KEVIN MCDONALD

[puppet]

Once more and its slander

 

[Rodley]

In the big games he disappeared.

 

[shorehamview]

Once more and its slander

No, it's not. Consult your lawyer please.

 

[Dnblade]

I was a big fan of Macca,but he's no TC....like has been mentioned though,you could always give him the ball even when marked,doubled up on or whatever..and he usually worked a bit of space to pass it off,calm as you like.Last season I think he suffered as the season went on,as we tended to hoof it from the back all the time.When he did get the ball,a lack of options and movement didn't help,plus no pace in the team..nobody to run beyond their marker.
If he could add goals to his game,he would be playing a lot higher than L1.
Wolves fans seem to be impressed with him so far...

http://www.molineuxmix.co.uk/vb/showthread.php?t=83627

 

[bartman]

He was our best outlet. Always found space for himself, always wanted the ball and was the only one you could pretty much guarantee would retain possession, no matter how many players were trying to tackle him.

apart from the majority of last season

 

[Latters]

apart from the majority of last season

I don't recall him losing possession much last season either. It was a regular topic of discussion between my mate and I at matches how he managed to keep the ball in the most unlikely situations. He's a proper footballer with good technique and a good brain. This was wasted at us, unfortunately.

 

[bartman]

I don't recall him losing possession much last season either. It was a regular topic of discussion between my mate and I at matches how he managed to keep the ball in the most unlikely situations. He's a proper footballer with good technique and a good brain. This was wasted at us, unfortunately.

most of last season he hid in games and Doyle was trying to do his work for him . He was good at turning in a circle and passing sideways and got a nosebleed 40 yards from goal.Defensively he was a liability

His performance at Crewe was as poor a display from a midfield player since the days of Jonathan Hunt and Ian Hamilton.

A player with loads of ability,but last season,couldn't be bothered to display it

 

[metalblade]

To be likened to Jonathan Hunt the ultimate insult to a footballer

 

[Deadly D'Jaffo]

A player with loads of ability,but last season,couldn't be bothered to display it

I'd argue a player who was alone in showing and being comfortable on the ball. It's a team game, even Ronaldo or Messi would have suffered grumbles from the crowd last season. McDonald was a good player in a terrible team and he suffered himself because of it.

 

[Latters]

To be likened to Jonathan Hunt the ultimate insult to a footballer

And also complete and utter bollocks, of course. Even in his "poor season", McDonald was still head and shoulders above anything we, along with most of the rest of the division, had, hence the reason why the team with the most money in the division, and favourites for promotion, has signed him this season.

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

My next comment will probably be dismissed due to the lack of appreciation/popularity of the player but.....

Anyone noticed that when Porter doesn't play, the ball doesn't stick and we generally find ourselves in a losing position. Started the first game and we won, were winning with him in the side yesterday and things went immediately pear shaped as soon as he went off. Not the answer to all of our problems by any stretch of the imagination but the system works a lot better with him on the pitch. Surprised no one else has noticed this.

Couldn't give a flying about McDonald. Baxter is a better player.

 

[Latters]

My next comment will probably be dismissed due to the lack of appreciation/popularity of the player but.....

Anyone noticed that when Porter doesn't play, the ball doesn't stick and we generally find ourselves in a losing position. Started the first game and we won, were winning with him in the side yesterday and things went immediately pear shaped as soon as he went off. Not the answer to all of our problems by any stretch of the imagination but the system works a lot better with him on the pitch. Surprised no one else has noticed this.

Couldn't give a flying about McDonald. Baxter is a better player.

I agree with what you say about Porter, but he really needs a goal scoring strike partner. None of our team are suited to the one up front style. Porter and Taylor might even work. I wonder if we'll ever find out.

 

[Deadly D'Jaffo]

Lyle Taylors awareness, positioning and attitude is way short of what is required even at this level. I'd love to be proven wrong but having been to every home and away game he has played in I haven't witnessed any cause for optimism. I'm really disappointed in him. He shirks challenges, loses aerial battles that are his to win and doesn't look comfortable on the ball. The counter attack vs. MK Dons where he ran it out for a goalkick sums his United career up so far and along with Flynn & Murphy he is another example of how substandard the level of Scottish football is.

 

[blader]

My next comment will probably be dismissed due to the lack of appreciation/popularity of the player but.....

Anyone noticed that when Porter doesn't play, the ball doesn't stick and we generally find ourselves in a losing position. Started the first game and we won, were winning with him in the side yesterday and things went immediately pear shaped as soon as he went off. Not the answer to all of our problems by any stretch of the imagination but the system works a lot better with him on the pitch. Surprised no one else has noticed this.

Couldn't give a flying about McDonald. Baxter is a better player.

I actually tend to agree with you RE: Porter. Nowhere near good enough, though depressingly our best option at the moment. However, to say Baxter is better is a brave comment. Firstly McDonald was a regular in a Prem side at 21, Baxter was released from a prem side at a similar age. Also, even in our team this season, we have won only 1 game. The only game which KMac played in, and haven't won with Baxter in the side yet! Baxter-mcDonald-Brandy behind a quality striker. I'd have love to see how that worked out!

 

[SwissBlade]

I actually tend to agree with you RE: Porter. Nowhere near good enough, though depressingly our best option at the moment. However, to say Baxter is better is a brave comment. Firstly McDonald was a regular in a Prem side at 21, Baxter was released from a prem side at a similar age. Also, even in our team this season, we have won only 1 game. The only game which KMac played in, and haven't won with Baxter in the side yet! Baxter-mcDonald-Brandy behind a quality striker. I'd have love to see how that worked out!

Baxter wasn't released was he? He was offered a new contract but turned it down so he could play first team football elsewhere.

KMac was a regular in a side that got relegated, Baxter a bench Warmer In a side pushing for Europe. Speaking to an Everton fan he reckoned Baxter wasn't given a chance by moyes. Moyes frustrated many because he didn't give the youngsters enough game time

 

[super_pig]

Brown , Cowans and McCall were all better players than McDonald. And I haven't even had to start thinking yet.

umm you don't need to . that's it.

 

[oldblade]

umm you don't need to . that's it.

Kevin Arnott, Glenn Cockerill and Ray McHale were all better than McDonald. Still not having to think very hard.

 

[Grecian2000]

Kevin Arnott, Glenn Cockerill and Ray McHale were all better than McDonald. Still not having to think very hard.

RAY McHALE?????

Now it's getting silly. I would have to sit here for a week to come up with 10 players who were worse and KM wouldn't be anywhere near that list.

Baxter may, and it is still a may, end up being better than Kevin Mcdonald for us. Alas, at this moment in time, the system that was bulit around KM isn't working with the other personel available. I don't see how that's even up for debate, the performances in every league game since Notts County are irrefutable.

 

[oldblade]

RAY McHALE?????

Now it's getting silly. I would have to sit here for a week to come up with 10 players who were worse and KM wouldn't be anywhere near that list.

Baxter may, and it is still a may, end up being better than Kevin Mcdonald for us. Alas, at this moment in time, the system that was bulit around KM isn't working with the other personel available. I don't see how that's even up for debate, the performances in every league game since Notts County are irrefutable.

Not nearly as silly as comparing McDonald to Currie!

You can't have watched many games during the 1983-4 promotion season. In the previous season he did not play well and was dropped, but in that promotion season he was a key member of the side, made 42 league appearances and put in consistently good, solid performances. It seems to me McDonald has become the new Tostao since he's left. He was good (and more skilful than McHale) on his day, but unfortunately those days came along pretty inconsistently. If my life depended on a performance give me McHale above Mcdonald any day.

 

[puppet]

Not nearly as silly as comparing McDonald to Currie!

You can't have watched many games during the 1983-4 promotion season. In the previous season he did not play well and was dropped, but in that promotion season he was a key member of the side, made 42 league appearances and put in consistently good, solid performances. It seems to me McDonald has become the new Tostao since he's left. He was good (and more skilful than McHale) on his day, but unfortunately those days came along pretty inconsistently. If my life depended on a performance give me McHale above Mcdonald any day.

he was revered by some before he left. we have definitely lost our best player selling him, and doesn't it show!

 

[oldblade]

he was revered by some before he left. we have definitely lost our best player selling him, and doesn't it show!

Not a lot has changed since the defeat against Burton. He played in that match.

We all got a bit excited because we were good in one match (Notts County) and McDonald was prominent in that one match.

 

[super_pig]

Not a lot has changed since the defeat against Burton. He played in that match.

We all got a bit excited because we were good in one match (Notts County) and McDonald was prominent in that one match.

that's a bit much actually.. macdonald has been our best player since he arrived. where were 'you' last season and the one before?? .
it is all a matter of context. .macdonald might not have been as good as Currie but in the context of the team he was 'as' important.. plus he didn't have Trevor Hockey or Mick Speight helping him out he had Doyle and Monty
btw TC had quiet games too and before you ask, yes i was there.

 

[oldblade]

that's a bit much actually.. macdonald has been our best player since he arrived. where were 'you' last season and the one before?? .
it is all a matter of context. .macdonald might not have been as good as Currie but in the context of the team he was 'as' important.. plushe didn't have Trevor Hockey or Mick Speight helping him out he had Doyle and Monty btw TC had quiet games too and before you ask, yes i was there.

I'm not saying he's a bad player. He isn't. He's quite good, but McDonald was hit and miss last season, was injured at a crucial point in the season before (not his fault I know) and when returned did not perform in the crunch games.

Tony Currie may have had better players alongside him, but he was also playing against far superior opponents to those we now find ourselves playing against. All players have quiet games, but McDonald has had quite a few overt he last two seasons, and they are third division quiet games not first division.

 

[Bergen Blade]

Not a lot has changed since the defeat against Burton. He played in that match.

We all got a bit excited because we were good in one match (Notts County) and McDonald was prominent in that one match.

oldblade, I think McDonald, like Tonge (who I know we agreed on), will do well if surrounded by the right type of players, even at a much higher level than our current. I think it's that potential which people liked, not that he always performed brilliantly for us. We were generally poor last season, and McDonald wasn't the type to fix it.

 

[oldblade]

oldblade, I think McDonald, like Tonge (who I know we agreed on), will do well if surrounded by the right type of players, even at a much higher level than our current. I think it's that potential which people liked, not that he always performed brilliantly for us. We were generally poor last season, and McDonald wasn't the type to fix it.

I agree with most of that. I think McDonald is a talented player, but Tonge is another player who was better than him and more versatile. Although I agree that both looked better with better players around them.

Currie might have looked better amongst better players, but he could also look good no matter who was alongside him. And maybe that is the difference between a great player (Currie) and a talented, promising player (McDonald).

It may be that in Baxter we already have a player who is as good as or even better than McDonald. Time will tell. But I think it's a bit fanciful to suggest that McDonald is the best central midfielder we've had since Currie (I know it wasn't you who said that!). I agree with the poster who said he would struggle to make the top 10.

 

[LSF]

Not nearly as silly as comparing McDonald to Currie!

You can't have watched many games during the 1983-4 promotion season. In the previous season he did not play well and was dropped, but in that promotion season he was a key member of the side, made 42 league appearances and put in consistently good, solid performances. It seems to me McDonald has become the new Tostao since he's left. He was good (and more skilful than McHale) on his day, but unfortunately those days came along pretty inconsistently. If my life depended on a performance give me McHale above Mcdonald any day.

Ray McHale - I played with and against him on several occasions in Sunday league before Chesterfield signed him on amateur forms, Ray certainly looked good in that standard and was dedicated and ruthless enough to make the step up from outstanding Sunday league player to competent journeyman professional.
As far as a comparison with Kmac is concerned, hmmmm... totally different kind of player to me. Ray was a busy little forager who could pack a shot on occasions, skill not his forte, worker and niggler of a good order, more like Michael Doyle than Kmac and not fit to lace Kmac's boots as a playmaker.

 

[oldblade]

Ray McHale - I played with and against him on several occasions in Sunday league before Chesterfield signed him on amateur forms, Ray certainly looked good in that standard and was dedicated and ruthless enough to make the step up from outstanding Sunday league player to competent journeyman professional.
As far as a comparison with Kmac is concerned, hmmmm... totally different kind of player to me. Ray was a busy little forager who could pack a shot on occasions, skill not his forte, worker and niggler of a good order, more like Michael Doyle than Kmac and not fit to lace Kmac's boots as a playmaker.

I agree that he did not have the skill/ability of McDonald, but I feel that in the two seasons that he was with us he did what was required of him to a more than satisfactory standard more often than McDonald has done in his two seasons. He was more consistent. Yes, I see the similarities with Doyle, but McHale he was better than Doyle!

As I've said in a post above, if my life depended on either of them putting in a decent performance (and really contributing positively to the team as a whole) I'd take my chances with McHale.

 

[LSF]

Fair comment mate but the almost 30 years gap in playing days sometimes makes these sort of comparisons a bit void. The game today bears no comparison to that of the 80's. Would the Ray McHale's survive in todays game?

 

[oldblade]

I take your point. But all you can do is be good at what you do in the era that you are playing in. McDonald may well not have survived in the early 1980s as he would have had to have endured a lot more bad tackles.

 

[LSF]

Hence the difficulty in making these sort of comparisons.....