The Team Of 1981 v The Team of 2008

Or maybe a 7 for JC?!?!

Gibson/Williams only better than Shorey by one????? nah mate 9 v 6 surely.

If we take into account the improvement in training techniques, fitness and nutrition, the 08 squad I'm afraid would be all over the 81 squad if they played each other today, BUT if you were to take the 08 squad back to 81, they would get lumps kicked out of them and be calling for their mommies by half time, a time when footballers stayed on their feet and kicked you off yours, happy days : )

Ashley is good but Morley was world class. I wouldn't rate Petrov on a par with Mortimer. That said, given the advancements in training, fitness, analysis, diet, etc - the current team woul probably hammer the '81 team if you could some weird time warp to bring them to the present.

I'm not old enough to know about the players of the glory days but surely Cuellar and Davies are a notch above Luke Young? Especially Cuellar anyway.

Mortimer was the driving force in the midfield and definitely worth 9. I agree with the ratings for the stikers.Carew and Gabby don't compare as a partnership to Withe and Shaw.(yet!). As for Morely against Ashley I would rate them both as 9. Nothing between them and both right footers on the left wing.

Agree with alot of the comments about how the game has changed so much. Difficult to compare tbh.

Interesting thread. Got to agree that the team of 2008 would probably beat the 81 boys but I do think it would be closer than people think and I wouldn't agree that ANY team from the championship would beat them. No-one can argue that players have got fitter and the game is faster but I personally think from a technical view, standards have slipped in recent years. You only have to look at some of those considered "top" players in the league these days - Drogba, Walcott, Adebayor, actually even Agbonlahor, to see that their touch/vision/passing is generally pretty awful. While no doubt they could outmuscle and outrun most of the 81 side, at least you knew the majority of those boys could get a ball down and pass it when they needed to. Generally the players at the very top clubs these days can do it all, but I'm really struggling to remember the last time I saw a match between 2 of the other 16 prem teams that showed genuine quality on both sides and I include Villa in that. Don't think the likes of Gabby and NRC can hold a technical candle to their 81 counterparts of Shaw and Sid.

If the ref was from 81, players like Gabby and Ash would get their legs broken after they had run rings round them the first time! LondonVilla81, have you seen Walcott on the ball? He has as much pace as Gabby and the control to go with it. Gabby is getting there though, and they are both still very young.

Different era different game. Ask your self one question in 26 years time will you be able to name our current team with out thinking about it. Team of 81/82 legends all. I hope i live long enough to see another team of legends our current team have a little way to go yet but MON is working on it.

No doubt Walcott is super quick and I'd have him at the villa in a second but seriously, watch him closely next time he plays. His first touch and control is often awful! He is young though so sure he'll improve. Still take Gary Shaw over virtually anyone playing now though. Most talented attacking player I've ever seen at the villa.

Seriously though, todays AVFC havs achieved nothing, why in reality is there a need for comparison. Lets at least wait until todays lot have achieved something of note.