Paddy McCourt WTAF

Yeah, well you're wrong!

 

Most talented player ever to pull on the Barnsley shirt IMHO.
Not the best player, but certainly the most talented I've seen in c.45+ yrs of watching.

 

One of strangest players ever - brilliant and incredible one game, poor Sunday player next

 

I always also think of Matt le tissier when I think of paddy McCourt, beautifully skilful players but not atheletes.

I think le tissier just managed to sneak in before the game changed, so skilful but unfortunately not athletic enough for the modern game Which is a crying shame cos I know what I prefer between skill/dribbling/genius and pass completion/miles ran etc

give me A paddy McCourt/Matt le tissier every time.

 

Did he win anything for that ? Goal of month or owt? I can’t remember much these days some things I remember well others not .
I remember the goal but not sure whether he won owt for it .

 

You what? Vaz Te's day was every single week after he got going

 

I think he got nominated for goal of the month but I can't remember much other than that

 

Mike Sheron had a bad injury just before we got him? Was it a broken leg? In fact I recall he was injured when he joined. Never looked like the same player for us and did little after leaving us. I remember at the time commenting to my Dad how when closing anyone down or going into a 50/50 he almost seemed to time it so he would just not get there in time. You could see he had ability but it almost seemed like he had lost a yard in his head. A real shame I was so excited when we signed him.

 

I criticised him & I stand by it. I just can’t take to players that don’t try. We’ve had far better players than Paddy McCourt at Oakwell who’ve been willing to put a shift in for the team.

I never really got the hype. Yes the Middlesbrough goal was great & he scored a good one against Brighton (I think) but for the most part he was pretty **** for us. Even someone like Dale Jennings who regularly got mocked for his physique put more decent performances in for us than McCourt did.

We were in a relegation battle & people lose their jobs when we go down with the club losing around 6m in revenue. If people think it’s acceptable to do no off the ball running & give no shape to the team off the ball then fair enough but I don’t & never will.

I love flair players but they’ve got to do at least the bare minimum defensively, Hammill did, Vaz Te did etc.

I do wonder if his mentality was a big issue in that he’d spent most of his career coming off the bench when Celtic were either cruising to a win or when they needed a goal & it was all out attack. He was maybe either unable or unwilling to change his approach.

 

I always thought the opposite - thought wise he was streets ahead, but his teammates weren’t on the same wave length.

 

My mate also thought that. It might be true for the 2001-02 debacle of a side that went down, but I'm not really sure that argument washes when he was in the same side as Shipperley, Barnard, Hignett etc.

 

you more or less just described matt le tissier there kev and i dont think any right minded reds fan would have turned their nose up at him either

 

Not in the same class as Le Tissier imo.

 

Going slightly against the grain. He was a showboat. Brilliant skills and I loved him for that at times. But as to best player ever to pull a shirt on for the reds. . How many of you would actually put him in your first 11. And if you say yes. You're bonkers.
THAT goal he scored. Would be in my top 10 goals mindst.

 

He does make some valid points though lil. (" I know ! I'm wrong too. ")

 

I had him in my all time favourite Barnsley XI, until I replaced him with Conor Hourihane. As I said earlier in the thread, the more others criticise him, the more I love him, I'm quite relaxed with other fans holding a different opinion to me and I certainly won't resort to name calling if they do.
As I've got older, being the grumpy, old git I am, I love being in the self righteous minority!

 

I did do it with a smile lil. not exactly name calling. Twas a light hearted comment.

 

That's how I read it, mate. Which is why I wrote my final sentence.

 

Hand on heart lil. I know lots ( the younger end will not have seen the players we have) of us are of the older generation or so it seems on here. And I do respect everyone's opinion. ( Unless it's summat to do with dissing the tarn. Hate em then. Really winds me up) But I would struggle to put him in either of the Hunter or Wilson sides. As a talent to watch he'd be up there amongst the best. But I know lots who used to think Banksy or even Glavin were idle. Forget the number of times I had to defend Banksy from the accusations of idleness. He was always the one to cover for defenders when they drove forward. Especially when Chambers went on them linking runs with Sir Ronnie. I think Chambers was one of the most underrated players ever to pull on the red shirt. He was quality imho.