Knick knack Paddy back

They dribbled out when they had space, they never ever tried to beat a man one on one in those sort of areas. It's suicide. McNair is ball player not a hoofer. Not sure who you've been watching.

 

Your opinion Marcus and I respect it. Both quality players who didn't get caught in posession as they were comfortable on the ball and could beat a man if they had to, I don't see that in McNair, slow and can get caught in possesion. Early days but centre back for me, just my opinion.

 

Im not saying dribble in those areas, Im saying having the composure to beat someone when closed down, Yann and Kirchoff could. McNair can't.

 

Paddy has looked ok and is on a par with Rodders, but both have yet to convince or to do enough for me to merit a regular place in the starting eleven. In fact the competition in that area is a major concern for me. The engine room is miss-firing badly with loss of form, injuries and now suspensions, leading to constant re-shuffles.
I would just like to add a comment about another ex Man U player of ours. Not McNair, but the wild man McShane, who I watched the other night on TV and he played a blinder, albeit at CB, but boy could we do with similar commitment from some of our current underachievers.

 

McNairs only 22 and hes just missed out on over a year of his development so its harsh comparing him to other players. I fully expect him to be a big player for us once he can get a good run of games togeather.

 

Well that's not taking them on, that's an intelligent first touch to give them the leverage of a bit space in tight areas. Yes granted those two do that way better, but then one would have been playing for bayern without injuries and the other would have been at a much higher level if not for off pitch incidents. Both are close to world class players in terms of ability. What an unfair comparison to a kid trying to break the first team after doing his cruciate ligaments.

 

Yann was a French international and Kirchhoff was picked up by Bayern for a reason.

Comparing those two to Paddy Mac is highly unfair imo.

 

Whereas if you compare him to our current crop of centre midfielders he's second only to Ndong. I know Gibson has improved but McNair and Ndong are our best two.

 

World class , where are they now if they're that good, jog on.

 

Who's Rodders ? Is he still here ?

 

Hoff is injury prone so struggling to get a club, but the intrest he's had is from a club lightyears above ours and M'Vila is playing for a club light years above ours. You jog on. Part timer.

 

Kirchhoff was a Bayern Munich midfielder we signed - signed for us as an injury prone player - if not injury prone would comfortably be at Bayern now or one of the top clubs and a regular German international. M'Vila was courted by Arsenal among others and had some major off field issues before signing for us. Now playing for Rubin Kazan (far ahead of us). You tell me a better central midfield pairing we've had in the last 35 years

 

Yep he sure is and will be for a while yet I'm afraid thanks to one of the most damaging contracts ever made in the history of SAFC. And there have been a few.

 

Undoubtably good players, thats my point McNair isn't that level in midfield. He doesn't have there composure in possesion.

 

And in answer to your midfield pairings mine would probably be Hutchinson and Schwartz. Close tho, but the league table doesn't lie.

 

And this is our point - you are comparing him to players 3 or 4 levels above where we are at present. He isn;t that level in midfield yet you put him as a centre half because he's not as good as them! No-oone in this division are as good as those 2. Not a single midfield pairing so I'm not quite sure what you're point is on the argument

So are you basing our 7th placed finishes solely on our central midfielders? Not Kevin Phillips and Niall Quinn supplied by 2 of the best wingers we've had for years?

McNair may not have the composure - but I haven't once seen him caught out this season and you even said in an earlier post that he was a "Centre half for me" - yet the only person to have played him there was Louis Van Gaal and even McNair said he was never a centre half prior to that and played more in midfield and sometimes in a number 10 role.

Not precisely sure what you expect from the kid but I've watched him boss the midfield in this division when he's come on and played there. Once he's fully fit, he will start every game in there with N'Dong

 

Opinions Marcus, I'm not basing our7th placed finishes solely on our central midfield players, although they did contribute hugely. I'm pointing out that I favour those two to Yann and Hoff.
Back to the Paddy, I hope he proves me wrong but haven't seen it yet. He's played 12 games for us and looks bang average to me, be interesting to discuss if he gets a run of 20 + games.

 

Hutchinson played out wide on the right for us. Our central midfield pairing was Schwartz and McCann... Just saying.

 

He played behind Quinn and Philips in an CAM position too from time to time. Never a deeper CM though.

I loved Don Hutchinson despite his mag allegiance. Follow him on twitter the lot. Never ever has a malicious word against us. Quite bizarre his love for Sunderland, Newcastle, Liverpool and Everton all at once.

 

I thought he moved into the middle when McCann did his ankle and was out for a long spell, came into his own there if I remember. Could be wrong mind.