MattBackHome
Well-known member
- Jul 7, 2003
- 11,719
'A few mazy dribbles' is such a poor description of the sheer ART that he produced in that season. There was magic in them there boots.
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[Albion] Paddy McCourt
- Thread starter Bozza
- Start date
martin tyler
Well-known member
- Jan 25, 2013
- 5,844
I have to say I loved him.
In hindsight it was a pretty poor season and there was literally sod all else to get you off your seat. So seeing supertramp stroll on, socks around his ankles, hair somehow looking stylish but a mess at the same time, unshaven, looking like he's just rolled off a park bench having been drinking cheap whisky all night, charge down the wing at a snails pace yet still beating 5/6 players before putting a cross into the box, which invariably no one got on the end of (I put this down to the other players not being on his wavelength) really was the highlight of the season. He would then stand hand on hips in amazement that someone hadn't stuck the ball in the net, before strolling back out to the wing chatting to himself wondering how it had come to this.
Flawed genius.
That is my recollection of him. Maybe slightly flawed by alcohol as well.
In hindsight it was a pretty poor season and there was literally sod all else to get you off your seat. So seeing supertramp stroll on, socks around his ankles, hair somehow looking stylish but a mess at the same time, unshaven, looking like he's just rolled off a park bench having been drinking cheap whisky all night, charge down the wing at a snails pace yet still beating 5/6 players before putting a cross into the box, which invariably no one got on the end of (I put this down to the other players not being on his wavelength) really was the highlight of the season. He would then stand hand on hips in amazement that someone hadn't stuck the ball in the net, before strolling back out to the wing chatting to himself wondering how it had come to this.
Flawed genius.
That is my recollection of him. Maybe slightly flawed by alcohol as well.
theboybilly
Well-known member
All of this. I remember him setting up Chris O' Grady with a beautiful pass only to see his efforts wasted. He tore into Chris. There was always an air of expectancy with Paddy and I just loved his attitude. But he didn't fit for the season we were having - had we been safely mid-table he would have been a scream to watch.
studio150
Well-known member
Thanks for telling me I don't like football. However I'm not going to change my view on McCourt.
There are many aspects to being a footballer and there needs to be a balance between self and team as well as attacking and defending.
Yes he may have looked good in a Celtic team when playing against the no hopers in Scottish football as he could stand around doing nothing for the 5 minutes in the game when Celtic need to defend.
However his best position for the Albion was 8th sub.
Why we ever decided to raid the Barnsley squad i don't know.
mejonaNO12 aka riskit
Well-known member
Why do you hate fun?
You've pretty much just defined "flair" in it's truest sense. Flair isn't about being effective, or the most consistent.
[MENTION=1349]turienzo's lovechild[/MENTION] will confirm.
- Thread starter
- #27
Maybe you're more of a rugby or cricket man.
Again. Utter flair.
Easy 10
Brain dead MUG SHEEP
He brought along some novelty value in a terribly grim season, but we were so abysmal that year that it was a case of having to laugh at us (and him), or you'd cry. When the likes of McCourt provided a brief afternoon highlight, then you knew you were stuck watching a really shit team.
Ecosse Exile
New member
The Ulster Messi.
Yes you need to give him the ball, he aint going to win it, yes he is lazy when he has to track back, but.... When he has the ball he can make things happen that other more disciplined players cant even see.
Would never fit with Hughton's work ethic but sometimes a McCourt is exactly what you need.
Yes you need to give him the ball, he aint going to win it, yes he is lazy when he has to track back, but.... When he has the ball he can make things happen that other more disciplined players cant even see.
Would never fit with Hughton's work ethic but sometimes a McCourt is exactly what you need.
Correct.
Easy 10
Brain dead MUG SHEEP
The only thing he made happen was the rest of the team hurredly tracking back when he lost the ball (again). Hence his careers irretrievable descent down into the noddy leagues.
Cian
Well-known member
He's playing in *a* Premier Division; albeit at a semi-pro club; suspect he's on the fairly common 10 month pro contract that bigger players at the smaller clubs have.
Clubs are required to keep to a 85% of turnover wage cap so even if a club gets a sugar daddy its rather difficult to blow it on wages; used to be a constant progression of a club spending big to try progress in Europe then hitting the wall. Since the cap has come in there's actually been a team who were fairly competitive in the group stages of the Europa League and haven't gone bust due to it.
This sounds more like Noone
Easy 10
Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Its not a million miles off to be fair. Noone did at least put a shift in up and down that wing though, even if most of his crosses did end up in the seats. And I know he scored the odd cracker, but for a forward, he was honestly one of the most woeful strikers of the ball I have ever seen (his goalscoring stats would bear this out). I lost count of the number of times he'd cut inside, only to totally scuff his shot and have it dribble into the advertising hoardings.
He did weave that bit of magic down the left touchline that put Buckley in on goal for the winner on Amex Day 1 though, so I can forgive him quite a lot. Hope he does well at Bolton.
mejonaNO12 aka riskit
Well-known member
Would Paddy make it into your flair 11?
I genuinely think he would get into mine. The definition of flair.
I genuinely think he would get into mine. The definition of flair.
No Paddy, no party.
I can appreciate the value of a hardworking, big centre forward or a solid centre back (having been a very non-solid one) but flair players are what it's all about. If they look like they should still be in the pub, even better. No one looks up the highlights of Rio Ferdinand, James Milner or Emile Heskey on you tube. It's Bowles, Best, Maradonna, Gascogne, Robin Friday and, yes, Paddy and Vicente.
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I can appreciate the value of a hardworking, big centre forward or a solid centre back (having been a very non-solid one) but flair players are what it's all about. If they look like they should still be in the pub, even better. No one looks up the highlights of Rio Ferdinand, James Milner or Emile Heskey on you tube. It's Bowles, Best, Maradonna, Gascogne, Robin Friday and, yes, Paddy and Vicente.
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It seems like I do like football after all. While Paddy only occasionally did something truly magical for us, he did do it from time to time, and you always knew, from his youtube reel, that he certainly had the skill, if only he could be bothered. Seriously flair. I'd always lean forward and pay proper attention when he got the ball. Loved the man.
Skaville
Well-known member
Anyone else think"oh shit, he's dead" when they saw the thread?! What a goal. What a waste of talent