As its now reported we might well be back in for him if we can off-load some dross, thought I'd take a closer look.
First the bad stuff.
Type his name into google and second subject headline that comes up is "Benni McCarthy fat".
Also, doesn't appear he has done much at West Ham, albeit in a troubled season, and fans there don't seem to rate him too highly. Also wasn't considered good enough by SA for the world cup despite an excellent record for them - a suspicion, then, that he is a faded talent.
Now the good stuff.
His scoring record is amazing. Is, say, Jason Roberts any better than this, particularly when you consider the level that these goals were scored at:
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
19951998 Seven Stars 56 (38)
19971999 Ajax 36 (20)
19992003 Celta Vigo 66 (10)
20022003 → Porto (loan) 11 (12)
20032006 Porto 74 (34)
20062010 Blackburn Rovers 109 (37)
2010 West Ham United 11 (0)
National team
1997 South Africa 79 (31)
That is pretty incredible and am feeling a bit guilty now for sounding so underwhelmed when we were first linked to him. OK so he doesn't have the potential of Miller who is a decade younger but that is quite some record and if as Warnock insists he is fit I think he could indeed do the business for us.
Thoughts plse.
First the bad stuff.
Type his name into google and second subject headline that comes up is "Benni McCarthy fat".
Also, doesn't appear he has done much at West Ham, albeit in a troubled season, and fans there don't seem to rate him too highly. Also wasn't considered good enough by SA for the world cup despite an excellent record for them - a suspicion, then, that he is a faded talent.
Now the good stuff.
His scoring record is amazing. Is, say, Jason Roberts any better than this, particularly when you consider the level that these goals were scored at:
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
19951998 Seven Stars 56 (38)
19971999 Ajax 36 (20)
19992003 Celta Vigo 66 (10)
20022003 → Porto (loan) 11 (12)
20032006 Porto 74 (34)
20062010 Blackburn Rovers 109 (37)
2010 West Ham United 11 (0)
National team
1997 South Africa 79 (31)
That is pretty incredible and am feeling a bit guilty now for sounding so underwhelmed when we were first linked to him. OK so he doesn't have the potential of Miller who is a decade younger but that is quite some record and if as Warnock insists he is fit I think he could indeed do the business for us.
Thoughts plse.
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