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[Albion] Paddy McCourt



MattBackHome

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
11,878
'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.
 




martin tyler

Well-known member
Jan 25, 2013
5,969
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.
 


theboybilly

Well-known member
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.

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
Jul 30, 2011
30,246
On the Border
If you don't like Paddy McCourt, you don't like football. It really is that simple.

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.
 






Mellotron

I've asked for soup
Jul 2, 2008
32,482
Brighton
I was always baffled at the cult status he seemed to enjoy with some fans here. A few mazy dribbles that invariably came to nothing, yet we were so desperately BAD that season, that some people were still crying out for him to come off the bench or to get a start. He was utter junk.

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.
 


Bozza

You can change this
Helpful Moderator
Jul 4, 2003
57,320
Back in Sussex
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.

Maybe you're more of a rugby or cricket man.
 






Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Jul 5, 2003
62,429
Location Location
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.

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
May 20, 2009
3,549
Alicante, Spain
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.
 


Mellotron

I've asked for soup
Jul 2, 2008
32,482
Brighton
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.

Correct.
 




Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Jul 5, 2003
62,429
Location Location
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.

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
Jul 16, 2003
14,262
Dublin, Ireland
Another gifted player wasted his talent IMHO - still only 33 but playing non-league

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.
 






Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Jul 5, 2003
62,429
Location Location
This sounds more like Noone

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.
 


jackanada

Well-known member
Jul 19, 2011
3,512
Brighton
When he came on was he going to win you the game? Probably not.
Would the opposition get some extra chances when he lost the ball or didn't track back? Almost certainly.
Would the game be more entertaining to watch? Definitely.
 




Guinness Boy

Tofu eating wokerati
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patron
Jul 23, 2003
37,366
Up and Coming Sunny Portslade
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.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 




Goldstone1976

We Got Calde in!!
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patron
Apr 30, 2013
14,124
Herts
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.
 




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