How good were the 85-87 Everton side?

SharpshooterTom · 05-04-2020 09:35PM #1

I was only born in this era (86) so only just reading up about it now for first time.

Won the league by a mile in 1985 crushing Liverpool by 13 points, won the cup winners cup, and very nearly won a treble if it hadn't been for Norman Whiteside.

Narrowly lost the 85-86 league by 2 points to Liverpool. They were leading the season 5 points clear of Liverpool with 10 games to go but threw it away losing all momentum including the FA Cup final. Some Everton fans say that was actually their best side with Lineker up top.

Won the league again in 87 convincingly again by 9 points in 87.

If Heysel hadn't happened would Everton have stood a good chance of winning the European cup? Prior to that great AC Milan side there was a period where there didn't appear many good sides. Everton would've entered for it in 85-86 when Steau Bucharest won it which my father says was a contender for the worst match he'd ever witnessed (0-0 after ET and 2-0 on penalties :eek:) and the 87-88 tournament which PSV won in what looks like another stinker, 0-0 after ET and 6-5 on penalties.

Harry Palmr · 05-04-2020 10:42PM

Trevor Steven, Kevin Sheedy, Graeme Sharp, Big Nev, they had a terrific side under Howard Kendall.

theoneeyedman · 05-04-2020 10:50PM

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Trevor Steven, Kevin Sheedy, Graeme Sharp, Big Nev, they had a terrific side under Howard Kendall.

Good side alright, big physical side IIRC, with Steven and Sheedy the quality in it. Others like Andy Grey, Kevin Ratcliffe at the back, Paul Bracewell a big presence around the middle.
Hard to gauge the quality of it, England was typically strong in the Early 80s in Europe, so who knows really? They struck me at the time and looking back as a very 'English' style side, and one would fear that the likes of Peter Reid, Derek Mountfield Gary Stephen would have been targeted and perhaps exposed at European level in one off games especially.
But a good side.

NIMAN · 05-04-2020 10:54PM

I would have watched them at the tkme and they were very good.

But always remember the heavy beating Real Madrid gave them, admittedly in a preseason friendly.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=x_VaPtHrnE8

ozzy jr · 05-04-2020 11:36PM

They were excellent, and I'd extend it to '84 too.

They probably would have won the European Cup too.

05-04-2020 11:45PM

Ah they were great, they really broke the complete domination by Liverpool so it was ironic that the European ban really screwed their upward trajectory, afair Kendall had a drink issue as well. Always thought Sharp was underrated as a striker, he was the real big man up front type before Shearer came along, strong and knew where the net was, could do the header from 1 yard or the 30 yard volley.

eh i dunno · 06-04-2020 01:38PM

Team full of international players who'd won two titles in 3 seasons at a time when English clubs were dominating in Europe only to have it taken away from them because of another clubs behaviour.

Southall,
Stevens Ratcliffe Mountfield van den hauwe
Steven Reid Bracewell sheedy
Grey Sharp

Unfortunately the team was broken up to early as the ban meant players and manager wanted to leave for European football.

Zebra3 · 06-04-2020 01:41PM

ThomasFlynn wrote: »

I was only born in this era (86) so only just reading up about it now for first time.

Won the league by a mile in 1985 crushing Liverpool by 13 points, won the cup winners cup, and very nearly won a treble if it hadn't been for Norman Whiteside.

Narrowly lost the 85-86 league by 2 points to Liverpool. They were leading the season 5 points clear of Liverpool with 10 games to go but threw it away losing all momentum including the FA Cup final. Some Everton fans say that was actually their best side with Lineker up top.

Won the league again in 87 convincingly again by 9 points in 87.

If Heysel hadn't happened would Everton have stood a good chance of winning the European cup? Prior to that great AC Milan side there was a period where there didn't appear many good sides. Everton would've entered for it in 85-86 when Steau Bucharest won it which my father says was a contender for the worst match he'd ever witnessed (0-0 after ET and 2-0 on penalties :eek:) and the 87-88 tournament which PSV won in what looks like another stinker, 0-0 after ET and 6-5 on penalties.

A great team, a joy to watch.

Southall broke his leg at Lansdowne in March '86. Didn't help their quest for success that year.

theoneeyedman · 06-04-2020 01:43PM

eh i dunno wrote: »

Team full of international players who'd won two titles in 3 seasons at a time when English clubs were dominating in Europe only to have it taken away from them because of another clubs behaviour.

Southall,
Stevens Ratcliffe van den hauwe
Steven Reid Bracewell sheedy
Grey Sharp

Unfortunately the team was broken up to early as the ban meant players and manager wanted to leave for European football.

That side was so good, they could play with 10 players

Derek Mountfield I think is missing there, big lump of a centre back with a knack of getting important goals IIRC

Liamalone · 06-04-2020 01:58PM

Great team. It's a pity English clubs got banned from european football and denied them their crack at the European Cup.

eh i dunno · 06-04-2020 03:04PM

Heath was also a cracking player for Everton in this era and Lineker scored 40 goals in his one season in 85/86.

06-04-2020 07:30PM

It has to be said Kevin Ratcliffe's autobiography is one of the worst books ever. Read it back in the early 90s and still remember plodding through page after page of "Sheeds and Big Nev called me Rattsy, Sheeds had a great left peg, he once scored a free kick against Stoke, was made retake it, and stuck it in the other corner" *

Which actually happened in about 1986. Think Paul Cooper was in goals and he was a handy keeper.

Liamalone · 06-04-2020 08:37PM

That was against Ipswich, was on BBC last week, Sheedy's free kicks. Some left peg Rats says lol

06-04-2020 09:45PM

Liamalone wrote: »

That was against Ipswich, was on BBC last week, Sheedy's free kicks. Some left peg Rats says lol

Actually it was, Cooper was goalie for ITFC for a good few years.

beggars_bush · 07-04-2020 08:06AM

Yes, a very good team.

Incidentally, due to the suspension of football in England Everton are still the earliest winners of the football league

1890 and 1970 when they clinched the title on April 1st

Shanotheslayer · 07-04-2020 09:47AM

Ah yes, I remember this team like it was yesterday *

* I wasn't born

Panthro · 07-04-2020 06:12PM

I managed to get Graeme Sharp's autograph for my Everton mate for his 30th.

Which means... Im great!

How good were the 85-87 Everton side?

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