Burnley’s Biggest Flops XI

[CoolClaret]

The ‘Burnleys Best Kept Secret’ thread has got me wondering well, what our biggest flop XI over the recent years could be?

————-—-—Penny
Eckersley-Cort-Gibson-Easton
—————-—-Remco
——-——-Gazza-Drinkwater-
Richards—-Nimani—Vossen

Opted for a 4-3-3

Any others?

[tiger76]

The ‘Burnleys Best Kept Secret’ thread has got me wondering well, what our biggest flop XI over the recent years could be?

————-—-—Penny
Eckersley-Cort-Gibson-Easton
—————-—-Remco
——-——-Gazza-Drinkwater-
Richards—-Nimani—Vossen

Opted for a 4-3-3

Any others?

Stephens.
Juke.

[Bosscat]

Who's going to be the Manager maybe Bond or Laws

[summitclaret]

Pickering, Paul Stewart and Lee Howey.

[Goobs]

Can we clarify is this a worst 11 or is it flops in regards to what was expected of them as they are two very different teams IMO.

[CoolClaret]

Can we clarify is this a worst 11 or is it flops in regards to what was expected of them as they are two very different teams IMO.

Flops

Worst XI is basically the rejects from the team of the mid-late 80s, no?

[criminalclaret]

I find it hard to class Gazza as a flop. He was a 38 year old basically there for moral support and I think he did that in the dressing room. Basically a worn down version of Ian Wright signing for us.

That FK on last day of the season against Cov to send us into the play off's. Missing out on GD. Sob

Edit: Here is the video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrDie7BHgvM - It was a shite FK, though I can see what he was trying to do.

[Steve-Harpers-perm]

Pickering, Paul Stewart and Lee Howey.

Three bad un’s there! I’ll add David Jones (the ‘striker’) and Louie Donawa!

[CoolClaret]

I find it hard to glass Gazza as a flop. He was a 38 year old basically there for moral support and I think he did that in the dressing room. Basically a worn down version of Ian Wright signing for us.

That FK on last day of the season against Cov to send us into the play off's. Missing out on GD. Sob

He was absolutely garbage - he’s even admitted to not remembering his time at Burnley. We were objectively worse with him in the side but his reputation made the manager pick him.

Ian Wright actually scored and contributed for us - Gazza’s debut against Sheff United away was one of the worst performances from a footy player that I’ve ever seen.

[ElectroClaret]

When this XI was picked, i can only assume Liam Robinson was injured.

[Claret1205]

I'd have Mark Ford & Steve Blatherwick in this team. I thought they were really good signings for the level we were at when Waddle brought them in.

Going back to the 1980s Neil Whatmore had a good scoring record at his previous clubs but flopped badly at Burnley, although playing in a team managed by John Benson probably didn't help him.

[Greenmile]

He was absolutely garbage - he’s even admitted to not remembering his time at Burnley. We were objectively worse with him in the side but his reputation made the manager pick him.

Ian Wright actually scored and contributed for us - Gazza’s debut against Sheff United away was one of the worst performances from a footy player that I’ve ever seen.

He took a good free kick during that game, I seem to remember. Either off the bar, or inches wide.

Granted he spent the rest of the 90 mins doing absolutely f all, but I reckon that FK was probably the best thing he ever did in a Burnley shirt.

[KRBFC]

I think people are just picking crap players who weren’t expected to be good

Penny
Eckersley Gibson Cort Fox
Brady Bikey Stephens Stanislas
Juke Wells

[KRBFC]

I will replace Stanislas with Treacy actually really impressive against us.
Few unlucky to miss out are Stewart on loan from Hull, that Swedish midfielder Dyche had on loan, Gareth OConnor apart from his freekick at Wolves

[ClaretTony]

This is an interesting one - it's easy to select poor players, for those of us around at the time, you just go back to the 1980s.

I suppose it's perception but I did think Hines might have been a decent signing, coming from a Premier League club, but he very definitely wasn't.

When we signed the Bournemouth three, I know the one the manager had the highest hopes for was John Spicer, I'd put him on the flops list as well as Garreth O'Connor - not the other one we got at the same time from Bournemouth though.

[Winstonswhite]

He took a good free kick during that game, I seem to remember. Either off the bar, or inches wide.

Granted he spent the rest of the 90 mins doing absolutely f all, but I reckon that FK was probably the best thing he ever did in a Burnley shirt.

Can any free kick that’s off target be deemed good?

[fatboy47]

Foster must be a shoe-in for the usual suspects on here.

[Burnley1989]

I find it hard to class Gazza as a flop. He was a 38 year old basically there for moral support and I think he did that in the dressing room. Basically a worn down version of Ian Wright signing for us.

That FK on last day of the season against Cov to send us into the play off's. Missing out on GD. Sob

Edit: Here is the video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrDie7BHgvM - It was a shite FK, though I can see what he was trying to do.

He was a disgrace, barely trained and was drunk most of the time. He’s a legend of the game but there’s nothing good came from his time with us

[Tribesmen]

Pickering, Paul Stewart and Lee Howey.

Paul Stewart was the first name for me

[Steve-Harpers-perm]

Marco Gentile.

[Tricky Trevor]

How much did we spunk on Marco Gentile, for zero appearances?
Also on zero competitive appearances and costing £340k we have Besart Berisha.

[dougcollins]

He took a good free kick during that game, I seem to remember. Either off the bar, or inches wide.

Granted he spent the rest of the 90 mins doing absolutely f all, but I reckon that FK was probably the best thing he ever did in a Burnley shirt.

What about the one Ogrisivic(sp) saved in the last game?

[Greenmile]

Can any free kick that’s off target be deemed good?

Relative to the rest of his performance in that game / his Burnley career, it was ballon d’or stuff.

[TheFamilyCat]

He was absolutely garbage - he’s even admitted to not remembering his time at Burnley. We were objectively worse with him in the side but his reputation made the manager pick him.

Ian Wright actually scored and contributed for us - Gazza’s debut against Sheff United away was one of the worst performances from a footy player that I’ve ever seen.

Pedant alert. The game at Bramall Lane wasn't his debut; he'd been poor for a number of games building up (or down) to that particular nadir.

[Greenmile]

What about the one Ogrisivic(sp) saved in the last game?

I don’t remember that one, but happy to be proved wrong.

[Vincent'sCap]

Mark Winstanley,I gave every other one a chance and supported them while at the Turf,just couldn't bring myself to like this guy.

[Greenmile]

What about the one Ogrisivic(sp) saved in the last game?

Just Googled it, and it looks like it was Hedman in goal for Coventry, so looks like we might both be wrong (unless your spelling is really bad )

Couldn’t find a video, but the description I found (on ClaretsMad, as it happens), suggests Hedman saved a couple of decent free kicks from Gaza, so I’m double-wrong.

[claret2018]

A flop is a player who came with certain expectations or pedigree and never fulfilled them.

Weghorst has to be up there in this regard

[Shaggy]

Gabor Kiraly, I seem to remember he was very highly regarded at Palace before we signed him.

[martin_p]

I find it hard to class Gazza as a flop. He was a 38 year old basically there for moral support and I think he did that in the dressing room. Basically a worn down version of Ian Wright signing for us.

That FK on last day of the season against Cov to send us into the play off's. Missing out on GD. Sob

Edit: Here is the video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrDie7BHgvM - It was a shite FK, though I can see what he was trying to do.

He was actually ‘only’ 34 at the time and if he’d even half looked after himself should have been able to cut it at championship level. But I don’t think many had any great expectations of him as you say, so not in a ‘flop’ side for me either.

My own personal favourite ‘flop’ is Tony Hancock. I was really excited when he joined os back in the fourth division days but my expectation were sadly not met and he was utter garbage.

As for a manager it has to be Chris Waddle. Again, huge excitement when he arrived, soon to be followed by disappointment and an abject season.

For me Laws delivered pretty much what I expected and John Bond, despite all the hate he gets, would have got us promoted had he not been unlucky with injuries.

[RicardoMontalban]

What about the one Ogrisivic(sp) saved in the last game?

Think the correct spelling is Hedman. As in Magnus Hedman.

Steve Ogrisivic was manager by then.

[basil6345789]

Centre Forward Jones (was it David?)

[bfcjg]

Pickering and Stewart way up there.

[Steve-Harpers-perm]

How much did we spunk on Marco Gentile, for zero appearances?
Also on zero competitive appearances and costing £340k we have Besart Berisha.

Sure he made one appearance possibly in a cup game? Forgot about Berisha think he scored at a friendly at Accy once possibly his only ever contribution!

[SammyBoy]

Been mentioned already but Zavon Hines was appalling, no surprise he spent the rest of his career floating around the L2/National League level.

The same could be said for Chris Long, I seem to recall after being left out of the team at one point he wasn't training and admitted the only thing he was doing to keep fit was 5-a-side with his mates.

[claretburns]

In my era from 2000 onwards, a simple 4-4-2 formation:

GK - Cennamo

DR - Eckersley
DL - Karbassiyoon
DC - Cort
DC - Gibson

MR - Berisha
ML - Guererro
MC - Van Der Schaaf
MC - Gascoigne

ST - Papadopoulos
ST - Nimani

Bench:
GK Penny
DF Courtney
DF Lowe
MF Randall
MF Richards
ST Guidetti
ST Hines

Manager - Brian Laws

[martin_p]

In my era from 2000 onwards, a simple 4-4-2 formation:

GK - Cennamo

DR - Eckersley
DL - Karbassiyoon
DC - Cort
DC - Gibson

MR - Berisha
ML - Guererro
MC - Van Der Schaaf
MC - Gascoigne

ST - Papadopoulos
ST - Nimani

Bench:
GK Penny
DF Courtney
DF Lowe
MF Randall
MF Richards
ST Guidetti
ST Hines

Manager - Brian Laws

I would argue that the majority of those players met expectations, in that nothing was expected of them.

[andyh]

I’m surprised we have come this far without Keith Tracey (or Steve Daly and Gerry Gow for us older ones).

Maybe a bit harsh but based on what he did before and after I would make a case for Eddie Howe as manager.

[claretabroad]

Gerry Gow for sure.

[andyh]

Oh and Chris Waddle the player or manager

[Here's-Johnny]

Danny Drinkwater... Tony Hancock..and Weghorst hasn't really Done it for Burnley.

[CaptJohn]

Surprised no one has mentioned Tony Hancock. Must go down as one of the all time flops by any metric.

[martin_p]

Surprised no one has mentioned Tony Hancock. Must go down as one of the all time flops by any metric.

See my post at 12.38pm.

[Jel]

Has Bamford been erased from memory!

[NottsClaret]

Paul Stewart was the first name for me

Without a doubt at the time, but given what we now know we should probably take him off the list.

Gibson must rank as the biggest flop of recent times. Some of the others are just mediocre footballers we took a punt on because we couldn't afford what we needed.

[Les Lawrence]

Les Lawrence was shite

[colner]

Mark Ford has to be my top flop,the new David Batty at Leeds,the new Nora Batty for us

[Steve-Harpers-perm]

Michael Williams and John Gayle both joined from then top flight clubs are were both equally garbage. Danny Fox signed by Laws as well.

[sjb]

Mark Winstanley,I gave every other one a chance and supported them while at the Turf,just couldn't bring myself to like this guy.

Agreed - he openly admitted he didn't even like football.

[sjb]

Going back even further I'd throw Dave Wilson into the mix - it was rare for us to spend money in those days but the outlay on him (from Walsall I think) certainly wasn't worth it - bought as a striker and never scored for us.