Classic Players - Paul McGrath : Le God

Joga Bonito

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One of his best ever performances was in 1987 for the Football League v Rest of the World.

Against that opposition he cruised through the game and everyone was 'wowed'.

After Ferdinand and Stam he would certainly be in the mix for best ever CH I've seen at United...
Diego Maradona, Michel Platini, Paulo Futre on the pitch and Bryan Robson having a barnstorming Roy of the Rovers performance with 2 cracking goals and a proper midfield general display? Good for them, can I have my MOTM award please?

He's just ridiculous :lol:


 

Joga Bonito

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Also a typically assured yet utterly commanding display against the Citizens for United in the derby.



Going to reformat the OP a bit, to make it more like the Law thread, with the videos coming first.
 

harms

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One of his best ever performances was in 1987 for the Football League v Rest of the World.

Against that opposition he cruised through the game and everyone was 'wowed'.

After Ferdinand and Stam he would certainly be in the mix for best ever CH I've seen at United...
Diego Maradona, Michel Platini, Paulo Futre on the pitch and Bryan Robson having a barnstorming Roy of the Rovers performance with 2 cracking goals and a proper midfield general display? Good for them, can I have my MOTM award please?

He's just ridiculous :lol:


Amazing
 

Addled

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I feckin love Paul. A gentleman off the pitch. Quiet, shy, no bullshit.
On the pitch he was an absolute monster. In my opinion he was the best CH that I ever saw playing for United. A real class act.
Thanks for a really great thread.
 

Joga Bonito

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I feckin love Paul. A gentleman off the pitch. Quiet, shy, no bullshit.
On the pitch he was an absolute monster. In my opinion he was the best CH that I ever saw playing for United. A real class act.
Thanks for a really great thread.
Cheers.
 

kundalini

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2nd best United player during my time watching United (Ronaldo 1st). Far superior to Rio, Vidic, Stam; indeed, if you added Rio's best qualities to Vidic's best qualities, you'd get Paul McGrath. Almost comical how good McGrath was at his peak during the Atkinson era. Opposing striker through on goal on the counter-attack at Old Trafford, time after time, McGrath would accelerate, catch up with the forward, calmly steal the ball off them, then build our next attack. The rest of our defence were either miles up the pitch or completely irrelevant due to their lack of pace (Kevin Moran for instance).

I find it a bit strange how people go on about his performances for Rep of Ireland and Villa but ignore his United displays before his various knee injuries restricted what he could do.

A tough, physical central defender with lightening pace who not only could play centre midfield but did so in some of the biggest games.
 
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Raees

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Great footage Joga.. by the way how good was it seeing Maradona and Platini link up - wow!:drool:.

Interesting how in those earlier parts of his career he seems quite slight yet he puts himself about with reckless abandon.. almost like a hybrid Vidic and Rio player.

Fights like a bull yet blessed with great intuition and anticipation.
 

TimScoreboard

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After Ferdinand and Stam
After! Paul was far superior to both... A bit like Robbo; you needed to have seen Paul in his pomp, to understand how good he was. Without doubt, the best defender I've seen in my time watching the lads live, (37 years) and up there with Franco Baresi and Passarella as one of the best I've ever seen.
But for his personal issues and his knees, Paul would have been regarded as one of the finest defenders ever; an unbelievable gifted player and one I'm grateful to have seen play.
 

Joga Bonito

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I find it a bit strange how people go on about his performances for Rep of Ireland and Villa but ignore his United displays before his various knee injuries restricted what he could do.
McGrath was an excellent defender for United no doubt. Shame how injuries and also his alcoholism meant he didn't really get along well with Fergie, although they made up eventually.

by the way how good was it seeing Maradona and Platini link up - wow!
Was something else seeing those 2 geniuses on the same pitch and on the same team at that too. Nevertheless, it was kind of hilarious watching the 'Three Musketeers' steal the show.

Paul McGrath said:
We won the game 3-0 and my performance against Maradona was widely acclaimed.

In the dressing room afterwards, I felt ten feet tall. The boys were full of it. 'Diego fecking who?'

Our other two stars of the day had been Bryan Robson and Norman Whiteside, sharing the three goals between them. It was quite a compliment to English football, but an even bigger one to United.

Fergie must have had very mixed feelings that day as he watched us swap jerseys with Maradona, Platini and Co. In a star-studded team that included the likes of Peter Shilton, Liam Brady, Peter Beardsley, Ossie Ardiles and Chirs Waddle, the three United boys stole the plaudits.

Yep, the three drinkers.
:lol:

Interesting how in those earlier parts of his career he seems quite slight yet he puts himself about with reckless abandon.. almost like a hybrid Vidic and Rio player.

Fights like a bull yet blessed with great intuition and anticipation.
Aye, ridiculously complete and pretty much flawless when it came to just about any aspect of defending.
 

Mr. MUJAC

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Walter Crickmer started it all...
After! Paul was far superior to both... A bit like Robbo; you needed to have seen Paul in his pomp, to understand how good he was. Without doubt, the best defender I've seen in my time watching the lads live, (37 years) and up there with Franco Baresi and Passarella as one of the best I've ever seen.
But for his personal issues and his knees, Paul would have been regarded as one of the finest defenders ever; an unbelievable gifted player and one I'm grateful to have seen play.
All about opinions...I saw all of his games and he was class no doubt.

I just think Rio and Stam had a little bit more.