[MarkW]

Bit of fun after a comment in the after match thread said we had the worst squad for 20 years. The 04/05 season was of course the Great Escape year. So for a bit of fun how about we come up with a combined XI from that year's squad plus this season's?

I wonder prescribe a number of players from each season, but I would say try to judge the players on their performances in that season (and this season for our current crop). The only other qualifier is that they have to have played for us that season (so Inamoto is in, Sekou Berthe is out; no Daryl Dike either).

I'm about to head to bed so I'll a very quick one to get us started but I reserve the right to change it once I've given it some more thought. One thing I will say is the below is largely based on the positions I remember them playing that year, which makes it a lot harder.

Kuszczak

Furlong
Gaardsoe
Heggem
Robinson

Gera
Mowatt
Molumby
Richardson

Earnshaw
Maja

[Aztech]

Kuszczak
Contra
Robinson
Gaardsöe
Sigurdsson
Greening
Gera
Koumas
Inamoto
Campbell
Kanu

[johnny Cash]

Kuszczak
Contra
Robinson
Gaardsöe
Sigurdsson
Greening
Gera
Koumas
Inamoto
Campbell
Kanu

I'm not sure Sigurdsson made an appearance that year. Think he was crocked with the injury that ultimately retired him. 

I can also understand why Koumas is in. Initially based on Mark's rules "how he played that season", I wasnt sure he should be. He was out in the cold / injured (combination of both?) for a lot of that season.  However  I still think you take a half bothered Koumas over Molumby or Mowatt (or Wallwork or Inamoto - who only play 3 games apparently).

I personally think your side is closer than Mark's though. A side that survived in the premiership would have a stronger weighting again a side that is 8th in the championship than the 6/5 Mark has given!

Mine.....

Kuszczak
Furlong
Robinson
Gaardsöe
Clement
Greening
Gera
Koumas
Richardson.
Earnshaw
Maja


If anyone needs a bit of a reminder about how active certain players were:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004%E2%80%9305_West_Bromwich_Albion_F.C._season

[MarkW]

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/west-bromwich-albion/leistungsdaten/verein/984/reldata/%262004/plus/1

This has the minutes played by each player from that season.

A midfield of Gera, Greening, Koumas & Richardson has no balance. I remember Greening still being a winger at that point.

It's my own self imposed rule but I'm not having Wallwork and Andy Johnson in a combined XI

[LiamTheBaggie]

Heggem and Gaardsoe just sounds hard as nails.

[MarkW]

I was just going through the squad for 04/05 and I can't believe how young it is compared to our current squad/recent squads.

I can only see four or five players over the age of 30 - Moore, Campbell, Horsfield, Hoult, Johnson, and Sakiri but he barely played. Scimeca was 29 apparently.

The mainstays of that team were all mid-20s. Clement, Greening, Robinson, Gaardsoe, Gera were all 25 supposedly.

I'm actually quite shocked at how young that team was, and what an achievement it was to stay up