Paul McGrath - don't worry

[Lastfootstamper]

Maybe I'm biased but aside from Baresi as a centre half at the time late 80's - mid 90's I can't think of a Central Defender his equal.
I honestly can't think of (m)any since other than Maldini when he moved from LB.

It's been said before, but it's always worth repeating.
The best player, in the world, in his position, at that time, and he was playing for the Villa.
Fuck yeah.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

Laursen gave his all for the cause but had nowhere near the class of McGrath. Id argue Southgate and Mellberg to mention two were better defenders than Laursen for us. I seem to remember Laursen getting sold with dummy's a lot, spending a lot of his time on the ground and being a bit last ditch generally. 

Quite right - Laursen was amazing at the last ditch "throw yourself in front of the ball" type defending, but the best defenders should never be in a position to need to do that.

McGrath (and others cut from the same cloth - Baresi, Maldini, Cannavaro) hardly ever needed to throw themselves anywhere because they'd calmly taken possession of the ball five seconds earlier.

I vaguely recall an England game yonks back. Bulgaria or Romania, can't remember if it was Hagi or Stoichkov that Southgate kept in his pocket. One tackle he made in the game. His partner, the king of the last-ditch, Sol Campbell, made something like 16. The reason why it's (sort of) stuck in my mind all these years was the following day's press reports, which gave Campbell MotM, whilst our Gareth's contribution earned him a score of about 4 out of 10. It was a moment in time which summed up for me what the general British attitude was, and still is, towards how a centre-half should be. I used to love the Italian on Channel 4, along with watching the great man around that time, and to see the likes of McGrath and Baresi plying their trade, well, it was art.

I think you've touched on something there with Southgate.

He wasn't great in the air, particularly strong or blessed with a turn of pace.

But he read the game pretty well.

Which is why talking about McGrath reading the game well undersells him.   He did that, and somehow managed to make it all look as easy as a beach kickabout. 

I've seen lack of pace mentioned a few times too. It would be easy to think he had little>no pace because of his knee.  But I remember more than one occasion when he needed to hit the afterburners and could do it. 

I even recall a mad dart up the wing against Forest away when he crossed for us to score.  He had pace when required.  He just didn't have to rely on it.

I've keep thinking of that moment too KG, whenever anyone mentions his lack of pace.
He didn't need it very often but could bomb it over 10 yards when required.

[Holte L2]

Just to go back a few years, I remember being at Villa Park when we beat Charlton 11-1         ( 1959 ) and Leicester City 8-3 ( 1962 ). 23 goals in 2 games !.
Incidentally , we beat Leics City away, only 10 years ago in 2004 , 5 -nil.......Godzvilla!

We scored 5 past Wimbledon in 1997 as well. 

Didn't we stick seven past them in the nineties as well?

Yeah 1995

[lovejoy]

Ciro Ferrara, Jurgen Kohler and Aldair must be up there too.

Maybe I'm biased but aside from Baresi as a centre half at the time late 80's - mid 90's I can't think of a Central Defender his equal.
I honestly can't think of (m)any since other than Maldini when he moved from LB.

[dave shelley]

I always remember Roy McFarland (Derby) as a footballing central defender.  Strong in the air, could pass accurately and was fairly quick.  I don't recall him making too many last-ditch tackles.

[Dave]

Ciro Ferrara, Jurgen Kohler and Aldair must be up there too.

Maybe I'm biased but aside from Baresi as a centre half at the time late 80's - mid 90's I can't think of a Central Defender his equal.
I honestly can't think of (m)any since other than Maldini when he moved from LB.

Fabio Cannavaro

[Villa in Denmark]

Laursen gave his all for the cause but had nowhere near the class of McGrath. Id argue Southgate and Mellberg to mention two were better defenders than Laursen for us. I seem to remember Laursen getting sold with dummy's a lot, spending a lot of his time on the ground and being a bit last ditch generally. 

Quite right - Laursen was amazing at the last ditch "throw yourself in front of the ball" type defending, but the best defenders should never be in a position to need to do that.

McGrath (and others cut from the same cloth - Baresi, Maldini, Cannavaro) hardly ever needed to throw themselves anywhere because they'd calmly taken possession of the ball five seconds earlier.

I vaguely recall an England game yonks back. Bulgaria or Romania, can't remember if it was Hagi or Stoichkov that Southgate kept in his pocket. One tackle he made in the game. His partner, the king of the last-ditch, Sol Campbell, made something like 16. The reason why it's (sort of) stuck in my mind all these years was the following day's press reports, which gave Campbell MotM, whilst our Gareth's contribution earned him a score of about 4 out of 10. It was a moment in time which summed up for me what the general British attitude was, and still is, towards how a centre-half should be. I used to love the Italian on Channel 4, along with watching the great man around that time, and to see the likes of McGrath and Baresi plying their trade, well, it was art.

I think you've touched on something there with Southgate.

He wasn't great in the air, particularly strong or blessed with a turn of pace.

But he read the game pretty well.

Which is why talking about McGrath reading the game well undersells him.   He did that, and somehow managed to make it all look as easy as a beach kickabout. 

I've seen lack of pace mentioned a few times too. It would be easy to think he had little>no pace because of his knee.  But I remember more than one occasion when he needed to hit the afterburners and could do it. 

I even recall a mad dart up the wing against Forest away when he crossed for us to score.  He had pace when required.  He just didn't have to rely on it.

I've keep thinking of that moment too KG, whenever anyone mentions his lack of pace.
He didn't need it very often but could bomb it over 10 yards when required.

Definitely.

I can't even remember who it was against, but I've got a feeling it was Saunders when was still playing for Derby, gave him a 2 yard head start and beat him to the ball over 10 yards and then waltzed off up the pitch in front of the Witton Lane.

I've probably got the opposition completely wrong, the only thing I can clearly remember is this astonishing burst of pace from someone who could barely walk at times.

[lordmcgrath5]

Positioning, exquisite timing, incomparable reading of the game. The best I've ever seen down the Villa. And a lovely, humble, unassuming man to boot. God.

[avfcdale]

"I went to see Ireland play and watched him throughout the game, and in my head i heard myself saying, i know you have demons and mental problems, you're knees are nearly shot but man can you play"

The next day i asked Doug Ellis for £400,000 to buy him

Graham Taylor

[levico]

Apologies if this is covered elsewhere but according to Twitter, PMc is saying that we could go down to League 1.

[oswald funkletrumpet]

Positioning, exquisite timing, incomparable reading of the game. The best I've ever seen down the Villa. And a lovely, humble, unassuming man to boot. God.

perfect description

i have never seen a player read the game as well as he could

[Tucson Villain]

God- Zero compromise Euro 2016

[DaveD]

Just to add to the bits above, McGrath was indeed shit off a shovel fast when he needed to be.

His reading of the game meant he didn't often have to, and given his knees and other problems, he probably couldn't do it regularly in a game, but it was always there in dire need.

That's partly why I agree with others that I think he's the greatest I've ever seen in a Villa shirt. Admittedly I just missed Sir Brian, my first game being in 1980.

Edit : Just realised they're long standing comments, so apologies for raking over old coals.

[wittonwarrior]

Paul McGrath on  his day was the best ever player in my lifetime to have pulled on the Villa jersey.

The only other player I can think in terms of performances and remember he only did it in a micro period was Andy Gray.

Sorry and this might hurt people, Brian Little was not in the same bracket despite being an exceptional player, even though he was undoubtedly a big  match player and unlucky England wise.

[rob_bridge]

Ciro Ferrara, Jurgen Kohler and Aldair must be up there too.

Maybe I'm biased but aside from Baresi as a centre half at the time late 80's - mid 90's I can't think of a Central Defender his equal.
I honestly can't think of (m)any since other than Maldini when he moved from LB.

Fabio Cannavaro

Close but I'd go for McGrath as better.  Same as Kohler et Al mentioned above.