Your The Most Overrated Aston Villa Player Of All Time?

[PaulC]

I can't agree about Ashley Young being overrated. I think Ian Taylor was a little overrated by the fans. Yes a loyal player and a decent player but when people start naming him as an all-time great when we have had so many richly talented footballers I think its going too far!

[villa4europe]

Balaban by whoever scouted him...

 

personally id say carew, everyone loved him because he had a great song and he clapped the holte and when he wanted to he was unplayable and there were all these funny stories about strip clubs

 

problem was too often he was off key and uninterested and just looked incredibly lazy

[Pelle]

 

I have to ask you first: Do you mean that Beckham wasn't very good at taking free kicks and corners?

 

yes Pelle. Absolutely 100%. It is one of the biggest fallacies in football & Ashley Young also falls into the same bracket.

 

 

Ok, can't say I agree with you on this one in the slightest. Quite the opposite, actually. But each to their own. And this wasn't to be about Beckham.

 

To answer your question my answer has to be almost every player put on the bench for a long time during rougher spells. When things are going bad on the pitch we fans tend to say that every player outside the starting 11 could be a messias, when in fact they're on the bench for a reason.

 

If I have to single out one player I think I have to say Delaney. From what I saw of him. Great tackler, yes, but he wasn't that good at reading the game, hence all the sliding tackles, and he wasn't that great going forward. Don't get me wrong, I liked him and loved his sliding tackles, but he's for me far from one of the best right backs we've had in the last 20-25 years. And I feel a little harsh on him, maybe.

[AVTuco]

There is an obvious answer to this, but I don't dare say it.

[Guus]

Tony Cascarino.

[Spoony]

Christian Benteke.

 

Lol, JK

[R.Bear]

There is an obvious answer to this, but I don't dare say it.

 

[regular_john]

Might seem controversial to say it given what happened to him, but I don't recall Petrov having more than a handful of standout games for us. I think his status amongst the fans has more to do with a feeling of solidarity because of his illness than his ability as a player. That isn't to say he wasn't a good player, just never a great one IMO.

 

*Dons tin foil hat and prepares for the inevitable onslaught*

[dont_do_it_doug.]

There is an obvious answer to this, but I don't dare say it.

I know what you're thinking, I think. The obvious question is, how old are you? I was very young watching him play, 9-13, but he's absolutely the best defender I've ever seen. He knew what move the attacking player would make before he'd even thought of it himself. Knew where the pass was going to go, knew where he needed to be. Majestic doesn't quite cut it. How often do you hear that said about a defensive player?

He had the occasional off day granted. But then even the actual God created Slough.

Our best ever player. Ireland's best ever player. Has to be in the top 5 defenders to have ever graced a pitch.

Overrated? Nah. Not nearly rated enough.

[R.Bear]

**** it, I'll say it. Paul McGrath is the most overrated player we have had.

 

Now before anyone starts frothing at the mouth, Paul McGrath was a sensational player and by far the best player in our Premier League era BUT he is has been turned into a god-like figure by us Villa fans. The reason for this is inherently simple, we havent had many legends at our club. We havent had a Shearer, Cantona, Henry or Zola. We have cult heroes who usually have a major reservation from full legendhood.

 

Yorke left us for Man United under a dark cloud.

Barry the same.

Martin Laursen's peak was all too brief.

Merson was an aging cult-hero who rapidly decline in his last season.

JPA was massively hit and miss.

 

 

So instead we have plastic legends like Ian Taylor, a player who was nothing more than an average midfielder. But he stayed with us for a decade and was a Villa fan so we let his talent slide.

Mellberg was a decent but never top class center-back who stayed with us through the shit and left us on a high.

 

So we needed a Paul McGrath otherwise who would we sing about? Who would be get misty eyed about? He gave us his all for as long as he could and was consistently excellent in doing so. But the bottom line is, we do overrate him.

Edited January 20, 2014 by R.Bear

[Mantis]

Might seem controversial to say it given what happened to him, but I don't recall Petrov having more than a handful of standout games for us. I think his status amongst the fans has more to do with a feeling of solidarity because of his illness than his ability as a player. That isn't to say he wasn't a good player, just never a great one IMO.

 

*Dons tin foil hat and prepares for the inevitable onslaught*

Thing is, if anything he was massively underrated by fans, at least until his illness. He used to get a lot flak on here despite the fact that he did the dirty work in midfield and kept the team ticking over. He wasn't world class or anything but definitely one of the best midfielders I've seen at Villa in my time as a fan.

[dAVe80]

Anyone who thinks McGrath is over rated is wrong beyond belief. Giants Stadium, 94 World Cup, Italy vs Ireland. The single greatest defensive display by any player I've ever seen. That's no exaggeration either. Paul McGrath was magic. He's worthy of the name God. 

Edited January 20, 2014 by dAVe80

[Pelle]

**** it, I'll say it. Paul McGrath is the most overrated player we have had.

 

Now before anyone starts frothing at the mouth, Paul McGrath was a sensational player and by far the best player in our Premier League era BUT he is has been turned into a god-like figure by us Villa fans. The reason for this is inherently simple, we havent had many legends at our club. We havent had a Shearer, Cantona, Henry or Zola. We have cult heroes who usually have a major reservation from full legendhood.

 

Yorke left us for Man United under a dark cloud.

Barry the same.

Martin Laursen's peak was all too brief.

Merson was an aging cult-hero who rapidly decline in his last season.

JPA was massively hit and miss.

 

 

So instead we have plastic legends like Ian Taylor, a player who was nothing more than an average midfielder. But he stayed with us for a decade and was a Villa fan so we let his talent slide.

Mellberg was a decent but never top class center-back who stayed with us through the shit and left us on a high.

 

So we needed a Paul McGrath otherwise who would we sing about? Who would be get misty eyed about? He gave us his all for as long as he could and was consistently excellent in doing so. But the bottom line is, we do overrate him.

 

Eerrm, no, we don't. Ask players like Baggio and Baresi, for example. No, we don't overrate him. He actually was that good. Btw, he beat Shearer to the POTS-award '92/93.

[dont_do_it_doug.]

R.Bear - your reasoning is shoddy. You think he's overrated because we've had no other great players to worship? How about England captain (and legend) David Platt? Hardly left under a cloud. World record fee if I recall.

Honestly. You couldn't be more wrong. I've heard other pros completely unconnected with our club talk about him, other fans too. The guy was possibly the best there has ever been.

[Big_John_10]

Has to be angel.

I just never got the love in for him.

[Avfc96]

**** it, I'll say it. Paul McGrath is the most overrated player we have had.

 

Now before anyone starts frothing at the mouth, Paul McGrath was a sensational player and by far the best player in our Premier League era BUT he is has been turned into a god-like figure by us Villa fans. The reason for this is inherently simple, we havent had many legends at our club. We havent had a Shearer, Cantona, Henry or Zola. We have cult heroes who usually have a major reservation from full legendhood.

 

Yorke left us for Man United under a dark cloud.

Barry the same.

Martin Laursen's peak was all too brief.

Merson was an aging cult-hero who rapidly decline in his last season.

JPA was massively hit and miss.

 

 

So instead we have plastic legends like Ian Taylor, a player who was nothing more than an average midfielder. But he stayed with us for a decade and was a Villa fan so we let his talent slide.

Mellberg was a decent but never top class center-back who stayed with us through the shit and left us on a high.

 

So we needed a Paul McGrath otherwise who would we sing about? Who would be get misty eyed about? He gave us his all for as long as he could and was consistently excellent in doing so. But the bottom line is, we do overrate him.

Has to be angel.

I just never got the love in for him.

He had one decent season and had a memorable name. That was about it.

[R.Bear]

Anyone who thinks McGrath is over rated is wrong beyond belief. Giants Stadium, 94 World Cup, Italy vs Ireland. The single greatest defensive display by any player I've ever seen. That's no exaggeration either.

 

Let me tell you something. That game has become almost mythical in itself. It's always the first place people will point in praising Paul McGrath, and rightly so. However how many people were over 15 years old in 1994 on here? And have any of you actually watched that game since that day? What you're more than likely doing is riding on what people have said since. I have a match report from a magazine at the time and Phil Babb was rated a 9 and McGrath an 8 from the game. Granted that isnt exactly concrete evidence but I have seen that game as well as the 94 LC final many times and IMO he had a even better game against United a few months earlier.

 

The fact that writing all this makes me feel dirty says it all about how we cannot say any differently without being chastised. He was a great player but "one of the all-time greats" is proving my point. Overrated isnt a derogatory term. In this case its merely just Villa fans who overrate him. Look at someone like Stanley Matthews for example. "The wizard of dribble". Watch the videos. He has one move, which was to knock the ball past a player and run onto it. A move than 99% of amateur footballers could do today in their sleep. A humongously overrated player by the legend status he has today.

[villa-revolution]

**** it, I'll say it. Paul McGrath is the most overrated player we have had.

 

Now before anyone starts frothing at the mouth, Paul McGrath was a sensational player and by far the best player in our Premier League era BUT he is has been turned into a god-like figure by us Villa fans. The reason for this is inherently simple, we havent had many legends at our club. We havent had a Shearer, Cantona, Henry or Zola. We have cult heroes who usually have a major reservation from full legendhood.

 

Yorke left us for Man United under a dark cloud.

Barry the same.

Martin Laursen's peak was all too brief.

Merson was an aging cult-hero who rapidly decline in his last season.

JPA was massively hit and miss.

 

 

So instead we have plastic legends like Ian Taylor, a player who was nothing more than an average midfielder. But he stayed with us for a decade and was a Villa fan so we let his talent slide.

Mellberg was a decent but never top class center-back who stayed with us through the shit and left us on a high.

 

So we needed a Paul McGrath otherwise who would we sing about? Who would be get misty eyed about? He gave us his all for as long as he could and was consistently excellent in doing so. But the bottom line is, we do overrate him.

 

You're a brave man R,Bear - The above post is heresy & you will have to live with the guilt of this post forever.

 

However, you are fully entitled to this view  & that's a fact. Even after decapitation )

[dAVe80]

 

Anyone who thinks McGrath is over rated is wrong beyond belief. Giants Stadium, 94 World Cup, Italy vs Ireland. The single greatest defensive display by any player I've ever seen. That's no exaggeration either.

 

Let me tell you something. That game has become almost mythical in itself. It's always the first place people will point in praising Paul McGrath, and rightly so. However how many people were over 15 years old in 1994 on here? And have any of you actually watched that game since that day? What you're more than likely doing is riding on what people have said since. I have a match report from a magazine at the time and Phil Babb was rated a 9 and McGrath an 8 from the game. Granted that isnt exactly concrete evidence but I have seen that game as well as the 94 LC final many times and IMO he had a even better game against United a few months earlier.

 

The fact that writing all this makes me feel dirty says it all about how we cannot say any differently without being chastised. He was a great player but "one of the all-time greats" is proving my point. Overrated isnt a derogatory term. In this case its merely just Villa fans who overrate him. Look at someone like Stanley Matthews for example. "The wizard of dribble". Watch the videos. He has one move, which was to knock the ball past a player and run onto it. A move than 99% of amateur footballers could do today in their sleep. A humongously overrated player by the legend status he has today.

 

 

I watched that game with my own eyes. I've watched every World Cup since 1986. I've been watching football for over 30 years. I stand by my statement. 

[VillaChris]

I liked him and he did have two good season but considering the hero adulation he frequently got from the Holte it has to be Angel for me. Not a bad striker by any means but never at any point one of the best in the premier league and nor was he just let down by the shortcomings of others as frequently mentioned on here and elsewhere.