Richard gough

[Malcolm]

what a footballer…

our last good top class defender

possibly in the best ever scotland 11.

[Ally Bongo]

I had to check that he wasn't ill or dead for starting a thread that everyone would agree with - apart from maybe Colin Hendry being our last top class central defender 

[DoonTheSlope]

He was so good it was like playing against 6 defenders…

Edited July 15 by DoonTheSlope

[duncan II]

He was average at best, as was Hendry.

[GHfaeGTA]

Not even the best defender at Dundee United. Not in Narey’s class 

[vanderark14]

Who would be out top five defenders?

The older lads I know always say, Mcgrain, Jardine, Miller, Mcliesh, Hansen and Narey

Would Robertson now get into this category? 

Edited July 15 by vanderark14

[DoonTheSlope]

1 hour ago, vanderark14 said:

Who would be out top five defenders?

The older lads I know always say, Mcgrain, Jardine, Miller, Mcliesh, Hansen and Narey

Would Robertson now get into this category? 

If Robertson gets in then so does Tierney 

[theabsentee]

3 hours ago, duncan II said:

He was average at best, as was Hendry.

😆 If you think those 2 are average I dread to think what you think of our current bunch🤣

[theabsentee]

11 hours ago, Ally Bongo said:

I had to check that he wasn't ill or dead for starting a thread that everyone would agree with - apart from maybe Colin Hendry being our last top class central defender 

Absolutely, Gough and Hendry are the only 2 top class central defenders we've had since the the glory days of the 80's when we had plenty but who still didn't do enough to get us through a group stage. 

[glasgow jock]

Actually (and i'm old enough to remember) he was a far better right back than centre half (in my humble opinion) and he was a more than decent centre half.

[theabsentee]

2 hours ago, vanderark14 said:

Who would be out top five defenders?

The older lads I know always say, Mcgrain, Jardine, Miller, Mcliesh, Hansen and Narey

Would Robertson now get into this category? 

I didn't see much of McGrain or Jardine but even though McGrain could play left back I think both preferred to play right back. With that in mind for balance I would have Robbo & Tierney over Malpas or any other left back I can recall.

   I don't agree even with Dundee United fans that say Narey was better than Gough. Gough was a warrior with very decent technique & a great athlete. Narey was a cultured player quite similar to Hansen but he never left Scotland so it's hard to say for sure he was as good. 

   I would like to mention a player whom I thought barring injury would have been a Scotland great, some may laugh but that player is Craig Levein. 

 

 

Edited July 15 by theabsentee

[GHfaeGTA]

3 minutes ago, glasgow jock said:

Actually (and i'm old enough to remember) he was a far better right back than centre half (in my humble opinion) and he was a more than decent centre half.

Dundee United’s best ever right back. He was superb for a few years in that position at Tannadice especially 82/83

[daviebee]

4 minutes ago, glasgow jock said:

Actually (and i'm old enough to remember) he was a far better right back than centre half (in my humble opinion) and he was a more than decent centre half.

Jim McLean thought the opposite back then but couldn't break up the Hegarty-Narey partnership for him.

He was a brilliant right-back but in our best-ever 11? Not a chance. McGrain, Jardine, Brownlie, and probably also Nicol and Burley ahead of him (IMHO). And that's before we dip back into the great players of the 60s.

[theabsentee]

4 minutes ago, glasgow jock said:

Actually (and i'm old enough to remember) he was a far better right back than centre half (in my humble opinion) and he was a more than decent centre half.

Agree👌

[GHfaeGTA]

1 minute ago, theabsentee said:

I didn't see much of McGrain or Jardine but even though certainly can't could play left back I think both preferred to play right back. With that in mind for balance I would have Robbo & Tierney over Malpas or any other left back I can recall.

   I don't agree even with Dundee United fans that say Narey was better than Gough. Gough was a warrior with very decent technique & a great athlete. Narey was a cultured player quite similar to Hansen but he never left Scotland so it's hard to say for sure he was as good. 

   I would like to mention a player whom I thought barring injury would have been a Scotland great, some may laugh but that player is Craig Levein. 

 

 

Narey could have played for any team in the world and not look out of place. The fact he stayed in Dundee was down to his personality, some might say lack of ambition but he wasn’t the only one at DUFC at that time who stayed put. I think if you asked any United fan around in the 80s the vast majority names Narey as their best ever player, with Sturrock second 

[Rich NATA]

1 hour ago, DoonTheSlope said:

If Robertson gets in then so does Tierney 

Can Alan Hutton be considered in the same class as Robertson and Tierney?

I always liked Hutton.

[duncan II]

35 minutes ago, theabsentee said:

😆 If you think those 2 are average I dread to think what you think of our current bunch🤣

Pretty poor indeed. I like Jack Hendry. And don't mind McKenna (slip-up v Brazil notwithstanding). But yeah, hardly all-timer territory!

[theabsentee]

28 minutes ago, GHfaeGTA said:

Narey could have played for any team in the world and not look out of place. The fact he stayed in Dundee was down to his personality, some might say lack of ambition but he wasn’t the only one at DUFC at that time who stayed put. I think if you asked any United fan around in the 80s the vast majority names Narey as their best ever player, with Sturrock second 

I respect what your saying totally. I loved Dundee United at that time also. Youngsters won't appreciate how good they and Aberdeen were. I'm sure both could have held their own in the top 6 or even challenged for the title in England. Though fans do admire loyalty over players that so perhaps that's partly why many rate Narey higher than Gough.  

    My favourite was also Sturrock. He could certainly have played for any top European team. 

[ceudmilefailte]

1 hour ago, theabsentee said:

    My favourite was also Sturrock. He could certainly have played for any top European team. 

Dundee United were a top European team. 

[theabsentee]

1 hour ago, ceudmilefailte said:

Dundee United were a top European team. 

Yes, but you know what I meant.

[Malcolm]

I also thought Gough was better at right back and more of an attacking threat there than at centre half.

In my Scotland 11 i would be tempted to play Gough at right back and move Mcgrain to left back.  I think Gough was better then Jardine.

 

as for other defenders its tricky… i would say hansen and miller best at centre half but not as a pair.  You would want something like miller mcleish or hansen mcqueen.  Ball player/sweeper and stopper.

 

good shout on Levein.  If he hadnt done hos cruciate in he might well have gone on to the likes of Liverpool.

 

[Malcolm]

2 hours ago, theabsentee said:

I respect what your saying totally. I loved Dundee United at that time also. Youngsters won't appreciate how good they and Aberdeen were. I'm sure both could have held their own in the top 6 or even challenged for the title in England. Though fans do admire loyalty over players that so perhaps that's partly why many rate Narey higher than Gough.  

    My favourite was also Sturrock. He could certainly have played for any top European team. 

 

i got fed up of watching Aberdeen come to Tynecastle.  The would invariably score in the first half and then not give Hearts a kick and win 1-0.  Willie Miller would also ref the game.

 

be interesting to see how they would have done in England.  Aberdeen were schooled by Liverpool who I think won about 4-0 but maybe Dundee Utd got a result against Man U?

[Orraloon]

10 hours ago, vanderark14 said:

Who would be out top five defenders?

The older lads I know always say, Mcgrain, Jardine, Miller, Mcliesh, Hansen and Narey

Would Robertson now get into this category? 

McQueen was head and shoulders above any of them.

[McTeeko]

5 hours ago, Malcolm said:

 

i got fed up of watching Aberdeen come to Tynecastle.  The would invariably score in the first half and then not give Hearts a kick and win 1-0.  Willie Miller would also ref the game.

 

be interesting to see how they would have done in England.  Aberdeen were schooled by Liverpool who I think won about 4-0 but maybe Dundee Utd got a result against Man U?

United drew 2-2 with Man Utd at Old Trafford in 1st leg, lost 3-2 at Tannadice in the 2nd leg.

That 1st leg provided one of the best passes I’ve ever seen, Beedie with an immaculately weighted pass for Sturrock. 

[The Black Bra]

6 hours ago, Malcolm said:

 

i got fed up of watching Aberdeen come to Tynecastle.  The would invariably score in the first half and then not give Hearts a kick and win 1-0.  Willie Miller would also ref the game.

 

be interesting to see how they would have done in England.  Aberdeen were schooled by Liverpool who I think won about 4-0 but maybe Dundee Utd got a result against Man U?

Didn’t Aberdeen beat Ipswich in Europe when they had a brilliant team?