By Tim Sigsworth
Tony Pulis’ first signing of the summer was confirmed on the 26th of June as Paddy McNair swapped Wearside for Teesside in a £5m deal.
McNair’s future at Sunderland had been up in the air following back-to-back relegations so with Boro having matched the £5m asking price set by new Sunderland owner Stewart Donald and personal terms having been agreed, a permanent move down the A19 was confirmed.
The Northern Irishman began his career at Manchester United; rising through the youth ranks before breaking into the first-team as a right-back in September 2014. The ever eccentric manager who gave him his first-team chance, Louis Van Gaal, remarked in his post-match press conference that McNair had a chance of becoming United’s first choice right-back for the next ten years.
This prophecy failed to come true however as after just 26 further appearances, McNair swapped Old Trafford for the Stadium of Light in August 2016.
His first season on Wearside started brightly but was cut short in November 2016 when he ruptured his Anterior Cruciate Ligament in a 3-0 win over Hull City. This severe injury kept him out of action for 11 months until October 2017, when he made his return as a substitute in a 2-1 home loss against Bristol City on the 28th.
Despite Sunderland enduring a torrid campaign in which they were relegated for the second successive year, McNair performed reasonably well after steadily improving his fitness between October and April; he enjoyed a purple patch in front of goal in the last five games as he found the net four times.
Although the glimmer of hope he offered the Black Cats wasn’t enough to spare them the embarrassment of back-to-back relegations, McNair could prove to be a valuable asset for Boro.
For one, he’s versatile. Having played in both the centre and right side of defence at Manchester United, McNair transitioned into defensive midfield and then into a box-to-box role during his time at Sunderland. This could prove to be of great value to Boro because versatility is an attribute that can make or break any squad’s chance of success.
In times of either injury or tactical crisis, players which offer positional flexibility can provide respite and cover to injured or jaded players as well as the tactical system as a whole. Without the strength in depth it facilitates, teams tend to fade away towards the end of the gruelling Championship season in much the same way Tony Mowbray’s 2012/13 Boro side did.
Therefore, McNair can contribute to the variety of tactics available to Pulis because his versatility will allow for other players to play with greater relentlessness and vigour. With the intensity and effectiveness of Boro’s attacking play and defensive press likely to improve through this, the quality of Boro’s performances when in and out of possession should also improve and thus the chance of success should theoretically be greater.
Furthermore, McNair fits the system. Last season, Pulis played a 4-3-3/4-5-1 system in which the central midfield triumvirate of Jonny Howson, Mo Besic and Adam Clayton sought to pull the strings.
This system experienced some success in the centre of midfield because it allowed Mo Besic and Jonny Howson the freedom to express their technical ability whilst Adam Clayton was able to return to the deep-lying distributor position that he played so magnificently in the 2015/16 season.
However, the system was also limited because of the roles that Besic and Howson had to play. With Tony Pulis unwilling to increase Steve Gibson’s financial outlay further in the January Transfer Window, the experienced Welshman was forced to play Besic and Howson in roles they weren’t a natural fit for.
Although Besic was relentless in pursuit of possession, he doesn't possess the technical ability to play the free-roaming role he was given as well as it could have been, whilst Howson doesn't have the physical attributes needed to showcase his own undoubted technical ability.
As a result of this, neither player was able to perform to their maximum potential, and this can be seen as a contributing factor to Boro’s lacklustre performance in the two Play Off Semi-Final games against Aston Villa. In these matches, Besic and Howson, out-fought and out-outmaneuvered by the combination of Mile Jedinak's experience and Jack Grealish's and Conor Hourihane's dynamism, were ineffective as the game consequently passed them by.
McNair on the other hand offers the youthful vigour and stamina of Mo Besic, the technical ability of Jonny Howson and a physical dominance that neither of the two aforementioned midfielders possess.
This means that if Tony Pulis decides to stick with the 4-5-1/4-3-3 system that was used last season, McNair will offer a more natural, physical and technical presence in either of the two box-to-box/ free roaming berths in central midfield than was enjoyed last season.
However, if the tactical system is altered and Pulis chooses to move away from last season’s 4-3-3/4-5-1, McNair’s versatility and ability could prove to be of great benefit in Boro’s hunt for promotion, and as a result of this, he has the ability to play a key and instigating role in whatever tactical system Tony Pulis chooses to operate next season.
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