Paul McGrath - don't worry

[CT]

My 11 yr old has been playing as a defender this season and early on would often get done for pace by speedy strikers.

When I'm coaching him, I keep referencing Paul McGrath and just keep telling him that positioning is everything and that you don't need super speed to be a World class defender.

He often looks at me puzzled as clearly McGrath is way before his time and all he's seen are players like Lescott and Richards who aren't fit to share the same blades of grass as Macca. I only wish I could sit there at a game and just watch his mastery and his reading of the game with my lad.

For me personally, the best Villa player I've ever seen.

[clash city rocker]

Paul was a number of villa legends..unfortunately because of how the game is now I'm wondering if we will ever see another villa legend.

[wittonwarrior]

I saw Bobby Moore play and believe me Paul McGrath was head and shoulders above him.  The way he would read the game was second to none. 

I often wonder with the likes of Brian Robson who make no mistake was top draw and Norman Whiteside why it took United nearly 30 years to win  the  league  again.  Ferguson's biggest mistake selling Paul McGrath.

[four fornicholl]

I saw Bobby Moore play and believe me Paul McGrath was head and shoulders above him.  The way he would read the game was second to none. 

I often wonder with the likes of Brian Robson who make no mistake was top draw and Norman Whiteside why it took United nearly 30 years to win  the  league  again.  Ferguson's biggest mistake selling Paul McGrath.

I aint complaining.

[Chris Harte]

My dad rates him as the best villa player and he's been going down Villa Park since before WWII.

On a world stage he rates him above Bobby Moore, but below Franz Beckenbauer.

I'd settle for that.

Saw a lot of Pongo Waring, Billy Walker, John Devey, Archie Hunter etc did you PW?

Probably as much as anyone in here.

[montague]

I saw Bobby Moore play and believe me Paul McGrath was head and shoulders above him. 

Behave yourself

[thick_mike]

I saw Bobby Moore play and believe me Paul McGrath was head and shoulders above him. 

Behave yourself

Plenty who saw both play agree.

[wittonwarrior]

Bobby  Moore was a good good player  I am not arguing , but he was well built up by the press - they even say that he only made England Captain because Tony Kay had been caught up in the Peter Swan betting  scandal.  As I said I have seen all the top players from 66 onwards some towards the end of their careers like Bobby Charlton  but believe me  Paul McGrath would be more than  a  match  for any of the defenders.

[FrankyH]

No pace ,read the game and had got tackling down to a fine art.I would say they were both World Class players,don't need to compare them.

[Exeter 77]

I never saw Moore play live as he was quite a bit before my time but as a measure of comparison check out the link to ITV Goals on another thread and look at the footage of Moore in games for Fulham at end of his career when he is 33 and older while playing in thd second division. Some of the errors of judgement he makes are very apparent.  McGrath at the same age was still dominating some of the best strikers in the world.

[PeterWithesShin]

Saw a lot of Pongo Waring, Billy Walker, John Devey, Archie Hunter etc did you PW?

Probably as much as anyone in here.

Which is the point. He can't be undoubtedly our greatest player as none of us saw a lot of the players that may have been greater and little to no footage exists of them.

He's the best player i've seen play for us in the 40 years i've been watching us, which is different to him being the greatest player in our history.

[dave.woodhall]

Just about everyone who has seen us back to World War Two say he's the best they've seen. Those who saw us before then say it was Billy Walker. Sadly I've never met anyone who talked about second-hand knowledge of earlier players. So, he's one of our two best players in the past 100 years.

[dave shelley]

Paul McGrath was as good as anyone I ever saw in a Villa shirt.  My old man was of the opinion that Billy Walker was the best he had seen.  I wonder what his opinion would have been had he lived to see Paul McGrath?

Some one posted that he was of the opinion that McGrath only became world class after he joined us, I beg to differ.  McGrath was world class for some years before he got here.

IIRC, he played in a World X1 v England celebratory match, FA Centenary I think, and he was as good as anyone in the team he was playing for and, certainly as good as anything England had.

[brontebilly]

I saw Bobby Moore play and believe me Paul McGrath was head and shoulders above him.  The way he would read the game was second to none. 

I often wonder with the likes of Brian Robson who make no mistake was top draw and Norman Whiteside why it took United nearly 30 years to win  the  league  again.  Ferguson's biggest mistake selling Paul McGrath.

United had a shower of pissheads in the team with a half arsed manager in Big Ron, burning it up every now and again in the Cups and threatening a league break through but nothing sustainable.

Ron was the same for us unfortunately, our decline after 1993 was hard to fathom under him

McGrath was absolutely class, did he play much in midfield for Villa like he did for Ireland circa 1990?

Neither Bruce or Pallister were anywhere near his class but arguably Ferguson made the right decision to get rid of McGrath

Calm, composed, powerful, timing, superb leap, great footballer all round

[Villan For Life]

My 11 yr old has been playing as a defender this season and early on would often get done for pace by speedy strikers.

When I'm coaching him, I keep referencing Paul McGrath and just keep telling him that positioning is everything and that you don't need super speed to be a World class defender.

He often looks at me puzzled as clearly McGrath is way before his time and all he's seen are players like Lescott and Richards who aren't fit to share the same blades of grass as Macca. I only wish I could sit there at a game and just watch his mastery and his reading of the game with my lad.

For me personally, the best Villa player I've ever seen.

Isn't there enough stuff on You Tube that you could use to illustrate your point?