He's a Pretty Tidy Right Winger Too

[Thirsty Lizard 3,169]

2.13 to 2.28 😅

 

[hogesar 9,704]

All this has done is re-affirm how absolutely brain-dead our fans were for booing passing it around the back 8 minutes into a game (not this one). You can see how important confidence is. Mclean is pretty important to that build up play and Sara's movement was much better again that game. 

[nu_matik 167]

Kenny is a great player, so versatile and has both a great engine and a smart tactical brain.

I think its classic scapegoating, really.

One of the first on the teamsheet for many reasons 

[hogesar 9,704]

39 minutes ago, nu_matik said:

Kenny is a great player, so versatile and has both a great engine and a smart tactical brain.

I think its classic scapegoating, really.

One of the first on the teamsheet for many reasons 

The good news is, a long list of successful managers and coaches have agreed with you! 

[shefcanary 2,426]

Just now, hogesar said:

The good news is, a long list of successful managers and coaches have agreed with you! 

As always, my problem is not with Kenny per se, just that him being first name on the teamsheet shows how our standards are below where we need to be as an EPL established club. Ambitious & over-exacting, moi, yep!

He got away with a big mistake on Saturday, the ball he attempted just before he regained it and set up Sarge for his goal, was typical brain dead play from him. But he did recover the ball from his own mistake, however we need players in that position who don't make such mistakes in the first place! Thankfully that was his one major blooper in that game (he always makes at least one a match).

Means to an end I suppose. Meh!

[hogesar 9,704]

1 minute ago, shefcanary said:

As always, my problem is not with Kenny per se, just that him being first name on the teamsheet shows how our standards are below where we need to be as an EPL established club. Ambitious & over-exacting, moi, yep!

He got away with a big mistake on Saturday, the ball he attempted just before he regained it and set up Sarge for his goal, was typical brain dead play from him. But he did recover the ball from his own mistake, however we need players in that position who don't make such mistakes in the first place! Thankfully that was his one major blooper in that game (he always makes at least one a match).

Means to an end I suppose. Meh!

So his "typical brain-dead play" was a poor pass, which he recovered himself, and then proceeded to play a perfectly weighted ball through to Sarge for us to score our first goal.

We can improve on Kenny overall when we're in the Prem because we can attract better players.

We haven't been able to do it. Farke still picked him. Smith still picked him. Wagner still...picks him. Chances of finding a better all-round midfielder in the Championship? So far proven very difficult for us too. And seemingly Farke recognises that with Leeds coming in for him in the summer.

And all the ex and current NCFC players I've spoken to, when i've questioned my view on Mclean, has been for them to point out how fans miss so much of what he does and how important he is to the team, and how they'd all have him starting with them for Norwich. Both players who have and haven't played with him.

[Google Bot 3,294]

4 minutes ago, shefcanary said:

As always, my problem is not with Kenny per se, just that him being first name on the teamsheet shows how our standards are below where we need to be as an EPL established club.

Man United were lifting trophies with Carrick in the middle.  While Kenny isn't on his level in regards to reading the game and passing, relatively speaking he is similar in terms of being that ever-present reliable type.

[Hairy Canary 705]

8 minutes ago, shefcanary said:

 

He got away with a big mistake on Saturday, the ball he attempted just before he regained it and set up Sarge for his goal, was typical brain dead play from him. But he did recover the ball from his own mistake, however we need players in that position who don't make such mistakes in the first place! Thankfully that was his one major blooper in that game (he always makes at least one a match).

 

Really harsh to call that pass a big mistake. Kenny often tries ambitious passes. Sometimes they don't come off. We complain that we play too safe as a team and yet when one of our midfielders tries spmething more attacking he gets slated for "a big mistake" when it gets intercepted.

[shefcanary 2,426]

7 minutes ago, hogesar said:

So his "typical brain-dead play" was a poor pass, which he recovered himself, and then proceeded to play a perfectly weighted ball through to Sarge for us to score our first goal.

We can improve on Kenny overall when we're in the Prem because we can attract better players.

We haven't been able to do it. Farke still picked him. Smith still picked him. Wagner still...picks him. Chances of finding a better all-round midfielder in the Championship? So far proven very difficult for us too. And seemingly Farke recognises that with Leeds coming in for him in the summer.

And all the ex and current NCFC players I've spoken to, when i've questioned my view on Mclean, has been for them to point out how fans miss so much of what he does and how important he is to the team, and how they'd all have him starting with them for Norwich. Both players who have and haven't played with him.

Yep, we both keep singing the same song about Kenny. Each to their own. If, or when, we return to the EPL, we will need better to survive!

[East Rider 551]

Just now, Hairy Canary said:

Really harsh to call that pass a big mistake. Kenny often tries ambitious passes. Sometimes they don't come off. We complain that we play too safe as a team and yet when one of our midfielders tries spmething more attacking he gets slated for "a big mistake" when it gets intercepted.

That is classic scapegoating unfortunately. He made a mistake then rectified it with seriously good play. Which part is highlighted first though?

KM is he type of player we will miss when gone from here. Sara makes a number of mistakes a game but generally plays well and is part of our more successful endeavours, yet he is seldom picked out by posters. 

There is absolutely no question some supporters miss what he brings. He may not be the top PL player we would like however, we are not in the PL and as said each of his managers consistently pick him for their teams.

There is a reason for that.

[shefcanary 2,426]

31 minutes ago, Google Bot said:

relatively speaking he is similar in terms of being that ever-present reliable type.

And I don't disagree with that for the Championship, just that he makes too many wrong decisions to be in our starting line-up if / when we get back to the EPL.

[cambridgeshire canary 6,752]

Interesting that both our defence and midfield seem more stable with him in it.

 

He may be a 7/10 player but it's clear his impact on the team and the players around him is 10/10

[shefcanary 2,426]

29 minutes ago, Hairy Canary said:

Really harsh to call that pass a big mistake. Kenny often tries ambitious passes. Sometimes they don't come off. We complain that we play too safe as a team and yet when one of our midfielders tries spmething more attacking he gets slated for "a big mistake" when it gets intercepted.

Maybe I was harsh, but I swore at my laptop when he made it! Then I ate humble pie seconds later. 🤷‍♀️ In the EPL that pass would have been swooped on and we would have been one down. Ambitious for the championship certainly.

[Ulfotto 640]

I’d say over his time at Norwich he has gone from one of the last names of the timesheet to one of the first names of the timesheet. In that time I’d don’t think the quality of his performances have changed only the circumstances the club finds itself in which is clearly nothing to with Kenny.

[Google Bot 3,294]

18 minutes ago, shefcanary said:

And I don't disagree with that for the Championship, just that he makes too many wrong decisions to be in our starting line-up if / when we get back to the EPL.

Many of the 'mistakes' I see him make are with players not responding or moving as he expects and he's left with egg on his face.

I don't think you can put them all on him, even if he comes across as the perpetrator, you can only play the hand dealt and on the whole he's one of the better elements of this squad when it comes to overall reading of the game and taking control.

I think he very much suffers with the low price tag and being at the club for a long time also, if we didn't have him and he came in from a Leeds in this window for a few million we'd probably be saying after the WBA match what a breath of fresh air he is and we needed a business player like that?

Edited January 23 by Google Bot

[Capt. Pants 4,261]

Kenny gets how Wagner has told them to play and is great at organising others as well. I don't think that's necessarily the case with all of them so Kenny is a major presence in our team.

What we need is someone better but at the moment we don't have that. Even if we had a top class DM I don't doubt Kenny still gets in the team ahead of Nunez.

[One Flew Over... 33]

There was an interview on Canaries TV during one of the championship winning seasons where a couple of his team mates said Kenny was the most complete footballer in the squad and could do everything - both feet, passing range, headers, shots.

I'm not sure the ball would every get out of our defence if he wasn't there.

[ec-p 98]

Player of the season so far for me.

Thiugh I expect that accolade will go to Rowe. Which will also be deserved. 

[BobLoz3 493]

Never doubt The Mayor, and his ability to drink an entire bottle of Mad Dog 20/20 in one gulp, is what I say. 

[littleyellowbirdie 2,562]

He plays well.

On 23/01/2024 at 11:51, shefcanary said:

As always, my problem is not with Kenny per se, just that him being first name on the teamsheet shows how our standards are below where we need to be as an EPL established club. Ambitious & over-exacting, moi, yep!

He got away with a big mistake on Saturday, the ball he attempted just before he regained it and set up Sarge for his goal, was typical brain dead play from him. But he did recover the ball from his own mistake, however we need players in that position who don't make such mistakes in the first place! Thankfully that was his one major blooper in that game (he always makes at least one a match).

Means to an end I suppose. Meh!

I don't understand the point of this attitude. The standard you're judging against is something this club hasn't achieved for decades. What is the point of holding people to a completely unrealistic standard? He is a very good player at our level and was one of our better performers at PL level as well.

[hogesar 9,704]

23 hours ago, One Flew Over... said:

There was an interview on Canaries TV during one of the championship winning seasons where a couple of his team mates said Kenny was the most complete footballer in the squad and could do everything - both feet, passing range, headers, shots.

I'm not sure the ball would every get out of our defence if he wasn't there.

Good post

[One Flew Over... 33]

4 minutes ago, hogesar said:

Good post

Thanks.. I've been trying to find the clip since and not been able to! It was one of the "Dafabet Teammates" clips. I've been watching a few trying to find it, with some interesting responses (note these were from a couple of seasons ago):

• unanimous votes that Emi was the most skilful player with the best first touch in the team (including Emi saying this himself!)
• Ben Gibson most likely to become a manager - knows the game inside-out and always looking to help people
• fastest - Placheta
• most intelligent - Zimmermann

 

[Petriix 2,847]

My issues with Kenny are more about the role he's asked to play and the general dysfunctional nature of our midfield system. I really don't think he's got the positional discipline to play as the main anchor and he's prone to a misplaced pass which can be more serious out of the number 6 position.

I really rate him in an attacking sense and I was really impressed with his defensive covering at both left back and centrally. I just get frustrated with him at CDM because he makes too many mistakes in terms of getting caught the wrong side of his man.

I do think he's improved over time and, as many people say, he's better than anyone else we have; but it's fair to say that we really should have signed someone with stronger defensive and positional attributes. Really we should have been playing a more coherent midfield system which allowed McLean to play to his strengths. 

[shefcanary 2,426]

2 hours ago, littleyellowbirdie said:

He plays well.

I don't understand the point of this attitude. The standard you're judging against is something this club hasn't achieved for decades. What is the point of holding people to a completely unrealistic standard? He is a very good player at our level and was one of our better performers at PL level as well.

Yep, but I want us to be the best we can be as a collective, not the best each player can be. There are better players out there that can do Kenny's role without breaking Attanasio's bank. Let's go for it over the summer transfer window. 🙂