Paul McGrath - don't worry

[brian green]

Or Peter McParland​?

[peter w]

And its easy to forget the type of pitches that Sir Bri had to contend with.

Peter Mac though shouldn't be forgotten a favourite of my dad and anyone who remembers him purrs about him. Plus the last man to score for us in an FA Cup Final. I refuse to countenance any best of Villa team with Brian Little and Peter McParland - although I couldn't name in him in a best of team as i never saw him play.

[JD]

I have seen many brilliant players live playing for Villa but the two stand out players for me were Sir Brian and God. Different positions but both took my breathe away with the sheer skills they showed.

Not far behind both of them imho of players I have seen live were Alex Cropley, Andy Gray, Dennis Mortimer, Tony Morley, Gordon Cowans and Dwight Yorke.

[ROBBO]

Peter Mac was faster than Gabby and very good in the air, happy days.

[peter w]

A 6ft 1 winger who scored for fun. What price he nowadays?

[oldhill_avfc]

Little is still my favourite ever Villa player.   He epitomised the rise from the 3rd division and was key in the best attacking team I've seen.   Unfortunately, if we're being truthful, he was a better manager than player, and not the best forward in the city let alone a world class player.

o

So much sense but I disagree about Sir Brian. He was sheer class. I still remember the seventeen year old Brian pointing, showing the senior players where he wanted the ball. Injuries messed it up but he was a great player. Never mind Sir Brian, he should be ennobled and be Lord Brian of Aston.

You disagree with me - but I'm not sure on what grounds, as I actually agree with everything you say.

He was a class act, injuries did mess him up, he was, and is a great favourite of so many of us.

But in a cold analysis, I think he managed at a higher level than he played and he who shall not be named was over his whole career the better player.

(I'll probably be banned now for being the Villa equivalent of Islamic State lol)

[Sexual Ealing]

Yorke is without doubt the best attacking player I have ever seen playing for us, but he has acted like a bell-piece on several occasions since. He still has credit in the bank with me though (although if I'd been at OT that day...)

Dalian Atkinson could have been better if he'd wanted it enough. Collymore had the talent to be better than both. It's a terrible shame for him, and us, what happened.

McGrath though, ultimately. Obviously.

Nope, I'm a whippersnapper.

[brontebilly]

£12.5m for Yorke was only a year after Shearer broke the £15m British transfer record, I don't think we could have demanded much more. Risky playing a player wanting to leave cf. his much-cited "performance" at Everton on the opening day of 97/98 (was it really that bad?).

Having said that we did miss Dwight badly come spring '99 when Merson and Collymore had off the field issues and Dublin's meteoric start had waned.

Yorke's scoring record paled in comparison to Shearer at the time to be fair so it was a huge price we got for him. He was a magical player at his best but McGrath would easily surpass him in terms of his consistency over a longer period. Yorke really struggled at Villa from 92-95 presumably because BFR preferred Atkinson and Saunders?

[wittonwarrior]

For the villa best player I have ever seen. Would mention the likes of platt, Morley, gray, Cowans and motimer but Paul mc was simply one of best.

In comparison to others British-Irish then perhaps who I have seen live garza pre Wembley, best, Rooney, Giles and Hudson.  Moore wasn't great in the normal week in week out games but had the aura of a great leader

World wide cyrff gulett German beck and zidane.

[eamonn]

Yorke is without doubt the best attacking player I have ever seen playing for us, but he has acted like a bell-piece on several occasions since. He still has credit in the bank with me though (although if I'd been at OT that day...)

It gets brought up a lot - I'm not defending him but he was barracked constantly by some of our fans that day. It's a fairly human emotion to throw back what's been dished out.
I found his comments on joining Blose far more offensive...and hilarious.

[brian green]

Peter you may have missed the sheer exhilaration of watching Peter McParland play but take solace that he is still with us and comes to games.  Legend hardly does him justice.  I wish he could have got that extra goal and won the WC golden boot outright.

[mr underhill]

My late father's favourite player along with Gerry Hitchens

[brian green]

Gerry Hitchens was very special.  Like Andy Gray without the attitude.

[fbriai]

The 'backhealed volleyed' clearances, the 'no chance of catching the striker' then easily winning the ball challenges. The telling Southgate and Barry where to stand and what to do and making them look good while all the time making his job look piss easy. That effortless looking run even though his knees where knackered. The song thanking Yanited for his services (and every time he played not quite believing they had sold him). Watching the Ireland v Italy World Cup game USA 94 and seeing one of the best performances ever and thinking "he's ours he is". The shyness, dignity and humility of the man every time you heard him speak.

Paul McGrath, I can say I saw him play for my team. I was one of the lucky ones.

The greatest.

This is spot on for me.

I think that, for me, he will probably always be the greatest, regardless of who we might sign in the future. I guess this is as much to do with my age and passion for the Villa in the period in which he was with us, as anything else. I remember particularly identifying with him as I played centre-half at that time and watching him from the Holte every week was a great lesson.

What a great player.

[LeeB]

The 'backhealed volleyed' clearances, the 'no chance of catching the striker' then easily winning the ball challenges. The telling Southgate and Barry where to stand and what to do and making them look good while all the time making his job look piss easy. That effortless looking run even though his knees where knackered. The song thanking Yanited for his services (and every time he played not quite believing they had sold him). Watching the Ireland v Italy World Cup game USA 94 and seeing one of the best performances ever and thinking "he's ours he is". The shyness, dignity and humility of the man every time you heard him speak.

Paul McGrath, I can say I saw him play for my team. I was one of the lucky ones.

The greatest.

This is spot on for me.

I think that, for me, he will probably always be the greatest, regardless of who we might sign in the future. I guess this is as much to do with my age and passion for the Villa in the period in which he was with us, as anything else. I remember particularly identifying with him as I played centre-half at that time and watching him from the Holte every week was a great lesson.

What a great player.

The fortunes of the team were fairly mixed throughout his time, but his performances were not.

He's mentioned in the same breath as Franco Baresi or Paulo Maldini, which is quite right, but in my view it's they that are fortunate to be so.
I'm not so sure their performances would have matched the level of Paul's had they been playing for Villa and Ireland instead of Milan and Italy.

I also think I'll go to the grave believing he was the best I've ever seen.