CONFIMRED - Paul McShane

[Pepe the Horseman]

Shit, Mouldy, I didn't see you there. How much did you hear?

[TFF]

http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/footb ... ne-9561288


Paul McShane

Oh, THAT Paul McShane - stick him up front

Attn Charles Watts/Hugh Fort. Your picture editor is a dick.

[No Fixed Abode]

Can I just post a here.

[Ouroboros]

Enjoying the sun, Kes?

[sandman]

'grats to sky sports for being first with the news 6 years ago.

[RoyallyFcuked]

Pleased with this one. Definitely a better player than Pearce as well

[tidus_mi2]

Pleased with this one. Definitely a better player than Pearce as well

Relay darling mcshane better than Pearce ?

Anyone without an extremely biased favouritism to Pearce realises McShane is better, a regular for Hull last season in the Prem, constantly picked ahead of Pearce for Ireland.

He's better.

[Royalwaster]

I agree - also think he's relay better!

[tidus_mi2]

I agree - also think he's relay better!

I dunno, did you see his stepover against Doncaster? A man who can move his legs like that must be good at the relay.

[John Smith]

Pleased with this one. Definitely a better player than Pearce as well

Relay darling mcshane better than Pearce ?

Anyone without an extremely biased favouritism to Pearce realises McShane is better, a regular for Hull last season in the Prem, constantly picked ahead of Pearce for Ireland.

He's better.

Or their head not in the sand.

RoyallyFcuked, is your head in the sand?

[SCIAG]

Pleased with this one. Definitely a better player than Pearce as well

Relay darling mcshane better than Pearce ?

Anyone without an extremely biased favouritism to Pearce realises McShane is better, a regular for Hull last season in the Prem, constantly picked ahead of Pearce for Ireland.

He's better.

McShane was fifth choice centre back for a relegated side, as opposed to joint second choice which Pearce was last time he played in the Premier League. He only made one more appearance despite Hull's frequent use of a back five and Pearce being given the cold shoulder due to a contract dispute.

He's also not constantly picked ahead of Pearce for Ireland. Since Pearce switched allegiances, Pearce has gained 6 Ireland caps to McShane's 5.

You can make a convincing case either way. McShane has generally played at a higher level, but he's also rarely been selected. Despite being three years older, he's made three fewer league appearances than Pearce. McShane hasn't made 30 appearances in any of the last eight seasons, whereas Pearce has made 40 appearances three times. McShane has been the subject of several large transfer bids, but this summer Hull decided they didn't want him and both Derby and Reading decided they'd rather have Pearce.

I would suggest that your reading of the facts is at least as biased as any suggestion that Pearce is better.

[John Smith]

You need locking up SCIAG. Grab your anorak on the way out too

[Royal Ginger]

You need locking up SCIAG. Grab your anorak on the way out too

Why? He's used the statistics to make a valid point from an interesting perspective.

[Nameless]

The statistics are interesting but don't tell us who is the better player. Until we see McShane playing for us it's hard to judge. We've signed plenty of players who on the face of it were very average, or past it, who have turned out to do very good jobs for us. Statistical analysis would not have made the signings of Marcus, Ivar, Bryn, Stephen Hunt etc etc look like good deals.
I suspect Pearce and McShane will be pretty much on a par as players, will McShane give us the passion and commitment that Pearce consistently showed ? Not sure the stats will tell us.

[Royalwaster]

McShane was fifth choice centre back for a relegated side, as opposed to joint second choice which Pearce was last time he played in the Premier League. He only made one more appearance despite Hull's frequent use of a back five and Pearce being given the cold shoulder due to a contract dispute.

He's also not constantly picked ahead of Pearce for Ireland. Since Pearce switched allegiances, Pearce has gained 6 Ireland caps to McShane's 5.

You can make a convincing case either way. McShane has generally played at a higher level, but he's also rarely been selected. Despite being three years older, he's made three fewer league appearances than Pearce. McShane hasn't made 30 appearances in any of the last eight seasons, whereas Pearce has made 40 appearances three times. McShane has been the subject of several large transfer bids, but this summer Hull decided they didn't want him and both Derby and Reading decided they'd rather have Pearce.

I would suggest that your reading of the facts is at least as biased as any suggestion that Pearce is better.

He played 20 games last season - that doesn't look like 5th choice to me .... i.e. he played in more than half of their Prem League games.

[John Smith]

Did he fall over and scrabble around on the ground at Brentford and cost us a goal?
Did he score an own goal, then slip and get sent off at Cardiff?

No, but Pearce did. There's some stats you can't argue with.

[Royal Ginger]

[tidus_mi2]

Did some more research on this McShane vs Pearce debate, for your point on McShane being 5th choice, very possible in the first half of the season but from February onwards he made 15 consecutive starts for Hull.

As for RoI appearances, I was definitely wrong about McShane being preferred to Pearce but the truth is neither really have been in contention, with it perhaps being in Pearce's favour as he tends to get called up more often.

[Nameless]

Did he fall over and scrabble around on the ground at Brentford and cost us a goal?
Did he score an own goal, then slip and get sent off at Cardiff?

No, but Pearce did. There's some stats you can't argue with.

Yes you can.

Those aren't stats.

[Hoop Blah]

Did some more research on this McShane vs Pearce debate, for your point on McShane being 5th choice, very possible in the first half of the season but from February onwards he made 15 consecutive starts for Hull.

As for RoI appearances, I was definitely wrong about McShane being preferred to Pearce but the truth is neither really have been in contention, with it perhaps being in Pearce's favour as he tends to get called up more often.

A piece in the Hull Mail refers to McShane and Bruce having a fall out before Christmas that saw McShane training with the kids for a while. He got back into the side for whatever reasons and, as you say, became a firm fixture in the side for the last 15 games.

I like all the things I read about his attitude, desire and passion. Similar to Pearce in that sense.

He is more mobile than Pearce and, from what I can remember, a bit more composed and better on the ball. That might be key for us moving forwards. I think he still suffers in fans eyes from perception built up during his early career when he was coming through at United and then Sunderland (?) where he was possibly thrown in a little early and with high expectations because of where he was coming from.

Doing well here, or not, doesn't mean he's better or worse than Pearce, that really isn't the important thing, it's how he can fit into our side and our back four to improve it.