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Couldn't find a thread for this lad - seems to have settled in well at Oxford, in spite of being sent off in two EFL Trophy games. 28 appearances and has scored four times in his last 16 from centre-back, And now Spurs have apparently tabled a 2 million pound bid for him: https://www.footballinsider247.com/s...bid-submitted/
Oxford United's fans' forum thread on him is worth a look for more investigation: https://yellowsforum.co.uk/threads/l...ly.4793/page-7
"McNally has all the attributes to be a Premier League player. He’s quite an athlete for a tall lad with good skill levels on the deck and in the air. Confident with the ball at his feet and strong in the tackle.
in my view he has the most potential of all our recent conveyor belt of centre backs. Whether he fulfills that potential only time will tell but he appears to have a good attitude and that’s important.
Most promising/exciting player in a yellow jersey since Baptiste."
"Inevitable that we’ll see this speculation. As others have pointed out - he’s a phenomenal prospect. Incredibly quick and athletic for his size, improving with the ball at his feet, improving his physicality and game-mentality on an almost weekly basis and strong in the air too.
Completely agree that on the Nelson/Dickie/Atkinson/Dunkley OUFC CB conveyer belt he is by far the one with the most potential (although I maintain that pre-knee injury Nelson was superb). Not sure we’ll be seeing him next season - and certainly not if we’re in League One.
But on the flip side we’ll get a nice fee (plus, as others have perhaps mischievously pointed out, maybe a sell on for Dickie as well!) - and the opportunity to reinvest in the summer when, if we fail to get promoted, the squad will be broken up to a certain extent anyway."
Came through Pat's underage setup and was loaned to Drogheda in 2019 where he scored 9 goals including a perfect hattrick in the playoffs so he’s clearly a goal threat as he’s shown with Oxford too. He was probably the best player in a poor Pats side in 2020 and there was always a feeling of when he’d get a move to England (not 'if'). Delighted to see him doing so well over there
Highest ranked CB and ranked 5th overall in League One going by WhoScored which also determines the team of the season.
Would imagine if Spurs really are interested in him that he'll be loaned out to get game time at a higher level. £2m would be steal when you consider Spurs would at least make that back if they moved him on again in a few years.
Starts tonight for Burnley in the EFL cup. Hopefully can put in a good performance and give Kompany something to think about.
Two one-minute appearances for Burnley in the Championship this season. Sheffield Star report that Wednesday have approached Burnley about him.
Would be a good replacement for McGuinness if Sheffield Wednesday could get him. Definitely needs a championship loan to get himself a decent championship loan next season. If he's this far down pecking order atm it won't improve much when they get promoted.
Standard Liege supposedly interested in him along with Rotherham and Wigan.
Sending him back to L1 would make little sense considering he already established him as one of the best CB’s in the division when he played at Oxford, logically the idea would be to see can he do a job at a higher level so a move to a championship side or Liege would make more sense.Quote:
Originally Posted by JR89
Looks to be on his way to Coventry on loan.
Makes his Coventry debut today. Sean Maguire on the bench for Mark Robins' team.
Funny that. I was at, what was probably his first game for Pats. Think it was maybe against Waterford. First game of the season after he’d gone on loan to Drogheda the previous season.
Anyway, he was so skinny and light at that stage. Tall but he was bullied by Michael O’Connor.
A few years down the line and he’s considered the physical centre half - fair play to him
That referee must like a physical challenge ( wink).Quote:
Originally Posted by JR89
Those Coventry shirts bring back memories of the 80's or was it even the 1970's ! !
Mind you so did those two tackles ! ! lol.
Ah first one was a great challenge. Second one is just a coming together of two players, not his fault Gelhardt is a delicate flower and gets turned upside. Though surprised it wasn't given and I'd say the players were too.
Looking at it again, just from that angle ~ ~ The first one was probably a good hard challenge, Probably a bit harder than some you get away with these days.Quote:
Originally Posted by JR89
The second one was a level or two physically harder than you normally get away with these days ~ ~ two opposition players on the ground ~ ~ everyone stopped, expecting a free kick tells its own story.
it's funny how that little ~ Players all stopping ~ often end in a goal ! !
In the Championship team of the week again this week. Is he another who should be called up for the next round of games? I haven’t seen anything of him, bar some highlights, but he’s making waves at a decent level. Does he take Duffys spot? He must be in the running.
Getting in the championship team of the week a couple of times so quickly on your first loan spell is fairly good going. We've plenty of experience though there already. Don't think next month is when it will happen
I'd say Collins, Egan, O'Shea, Omobamidele, Lenihan and Duffy are all ahead of him. So would need injuries to be involved. He may have pushed in front of Dunne and Scales who have both been called up in recent times, although what business Scales had in the squad is anyone's guess. Left footer I suppose, but we have so many better options in the position.
Himself & McGuinnes both doing well and more in the old-fashioned Irish CB mould. No harm having emerging competion here.
Have we ever had this many good players for one position ( Ok, maybe 2 or 3 positions depending on whether we are playing 3 centre-backs or not )
It's bordering on bizarre at this stage ! ! !
Right backs in the early 2000s would be the nearest comparison I think.
Kelly
Carr
Finnan
Kenna
Fleming
McAteer drifted between midfield and right back
Cunningham played there a bit as well, though rarely for Ireland.
I was thinking about full backs alright but the names would not come to me as easy as that, Fair dues to you.Quote:
Originally Posted by Eirambler
Did Big Jack also have a good few full backs around the time Terry Phelan was playing ? Around those times anyway.
You could probably make an argument for the Irish centrebacks in the late 80's - mid 90's...
McGrath
McCarthy
Moran
O'Leary
Babb
Staunton (though not til later)
Leaving out some of the players that were gone before 88 and came after 95.
Eddie McGoldrick tooQuote:
Originally Posted by Eirambler
1. Not early 00's...
2. Eddie McGoldrick?! :D
Yeah soz, mid 90s. Wasn't Kenna also mid-90s though? That's what threw me.
McGoldrick was probably the weakest of all of them but we'd be more than happy with a Crystal Palace regular starter in almost any position now.
Or who'd played in a European final!
I cant remember the game, and Im sure someone here will remind me, but there was one particular big game under Jack where he just decided to get all his best players on the pitch so you had center half playing full back and McGrath in midfield.
We do seem to be getting to a point where we have a lot of excellent defenders, maybe there could be a situation where Omobamidele or Collins moves into a defensive midfield role
Ah yeah, he was decent alright. I just remember Eddie legging it onto the pitch as a sub against Wales once (orange ball game) and slipping on his arse in the snow immediately. Still makes me laugh.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
Didn't McGoldrick go to Arsenal but it never worked out for him there, and his career slowly peter-ed out after leaving Arsenal.
Jeff Kenna actually played in the Premier League up to the 2003/04 season and in the Championship up to the 05/06 season. He just never got in the Ireland squad at that point because we had so many other options as listed above. People probably remember him more as a 90s player though because he was in the Ireland team then.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
They might have a game or two played more than some teams just below them but Coventry currently find themselves in fifth. Has been some turn around for them since McNally joined. Only two of their 12 losses have come since he joined in January.
I remember way back in the day I was sitting in a pub in Dublin awaiting a televised Premier League game in which Paul McGrath was playing, early in his career. A guy came up to our group and asked about this 'wonder kid' named McGrath. He soon displayed a very disappointed look on his face when he learned PMcG was a defender, commenting "we are a nation of defenders. " That was many years ago and nothing much has changed in that respect apparently.Quote:
Originally Posted by Razors left peg
Is he playing at Coventry? They're now in the top 6 I think.
They were owned until recently by a murky private equity / distressed debt fund management group called Sisu Capital. The club was sold to a local businessman (although is he just a front for Sisu?) and Mike Ashley's group owns the stadium now. Sisu had wanted to buy the stadium for years. Wasps rugby blindsided them a few years ago but their recent collpase saw the stadium ending up in Ashley's hands.
Mark Robins has done an amazing job.
He's probably one of their best players. Defensively Coventry have been much better since he joined the club.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
After Gyökeres and Hamer fans would probably have him in their list of players. Fans love him and want the club to try make his transfer permanent in the summer.
Could be this one. Had McGrath and Whelan playing as full backs with Moran and McCarthy as CB's. Lawrenson in midfield. Still didn't manage to get O'Leary in the equation but otherwise it looks like an attempt to get all the best players on the pitch irrespective of where they normally played.Quote:
Originally Posted by Razors left peg
https://www.11v11.com/matches/scotla...y-1987-240234/
Blackburns draw means Coventry only need a draw against Boro or Sunderland and West Brom to drop points to make the play offs.
A lose and Sunderland could catch them on goal difference with a win as there's only two goals in the difference but they've got a plus five difference over West Brom.
Coventry finish fifth after their 1-1 draw with Boro. They'll play Boro again in the play offs. Has been a good half season for McNally with Coventry becoming much more secure at the back after his arrival with only two of their losses coming after he joins.
What a season for Luke McNally. Got his big move in the summer which didn't go as he would have liked. Gets a loan move to Coventry and now he's 90mins away from possible promotion. Would be great if it finished with a possible Ireland call up.