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Trust 2020: Vote on your all time Academy XI

Rosencrantz

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No he doesnt. He's not really a natural defender. He started at left wing / attacking midfield and moved to wing back only after we changed to a back 3. Friend is by a country mile the best left back in 4.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Sparkes in left midfield again in the future.
If you want to vote for Sparkes on City's website, it has to be as a defender. He ain't getting ahead of George yet. Basically you have to throw specific positions out of the window the way the vote is structured.
 

grecIAN Harris

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From the choice given I'd go, Pym: Storey, Scrat, Friend, Deano: Sercs, Collins, Grimeniho, Randall: Watkins, Nicholls
I'd actually go 3-5-2 dropping Deano and Randall putting Sparkes on the left and Matt Jay in behind Nicholls and Watkins.
 

John William

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If you want to vote for Sparkes on City's website, it has to be as a defender. He ain't getting ahead of George yet. Basically you have to throw specific positions out of the window the way the vote is structured.
OK, understood now. Seems silly but if that's the rules... so Sparkes is out of the team.

Agree Friend is the best LB.
 

andrew p long

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OK, understood now. Seems silly but if that's the rules... so Sparkes is out of the team.

Agree Friend is the best LB.
of course we could do an Exeweb version of the best Academy eleven without that rule!
 

budegrecian

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He did indeed, but perhaps not in a league game unless because of an injury?

Mind you I particularly remember one embarrassing PSF with Sercombe at RB.

Tis also played JMT at right back at least twice...
I thought it was left back. From memory, I believe JMT was pencilled in to play as a regular LB for the season but a couple of less than outstanding displays, in PSF, plus injury to one of our other CH's meant that he started the season in his more natural position. That co-incided with Craig Woodman playing particularly well as LB & the JMT at LB experiment was never resumed.
 

Martin Lawrence

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I would go for a line-up of;

(Gk) Pym
(Rb) Bennett
(Rcb) Storey
(Lcb) Moore-Taylor
(Lb) Friend
(Rw) Sercombe
(Rcm) Ampadu
(Lcm) Grimes
(Lw) Sparkes
(Att) Watkins
(Att) Nichols

Subs: (Gk) Arthur, (Cb) Seaborne, (Lw) Randall, (Cm) Collins, (Rcm) Jay, (Att) Reid, (Att) Seymour.

Provided JMT and Friend could stay fit, I would really fancy that side to smash this tinpot league :)
 

grecianstew

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Agree Friend is the best LB.
Presumably we have to consider players at their best in a City shirt (and for a reasonable number of games, hence why Ampadu doesn’t really qualify). Personally I would prefer the best of Deano at Lb than the best of George F but would then shoehorn Friend in at left CB alongside Moore Taylor.
 

IndoMike

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Touring Central Java...
Pym
Ampadu
Storey
Seaborne
Friend
Sercombe
Grimes
Goss
Randall
Watkins
Jay Stansfield
 

MJP_Exeter

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The list is missing Barry McConnell, Scott Hiley and Andy Taylor. All academy graduates whom have played since the Trust took over.
 

Rosencrantz

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The list is missing Barry McConnell, Scott Hiley and Andy Taylor. All academy graduates whom have played since the Trust took over.
I'm guessing that they limited it to academy players making their debuts under trust ownership. Andy Taylor wasn't an academy product although he was a local lad. He was at Man Utd as a kid and got released as a pro having had injury problems.

Scotty and Bazza would certainly solve the right back problem though 😀.
 
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