Steve McManaman

[WrongIslander]

Underrated or overrated?

 

For me talent wise he is every bit as good as Giggs and was just as important in his time here at that time. The problem is Liverpool didn't win enough and so he wasn't looked at in the same spectrum.

 

When Macca went to Madrid he proved that it wasn't down to him Liverpool weren't winning. The Real fans still love him to this day, he was a real fan's favourite there.

 

So back to the original question, what do you think?

 

In talent terms I'd put him up against Giggs any day of the week in their pomp.

[Trumo]

Certainly gifted, and weighed in with more than his fair share of assists. Apart from 1997/98, he didn't score nearly as many goals as his ability should have allowed him to.

[cochcaer]

Thought he was too lightweight for the epl but he was a good in possession and running with the ball. Kicked a ball as hard as an 8yr old.

[Guest PurpleNose]

My favourite Liverpool player.

 

A 24 year old McManaman would transform our season.

[Ted]

Disappointed the first post didn't just say: "Is a knob."

[Best Believe It]

Always a player without a position for me. At his best he was brilliant. Sad as it is to say, if he'd have been in a top team he would have been amazing.

[WrongIslander]

Thought he was too lightweight for the epl but he was a good in possession and running with the ball. Kicked a ball as hard as an 8yr old.

 

He was lightweight but it didn't matter because most people never got near him.

 

I know what you mean about his shots but I seem to remember an absolute screamer against Arsenal.

 

[YOUTUBE]YsvVRJQtkFM[/YOUTUBE]

 

Seek and ye shall find

[Guest LFD]

I think he lacked support when he was here to be fully appreciated. He was the main provider for Fowler, Collymore etc when he was here and I thought he did well in that regard. But unfortunately he couldn't do it all on his own at times feeding the strikers.

 

Look at someone like Pires at Arsenal - if he didn't feed Henry then Lljundberg or Bergkamp would.

 

Or Giggs United - if he didn't create chances for Cole or Yorke etc then Scholes or Beckham would.

 

He is exactly the type of player this team needs now though, someone with the ability to help Gerrard create chances for Torres and who can beat opposition players for fun.

[dirty_sanchez]

Giggs was/is better. McManaman was a superb player though. Him and Fowler carried Liverpool in the mid 90's. He was lightweight and he did have a rubbish shot, but he was just brilliant.

[dirty_sanchez]

And he looked Scouse too.

[cochcaer]

 

He is exactly the type of player this team needs now though, someone with the ability to help Gerrard create chances for Torres and who can beat opposition players for fun.

 

Liverpool's philosophy has changed post Uncle Roy. It's all 'good engine', backtracking, tackling, counter-attacking. Macca now would be like Jari under Ged.

 

Hopefully one day we will change our approach.

[JohnnyH]

The game that really sticks out for me with him, and a prime example of what he was like, was a Cup game in 1996 (I think) against Leeds. Leeds were a decent team at the time but we battered them but Macca missed chance after chance after chance. Great play outside the box, but missed loads of sitters. However, this was back in the day when we would attack for the whole game so in the middle of the 2nd half he eventually scored a belter with his left foot and then another a while later before we scored a 3rd (Fowler I think). In our teams under Houllier or Rafa he would not have got the chance to miss so many before getting 1, and I won’t even go into what Hodgson would do with him. So a frustrating player as his weakness was finishing, but all the talent in the world. Certainly could do with him now.

[Guest PurpleNose]

Always a player without a position for me. At his best he was brilliant. Sad as it is to say, if he'd have been in a top team he would have been amazing.

 

At Real Madrid he was in a top team, and he was absolutely brilliant.

[StevieH]

Although we weren't successful under Roy Evans (apart from winning the League cup) I loved watching us play. The attacking trio of McManaman, Fowler and Collymore (when he was in the right frame of mind) was awesome and a joy to watch at times.

[Trumo]

We were great to watch at times. I remember Redknapp's peach of a pass for Fowler's first goal in the second 4-3 Newcastle game. By rights, tight to the touchline on the halfway line, he should only have been able to play it along the touchline, but he managed to cut a perfectly weighted through ball right into Fowler's path. Brilliant.

 

With McManaman, we often relied on him too much to cut the opposition open. In 1996/97, especially away from home, he couldn't find space to play and we struggled to create chances at times. As for his finishing, I can still recall us losing 1-0 to ManU early in that season. We created chance after chance but McManaman's shooting boots were worse than usual, and David May seemed to get in the way of any shots by anybody else. We were opening them up but not putting chances away, and that was a frequent pattern that year. Coupled with a defence that became too porous after doing well the previous year.

[WaltonRed]

Under-rated.

 

Never replaced him.

 

I think him being a blue and stories which have come out have clouded peoples judgement of him but he saved us so many times, he was like the 90's Stevie.

 

Would kill for someone as good as him on our right side now.

[Best Believe It]

At Real Madrid he was in a top team, and he was absolutely brilliant.

 

Aye. I meant more if we'd have been a top team. I think if he'd come through and played in a side that was class early on in his career, he would have been a world beater.

[bigal]

I always enjoyed watching him. He was one of the last players we had who would take defenders on and beat them regularly. Ultimately he and Fowler lacked support enough too win the title but they went close. I'd love to have him now as he's better than anything we've got in a wide position currently

[Trucker Paddy]

Brilliant player

[RED Tezza]

Under-rated.

 

Never replaced him.

 

I think him being a blue and stories which have come out have clouded peoples judgement of him but he saved us so many times, he was like the 90's Stevie.

 

Would kill for someone as good as him on our right side now.

 

This, was gutted when he left but considering how he was fucked about by the club then i bare no grudges.

[WaltonRed]

The club did fuck him over, no doubts about it. Nice on DM

[Guest PurpleNose]

Aye. I meant more if we'd have been a top team. I think if he'd come through and played in a side that was class early on in his career, he would have been a world beater.

 

Oh I know what you meant, I was just agreeing with you really.

 

That mid nineties front six infront of, for e.g, Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia and Arbeloa, would have cleared up.

[Barnseysleftpeg]

At Real Madrid he was in a top team, and he was absolutely brilliant.

 

 

He made me like Real for the duration he was there. The fans loved him too. His book about his time there is excellent.

 

He's in my top 5 fave players along with Barnes Fowler Rush and Dalglish.

 

He was brilliant never got enough credit domestically. A player of his quality would be worth a mint these days.

[Barnseysleftpeg]

Under-rated.

 

Never replaced him.

 

I think him being a blue and stories which have come out have clouded peoples judgement of him but he saved us so many times, he was like the 90's Stevie.

Would kill for someone as good as him on our right side now.

 

That's a great way to describe him, literally was our saviour on so many occasions. And you just used to know if he wasn't playing we weren't scoring anything.

[Guest LFD]

He's in my top 5 fave players along with Barnes Fowler Rush and Dalglish.

 

Gerrard doesn't get in your top five players? Fucking hell.