Currently a lot of our play relies on quick wingers penetrating the oppositions defence. However, as much as I enjoy watching Wilf, Yannick and Punch I have noticed that their final ball isn't the best. In fact, a number of highly decorated tricky wingers have a final ball which is a little hit and miss.

Which leads me to John Salako. I was a young teenager when I saw Salako play. As a result I never really watched him objectively, I just thought he was the greatest ever as I did too with Wright, Bright, Thorn and the rest if them. In fact I once wrote to the Croydon advertiser saying Darren pitcher should get called up for England! Call it the innocence of youth.

But, from what I remember Salako had it all. Pace, trickery but more crucially a glorious final ball which he could deliver with his right or left foot. It would have been interesting to have seen how far he'd have gone had he not done his cruciate.

Anyway, any older members of HOL who were a bit more objective care to share their opinions and observations of Salako. Where does he rank alongside Zaha, Routledge and co? Personally I think he tops them all but as I say, I was an impressionable teen in those days who hero-worshipped all those in red and blue.

Edited by laddo (21 Sep 2014 8.42am)

laddo

"People say, live fast, die young. I say live fast, die old. That's me, the non-conformist".
David Brent.

I was also a young teenager when we had arguably the best team we've ever known. I do remember Salako well and not only for his mazy runs but also for his end product, his crossing at times was sublime.

I remember for ages hoping Salako would come good as he had loads of potential. As I remember (bit hazy) this went on for 2 or 3 seasons.
It was a bit like Cadogan and the other fella whose name escapes me from a few seasons back where you kept hoping they would push on.
And then suddenly he did - he became the real deal - beating players for fun, pinpoint crosses, tricks, hard-working. He forced his way into the England team and was the standout player in the games he played in - and then cruelly it was taken away from him at his peak.
By then he was amazing and he could have been an England regular for years.

You fed me, you bred me, I'll remember your name.

Tbf he didn't have as many skills as wilf but he had more of an end product.

Alot of his crossing was also a but like Beckhams. ..from deep rather than twisting and turning on the byline. And if your a striker the best time to receive a cross is first time when you make that initial jolt forward. ..

So yeah. He was pretty terrific. Only outshone by the Wright and bright partnership.

McGoldrick on the other wing....when used as a winger wasn't bad either.

Edited by matthau (21 Sep 2014 9.50am)

He is left-footed but at the time he was known as one of the best two-footed crossers in the game.

I remember him playing in goal after Nigel Martyn was red-carded in an evening game against Wimbledon ! At that game I was seated right next to Dave Bassett who was the Sheff Utd manager - he was with his coach Geoff Taylor and they were having a look at us as they were due to play us on the Saturday.

I'm certain that wasn't an evening game, I remember it well, it was my then girlfriend's, now my wife's first Palace game, she was hooked from that moment on