Whats Happened To Sheffers? (6 Viewers)

[guicey15]

I remember the old Gary McSheffrey in the Highfield Road days. Gave 100%, running the length of the pitch, scoring goals left right and centre, fans favourite etc. He then buggers off to Brum, comes back and he's shit. Admittedly he has the odd good game, but for the most part, he's crap. Looks as though he's lost all his passion and heart for the club he supposedly supports. So whats happened to the Sheffers we all new?

 

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[gouldberg]

First time he was here he knew the other players and knew his position in the side. Currently a new formation, a new bunch of players to get used to and new management. He showed he's still got it in him during spells last season, he just needs time to find his feet like most players do.

Instead of ridiculing straight away give the lad some time to fit into the new system.

 

[NuneatonSkyBlue]

Conplatency?

 

[skybluesteve76]

Bit harsh ......

 

[Nick]

First time he was here he knew the other players and knew his position in the side. Currently a new formation, a new bunch of players to get used to and new management. He showed he's still got it in him during spells last season, he just needs time to find his feet like most players do.

Instead of ridiculing straight away give the lad some time to fit into the new system.

He did have a whole season?

I think the OP has a point, he has been awful!

 

[torchomatic]

He was great last season I reckon and he scored one of the best goals of his career. No, he's not as fast as he was, but hey he's getting older like the rest of us. And No, he didn't have a good game yesterday but all players have off days we're only one game into the new season so I think it's premature and unfair to write him off just yet.

 

[Ernie Machin]

I'm pretty sure he still loves the club, but that's not going to be enough for him to play well. I'd give him some time too, he's earned it over the years.

 

[Nick]

He scored a few good goals and scored that great goal but was he ever outstanding? He had a patch of really shocking form last season for about 2 or 3 months.

 

[gouldberg]

He did have a whole season?

I think the OP has a point, he has been awful!

During spells last season under Aidy he did very well, scored some good goals as well. Remember the management and the system changed with only 8 or so games to go last season. It will take some players longer than others to get used to that.

He hasn't had a full season under this new system, he's had 14/15 games. I'm sure once he knows his role properly (it will have changed when Gunnar left and will probably change again with Baker's suspension) he'll find some form again.

The key thing here is form and confidence. Currently he's low on both. He just needs to have that one breakout game to find his touch again. I certainly don't think we should be writing him off yet.

 

[torchomatic]

A few good goals would be alright to me. And I don't think he was any more shocking that any of the other players in Sky Blue last season. I really do think that Sheff gets a hard time from some fans and I'm not sure why.

He scored a few good goals and scored that great goal but was he ever outstanding?

 

[guicey15]

Dont get me wrong, im not writing off Sheffers. I highly rate him and think he is a quality player, but he really has been a shadow of his former self. He really hasn't shown that spark that he used to. I'm sure he will get back in form soon. I'm simply pointing out he has been very poor since his return to Cov

 

[torchomatic]

Admittedly, he's not been as great as he was first time round, but "poor"? Nah, I don't reckon.

 

[cov_russell]

He got old.

 

[gouldberg]

He's been far from 'very poor'. He's been a valuable asset to the side at times. He's a guy that has a chequered past with injuries so he was never going to be quite as agile and fast as his old self but I don't think any footballers are as fast at 29 as they were aged 22.

He's a good Championship player that at any moment can do something to turn a game on it's head. That is a great great asset to us and I do think people are far too harsh on him because he's no longer 22.

 

[torchomatic]

That sums things up perfectly for me.

He's been far from 'very poor'. He's been a valuable asset to the side at times. He's a guy that has a chequered past with injuries so he was never going to be quite as agile and fast as his old self but I don't think any footballers are as fast at 29 as they were aged 22.

He's a good Championship player that at any moment can do something to turn a game on it's head. That is a great great asset to us and I do think people are far too harsh on him because he's no longer 22.

 

[SkyBlue_Bear83]

Under AT before he was injured he was arguably our best player ahead of King/Clingan and Juke imo.

However I have seen him twice this season against Norwich and on Saturday and both times he has been shockingly bad and imo the worst player on the pitch.

The question is, was his performances last season under AT his purple patch or is this just a patch of poor form. If he is still playing like this in 5/6 games time we should be worried as he is a huge part of the success we had under AT last season and is pivotal for the formation we play as we are reliant on him and the other 2 CM to create our chances.

 

[SkyBluesAndy]

People get on his back because first time round he used to have bags of pace and could run down the left flank beating players with speed and skill and scored some great goals in the process and unrealistically a lot of people expect him to be the same as that on his return. He is a completely different player now, he can't play left midfield anymore IMO as he has lost his pace and stamina through long term injuries I guess. True he wasn't very good yesterday but after watching the WHU v Cardiff game you can see even a lot of the better players (Parker, Whittingham etc) are lacking in sharpness because it's 1st game of the season. Take away McSheffrey's pace and you still have an intelligent footballer with a nice left foot and an eye for goal. The tip of the diamond is a much better role for him as he doesn't have to run around as much as he would on left midfield, he just helps create attacking moves and doesn't need to track back as much to defend as that's Clingan's job.

At the end of the day if he was still as good as he used to be and never had those injuries he wouldn't be playing for us right now.

 

[pusbccfc]

I think he has forgotten somehow, how to play upfront!
I think wing or CAM he plays far better look at last season before he got injured, under andy thorn he was excellent.

 

[Nick]

Can we afford players who "might" turn the game on it's head though? That is a bit of a luxury to have. Yes he might score a great goal once in every 10 games but what about the other 9 games?

I am not sure that the position excuse is valid, he is a pro footballer and does it day in day out. Just because he is on a different part of the pitch it shouldn't affect his ability to kick a ball or pass it straight...

 

[torchomatic]

Better to have a "might" than a "never will" and we've had/have plenty of those.

 

[Macca]

The problem is that he was built into a god before and peoples expectations are therefore too high. I d still rather he was in the team than not

 

[SkyBluesAndy]

Can we afford players who "might" turn the game on it's head though? That is a bit of a luxury to have. Yes he might score a great goal once in every 10 games but what about the other 9 games?

I am not sure that the position excuse is valid, he is a pro footballer and does it day in day out. Just because he is on a different part of the pitch it shouldn't affect his ability to kick a ball or pass it straight...

Well I guess we could go for the Coleman approach and play everyone out of position as long as they can pass straight..

 

[SkyBlue_Bear83]

Can we afford players who "might" turn the game on it's head though? That is a bit of a luxury to have. Yes he might score a great goal once in every 10 games but what about the other 9 games?

I am not sure that the position excuse is valid, he is a pro footballer and does it day in day out. Just because he is on a different part of the pitch it shouldn't affect his ability to kick a ball or pass it straight...

Like I say if he can find his form from the back end of last season and consistently play to that standard he will be a great player for us. It is possible the end of last season was just a rich vein of form but also the same could be argued in reverse.

If he continues at the standard he played too yesterday then I don't think he will be in the side much longer.

 

[Walking Bird]

I'm not the biggest Sheff fan but i'm not going to write him off after 1 game of the season!!!
I think we generally expect world beating performances from him based on 1 season when he scored 17 odd goals & a few were pens yonks ago.
I guess he's a marmite player, you either think he walks on water or as a lad a row behind me thinks he's the shittest player ever & genuinley looks
dissapointed any time he does anything good or scores a goal..

 

[Nick]

Well I guess we could go for the Coleman approach and play everyone out of position as long as they can pass straight..

I didnt mean it like that, I just meant sometimes being "out of position" isnt an excuse for a footballer who plays footy all day every day. I can understand if it was Mifsud playing centre half but when it is just going out to the wing what is the issue?

It is the same as players who can't kick with both feet (maybe not the best with 2 but when they refuse to kick with their wrong foot)

One frustrating thing is that one minute he can score an amazing goal and the next minute his shots hit the corner flag...

 

[SkyBluesAndy]

I didnt mean it like that, I just meant sometimes being "out of position" isnt an excuse for a footballer who plays footy all day every day. I can understand if it was Mifsud playing centre half but when it is just going out to the wing what is the issue?

It is the same as players who can't kick with both feet (maybe not the best with 2 but when they refuse to kick with their wrong foot)

One frustrating thing is that one minute he can score an amazing goal and the next minute his shots hit the corner flag...

True but I think in Sheffers current condition there is a big difference between him having to play left mid and at the tip of the diamond because on left mid he is is playing to his weaker attributes - pace and stamina and defensive duties to cover the full back. At the tip of the diamond he will be more involved in close link up play in the final third, creating and finishing chances. I do agree he wasn't very good yesterday but I think he will improve with games as his sharpness comes back, like a lot of players.

 

[Nick]

Again, he is a footballer who trains all day every day. He should surely have a fair bit of stamina?

Not on about him, just the "out of position" excuses that all players give sometimes.

 

[ashbyjan]

To me Sheff is a busted flush who contributes little most of the time, is a liability some of the time and occasionally does something special. In our current state he's a luxury we cannot afford - we need 90 minute players who are willing to bust a gut for the cause - we lack overall quality and have to make up for that with spirit, hard work and guts - 3 things Sheff lacks I'm afraid.

 

[SkyBluesAndy]

Again, he is a footballer who trains all day every day. He should surely have a fair bit of stamina?

Not on about him, just the "out of position" excuses that all players give sometimes.

Seems he might have lost some through long-term injuries and age, obviously as a professional footballer he still has exceptional stamina but not as much as when he was 22 as someone else has said. Certain roles require more stamina like McSheffrey's old position before the diamond. Box-to-box midfielders (Essien, Roy Keane type players) need the most because it's their job to be all over the pitch. They do this so everyone else doesn't have to and they can get on with what their role is (finishing chances or whatever). A striker doesn't need as much stamina as a centre mid. You wouldn't ask Drogba to do what Essien does because he doesn't have that kind of stamina despite being a pro footballer is what I'm saying.

 

[Jack Griffin]

Stamina & pace have little to do with it, he is a pro footballer & he has enough of those assets.
He's not old, 27-28 is usually the peak of a footballers career.

The problem is most likely to be confidence, if he gets a goal, scrappy or lucky as hell he will be off.
Last season McSheff had a luke warm start too, then after 6 games he bagged a goal & played well for a few months b4 going off the boil again big time, he came good again once AB was out.

 

[rob9872]

I think he looks good when we look good and he is better as part of a better team. Not a player to dig in when the chips are down, but has some quality and certainly worth a place in what we have now. Even those of you who aren't big supporters of his, get behind him because we need him.

 

[Nick]

There is no passion there though He is a city fan and I suppose it makes it worse for him to have no passion knowing his is a city fan who isn't arsed. Sometimes it comes across like he has a bit of an ego going on.

 

[SkyBlue_Bear83]

He had one bad game jeezus, admittedly it was a horrible game and one of the worst performances I have seen from wearing a City shirt for a while. Like I say if he is still playing like this in 5/6 games time then it becomes worrying, the whole team looked off the pace and Leciester were sharper to the ball and quicker than us. Mcsheffery wasn't the only player to perform poorly I thought Bell and Baker were also terrible.

 

[Oz Howie]

I totally agree with SkyBlueAndy's summing up but I really hope AT has learnt NEVER plays him as a striker again - too many injuries - too slow.

 

[Otis]

Think someone pointed out before that Sheff is a late starter every season. Can only assume that he doesn't fulfill his Summer programme and routine and comes back unfit and unready.

To me he simply looked off the pace and more worryingly, disinterested.