One of my bug-bears on here is the way so many people jump to conclusions about a player's "technical ability" as though it's some fixed score out of 100. McNair's more comfortable on the ball than most centre-halved seeing as he was playing in midfield until fairly recently. The heavy touches, sliced clearances and clumsy moments we've seen in his last couple of starts are much more likely to be down to inexperience and nerves than any kind of fundamental flaw in his technique.
33
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 18
- Clean sheets
- 5
- Goals
- 0
- Assists
- 0
- Yellow cards
- 2
I don't really know how people judge him, he hasn't been that bad, he is so young and inexperienced that i'm still surprised by his performances.
Remember, centerbacks don't play at 19 years old, only the freaks are good at that age.
Remember, centerbacks don't play at 19 years old, only the freaks are good at that age.
Nice to see some sense been spoken in this thread
WTF
Is Jones and Falcao Irish? What about Valencia or Fellaini. I defend players who come into unfair criticism? But sure you beluebe what you want. Criticising Mc Nair without justification is stupid, it doesn't matter where he is from.I guess it's just a different view than yours. I'm not saying that he's not a good player, just not good enough for us. Young players get the opportunities at this club but they need to be ready now which he's not. What do you think will happen to him if predictable we sign a couple of experience CB's, he's already behind 3 players and that's not including a midfielder dropping into a back 3?
His opportunity has come about not purely based on his ability but the situation with injuries. If we had a full compliment of defenders and he was still getting his chance, then that's based on his ability.
It's believed that selling Danny was based on Wilson ability and there's the difference. If we sell any of the current CB's then I'll start to look at Paddy differently....
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I thought was was our worst defender yesterday, whilst also being the best. He made a few mistakes, but he is learning his trade beside erratic defenders. He still got stuck in and made some great clearances and headers.
He's 19 and the amount of stick he gets is unfair. He is miles better than Blackett.
He's 19 and the amount of stick he gets is unfair. He is miles better than Blackett.
I thought he was poor in the first half at spurs but really grew into the game in the second half. Jury is still out for me if he will make it long term, would love to see the lad succeed and hope he fulfills his obvious talent as a composed centre back.
You defend McNair and Evans ad nauseum even when its obvious they've had a stinker. I don't care about the other players you listed, but you're the biggest fan of the Northern Irish players here. I think thats fair, just stating that its obvious.WTF
Its very obvious. I've mentioned this before.
i thought some people were harsh in the matchday thread saying he had a mare and a shocker etc. He had some shaky moments, but otherwise was pretty solid. He has made a huge step in the last few months, he needs time to adapt. Of course he is nervous and will make mistakes here or there, but it hasnt cost us so far. I like that van Gaal trusts him and he gets some game time.
What do results have to do with individual performances in this context? Might as well go deeper and look at stats.
This.
He is a 19 year old CB playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world and in a tough league.
Mistakes are to be expected unless you are expecting a prime Maldini, Rio and Beckenbauer wrapped into one.
McNair will still be a work in progess however lets wait to judge him properly.
Mistakes are to be expected unless you are expecting a prime Maldini, Rio and Beckenbauer wrapped into one.
McNair will still be a work in progess however lets wait to judge him properly.
The criticism here of McNair yesterday was way too harsh. He had 2 or 3 miscues but otherwise was very composed and allowed very little daylight for Spurs. He's a substantially better passer than Evans and Jones already, which is crazy. Paddy still has to work through the jitters, but let's cut the boy some slack. This was only his 5th or 6th match at this level and he was facing a formidable Spurs side away and dealing with a referee who was fukking us all game.
That is a crazy claim. You got that much right.
The rush to judgment on young players always amazes me. I know people like to be in first, presumably so they can say "told you so" later, but really the conviction of some of the posts in the thread is just baffling.
Rio came to us at 23/24 with a couple of hundred first class games behind him and he still had a reputation for odd errors, misjudgements and concentration lapses. Vidic was 24 and he didn't exactly inspire anyone with confidence in his first few games for us.
I'm hypersensitive to mistakes made by our players, whereas I scarcely notice the mistakes made by opposing players. But I also remember enough about what even experienced players look like when they arrive in a new team to know that arriving in United's first team at 19, joining an ever-changing defence and not standing out like a sore thumb or a defensive liability, is actually impressive.
Rio came to us at 23/24 with a couple of hundred first class games behind him and he still had a reputation for odd errors, misjudgements and concentration lapses. Vidic was 24 and he didn't exactly inspire anyone with confidence in his first few games for us.
I'm hypersensitive to mistakes made by our players, whereas I scarcely notice the mistakes made by opposing players. But I also remember enough about what even experienced players look like when they arrive in a new team to know that arriving in United's first team at 19, joining an ever-changing defence and not standing out like a sore thumb or a defensive liability, is actually impressive.
I think it's clear McNair is better than Blackett regardless.
My rating for Evans is .1 above the Caf average, my rating for McNair is .2, I defend players who deserve to be defended, the criticism Evans in particular has recieved this season has been way over the top, to suggest otherwise is bonkers. As for McNair, I've explained already, as have many others why the criticism of his performances are far to judgemental.
You don't care about the other players I've listed? I see where you're going with this. Some fans including your good self, need to have a sit down and look at the bigger picture, how many would have got rid of RVP after a few bad games this season? Vidic, Evra and De Gea when they first joined were terrible, Rooney, Rafael, Mata, Falcao, Carrick, Fellaini, Smalling, Valencia, Young all have shown terrible form over the last few years, should we just get rid when they show a dip in form or make a bad pass? I could go on but I can't be arsed.
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I don't see anything at this time to suggest that M Keane, Blackett, McNair or Thorpe will ever be anything more than backup players and will probably carve out careers in the lower half of the premier league or in the championship.
It will take dramatic improvement (which is possible) for any of them to still be here in a few years time but they are all young and with our constant injuries you never know but if even one could make the step up it would be a great bonus. The odds are heavily stacked against them though and competition for places is likely to increase when new signings are made.
It will take dramatic improvement (which is possible) for any of them to still be here in a few years time but they are all young and with our constant injuries you never know but if even one could make the step up it would be a great bonus. The odds are heavily stacked against them though and competition for places is likely to increase when new signings are made.
To be fair he doesn't really have strong competition ahead.
Not, it's not. McNair seems to be getting of a free ride here whereas Blackett got plenty of abuse.
He's been a bit lucky that many of his mistakes haven't been punished or he would be getting the Blackett treatment.
McNair has put in good performances, Blackett has not. He hasn't followed up his pre-season games. Thats why a dodgy performance and then a few mistakes on his return to the side aren't the end of the world. Because he's already shown he's a fairly dependable stand in when we need him. Blackett is yet to show that
Revisionism.
Blackett started the season well. Not saying he was flawless and his passing was a bit annoying but he defended quite well for the most part. A quick look at the Blackett thread confirms that. Had an atrocious 2nd half vs Leicester which opened him up to some ridiculous abuse.
McNair started alright albeit his 2 best performances came when we were parking the bus with 10 men.
Blackett started the season by giving a goal against Swansea, the revisionism is on your side, stop judging CBs in their first dozen of games, it is close to impossible to know what we have at the moment, they could be average or very good in three or four years.
Yeh can't understand how McNair's good performances were used to try and make Blackett look poor.
I think Blackett has been doing really well. Looking forward to seeing him in the cup.
I think Blackett has been doing really well. Looking forward to seeing him in the cup.
I think thats harsh tbh, he wasn't flawless like the guy said but he defended well mostly, then had a shocker vs Leicester (like quite a few others).
Where in that post am I judging either of them?
Blackett defended fairly well for the most part. That's not revisionism, that's what happened. Your post is pretty much proving my point. Blackett was punished for a small mistake (which then tends to stick out in the mind) where as McNair's mistakes so far have gone unpunished which probably explains why he's not gotten as much stick. Heck even in the Leicester game, Blackett was our best defender until we collapsed in the last half hour.
They've both had seasons you'd expect from young unproven CB's. Long way to go yet for both of them.
Blackett has made himself look poor. How many good games has he actually had? He was at fault for a Swansea goal, was crap at Leicester and wasn't very good against Burnley either.
EDIT - He didn't do much wrong when he came of the bench recently, I'll give him that.
I'm not going to list good and poor games because at the end of the day, it will all come down to opinion. He has made mistakes, how dare a young player? Considering the circumstances, he came in and did well. I know a lot of United fans won't accept anything short of a 8/9 out of 10 but for me, for his first few appearances for the United first team, did quite well.
That's not harsh he made mistakes after mistakes in his positioning and his marking, more than McNair, but that's normal, he is an inexperienced defender, half of what make a good defender is on how they deal with the accumulation of information, that they gain by playing, it's a very long process.
Sorry, i misinterpreted this:
The thing I think is harsh is the constant blame for the Swansea goal.
I like to think I am patient with players, Blackett just doesn't have it.
Swansea
Sunderland
Burnley
QPR
Leicester
Everton (subbed on)
Arsenal
Villa (subbed on)
QPR his only good game then? QPR created feck all. Maybe Sunderland as well, I don't know, I watched that on a shitty stream.
I didn't blamed him, he was partly at fault and that's not a big deal. It's like Shaw against Everton.
Defended quite well in most of the games excepting that mistake vs Swansea and some of his passing. Against Everton, he made a pretty good block at the deat. Started shakily against Arsenal (like everyone else) but overall he was alright.
Also doesn't help that all of his starts have been in a back 3.
Also doesn't help that all of his starts have been in a back 3.
Its not a anti McNair for me. For a lad of his age to come into the first team and perform is admirably, however this has happened based on circumstance imo. The injuries at the back have meant LVG has had no choice but to look at alternatives. Now compare this situation with Wilson. It's well documented that his promotion to the first team, and selling Danny was based on his potential and ability. I'm pretty sure we would not be talking about Paddy in the same way.
If all fit, paddys behind Smalling, Jones, Evans, Rojo and that's not even based on us signing a couple more CB's or potentially Blind or Carrick playing in a back 3.....
If all fit, paddys behind Smalling, Jones, Evans, Rojo and that's not even based on us signing a couple more CB's or potentially Blind or Carrick playing in a back 3.....
The only way he starts is if we play 3 at the back. That's the only reason he was taken on tour. He's been far from good.
True but a few of those won't be here after next summer.
Also Wilson hasn't been great in the first team yet.
He said that Blackett started the season well. I supposed compared to Mcnair, Blackett made mistakes who costed goals against Swansea and Sunderland, but was very good against Burnley.
Not sure about that tbh, those players are still young in CB terms and might look better if played with a more experienced player. Wilson done ok imo but that aside the fact we let Danny go in order to promote him to the first team, you can't get a bigger endorsement than that....