... and indeed the season before. I never liked the brand of football but to be fair to Mick it was not the first 3 1/2 years but only the last two seasons when it was rotten and hopeless and dreary.
Indeed, that 2016/17 season was arguably one of the worst in recent years, very few redeemable qualities. I largely agree with that opinion. I think the 2013/14 season to the start of 2016 were Mick's best years. Namely, effective and direct football, an emphasis on scoring when behind, and a strong home record. Players also clearly cared about playing and put in a lot of effort, which did not go unnoticed and fostered a good team and fan spirit. The last two seasons saw a major change, which I personally attribute to Mick's annoyance at being so restricted in the transfer market (which he gradually took out on the fans), players getting too complacent and comfortable, and a shift from the collective to the individual (where the likes of Bart, Lawrence, Waghorn, and Celina were expected to bail out the rest of the underperforming team).
Interesting with Nolan out wide and Edwards in the hole. No idea how that would work but a bit outside the box - so you never know. McManaman certainly did not play the 10. He was hug the touchline, beat his man for fun then fluff his delivery. Barca wanted him when Robson was there - he told the board to get Rivaldo off Deportivo La Coruna instead. Shame McManaman didn't have a brain / couldn't cross he would have been some player.
I attribute it to Mick himself getting comfortable. There was a kind of bubble created around the club with always the excuse of budget. It was acceptable to the owner for us to finish mid-table, I don't think one person believed we would get promoted and Mick was arrogant enough to believe he was doing a good job.
Mick WAS doing a good job given the spend, results wise for his entire reign bar perhaps 16/17. Every other season, he massively outperformed set budget. Whether people like the guff we watched for 5.5 years is academic.
Some fans perhaps did - put me in whatever group you'd like - Mick did a good job bar 16/17 when we sold a striker before deadline day and got Leon Best in who was in a sorry shape health wise. If people wish to think otherwise then that is up to them. He did a great job - results wise.
Incredible. He 100% wasn't a winger. He famously played a free role, he would drift out to the wings, but his job was to run at defences. From wikipedia: In 1994–95, McManaman won the first of his 37 caps for the senior England side, although it would be a while longer before he became a regular member of the national side. He also signed a new million pound contract, and was given a central, freer role by new manager Roy Evans, who wanted to utilise McManaman's natural running and dribbling ability to drift all over the park. It proved a successful decision as McManaman began mesmerising defences with runs that were later to become hallmarks of the Liverpool side of the 1990s. McManaman had also been noted for his versatility in his free role, switching from right to left wings, and his ability to play in central midfield, behind the front pair, or as a forward, with many notable managers including then Ajax coach Louis van Gaal, describing it as a role few could pull off the way McManaman had.
I said few weeks ago that we'd likely get our first win against someone good like Boro or Swansea. Though I'm disappointed not to have already been proved wrong Donacien for Pennington and Edun for Chalobah as the only changes as I think Hurst might actually be settling on a side and an smaller pool of players now. Can see us managing to somehow sneek a tense 2-1 win with some squeaky bum moments late on. Jackson has started to put together some more rounded performances and can see him adding to his goal tally.
I really cannot figure out you out pal. You've gone on wiki, and have neglected to put the glaring - Style of play A hard-working, versatile and technically gifted player, McManaman was usually deployed as a winger ' I saw enough of Steve McManaman, on the wing, to remember him as a winger thanks all the same. He may have played as a 10 once in a blue moon, or liked playing there, but he was primarily a winger.
Played 94 times for Real Madrid, winning the Champions League TWICE! (In fact he was first English player to win it playing for a foreign club) Fair to see he had a pretty successful and well decorated career.
He was a good player mate, but his final ball was often the problem. Won stuff at Real. His final ball / decision was what put Robson off him and went for Rivaldo otherwise. McManaman + Beckham's best attributes would be a fine fine player!
Westlake, you are losing all remaining credibility for me over this. McManaman did play on the wing at times but he was most famous and most successful for playing a free role in his mid-nineties heyday under Roy Evans. "McManaman is also listed as a club legend on the official Real Madrid website, with his legacy being that of being fondly remembered as "The versatile Englishman" " None of those players that I mentioned are conventional number 10s, they are all expressive, creative attack minded players and I think we would get more from Edwards in a role where he would see a lot more of the ball in attacking areas.
I couldn't really care less about your ' credibility ' - you've already said I chat ... 90% of the time ...... so to be honest really not at all worried. On the basis of your opinion on bookmakers influencing people........ comparing Jackson with Gary Linekar and god knows how many other tangents you can possibly think of - that's being kind to say the least........... your opinion......... kinda goes over my head?! You ask most people in the street what he was, he was a winger 95% of his time with Liverpool. Always England. Same Man City. More often than not at Real too - but granted, may have played in the hole on occasion. Whatever people come up with, you've an answer for. I'm just lost with you as a user. Are your views genuinely what you think, or are you always on the wind up? Your views just bewilder me.
Here is a quote from Kevin Keegan in 2000. I have to say if Van Gaal and Keegan can see it and it's there in black and white at least I'm not going mad. "It is now up to me to try to find a way within the England team of getting the very best out of Steve McManaman," Keegan said yesterday. "Whatever he is doing in Madrid is paying dividends. "He has become the focal point of their play. Nearly everything seems to go through him and his role is not restricted, which is something some people might argue would happen if I ended up playing him on the left side."
You can dig as much as you want, he was predominantly a winger. Everyone knows that. As I have said before, he may well have played in other positions at times - However, he was generally on the wing.
