Paul McGrath - don't worry

[Percy McCarthy]

There was a poll in an issue of World Soccer this summer which had canvassed the opinion of journalists worldwide on the best team ever. They rated Paul McGrath as the joint fifth best centre-back of all time behind Beckenbauer, Moore, Baresi and Passarella and level with John Charles and Fabio Cannavaro.

Full list here

That's the kind of company he belongs in.

Spot on and spooky. I did a tribute in the fanzine when he left and wrote that he was as good as Moore, Beckenbauer and Baresi.

Must have been back in the days when I gave a fuck about other teams' players.

[KevinGage]

After that game in '94, some of the Italian players were asked who out of the Irish side could play in Serie A.  Maldini, Baresi and Baggio all said McGrath.   

That would be a 34 year old, only half fit McGrath.

[Dave Clark Five]

There was nobody in the world better than him whilst he was with us. Nobody.

There was a poll in an issue of World Soccer this summer which had canvassed the opinion of journalists worldwide on the best team ever. They rated Paul McGrath as the joint fifth best centre-back of all time behind Beckenbauer, Moore, Baresi and Passarella and level with John Charles and Fabio Cannavaro.

Full list here

That's the kind of company he belongs in.

I said the same to a West Ham fan last night. Bobby Moore could win the ball effortlessly. The forward would then be sidestepped and Moore, with all the time in the world, would put it on a sixpence. It has been a privilege to have had the opportunity to watch them.

[rob_bridge]

As long as Villa play football this player will never ever be forgotten.

He was good, too good for most if not all. Thankfully he was not too good to play for us. He even made Kevin Moran, Phil Baab, Derek Mountfield, Shaun Teale, Kent Neilson look like good or very good players. He also assisted Ugo and Southgate on their path to being considered very very good Premier League players.

He may be bettered one day at Villa. I hope so but doubt it.

[Dante Lavelli]

I remember a night out in Berlin. We were staying in a youth hostel and there were a bunch of Irish there. They spent the night singing "ooh ahh paul ncgrath".

He'd probably been retired 5 years at this point.

[usav]

To be fair, that's probably all they were capable of saying at that time.

[Leighton]

I'm 38 now, and the chances of me seeing a better player grace Villa Park in the claret and blue- even if I never miss another match for the next 62 years, are slim.

Best ever. By a mile.

[brontebilly]

After that game in '94, some of the Italian players were asked who out of the Irish side could play in Serie A.  Maldini, Baresi and Baggio all said McGrath.   

That would be a 34 year old, only half fit McGrath.

To be fair a young Roy Keane was by far the best midfielder on view that day.

Wasn't a great Irish side apart from those two, Bonner was past it in goal, Staunton on left wing and the non entity Tommy Coyne up front.

[Irish villain]

After that game in '94, some of the Italian players were asked who out of the Irish side could play in Serie A.  Maldini, Baresi and Baggio all said McGrath.   

That would be a 34 year old, only half fit McGrath.

To be fair a young Roy Keane was by far the best midfielder on view that day.

Wasn't a great Irish side apart from those two, Bonner was past it in goal, Staunton on left wing and the non entity Tommy Coyne up front.

Houghton and Townsend were decent. Coyne, Jaysus!

[rob_bridge]

After that game in '94, some of the Italian players were asked who out of the Irish side could play in Serie A.  Maldini, Baresi and Baggio all said McGrath.   

That would be a 34 year old, only half fit McGrath.

To be fair a young Roy Keane was by far the best midfielder on view that day.

Wasn't a great Irish side apart from those two, Bonner was past it in goal, Staunton on left wing and the non entity Tommy Coyne up front.

Houghton and Townsend were decent. Coyne, Jaysus!

Townsend was excellent that day to be fair. Coyne LOL

[thick_mike]

My dad is 82 and has been going to VP since the end of WWII, he rates  McGrath as the best villa player over that period. His favourite all time player is Beckenbauer, he is the only defender he rates above Paul and he saw plenty of Bobby Moore.

[brontebilly]

After that game in '94, some of the Italian players were asked who out of the Irish side could play in Serie A.  Maldini, Baresi and Baggio all said McGrath.   

That would be a 34 year old, only half fit McGrath.

To be fair a young Roy Keane was by far the best midfielder on view that day.

Wasn't a great Irish side apart from those two, Bonner was past it in goal, Staunton on left wing and the non entity Tommy Coyne up front.

Houghton and Townsend were decent. Coyne, Jaysus!

Razor was coming to the end by then. Keane, Sheridan, Townsend was a very strong midfield trio.

4 Villa players started that day, 7 AC Milan players finished the game for the Italians.

McGrath was superb in the 2-0 defeat to Holland in the same tournament, scored a cracking goal too that was disallowed.

[E I Adio]

I was at the Manor Hospital in Walsall today to see about my dodgy knee. After being shown the results of the CT scan, which included torn cartilages and a snapped cruciate ligament, I said I was glad that I had been unaware of the severity of the injuries since I went on to play sports such as squash, badminton, golf as well as skiing every year for donkey's years after sustaining the injury over 40 years ago. The consultant said he was not surprised as lots of footballers play with torn cruciate ligaments. When I expressed surprise, he explained that forwards tended to have them fixed, but some Premiership defenders don't. To emphasis his point he began his next sentence with the words, "Have you ever  heard of a player called Paul McGrath?

Sort of cheered me up a bit.

[berneboy]

I was at the Manor Hospital in Walsall today to see about my dodgy knee. After being shown the results of the CT scan, which included torn cartilages and a snapped cruciate ligament, ...... To emphasis his point he began his next sentence with the words, "Have you ever  heard of a player called Paul McGrath?

Sort of cheered me up a bit.

All the very best to you and your knee! My knees are a mess but a recent cartilage op was very successful - I was cleaned up and my knee doesn't give away suddenly any more.

I've heard of him, by the way.

[AGRIPPA]

As many have said... His timing and reading of the game. He is the ONLY VIlla player I have ever arched and trusted to do the right thing 100% of the time.... Even when he made mistakes you could see that what he was trying to do was right...For me the best player ever to wear a Villa shirt.