Steve Mcphail

Undoubtedly a talented player and certainly seems to bring out the best in Chopra. Capable of playing some great passes and desrves freat credit and respect for the way he has overcome his illness and returned for the end of the season.

BUT... for a central midfielder, and supposedly an attacking one at that, his goal record is truly appalling.

362 career games.....10 goals! Not scored for the City in over 2 seasons! Last goal I think was against Hull in the famous "stubs" game before the 2008 Cup Final.

Koumas scored more in one season with us than Mcphail has scored in his whole career.

I'm not wanting to start another Mcphail bashing thread (honestly) but , although I acknowledge his game has many other attributes his goal scoring record is truly appalling. Thank goodness for Whitts last season.

As for Gavin Rae...

Surely Jones can see where we really need to strengthen next season?

Totally disagree sorry.

I accept your point but there are many top midfeilders who are good and hardly score.

Scholes
Carrick
Essien
Mascherano
Barry


I know these are all better than McPhail but none of these score loads of goals.


McPhail does his job brilliantly and is a top player

yeah its like makalele he scored about 3 for chelsea and was considered their best midfielder.
Mcphail's job isn't to score goals.

Totally disagree sorry.

I accept your point but there are many top midfeilders who are good and hardly score.

Scholes
Carrick
Essien
Mascherano
Barry


I know these are all better than McPhail but none of these score loads of goals.


McPhail does his job brilliantly and is a top player

Fair points all of them.

All mentioned (except Scholes) are essentially "destructive" rather than "constructive" midfielders, usually playing in a defensive role, breaking up play and good in the tackle, none of which are Steve' strengths.

As for Scholes, 144 goals in 444 games would tend to suggest that he is rather a good goalscoring midfielder!

There was a huge improvement when he came back into the side. He has had a cruel season where he was winning back the fans only to have an injury set back. Once he overcame that and started playing again most of us saw a huge improvement in our confidence. Shame he saved his worse for the PO final but did not his return result in us going on a 10 match unbeaten run?

mcphail has never been talked of as an attacking midfielder,he sits in the pocket and dictates the game with his passing range,and to be fair to him there is not many better in the league,i feel he needs a attacking player alongside him,a team is all about balance and for me our centre midfield options are shite,ledley works hard,rae is conference level,as for 1 of the posts mentioning carricks name as top midfielder!!!!!!he is so overrated how lucky has he been to be a player with utd and has england caps,he is a good passer but has nothing else to his game to warrant playing for utd and england i think

mcphail has never been talked of as an attacking midfielder,he sits in the pocket and dictates the game with his passing range,and to be fair to him there is not many better in the league,i feel he needs a attacking player alongside him,a team is all about balance and for me our centre midfield options are shite,ledley works hard,rae is conference level,as for 1 of the posts mentioning carricks name as top midfielder!!!!!!he is so overrated how lucky has he been to be a player with utd and has england caps,he is a good passer but has nothing else to his game to warrant playing for utd and england i think

"Rae is conference level" Think you are being kind there mate!

Mcphail needs an enforcer next to him. He would be best suited to a 3 man centre midfield with a strong holding midfielder, box to box one and him spraying the passes in between.

I have always been of the opinion that McPhail flatters to decieve. He doesn't score goals and his assist count is nothing speical either. He also has the annoying habit of giving away far too many costly free-kicks, Charlie Adams opening goal for Blackpool being a classic example, or doing something stupid at the wrong time (2 games vs Swansea) or goes missing if the game turns physical.

McPhail himself obviously deserves credit for fighting back against his terrible illness, but if we are to move forward then the brave call and move him on must be made because we will never get anywhere with a playmaker to simply passes side ways or backwards.

Totally disagree sorry.

I accept your point but there are many top midfeilders who are good and hardly score.

ScholesCarrick
Essien
Mascherano
Barry


I know these are all better than McPhail but none of these score loads of goals.


McPhail does his job brilliantly and is a top player

Scholes has scored over 100 goals for Man U in 444 games and 14 for England in 66. I wouldn't call that hardly scoring.

McPhail is so over-rated its untrue.

There's not a midfield 'playmaker' in the football league couldnt spray a few
decent passes if he's given time on the ball.

Close him down, harry him, hassle him and he disappears from sight. He cant tackle
he never shoots, never scores goals. He's slow.

Blackpool, play-off final, huge pitch... it should have been his big day. But Blackpool never
read his script and the pace of the game left him for dead!!!

Get rid, we can do far better, and need to!!