_C** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 11:26 pm

fatboy47 wrote: ↑
Thu Nov 25, 2021 4:07 pm
O'Neil.
Dobson.
Steven
Defour.

From '64 to present day.

You've only chosen three there

Also, it really bugs me the praise Gazza gets for his time with us. For the most part he was totally off it. I love Gazza, but his time playing for us was best left forgotten.

Georgiaclaret · Post by **Georgiaclaret** » Fri Nov 26, 2021 3:18 am

Good shout with Djemba Djemba - always looked like he had ages on the ball and sprayed it around everywhere. Loved watching him back in the day.

bfcjg · Post by **bfcjg** » Fri Nov 26, 2021 7:26 am

Brian Flynn was a tenacious midfielder,

DAVETHEVICAR · Post by **DAVETHEVICAR** » Fri Nov 26, 2021 7:43 am

Very difficult because I have seen lots of excellent central midfield players since I started watching Burnley
So here goes
Jimmy Mcilroy
Brian O’Neil
Jimmy Adamson
Martin Dobson

lakedistrictclaret · Post by **lakedistrictclaret** » Fri Nov 26, 2021 7:50 am

Ric_C wrote: ↑
Thu Nov 25, 2021 11:26 pm
You've only chosen three there

I love Gazza, but his time playing for us was best left forgotten.

Well he seems to have forgotten it.

I read somewhere that Gascoigne can't remember playing for Burnley.