Irish strikers!!

[Condex]

Good news confidence boosting goals for Elliott & McGeady.....

[eirebhoy]

correction: striker. ;)

[eirebhoy]

I knew Sutton's injury was a blessing in disguise. Celtic won 6-0.

McGeady 9... Stunning. Absolutely stunning. Worth the entrance fee alone, skill, trickery, gallus - quality entertainment. Lovely goal, and a peach of a pass for Petrovs second.

[Stuttgart88]

Even Chick Young on BBC described McGeady's performance as outstanding.

Saw Elliott's contribution on Football League Review on SKY last night. Slightly lucky the way the ball came to him (or striker's instinct? :) ) but he was heavily involved in the build up too. He featured well in a couple of other snippets.

Robbie had a good chance well saved by Given in the Newvcastle vs Spurs game. While on that point I thought Carr did well again. Pity Kelly was dropped. Bramble now out for a month so if O'Brien's back clears up the door is open for him.

I thought Steven Reid looked like a thorn among the roses in the other game. He'd give a nice pass or a lay off and then -BANG - a big lump up the pitch to nobody. What a crap game. Turned off after 20 mins. Turned back on late to see Paddy McCarthy coming on to do OK. I don't think Connolly touched the ball. How did Maybury play?

[tetsujin1979]

I thought Steven Reid looked like a thorn among the roses in the other game. He'd give a nice pass or a lay off and then -BANG - a big lump up the pitch to nobody. What a crap game. Turned off after 20 mins. Turned back on late to see Paddy McCarthy coming on to do OK. I don't think Connolly touched the ball. How did Maybury play?

Thought the same about Reid, one or two nice passes or tackles, then a useless punt ot nobody. With Emerton back he may find chances hard to come by.

Thought Maybury did ok, nothing spectacular, solid. Connolly was playing?? I never saw him near the ball (although I did miss most of the second half)

Anyone have a vid of McGeady's goal?

[eirebhoy]

Connolly was playing?? I never saw him near the ball (although I did miss most of the second half)

came on for the last 3 minutes.


Anyone have a vid of McGeady's goal?
I'll most likely have it for you later.

[eirebhoy]

McGeady's tricks inspire Celtic (http://sport.scotsman.com/football.cfm?id=276562005)

AIDEN McGeady plays football with the joy and verve of the truly gifted, every aspect of his performance, from temperament to movement and the application of extravagant skills, a celebration of his talent and of the game itself.

Whatever else this season may hold for Celtic, the emergence of the 18-year-old, Glasgow-born Ireland international should be esteemed as a prize in its own right. And, if the team should retain the championship by a narrow margin - perhaps even on goal difference - Martin O’Neill and the rest of his players may reflect on this McGeady-inspired wide-margin victory over Dunfermline as the pivotal event in a long, testing campaign.

Any Rangers player with a mischievous mind and fresh memories of Chris Sutton’s notorious put-down in 2003 could claim the Fife side lay down to their tormentors. But that would be a slight on the contribution made by McGeady to a match that, for an hour, held no promise of the eventual scoreline.

The teenager, whose two-footed virtuosity and spatial awareness allows him to operate menacingly in every forward area of the field, had been a lively, feinting, threatening exception to the general torpor that appeared to have settled on Celtic after John Hartson had scored the first of his two goals as early as the ninth minute.

Indeed, the ease with which he skipped past opponents on the left and the incisiveness of his crosses had created opportunities others had spurned, most notably Craig Bellamy and Alan Thompson. But it was his goal, Celtic’s second, after 62 minutes, and his relentless interrogation of the Dunfermline defenders that finally caused their breakdown, leaving them disorientated and, ultimately, easy victims.

McGeady has taken even O’Neill by surprise with the rate at which he has accelerated to prominence in the past few months. The manager had recognised from the start that the youngster had been blessed by nature, but exercised caution over his readiness to make the transition from promising youth to first-team regular. The history of the game, after all, is littered with examples of unfulfilled potential.

It was the comprehensiveness of the player’s performance on the most demanding occasion of all - the Champions League match against Milan at Celtic Park - which convinced O’Neill that, where McGeady’s readiness was concerned, there were ticks in all the boxes.

As the great Italian defender, Alessandro Nesta, made a point of seeking out McGeady to shake his hand at the end of the scoreless draw, it seemed to confirm, too, that O’Neill would regret the hasty, and expensive, acquisition of Juninho. Had he anticipated the rate of McGeady’s progress, the little Brazilian would still be in Middlesbrough’s, rather than Celtic’s, reserves.

Dunfermline are hardly Milan, but at half time there was widespread muttering of boredom about the way the match was unfolding. The play was certainly confined almost without interruption to the visitors’ half of the field, but, with the exception of McGeady, there was a tedious pedestrianism about the champions’ attacks.

When he swerved past two opponents, the ball stuck to his left foot, and then rifled it with his right past Derek Stillie, McGeady gave a lead that would be followed by Bellamy, the Welshman providing the next two goals with deadly deliveries for Hartson and Stilian Petrov. By the time the Bulgarian completed his double and substitute Craig Beattie, from another terrific cross from sub Ross Wallace, added the fifth and sixth, Celtic had been transformed.

Whatever they serve in the sponsors’ lounge before games must be heady stuff, as their guests somehow contrived to nominate Bellamy as man of the match. This seemed not to recognise that, without McGeady, there would certainly have been no thrilling artistry and, in all probability, nothing like the result which cut into Rangers’ advantage in goal difference.

O’Neill made a declaration of his idea of the match’s most significant figure when he deliberately took McGeady off six minutes from the end so that he could receive the personal acclaim from the supporters that his performance merited. In discussing the player’s array of equipment afterwards, the manager was in danger of tripping over his tongue.

"You know," said O’Neill, "I said to Aiden when he came in, ‘That was a fantastic goal.’ He just said, ‘About time.’ The thing is, we see that from him in training all the time. He does that jink past a couple of opponents and then - bang - it’s in the net. For him, it’s just routine and it seems to annoy him that he hasn’t done it more often in matches.

"Goal-making is a big part of his game, but goal-taking is also a part of it and he knows he can do more of that. And we did need that goal of his. After getting the early goal from Hartson, there was a period when the players seemed to want an extra touch, when we just lost our way a little bit.

"We’ve been in that situation before. Against Dundee recently, for example, when it was the first goal we needed to break through and we finished up winning 3-0. It was similar today and very pleasing, but we have two big tests coming up that will put us level with Rangers on matches played."

Away to Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Wednesday and to Dundee United on Saturday, Celtic have the opportunity to regain leadership of the Premierleague. It is a significant week.

[ken foree]

"two-footed" - this is great. all our players coming through should have this, or a modicum of skill with the weaker foot. the videos i've seen of mcgeady (not many) show he has balance and poise on his weaker foot. he does that cruyff turn in one near the sideline, but touches the ball with his left as he spins. it was lethal!

[Kingdom]

"two-footed" - this is great. all our players coming through should have this, or a modicum of skill with the weaker foot. the videos i've seen of mcgeady (not many) show he has balance and poise on his weaker foot. he does that cruyff turn in one near the sideline, but touches the ball with his left as he spins. it was lethal!

Agreed. Cause you never know when we will need one of our centre halves to do a Cruyff turn in our penalty box.

[eirebhoy]

"two-footed" - this is great. all our players coming through should have this, or a modicum of skill with the weaker foot. the videos i've seen of mcgeady (not many) show he has balance and poise on his weaker foot. he does that cruyff turn in one near the sideline, but touches the ball with his left as he spins. it was lethal!
He's as two footed as you can get. The Ronnie O'Sullivan of football. He sometimes takes corner's with his left foot if Thompson isn't on the pitch to take an inswinger.

[ken foree]

Agreed. Cause you never know when we will need one of our centre halves to do a Cruyff turn in our penalty box.

no, but you might need a schelp half-volleyed clearance with your weaker foot. keepers need weaker foot too, come on

[ken foree]

He's as two footed as you can get. The Ronnie O'Sullivan of football. He sometimes takes corner's with his left foot if Thompson isn't on the pitch to take an inswinger.

that's choice

[Condex]

Its only a matter of time before McGready is in the Ireland team from the start, hopefully that will be by in time for next years world cup...

[Stuttgart88]

He's as two footed as you can get. The Ronnie O'Sullivan of football. He sometimes takes corner's with his left foot if Thompson isn't on the pitch to take an inswinger.

Lubo Moravcik is the best totally two footed player I've ever seen. He took free kicks and corners equally well with each foot. Amazing to watch. Do you remember the goal he scored against Hibs with his left from about 35 yards? Like Rooney's goal against Croatia the ball didn't spin at all and it flew into the postage stamp. I think Colgan was in goal though.

[Stuttgart88]

"two-footed" - this is great. all our players coming through should have this, or a modicum of skill with the weaker foot.

I don't know why you got stick for this remark. I agree entirely. Anyone making a living from playing football has no excuse for only being able to use one foot.

[tetsujin1979]

Lubo Moravcik is the best totally two footed player I've ever seen. He took free kicks and corners equally well with each foot. Amazing to watch. Do you remember the goal he scored against Hibs with his left from about 35 yards? Like Rooney's goal against Croatia the ball didn't spin at all and it flew into the postage stamp. I think Colgan was in goal though.

My favorite Lubo goal was against Rangers at Ibrox, it was the game Shaun Maloney made his debut and Celtic won 3-1, He ran into the box, took 2 defenders with him, made Ricksen (I think) look an idiot with a dragback and scored with his right. Quality player. Why wasn't he 5 years younger??

[stojkovic]

Agreed. Cause you never know when we will need one of our centre halves to do a Cruyff turn in our penalty box.
Like Lee Carsley against the Turkans and gave away the peno.

[ken foree]

I don't know why you got stick for this remark. I agree entirely. Anyone making a living from playing football has no excuse for only being able to use one foot.

perhaps some confuse good technique with fancy-dannery

[Stuttgart88]

I used to think fair play to Mick McCarthy for knowing so much about the up and coming Irish and for placing his faith in them. Then I saw this in yesterday's Times (about Stephen Elliott):

At a transfer tribunal, he cost the impoverished Coca-Cola Championship side £125,000, which has turned out to be an inspired investment. “My staff hung their hats on him and I backed their judgment,” Mick McCarthy, the Sunderland manager, said. “It has turned out to be a winner.”

Maybe he was talking about Taff - does he work for Mick? God forbid he's actually done something useful for once.

[tetsujin1979]

From yesterday's independent (haven't seen it posted here)

I didn't realise Thornton had been substituted in the game, he's been playing well recently.

CREWE 0

SUNDERLAND 1

KEVIN KEEGAN'S miserable £52m record in the transfer market was dissected in many papers on Saturday. Most tore apart his expensive buys, but no one mentioned how Manchester City let Stephen Elliott's contract run out and how the Dubliner ultimately joined Sunderland for a tribunal-set fee of just £125,000 last summer.

Elliott, 21, who has become an Ireland international this season, came on at Gresty Road to score the goal that leaves Sunderland joint top of the Championship table with Wigan, three points ahead of Ipswich.

It was Elliott's 14th goal of the season and emphasised the key role he has played in enabling Mick McCarthy's side to dream justifiably of a place in the Premiership.

This game was far from going Sunderland's way before McCarthy sent on Elliott, a product of the Belvedere nursery, as a second half substitute along with the Argentinian midfielder Julio Arca.

A relieved McCarthy said: "Both of them were carrying injuries and, while I didn't think they would last 90 minutes, I felt they had the ability to make an impact from the bench. They did just that. Sometimes these decisions work out in your favour and you get credit, but ultimately we win and lose collectively.

"My scouts recommended Elliott and he chose us ahead of Celtic because I think he felt he had more of a chance with us. It has worked out extremely well for everyone concerned.

"That was a vital win and, although we still have to go to Ipswich and Wigan, it could be hard-earned wins like this one that ultimately settle the promotion race. I'm happy, relieved and delighted."

Crewe, who have now gone 12 games without a win since they sold striker Dean Ashton to Norwich, shocked Sunderland by setting the pace in the first half. McCarthy wasted little time making changes after the break, sending on Elliott for the ineffective Michael Bridges and Arca for Seán Thornton within a few minutes of each other.

Arca had not been on the pitch for a minute when he laid on the 58th-minute winner for Elliott.

[eirebhoy]

tetsujin - here's McGeady's goal:
http://members.boards.ie/eirebhoy/mcgeady_dunf.avi

[tetsujin1979]

Cheers, nicely done. I haven't seen much of McGeady on the left, doesn't seem to matter where he plays. Reminds me of Kenny Daglish, able to play across midfield and up front.

[Fergie's Son]

tetsujin - here's McGeady's goal:
http://members.boards.ie/eirebhoy/mcgeady_dunf.avi

Thanks for the link. Nice goal indeed.