The Mail Bag
James McFadden
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Scored again today and he got me thinking about his time at Everton and Scotland. Seems to be a major contrast. He was very infuriating at Everton, as he seemed to be useless bar the odd wonder-goal here and there. But for Scotland, he was like their Diego Maradona. The man they could count on to get them out of trouble or win games for them.
If he had shown half of what he can do for them for us, he'd have been a fantastic player. I can see why Moyes bought him, when I look at his performances for Scotland, just can't understand why he couldn't transfer his international game to the Prem. Strange as players usually find it harder at international level.
Trevor Thompson, Posted 05/09/2009 at 17:04:22
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One thing for sure is playing international football is now easier than playing against EPL defences.
But I think his position, ie just being James McFadden, lots of skill, not quite a, well you pick, winger, CF, MF, I think the nearest you could come to it would be some sort of fancy Dan inside forward that you carried in spite of his faults, no longer exists in the modern EPL game.
Scotland, however can’t be so picky.
He was in and out of the team, in a variety of positions, and he was just trying too damn hard to impress. Rather than keep it simple, he tried to show he was some world-beater. His finishing was often wayward, and yet he was perennially "Goal of The Season" candidate. Shame, but we got decent money for him.
When has he even played like that for Birmingham? He may have been injured a bit last year but hardly set the Championship alight.
My window cleaner agrees, and he’s a Brum!
Yesterday he played against below average Euro opposition (like the teams who get beaten 4-0 by Everton!) and for his goal they gave him the freedom of Scotland — otherwise in the game he did very little of great impact.
The fact that Scotland still dragged Weir into the squad as he nears 40 says all you need to know about the quality of Scottish football.
Interestingly, considering some tenuous links with Scott Brown in the transfer window, I gave him a close look. He was basically a poor man's Thomas Gravesen — running around the pitch fouling people and not passing it very well. He may have bagged a rare goal, but for ’flattering to deceive with a rare goal’ — see McFadden above!
I am very glad we didn’t get him. If you compare the likes of him with Banega, who can tackle, but also has skill, you can see what Moyes aspires to... sadly Kenwright is a con-man with no money, so we are going to be saddled with not getting the club moto fulfilled for a long time yet! The one Scottish player who did look decent was Alan Hutton, but then we bought Heitinga for that position — who, having come through the Ajax system, we would hope he turns out like a proper football player, and not a second rate Scot!
He scores his wonder goal, a handful a season, and does nothing else. He was also getting splinters in his arse last season with the Brum.
He is an average player but takes chances with his shots and scores good goals, the rest of his play wasn’t up to scratch and, as other posters have mentioned, it goes to show that International defenders are not as disciplined and as tight as club defenders.
Totally worth his time at Everton just for the Charlton goal. Genius.
His goals against Charlton and the Mentalists were crucial goals and I will always praise him for them but I am glad he is no longer on our books.
A special mention goes to his screamer against Fulham also.
He’s extremely undeserving of all the Roy of the Rovers praise he gets, but I guess with the problems the Scottish game seems to be having this is understandable.
Am I the only one to think that he got extremely lucky with the nutmeg that got him past the last defender? The commentator was going crazy, saying that JMc was the only player on the pitch capable of that sort of ’genius’. He took his goal well, but I’m sure that nobody was more surprised than JMc when the ball went through the defender’s legs.
I have a feeling it was the seaon we finished 4th after the Rad and Rooney had both left and we were saving up the money to get Bent on a free transfer. I think he and Chadwick held the line for a while.
It was so disastrous that they were both replaced by Marcus Bent and the Moyes 4-5-1 was born.
I will always remember that goal against Charlton — but generally he failed to deliver and we got (for the time) excellent money for him — which we promplty blew on Fellaini.
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Well no, turns out I was wrong...
Oh btw, Trevor and others who are logged in as Members, when you submit an article or mailbag item, I think it still asks for all your details... but I'll see if Lyndon wants to pre-load this stuff into the submission page.