RedRonaldo
Wishes to be oppressed.
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2003
- Messages
- 18,996
Kinda of like Mata. Choccy diary, its old version of Mata blog.
Fair enoughHe did have a great debut season, no doubt about that
The returning Hughes was a favourite of mine so we obviously have totally different perspective on it!
It was a hopeless partnership. Fergie admitted that his first mistake as United manager was getting rid of Davenport as he would have been able to work alongside both McClair and Hughes, despite their being totally different types of player.I remember Fergie tried to play them together upfront but they didn't work as a partnership at all, so then he had to choose and eventually McClair was switched to midfield where he worked hard but I always felt he was a weak link in the team.
As @buckooo1978 observes, he was rather indulged by Fergie in his declining later years and, not unlike Rooney, it has to be said that a lot of fans were glad to see the back of him.Still he was a major part of the first few Fergie trophies but he was relegated to squad player soon after.
Darren Ferguson was shocking, ridiculous he has a league medal. Pure nepotism.I don't remember McClair at all in 92-93. Remember Cantona being the catalyst Giggs and Kanchelskis tearing teams apart. Hughes providing a compliment to Cantona and forming a brilliant partnership. I remember the back four Parker Irwin Bruce pallister. Ince becoming the best midfielder in the league. Robson finally looking like he was on the way out. Schmeichel being sensational. Darren Ferguson looking quite cultured but lacking in pace. I don't remember McClair at all. I've no recollection of him that season.
I quite liked him when he first broke through.....but he was very limited and got found out, never really improved. When you think that Steven Gerrard never got one...then you've got to say he's a legendDarren Ferguson was shocking, ridiculous he has a league medal. Pure nepotism.
Yeah I think it did to be fair.In fairness it did bobble sideways.
I remember this was an absolute gift of a goal because Ince didn't trust his left foot! I think there was a good quiz question for a while about players that had scored in both FA and League Cup finals. I can't remember who else but both Choccy and Sparky had done it, when not many had.Mclair actually scored the 4th goal in the cup final in 1994 to win the first double
An intelligent player, a very intelligent Man, his game-management skills from the bench were invaluable.Yeah I think it did to be fair.
I've always liked Choccy, he was my favourite player when I was young but that might have started because he was our no.9 and scored the goals. He always was a great character in the squad and I remember in his twilight years, coming off the bench for the last 10-15 mins of games where we were cruising and start adding some nice touches, flicks etc.
A desperate attempt at saving his United career more like. Paul would regularly shoot from 30/35 yards out with that left-foot he didn't trustI remember this was an absolute gift of a goal because Ince didn't trust his left foot! I think there was a good quiz question for a while about players that had scored in both FA and League Cup finals. I can't remember who else but both Choccy and Sparky had done it, when not many had.
The self appointed Guv'nor, a big time charlie and now just a gob for hire. He was a very good player for us once upon a time but he's made it hard to like or respect him. Playing for Liverpool did not help.A desperate attempt at saving his United career more like. Paul would regularly shoot from 30/35 yards out with that left-foot he didn't trust
Phenomenal football player, loved Choccy what a player, lethal in front of goal when he was played up front, more of a false 9 you would look at it now, always dropped deep, had a great touch, great pass and could finish, when dropped back into midfield he was a great link up between midfield and attack.Inspired by Lee's thread by MyOnlySolskjaer.
He was as per wiki, 2 times our POTY, must have been an important player. Anyone from those times give a profile about him, and how important he was to Manchester United during those days.
We would be on maybe 5 or 6 European Cups now if that rule had never existed, didn't we play Kevin Pilkington away at Barca when we got smoked 4-0, crazy to think if you were Irish/Scottish etc. you were classed as a foreigner ha mentalClass footballer and man. Underrated player on here apparently, Alex Ferguson rated him extremely highly.
Sounds stupid but the 3 foreigner and then later the 5 foreigner rule meant we missed him in Europe because he was Scottish - we couldn’t play Kanchelskis, Giggs, Schmeichel, Cantona, Irwin, McLair and Hughes all in the same team! Which meant our fantastic early 90’s side never really got going in Europe and a big reason nobody on various forums rates many of these guys at quite the levels they were actually capable of.
Good article on that here, worthy of a discussion in and of itself, but between 92-95 Britain based footballers were affected badly by the rule
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/relief-at-end-of-foreigner-rule-1526032.html
I do not know. To me Paul McGrath is a better player than Rio Ferdinand. The same with Irwin. I would put him as the best full back we had certainly under Fergie and up to now.In his first season, he was awersome.
He never let the team down. Was a good player. But will never be named in any all time great Utd teams under Fergie. But then again, apart from Bryan Robson, no one would from that era.
Yes we need these kinds of players now. Norman Whiteside, Robbo, McGrath, Hughes, Chocky, Incey, they all can fight as well as play top class football. We only have McTomminay but Fred seems to enjoy in getting himself involved in a fracas, and so does Rojo. This is why I prefer Rojo to Lindelof. Rojo will not back down."I Started A 20 Man Brawl Against Arsenal!" Brian McClair Full Time Devils Podcast #34
Irwin was part of the treble wining team, wouldn't put him in that era of pre premier league.I do not know. To me Paul McGrath is a better player than Rio Ferdinand. The same with Irwin. I would put him as the best full back we had certainly under Fergie and up to now.
The class of 92 saw through him straight away, he collared Giggs, Neville, Scholes, Butt et al at training one day and asked them to start calling him Guv'nor, Giggs said okay Paul, and they all walked off laughing.The self appointed Guv'nor, a big time charlie and now just a gob for hire. He was a very good player for us once upon a time but he's made it hard to like or respect him. Playing for Liverpool did not help.
Off-topic but McGrath was easily better than Bruce and Pallister and probably better than Vidic. In fact, from that list, I'd only put Rio above him.Irwin was part of the treble wining team, wouldn't put him in that era of pre premier league.
As for McGrath, I would partially agree he was one hell of a player, but to say he was better than Rio is a bold statement. Intact all the 'all time' great teams i have seen from past players and fans, Stam, Bruce, Pallister, Vidic and Rio all have been mentioned before McGrath.
Not disagreeing with you. Maybe McGrath playing in an era when Utd were mediocre probably over shadowed how good he was. Think he got into the PFA team of the year when he left Utd for Villa.Off-topic but McGrath was easily better than Bruce and Pallister and probably better than Vidic. In fact, from that list, I'd only put Rio above him.