Paddy McCourt today.

Re: He's the most skilful, creative player we've had since Hignett

I'm not asking him to be all i'm asking for is Paddy to defend.
Vaz Te used to defend and cover good areas so why can't he.

 

Re: He's the most skilful, creative player we've had since Hignett

He may have more talent and creativity than all our other players put together but does that excuse him from making an effort? You don't need to be a good player but put a foot in where it hurts or help out your full back from time to time.

I think he's got to be one of the first names on the team sheet but he could be so, so much more valuable to us if he worked a bit harder. It's not like he's sprinting all over the pitch when we've got the ball, he's often stood still waiting for someone to pass it to him. There's no doubt he covered less ground than anyone else.

Being a good player doesn't exempt you from working hard, particularly in a struggling team. If working hard defensively reduced his effectiveness going forward then perhaps he could be excused, but I don't think it would.

I like watching him play and I think he should play every week, but to become a great player for us he needs to work on the other side of his game because when it doesn't work out for him like today, he needs to add value to the team elsewhere.

 

Re: He's the most skilful, creative player we've had since Hignett

If you want to waste our most gifted player defending our 18 yard box then fine. I want to see him causing damage in the opposition's half of the pitch. Can't see the point of playing McCourt if that's the job you want him to do.

You've also got a very hazy memory of Vaz Te if you think he covered the full back any more than McCourt is doing.

 

Reluctant to join in the criticism that you tend to get on here but you really don't understand do you? Unless you do and you are just winding us up.

 

Re: He's the most skilful, creative player we've had since Hignett

Vaz te did used to get back and defend.
Also i don't want him to defend, i expect him to defend.
If we get some of the managers that the fans have mentioned then McCourt will have some real problems.

 

Re: He's the most skilful, creative player we've had since Hignett

David Currie did **** all for 88 minutes most games. The 2 minutes he did turn up got me and a few thousand more through the turnstile the week after.

Ditto King Ronnie .... and Higgy ....... and Paddy.

Everyone else - modern day clones; 10 a penny

 

Re: He's the most skilful, creative player we've had since Hignett

Vaz Te did a lot of defending, there's no doubt about that in my mind.

McCourt has a goal and an assist to his name, is that enough to qualify him not to defend at all? I like to see him high up the pitch but when we've got two strikers up and we're a struggling team it's putting a lot of pressure on the defence.

Can't he defend and attack?

 

Re: He's the most skilful, creative player we've had since Hignett

I can't agree that a player doesn't need to track back and defend.

Vaz te tracked back
Adam Hammill
When Mark Robins played Anderson right midfield he tracked back and hes far more talented that McCourt.

Listing players that you thought were talented that didn't track back. Any of these do really well in English top division for a good club?

 

Re: He's the most skilful, creative player we've had since Hignett

Can't Perkins attack and defend? Can't Fox attack and defend? Can't Etuhu attack and defend? Can't Dawson attack and defend? When these players are doing exactly that, then so can McCourt. Until they do, then McCourt ought to be left to do what he does best. Why aren't the others criticised for never dribbling past players? Why aren't the others criticised for failing to create chances for their team mates? Why aren't the others criticised for never scoring?

 

Re: He's the most skilful, creative player we've had since Hignett

Perkins does get forward biglil. Fans like it or not he does do that. He got around the back doncaster a few times and hes scored a good goal against Palace for example.

Fox plays the ball short and tries to keep the ball moving. He played a season in the Premier league BigLil. More than McCourts done.

 

I liked Anderson but he was totally different to McCourt. In my humble opinion McCourt is the most naturally gifted player we've had for years. We'll lose him in January but at least we'll be able to enjoy the silky skills of Perkins et al. FFS.

 

Why don't we go with a midfield

Of Dawson, Etuhu, Fox & Perkins? You'll get all the tracking back you want. You won't see any creativity, but you'll see plenty of running around. But, apparently, that excuses everything else. The reason that players who play for Barnsley don't do everything (tackling, running around a lot, skilfully creating chances, scoring goals and exciting the crowd) is because they aren't at the top of their profession. If they were, they wouldn't be playing for Barnsley.
We've had dozens of players over the years who put in plenty of effort, but create & score bugger all. Forgive me for enjoying & appreciating the skills and talents of a lad whose type comes round very rarely. As I said earlier, I'm a dinosaur these days with my particular views. I accept they don't fit with the modern concept of how football should be played.

 

Re: He's the most skilful, creative player we've had since Hignett

While there are flashes of brilliance from McCourt, a few problems come with it. He cannot maintain his game throughout the 90 minutes and he often makes the wrong decisions. He'll be better as an impact player or not played so often.

 

Re: Why don't we go with a midfield

Not sure how close we could come to getting them but people have mentioned two players names that will NOT allow anything less than 100% Big lil. Them names are Di canio and holloway. Not sure if they are realistic or not but there will be other managers who have the same ethics.

 

When was the last time

Perkins created a chance for a team mate? The last goal he scored was in October 2012, over a year ago.
As for Fox playing in the Premier League, so what? McCourt has played and scored for one of the biggest clubs in world football and in internationals. He's also played in Europe in the Champions League. At least when McCourt passes, he does it with an eye to create an opening.

 

Re: Why don't we go with a midfield

Bloody Hell things are bad in Barnsley !! BigLil arguing with the Oracle about footballers !!

You wont win Kev , he knows everything! Football was ***** before Sky .

 

Re: When was the last time

I couldn't tell you BigLil when Perkins got an assist but he does a lot for the team with and without the ball.

 

Re: He's the most skilful, creative player we've had since Hignett

I 100% wholeheartedly agree with Jay, JLWBL etc on how refreshing it is to see someone so talented - but I do think it's pretty blinkered not to admit that he was woeful in that 2nd half. He wasn't alone, but he misplaced more passes than he completed.

I certainly won't be aiming any vitriol at him though - at least he's capable of doing something useful.

He wasn't helped by the fact we seemed to be playing what was basically a 4-SPLAT formation. 4 defenders and everyone else just running into each other in small spaces.

 

Best get shut of him, then

We'll be a much better team and start climbing the table.
I neither expect nor believe he should defend. Those players who do, don't score nor create. I believe we ought to play to a player's strengths, not expect them to be a jack of all trades and a master of none.