David O'Day
Well-Known Member
We'd used up our quota of bald or balding players on David Rennie
Why Didn't We Sign Chris Marsden in 1994? (4 Viewers)
- Thread starter Finham
- Start date
SlowerThanPlatt
Well-Known Member
As good as it got for him here. Was it injuries or just fell away?
torchomatic
Well-Known Member
Injuries, I think. He drifted down the leagues then.
Gynnsthetonic
Well-Known Member
Remember New Years Day away at Spurs 1994, we won 2-1 he stood out a mile, best player on the pitch by far
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Remember watching him for the reserves, thought he was going to be a star
Terry_dactyl
Well-Known Member
Thanks for that. That’s a really good article. I don’t think I knew most of how he did after us.This is a good article, stuff we don’t really consider as fans
Tony Sheridan: 'I'd like to be remembered as a player people loved to go and watch'
A cult League of Ireland figure but Sheridan’s mythical status has counted against him throughout his carer.www.the42.ie
Finham
Well-Known Member
OK I've finished watching Coventry murder Swindon 1-1 in 1994. Bastard Swindon last minute Andy Mutch equaliser, we were all over them but didn't take our chances!
Marsden was as good as I remember him & people's points about his strengths are absolutely spot on. He also made 4-5 good ball winning challenges as the game went on. He played a significant part in a goal that was uncannily similar to our breaks from the back last season-I think it's around 1:33:50. Gray singled him out for showing composure in carrying the ball out of defence then passing it rather than hoofing. Keys quipped "It's only a matter of time before the price goes up I think...". Thanks, Richard, well done. All I can think is that either yeah, Wolves outbid us, or it was off-pitch issues, because he was quality.
Peter Withe (who was post-match analysis & had also signed Marsden for Huddersfield) said Marsden was let go by Bassett at Sheff U as he wanted to play long but Marsden wanted to play passing football. The reason he was available from Huddersfield is because Neil Warnock had just got the Huddersfield job and the VERY same situation emerged!
My match ratings (and whether they'd get in the team now):
Oggy-7. Such good hands. Forget the bit in Staying Up that swoons over Hedman's technique, he was just old by then. Peak Oggy was better. (YES)
Borrows-8. Class act. Hit the bar with a trademark piledriver. Still very fast at this stage too. Top player. (YES)
Morgan-3. Quick/strong but headless/weak positioning/passing. Babb & Marsden kept having to tell him where to stand. Not great for the goal. (NO)
Atherton-6. Did alright. (YES)
Babb-6. Not his best game, but had his hands full managing Morgan. (YES)
Flynn-6. Awful passing first half but battled SO hard & in the second half made the goal with an inch-perfect through ball. (NO, because it would be Biamou all over!)
Darby-4.5. Sorry NW, not on this showing. Tried, had a good early shot, but faded fast & passing/first touch were very poor. (NO)
Marsden-8. See above. Fantastic passing/composure/awareness. (YES. Perfect competition for Sheaf & Gus if he doesn't allegedly etc.).
Ndlovu-8.5. Frustrating at times, not least as he was having shit kicked out of him by one Nicky Summerbee. Came to life second half, some superb skill/pace, shot cleared off the line, had a good pen shout & one wonderful 40 yard pass created a chance that Quinn fluffed. (YES. Would get so much more protection now.)
Williams-4. Head had dropped by this stage of his City career (post-Gould). Pace was often a threat but very poor passing/technique. (NO)
Wegerle-8. Ha, how do your rate a 70's throwback in a 90's match being watched in 2022?? Better than I remember, I suppose as this would be Prime Wegerle at City, but did really tend to overplay rather than shoot/pass when the option was there. Brilliant skill though, cracking strike for the goal too. (YES. He'd drive Robins mental, but yes just for the entertainment value).
Sub-Quinn-5. One good pass but missed a couple of very good chances. (NO, based on this was him very much on the way out.)
The Mad Hatters-7. Featured prominently throughout, hugged by Wegerle when he scored, haven't aged much. (YES, as they're still here.)
Marsden was as good as I remember him & people's points about his strengths are absolutely spot on. He also made 4-5 good ball winning challenges as the game went on. He played a significant part in a goal that was uncannily similar to our breaks from the back last season-I think it's around 1:33:50. Gray singled him out for showing composure in carrying the ball out of defence then passing it rather than hoofing. Keys quipped "It's only a matter of time before the price goes up I think...". Thanks, Richard, well done. All I can think is that either yeah, Wolves outbid us, or it was off-pitch issues, because he was quality.
Peter Withe (who was post-match analysis & had also signed Marsden for Huddersfield) said Marsden was let go by Bassett at Sheff U as he wanted to play long but Marsden wanted to play passing football. The reason he was available from Huddersfield is because Neil Warnock had just got the Huddersfield job and the VERY same situation emerged!
My match ratings (and whether they'd get in the team now):
Oggy-7. Such good hands. Forget the bit in Staying Up that swoons over Hedman's technique, he was just old by then. Peak Oggy was better. (YES)
Borrows-8. Class act. Hit the bar with a trademark piledriver. Still very fast at this stage too. Top player. (YES)
Morgan-3. Quick/strong but headless/weak positioning/passing. Babb & Marsden kept having to tell him where to stand. Not great for the goal. (NO)
Atherton-6. Did alright. (YES)
Babb-6. Not his best game, but had his hands full managing Morgan. (YES)
Flynn-6. Awful passing first half but battled SO hard & in the second half made the goal with an inch-perfect through ball. (NO, because it would be Biamou all over!)
Darby-4.5. Sorry NW, not on this showing. Tried, had a good early shot, but faded fast & passing/first touch were very poor. (NO)
Marsden-8. See above. Fantastic passing/composure/awareness. (YES. Perfect competition for Sheaf & Gus if he doesn't allegedly etc.).
Ndlovu-8.5. Frustrating at times, not least as he was having shit kicked out of him by one Nicky Summerbee. Came to life second half, some superb skill/pace, shot cleared off the line, had a good pen shout & one wonderful 40 yard pass created a chance that Quinn fluffed. (YES. Would get so much more protection now.)
Williams-4. Head had dropped by this stage of his City career (post-Gould). Pace was often a threat but very poor passing/technique. (NO)
Wegerle-8. Ha, how do your rate a 70's throwback in a 90's match being watched in 2022?? Better than I remember, I suppose as this would be Prime Wegerle at City, but did really tend to overplay rather than shoot/pass when the option was there. Brilliant skill though, cracking strike for the goal too. (YES. He'd drive Robins mental, but yes just for the entertainment value).
Sub-Quinn-5. One good pass but missed a couple of very good chances. (NO, based on this was him very much on the way out.)
The Mad Hatters-7. Featured prominently throughout, hugged by Wegerle when he scored, haven't aged much. (YES, as they're still here.)
Terry_dactyl
Well-Known Member
I remember being there. Wegerle was unplayable that night.
Swindon fans were horrible.
Swindon fans were horrible.
TomRad85
Well-Known Member
I think that was my first ever live game. I remember nothing other than the score. That and I watched us beat Ipswich 1-0 around the same time.
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Offhegoes
Well-Known Member
Along with the selling of Robert Rosario in 92/93, not buying Chris Marsden was one of the worst transfer decisions this club has made. We looked a different team when he played, beating Spur 2-1 just after Xmas, and then he ran the show against Swindon a few days later.
ProfessorbyGrace
Well-Known Member
Perhaps Darby was…prepare yourselves…BETTER OFF THE BALL THAN ON IT.
Seriously though, was it a case of not being played to his strengths? IE bursting into the box, finishing, direct build up play…
Seriously though, was it a case of not being played to his strengths? IE bursting into the box, finishing, direct build up play…
Terry_dactyl
Well-Known Member
I thought Rosario was really disappointing until he started playing in midfield/dropped deeper, and looked like a different player. It made no sense selling him just when he started to play well.
SkyblueDad
Well-Known Member
When Marsden didn’t sign all sorts of crazy rumours did the circuit, I think this was the early days of chairman Bryan Richardson I did hear at the time we fucked Huddersfield about re the fee and they basically stuck their fingers up to us and flogged him to Wolves. Never a Phil Neal fan but in fairness he had started to get us better and difficult to beat with some poor players but once we missed out on Marsden it seemed to take the wind out of Neals sails, not that much longer he was replaced by Ron Atkinson to start a whole different chapter at CVFC.
ovduk78
Well-Known Member
Phil Neal didn't leave until the following season. He also bought Dion Dublin a month into 94/95 season so couldn't have thought his time at CCFC was limited.
Grendel
Well-Known Member
He was booted out of wolves after they bought him from Huddersfield and hardky featured for Notts county when they took him on
fernandopartridge
Well-Known Member
Interesting reading the ratings, this period was Wegerle's peak at City. He was probably a bit too clever for some of the team mates he had around him.
Moff
Well-Known Member
But then played over 100 times in the Premier League for Southampton, and played in the FA Cup final that Strachan took them to.
Was gutted when we didn't sign him, even more so when I saw Robertson play!
The Philosopher
Well-Known Member
I remember watching McGuire in the reserves and he was brilliant.
I remember one particular match against Liverpool reserves. Liverpool reserves at the time were a match for most mid table top flight teams and on this day I think McMahan, Nicol, McMananam, Molby and a load of other seriously good players we’re playing; so quite different to RC Warwick.
McGuire tore them apart as he usually did. It was the year that David Smith had his good season. Both went downhill from there.
McGuire and Keith Thompson (also at that time) were overlooked in my opinion.
Finham
Well-Known Member
Absolutely bang on, that.
Finham
Well-Known Member
Mate, he was too clever for HIMSELF! Andy Gray pointed a couple of times when he could have passed or shot for an opportunity but instead took too many fancy touches and it was cleared/taken off him. That said, he was brilliant when it came off, and in his early period at City it did more often than not and he was great to watch.