Congratulations John McGreal

[turfytopper]

Last night I made the short journey to watch Crawley Town v Colchester United in the last 16 of the EFL Cup.

It was an all league two affair and I was hoping to see Crawley progress.

Colchester came from behind to win the game convincingly 3 -1 and progress to a quarter final. Colchester are managed by former Claret John McGreal who along with Michael Duff and Joey Barton are all seemingly doing fantastically well as managers.

For the younger poster, John joined us in 2004, was an experienced centre half, played over 100 games for us and was a firm favourite and polished performer.

His Colchester team, a mix of youth and experience, played really attractive football, with marauding young full backs really taking the game on. Look out for their 21 year old left back Cohen Bramall, a player released by Arsenal

[ClaretTony]

Colchester have something of a reputation for changing managers on a regular basis so in some ways it is surprising to see Johnny Mac still there after almost three and a half years. Terrific player for us for a couple of years.

[jollyjack]

Future Ipswich Manager? Legend there for years before coming to us.

[ksrclaret]

I make it six managers in League's 1 and 2 with Claret connections. John McGreal, Joey Barton, Michael Duff, Michael Jolley, Graham Alexander and Dino Maamria.

As for John McGreal specifically though, he was the player I wanted to be in the school yard when I was a young claret growing up and wanting to be a centre half. He was coolness and calmness personified back then, with such class and composure for a defender. I enjoyed watching him, but his age and injuries meant we never saw the very best of him. As noted above, Ipswich Town were the beneficiaries of his best days.

[ClaretTony]

I make it six managers in League's 1 and 2 with Claret connections. John McGreal, Joey Barton, Michael Duff, Michael Jolley, Graham Alexander and Dino Maamria.

As for John McGreal specifically though, he was the player I wanted to be in the school yard when I was a young claret growing up and wanting to be a centre half. He was coolness and calmness personified back then, with such class and composure for a defender. I enjoyed watching him, but his age and injuries meant we never saw the very best of him. As noted above, Ipswich Town were the beneficiaries of his best days.

Make it eight - Graham Couglan is manager of Bristol Rovers and Micky Mellon is at Tranmere.

[houseboy]

I make it six managers in League's 1 and 2 with Claret connections. John McGreal, Joey Barton, Michael Duff, Michael Jolley, Graham Alexander and Dino Maamria.

As for John McGreal specifically though, he was the player I wanted to be in the school yard when I was a young claret growing up and wanting to be a centre half. He was coolness and calmness personified back then, with such class and composure for a defender. I enjoyed watching him, but his age and injuries meant we never saw the very best of him. As noted above, Ipswich Town were the beneficiaries of his best days.

Dino Maamria? Good memory mate - I had to look him up as I didn't remember him at all. Turns out he never played a first team game did he because of a broken leg. Didn't know we'd ever had a Tunisian.

[ClaretTony]

Dino Maamria? Good memory mate - I had to look him up as I didn't remember him at all. Turns out he never played a first team game did he because of a broken leg. Didn't know we'd ever had a Tunisian.

He never played for Burnley. He worked as a coach in the community scheme and maybe did some coaching at youth level for the club.

[ecc]

Great to see JM do well. It was a pity we didn't have him at TM for longer but we were lucky enough to have him at all.

He would have been a "SD player" without any doubt; class act on and off the pitch.

i wish him all the best for the future.

[houseboy]

He never played for Burnley. He worked as a coach in the community scheme and maybe did some coaching at youth level for the club.

In his Wikipedia entry (yes I was so ignorant of him) it says this:

He started his English career with Burnley in 1996. While playing for AS Marsa in an away match against Étoile Sportive du Sahel, a tourist resort in the north of Tunisia, he was watched by Burnley's chief scout at the time, Brian Miller, who happened to be on holiday. Miller offered Maamria a two-week trial at Burnley. After scoring in a reserve match against Bradford City, he earned a short-term contract at Burnley, although he failed to make a first-team appearance for the club after he suffered a broken leg. After being released by Burnley towards the latter stages of 1996, Maamria signed for Glentoran of the IFA Premiership. Burnley caretaker manager Clive Middlemass had recommended Maamria to Glentoran manager Tommy Cassidy, with the player spending the remainder of the 1996–97 campaign with the club.

Did he go on to the coaching staff after this?

[BOYSIE31]

Cracking centre half

[Im_not_Robbie_Blake]

McGreal had a great CB partnership with Gary Cahill, who must have learnt a lot from him.

[Blackrod]

Good to see so many ex players doing well in a managerial capacity. I’m sure there is a future manager for us in there. McGreal was superb for us and I can’t imagine many fans thinking otherwise.

[gandhisflipflop]

It was cotterills first season and he inherited a shambles of a defence ( what was left of it) . To go and get him on a free was great business and although we didn't score many, I'm convinced he was one of the main reasons for staying up as he shored up that defence no end.

[Fez]

I loved John Mcgreal at burnley, no nonsense all or nothing player

[Spike]

Bumped in to him in a pub in Ipswich he was out with some of the Ipswich players. He took time out to talk all things Claret with us. A fine player and from that meeting an absolute Gent.

[IanMcL]

Signing John McGreal enabled Steve Cotterill to sign enough others for a team!

Playing alongside John McGreal dramatically improved a young Gary Cahill.

I was privileged to present John Mac with his PFA player of the month award, on the pitch at Turf Moor. I have the picture!

[ashtonlongsider]

Cotts certainly had an eye for a player and he got us a gem in McGreal.

[Longside4evr]

Thats our young left back and right back sorted then Cassy from Leeds and Cohen Bramall from Colchester get them here

[TVC15]

McGreal and Sinclair was a very decent and experienced centre back pairing. Very different players but combined well. I remember John McGreal as a really classy centre back who could pass the ball well and his great positioning meant that he was rarely caught out for speed. Frank Sinclair was more the tough tackling...sometimes a bit wreckless centre half - but again he was a good player.

Both players came across as good for the dressing room and very loyal fans favourites at all the clubs they played for.

We had a very poor defence when SC took over the club and it was a matter of time before we got relegated with the goals we were shipping...he did very well to steady the ship and McGreal and Sinclair were the 2 most important signings which helped do this.

[Fretters]

Genius signing by SC. We only got him I think because we offered him a longer deal than Ipswich did, but it was an inspired signing. That transfer window of McGreal, Sinclair, Duff, Hyde and Coyne (on paper a fantastic signing) was impressive.

[IanMcL]

Genius signing by SC. We only got him I think because we offered him a longer deal than Ipswich did, but it was an inspired signing. That transfer window of McGreal, Sinclair, Duff, Hyde and Coyne (on paper a fantastic signing) was impressive.

As I remember it (so probably incorrect!), he kept asking about a new contract at Ipswich and was told, "We'll sort it at the end of the season".

Nothing happened and the manager went on holiday.
It was close to the end of the contract, so he decided he needed to protect his families security and took the offer on the table.

Very good timing from Steve Cotterill.

[ClaretTony]

McGreal and Sinclair was a very decent and experienced centre back pairing

And we can add Cahill to that - I suspect they were a bit better than the three central defenders from the previous season - Gnohere, May & Branch.

The McGreal and Sinclair signings were exactly what we needed at the time. Both were outstanding for us for the first two seasons.

[turfytopper]

I make it six managers in League's 1 and 2 with Claret connections. John McGreal, Joey Barton, Michael Duff, Michael Jolley, Graham Alexander and Dino Maamria.

As for John McGreal specifically though, he was the player I wanted to be in the school yard when I was a young claret growing up and wanting to be a centre half. He was coolness and calmness personified back then, with such class and composure for a defender. I enjoyed watching him, but his age and injuries meant we never saw the very best of him. As noted above, Ipswich Town were the beneficiaries of his best days.

I clean forgot Paul Cook!

[ClaretTony]

I clean forgot Paul Cook!

Cooky is the only ex-Claret currently managing above League One level

[ksrclaret]

Make it eight - Graham Couglan is manager of Bristol Rovers and Micky Mellon is at Tranmere.

I definitely should have got Micky Mellon, but to be honest I'd forgotten Graham Coughlan ever turned out for us.

If my memory is correct, Coughlan played one game for us, a 0-0 home draw against Luton Town. Memorable for only one reason - it signaled 19 games without a win.

[boyyanno]

A free transfer masterclass from Cotterill.

He was everything we needed and his signing was a key reason that prevented us being relegated imo. Hope he has an absolutely stonking career, I was a teen when he played so I remember him fondly.

I like to think we'll always show appreciation where due.

[ClaretTony]

I definitely should have got Micky Mellon, but to be honest I'd forgotten Graham Coughlan ever turned out for us.

If my memory is correct, Coughlan played one game for us, a 0-0 home draw against Luton Town. Memorable for only one reason - it signaled 19 games without a win.

He started that game against Luton, and he made one further sub appearance in the 1-0 win at Birmingham. He'd been a damn good player too. Nearly 33 then but he went on to play over 150 more league games.

What a strange season that was - we were second after 16 games, then we had that awful run of 18 games without a win and then won five out of six towards the end of the season.

[Fretters]

He started that game against Luton, and he made one further sub appearance in the 1-0 win at Birmingham. He'd been a damn good player too. Nearly 33 then but he went on to play over 150 more league games.

What a strange season that was - we were second after 16 games, then we had that awful run of 18 games without a win and then won five out of six towards the end of the season.

Andy Gray's foot injury was an utter disaster that season.

[Wembley09]

Yep, Gary Cahill said he learnt a lot from McGreal that season.

Always had a feeling he could be good enough to play for England even back then (Cahill that is) and he did indeed. Was great to see a defender like that playing for us at that time. John McGreal was a solid defender too, but towards the end of his career.. he still did a job for a couple of seasons fixing our leaky defence.

Obviously McGreal is a natural leader

[tiger76]

A trip to OT for McGreal and Colchester in the QF of the EFL Cup,you wouldn't write them off,Manure are hardly pulling up trees under Ole,and Rochdale run them close in an earlier round.