Paddy McNair image 33

Paddy McNair Northern Ireland flag

2014-15 Performances

View full 2014-15 profile

5.8 Season Average Rating
Appearances
18
Clean sheets
5
Goals
0
Assists
0
Yellow cards
2
Tonight was the best game I have seen from McNair for sure. It is hard to judge him versus Valencia/Rafael due to the calibre of the opponent, but he got forward well and his crossing was decent, and it was the attacking part of his game which I had questions about before kickoff, as we already knew that he could defend fairly well.

I still wouldnt trust him against a decent quality winger, but as I said, definitely his best game for us and something to think about.
 
I reckon he has solidified his place at right back in United's all time greatest XI.
 
Needs to learn when to make run if he wants to play there but he is young enough and can adapt. Rafa would tear them apart on the right side if he started. BUt in the end it was a very good performance. Shame he didn't get on the scoresheet. I think he can actually be for us someone like Chambers for Arsenal. We can use him here and there. He is very good on the ball doesn't panic at any time always plays with his head up. I also liked how he wanted to get the ball all the time waving at his team mates on the other side to pass him the ball. He has got potential..
 
Has the Gary Neville's about him. As outlined elsewhere he was very comfortable and very positive going forward. Would be interested to see him play there again.
 
I didn't get the see the match but all the comments are very positive, sure it was against a lower opposition but you have to start somewhere.

Would be a dream if he turned out to be quality, him and Shaw would keep us sorted at full back for 12-15 years!
 
Very good performance from the lad. He could have been slightly more adventurous with the ball at his feet (a couple of times he had the chance to really drive inside/into the box, but opted against it) but I suppose he's not the most natural dribbler in the world, so it's a very minor criticism. Did really well getting up the line and was generally taking up decent positions in which to receive the ball.
 
Looked a good 90 min from him at rb for the 1st time. But then so did Phil Jones, got 2 assists if I remember correctly vs Bolton
 
What an outstanding performance from the baby-faced, 19 year old Northern Irishman!

I really wouldn't concern myself with procuring a right back this summer. True, his performance tonight was only against a lowly midtable fourth division club but the boy looked magisterial out there tonight. We've got three competent right backs, the third being Valencia, to handle whatever opponents we're going to see over the next 18 months or so. Focus on a top rampaging central midfielder, not a central back and we're good enough to compete for the prem trophy next season.

Unless we buy the German national team, we're not going to be good enough to compete with Real Madrid for the CL.
 
Decent performance, was shitting myself when I saw LVG placed him at RB but he was solid and actually linked up well with Rooney !
 
Impressive. Doesn't really suit wide positions, but he showed why he was as much a DM as a CB for the youth sides. Good passer and very tidy on the ball.

No real defensive test today, of course.
 
Walrus said:
Tonight was the best game I have seen from McNair for sure. It is hard to judge him versus Valencia/Rafael due to the calibre of the opponent, but he got forward well and his crossing was decent, and it was the attacking part of his game which I had questions about before kickoff, as we already knew that he could defend fairly well.

I still wouldnt trust him against a decent quality winger, but as I said, definitely his best game for us and something to think about.
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To be fair Valencia played agaisnt this exact opposition less than a fortnight ago and was one of the worst on the pitch for us :annoyed: You could technically use that to compare Paddy's performance tonight.
 
I don't think he's good enough to make it as first choice long term in any position but tonight showed that he may have a role as a utility man in the future. The new John O'Shea?
 
Pogue Mahone said:
His first touch was flawless. He's a proper footballer. Weird the way he looked so composed and comfortable in possession tonight, yet has looked quite nervy in central defence.
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In a way, you are given bit more freedom with the ball in wide areas such as fullbacks. In CB, you cant afford to lose possession far too many times.
 
Hed Zitin said:
Great crosses, passes, pass selection, first touch and good in tight areas under pressure. All round excellent today. MOTM.
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The bolded was the thing that impressed me the most about him, I am not sure why some have decided he can't become our RB after that performance, maybe he wont but he did enough to get more chances to convince LvG he can.
 
Was a quality performance from him tonight. Not sure he has the tools to be a RB in the long run as he doesn't really have that attacking prowess, but maybe he will develop that with time.

What I did like was his quality on the ball, he was so assured threading that ball around. I'd prefer to see that moulded into a top centreback, but he just needs to get the experience and physicality to be more dominant there. For now, he looks like he'd be more than able as a RB whilst he develops.
 
McNair can cross the ball. He is infinitely better than Valencia already, even if it was only Cambridge.
 
ChaddyP said:
To be fair Valencia played agaisnt this exact opposition less than a fortnight ago and was one of the worst on the pitch for us :annoyed: You could technically use that to compare Paddy's performance tonight.
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Im not going to defend the original Cambridge match because it was a very poor show and I agree, but the tactics were different and with Fellaini up top, McNair at least had someone to aim for in the box. Also due to it being 4-4-2 tonight, McNair was able to make overlapping runs and attack the space.
 
Walrus said:
Im not going to defend the original Cambridge match because it was a very poor show and I agree, but the tactics were different and with Fellaini up top, McNair at least had someone to aim for in the box. Also due to it being 4-4-2 tonight, McNair was able to make overlapping runs and attack the space.
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We played 442 against Cambridge. With fellaini up top it wouldn't matter to valencia as he would still cross it into the full back's shins :lol:
 
Very good showing tonight, I was pleased for him. The real test will be how he fares in 1 v. 1s (I don't see any evidence that he's good in those) but he looks a hell of a lot more composed than some of our other backs and has a pretty decent cross. Interesting that he played RB against Yeovil and wasn't all that bad, either.
 
He looked good at right back, in my opinion, because he was essentially playing in midfield for most of the match. I think he may just be a better midfielder than defender, even though he doesn't play there for the reserves anymore.
 
Swaters16 said:
He looked good at right back, in my opinion, because he was essentially playing in midfield for most of the match. I think he may just be a better midfielder than defender, even though he doesn't play there for the reserves anymore.
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Isn't that the "Alaba" role that people were raving about?
 
Had a very good game but doesn't offer what Rafael does there. Could have hurt them so much more, especially when Rooney was in possession. But at the end of the day, he had a very good game.
 
I really liked McNair's decision-making as a right back. He always made the right choices, and the passes he played were very good. Some of the passes he played as a right back were top notch, particularly his passes into the middle, which were quick and allowed us to play at a fast tempo. His lack of dribbling did show up, but then again, he isn't a wing back, so I wouldn't expect him to be a dribbler. Still, though, it was great seeing him get double-teamed by the Cambridge players. McNair, of all people, being double-teamed! His crossing was also decent for a central defensive player, and it helped us that he could actually deliver telling balls into the box for others to attack. I also really like how he just doesn't look for a cross and, instead, considers and pursues other options.

His passing choices indicate that there is some promise of him becoming a good ball-playing defender. Plus, his movement and positions were also quite good. McNair never played out wide, and the last two times he's played as a right back, he's performed quite well. Now, that doesn't mean that he is a definite right back, but at least we now know that he is a promising ball-playing defender and that the period where his performances were nervous and shaky were just a blip.
 
Could this be our new O'Shea - he can play as a DM, as a RB and as a central defender. If we only can get him in goal as well - we might be there!
 
lysglimt said:
Could this be our new O'Shea - he can play as a DM, as a RB and as a central defender. If we only can get him in goal as well - we might be there!
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He just needs to nutmeg Ronaldo, lob a keeper from outside the penalty, and win us the game at the death against Liverpool to become O'Shea's spiritual successor.
 
He is a fantastic prospect. His rise has been phenomenal as well. From very recently joining academy, primarily as midfielder and then doing admirably as CB in PL to RB, he has shown versatility and good technique in all roles.
 
You can see that LvG has identified his abilities as a footballer and why he has put some faith in him ahead of Blackett for example, despite a fair few ropey games. I think LvG could be the perfect manager for his development.
 
Better rb than a cb it looks like. I'd written him off as a nobody but his performances in the Liverpool under 21 game and last night show there's hope yet.
 
I loved the way he kept calling for the ball, time and time again I saw him with his arms in the air asking for the ball. That's the type of attitude I love to see in a young player.
 
Would be very interesting to see how he would do given a run at RB.
 
Very good performance, his best of the season no doubt. He's very comfortable on the ball which is no surprise considering he used to play as a holding midfielder. Would rather not see him at centre back again this season as he is simply not ready for that position, but based on yesterday's performance certainly has a place in the squad covering right back seeing as Rafael seems to have disappeared
 
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