Alan Hansen - Player From The Past

[brendan]

Jocky is one of my all-time favourite ever players, and when I first started going to Anfield, he was probably at his peak.

I used to love watching him play; the time he had, the cultured, classy and controlled excellence that were a feature of his game.

He was - and still is - the only defender that had the ground bursting out with laughter as yet another hapless attacker thought he'd caught him out - no chance, lad - and watched as Jocky waltzed away from him with the ball.

I still recall a pundit (perhaps Ron Atkinson) saying that in his "pomp", Hansen could have played wearing a dinner jacket.

I bring it up because of Agger. The cultured, skilful, "take the ball out of defence" defender that we haven't really had since Jocky retired (Wright did an ersatz job, I suppose).

Is that why we want Daniel to be a success so much? To be able to see a Jocky type player at Anfield again?

But more importantly, is the "Jocky Defender" type an antediluvian dream in the modern game where speed, strength and physical prowess are so much to the fore?

I can only really think of Rio Ferdinand who comes anywhere close to how Jocky played, and even Rio (thick, bendy-lipped, horrible cnut that he is) allies that style with immense strength and speed.

I miss Jocky.

[paulcooper4]

dont think you will ever see anyone come even remotely close to jocky again. he made defending look like artwork. remember we were gonna sign ian ****e? but daggers thought he would hang on a week cos we were due to play palace at anfield and the king wanted to see how he performed on the big stage. we won 9-0 and jocky made a **** out of him for the whole game. I miss jocky too, big time.

[Shaggy]

Absolutely hear ****ing hear.

One football's biggest mysteries has to be Jocky's lack of international caps. A paltry 26 caps? Ludicrous.

[Rich]

Didn't Alex Ferguson have something to do with that?

[brendan]

dont think you will ever see anyone come even remotely close to jocky again. he made defending look like artwork. remember we were gonna sign ian ****e? but daggers thought he would hang on a week cos we were due to play palace at anfield and the king wanted to see how he performed on the big stage. we won 9-0 and jocky made a **** out of him for the whole game. I miss jocky too, big time.

Haha, yes. He even made him miss a penalty.

I was unaware that we were after Wright, and Christ knows I wish we had, but despite all that he was still their best player!

At half-time, when we were leading 3-0 (I think), my cousin turned to me and said "Are you going to buy the video? Liverpool 10 - Palace 0"

Turned out to be a fabulous guess.

[dww]

I think if Rio was capable of concentrating he would be a similar style of player. Just because he is also an athelete doesn't mean he couldn't be a controlled and elegant player. Shame that he doesn't have the mental attributes otherwise he would be Englands best defender by a long way.

[Mumsafan]

He's my all time favourite!

[brendan]

I think if Rio was capable of concentrating he would be a similar style of player. Just because he is also an athelete doesn't mean he couldn't be a controlled and elegant player. Shame that he doesn't have the mental attributes otherwise he would be Englands best defender by a long way.

No my point is more that *without* the physical attributes - and let's face it, Hansen wasn't the quickest, strongest, best in the air, or even a great tackler - would he survive in the modern game?

Dunno.

[red g]

great post mate, couldnt agree more, Lucky enough to see him play like you when he was at his peak.....Legend is a word bandied around to much. This guy was unbeliavable.

[Davie]

Didn't Alex Ferguson have something to do with that?

Indirectly.

Miller and McLeish were together at Aberdeen during their great era and played so well that Jock Stein picked them together as much as possible for Scotland hence Hansen's lack of caps.

Ferguson was put in charge for the 86 World Cup when jock Stein died and didnt take Hansen.

McLeish and Miller were a great combination and played at a time when we fared very well as a nation so that's the principal reason.

As with Souness though, Hansen never played as well for Scotland as he did for us. When he did get a game (eg the 2 all draw with Russia at Spain 82 where he played with Miller) he ****ed up. We were two one up needing a win when he went for a daft ball on the halfway line, knocked over Willie Miller and gave the Russian all the time in the world to score.

He would have won far many more caps were it not for McLeish and Miller. So it IS Ferguson's fault

[dww]

No my point is more that *without* the physical attributes - and let's face it, Hansen wasn't the quickest, strongest, best in the air, or even a great tackler - would he survive in the modern game?

Dunno.

Fair enough. In which case I think he would but would be much less successful. He would probably be best in a back three though and those are increasingly rare.

[Mumsafan]

Indirectly.

Miller and McLeish were together at Aberdeen during their great era and played so well that Jock Stein picked them together as much as possible for Scotland hence Hansen's lack of caps.

Ferguson was put in charge for the 86 World Cup when jock Stein died and didnt take Hansen.

McLeish and Miller were a great combination and played at a time when we fared very well as a nation so that's the principal reason.

As with Souness though, Hansen never played as well for Scotland as he did for us. When he did get a game (eg the 2 all draw with Russia at Spain 82 where he played with Miller) he ****ed up. We were two one up needing a win when he went for a daft ball on the halfway line, knocked over Willie Miller and gave the Russian all the time in the world to score.

He would have won far many more caps were it not for McLeish and Miller. So it IS Ferguson's fault

I do love it when you talk football Davie

[brendan]

Fair enough. In which case I think he would but would be much less successful. He would probably be best in a back three though and those are increasingly rare.

Yeah, ideally with Sami on one side to do the physical stuff and win headers, and Lawrenson's speed and, frankly, unbelievable tackling prowess on the other.

[Davie]

I do love it when you talk football Davie

It's one of my many good points

[zimbo]

Hansen wasn't the quickest, strongest, best in the air, or even a great tackler .

He wasn't slow though. Rarely beaten for speed (other than v Lineker in 86 Cup Final), although this was also down to his unsurpassed reading of the game and positional play.

However, he was possibly the only centre half I've seen who could go through an entire season without making a tackle. He just sort of coralled attackers where he wanted them to go, like some Caledonian sheep-worrier, before nicking the ball away and leaving them floundering in his wake.

One of the greatest individual performances I've ever seen was v Austria Vienna in the 85 European Cup. The number of times Hansen just took the piss out of the increasingly irate forwards before nonchalantly pinging it 30 yards to the overlapping Rubble was a joy to behold.

Imagine what he would have done to Drogba!