Aiden McGeady

[Jacky08]

Is he injured or what- has he been part of any sqaud since he joined Spartak

[irishfan86]

Jacky, he had a back injury at Celtic in preseason, and hasn't made a squad yet in the two matches Spartak have played since his transfer.

[shakermaker1982]

Have/will Spartak release him for international duty? I know they are supposed to but if he has an injury then I'm sure they could persuade everybody it isn't in his interests to travel.

[Junior]

Probably played about 45 minutes since in all of preseason to date. Not great if we do actually need him over the next week.

[Stuttgart88]

I understand the whole thing about match fitness / sharpness and so on, but I kind of agree with Trap when he said all he needed himself was a week's pre-season and he was good for 90 minutes. If you look after yourself and train well in preseason you're likely to be in peak condition and fresh to go. He's probably itching for a game. Anyone who does athletics will know all about tapering before an event - i.e., you've done all the training, to be fresh you need to ease off a bit. Lawrence & McGeady won't have lost fitness over the summer.

[Spudulika]

Getting worried about McGeady being at Spartak, some rumblings in the club at present and the main moneyman behind the club has in the past day been on local media here complaining about demands being made by Karpin and his "35%" (this reference to the amount of votes he got to get elected into his position). They've just off-loaded Stipe Pletikosa to Spurs and are trying to clear off debts owed to past players. It's a massive club in Russia (undeservedly so) and I only wish he'd gone to a solid side like Loko, but here's hoping.

[Junior]

I understand the whole thing about match fitness / sharpness and so on, but I kind of agree with Trap when he said all he needed himself was a week's pre-season and he was good for 90 minutes. If you look after yourself and train well in preseason you're likely to be in peak condition and fresh to go. He's probably itching for a game. Anyone who does athletics will know all about tapering before an event - i.e., you've done all the training, to be fresh you need to ease off a bit. Lawrence & McGeady won't have lost fitness over the summer.

Agree with regards to fitness. Its the touch/sharpness factor that is lost without games under the belt. You only have to miss 5-a-side for a couple of weeks at my pathetic level to notice the ball bouncing off you and the inability to weight a pass properly. Completely different level I know but Ive seen it with professionals coming back from a lay off to see it takes a few competitive games to get back in to the swing of things. I'd be disappointed if he did feature but the game passed him by or was riddled with simp;e errors because of lack of game time in recent weeks.

Not sure we'll have much option though based on Duffers news etc...

[irishfan86]

Assuming McGeady is healthy I think he can make a real impact for us. I reckon Armenia will be a fairly similar team to Georgia and McGeady had a stormer against them last campaign.

[Sullivinho]

Assuming McGeady is healthy I think he can make a real impact for us. I reckon Armenia will be a fairly similar team to Georgia and McGeady had a stormer against them last campaign.

Some impulsive/overzealous defending on him could pay dividends. Having said that, I don't know a thing about Armenia's defenders or as you said, whether McGeady is fit or not.

[Charlie Darwin]

He played a full part in training today for the first time.

[seanfhear]

Aiden may have forgotten his old technique for crossing and may discover a successful one(I am trying to wink but cannot find the winking head)

[irishfan86]

In Soviet Russia, ball crosses you!

[geysir]

McGeady has been receiving a lot of attention from Trap these last 2 games. Trap is well pleased with McGeady's attitude and has observed a definite change (a "metamorphosis" no less) in his overall approach to the training sessions and the game he wants him to play for us.
Trap talk, Examiner article (http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/soccer/trap-ireland-at-a-crossroads-130312.html)


"Life is competition," he said, citing the performance of Aiden McGeady against Andorra as an example.

"In the game against Armenia, McGeady was tired and Keith Fahey went on and, against Andorra, McGeady’s reaction was fantastic," he said. "He saw that Fahey played well and scored a goal and then Tuesday was one of his best games in two years. He understood better what we asked of him. He saw 30% more of the ball than in another 10 games. It’s always better to have competition."

Trapattoni believes that it’s taken until now for the new Spartak Moscow man to fully adapt to the Irish system.

"There are the habits that players develop," he said. "I have told them: ‘I’m not interested in your club system because it’s not my job. In your club, do what your coach asks you to do. But we have a different system and different teammates’.

"At Celtic, it was a different system for McGeady. There, maybe they have two big strikers who are good in the air, so you go down the line, cross and – boom – goal.

"We don’t have this so we ask him to play differently. He has good technique, he is so fast and, if he gets in the box, he is very dangerous. We showed him that in this position he could improve. For example, Fahey scored a goal against Armenia because he got into the box. If Fahey had stayed on the line, he could not have scored that goal."

If McGeady’s decision-making doesn’t always match his prodigious threat, then Trapattoni suggests that aspect of his game will come with maturity.

"That is only the life experience," he said. "Look at Ryan Giggs. When we played Manchester United 15 years ago, he was young and a super player. Now, he still is still a great player but he thinks more about what’s the right decision to make. There is more than one way to play. Until now, McGeady has played in one way and is very dangerous. But there is the right moment to help his teammates, to think about whether to pass or to shoot. And I can see that coming with experience.

"Even when he came in for these games, I said to Marco (Tardelli) that I saw a change in him, maybe as a result of his transfer to Russia. In fact, he even trained differently, with a different personality. He is very sensitive. He knows what we ask him to play. He can give us more because his quality is good, he is very fast, he can shoot from left or right. When he has more confidence, he can do more than dribble and cross. That is a metamorphosis."

[Wolfie]

Trapp's a master at this stuff. He's clearly identified that McGeady is a confidence player. Hence the "love bombing" approach.

[geysir]

Let's keep it manly and call it a special relationship.
Like Mick had with Mark Kennedy :)

[irishfan86]

I love the way he always mentions that McGeady is sensitive....if I was in the Ireland side I'd never let poor Aiden forget it. :D

[Razors left peg]

I love the way he always mentions that McGeady is sensitive....if I was in the Ireland side I'd never let poor Aiden forget it.

I love the way he always mentions that McGeady is sensitive....if I was in the Ireland side I'd never let poor Aiden forget it. :D

hope you're not suggesting another case of bullying like the one that caused the poor sensitive soul Steven Ireland to walk away :)

[Duggie]

i think mcgeady could be the sensitive player type, and if Trap needs to clap him on the back then so be it. one thing on his crossing, when he beats his man if he would just whip it in first time on some occasions we could benefit more(providing robbie or doyler is on the end of it).

[irishfan86]

hope you're not suggesting another case of bullying like the one that caused the poor sensitive soul Steven Ireland to walk away :)

Haha...if you're a grown man and you can't deal with a "bully" or a joke you probably don't have the balls for international football anyway.

[Wolfie]

Let's keep it manly and call it a special relationship.
Like Mick had with Mark Kennedy :)

Yeah - its a father/son, Master/apprentice sort of thing, don't ya know.

[Stuttgart88]

McGeady's crap and Trap is an FAI yes man muppet

[seanfhear]

I think Aiden has shown improvement in the last couple of games and I hope it continues.

[SkStu]

Let's keep it manly and call it a special relationship.
Like Mick had with Mark Kennedy :)

a bromance, if you will.

[geysir]

Now can you imagine Trap calling Aiden "Bro"?

[Qwerty]

I thought there was a highlight reel of Aiden McGeady's goals and assists for Ireland on YouTube but I can't find it now :confused:

Besides his zero input on the goal front - 44 appearances and not even a deflection to his name. Does anyone know how many assists if any he has for Ireland?

[DannyInvincible]

Three assists, it appears: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/players/stats?id=42414&cc=5739

He assisted Robbie's third goal last Tuesday and also set up Doyle for a header with a great cross against Georgia in Mainz. Can't think what the third was. He wins a lot of free kicks, mind. You can't discount that in winning us territory.

Isn't it 34 caps he has, though?

[EastTerracer]

Goals and more assists are certainly things Aiden needs to improve on but you can't completely dismiss his contribution in those terms. In Sofia last June he came on as sub and was the out ball for the Irish defense - he took the ball up the other end of the pitch on a couple of occasions and relieved the pressure of the Bulgarian attack. Maintaining possession is of huge value (even if it's just a fruitless dribble past a couple of players into the corner flag). He knows more than anyone that he needs to improve his final ball but it's a bit unfair to suggest he hasn't done anything.

[EastTerracer]

Aiden has just started his first game for Spartak against Saturn Moscow. Still looking for a stream.


http://soccernet.espn.go.com/match?id=307901&league=RUS.1&cc=5901

Edit: and Aiden had an assist in the 7th minute for Welliton's goal. There is a stream out there if you try the usual places.

[Noelys Guitar]

http://www.justin.tv/velliton_78#/w/379359216 McGeady wearing number 64! Excellent run and ball there into the box. The commentators (in Russian)keep mentioning his name

[DannyInvincible]

Looks to be playing well from the spell I've seen. Spartak should win this. They're well on top now but the score's still 1-1.

[Charlie Darwin]

Some individual goal there from the striker.

[Noelys Guitar]

mcGeady playing very well. Is going by the ful back at will

[DannyInvincible]

Just spotting "Макгиди" on the back of McGeady's jersey, ha.

My stream popped the clogs.

[Charlie Darwin]

Did for me too - worked once I refreshed.

[DannyInvincible]

Yeah, it's working again now no problem.

[EastTerracer]

He should have had another assist in the last minute but his pass was cut out. A good debut all round and he got a full 90 minutes in a 2-1 win. Away to Marseilles in the CL on Wednesday and then away to Spartak Nalchik on Monday week.

[DannyInvincible]

2-1 the final score. What sort of attendances do they get? Stadium looks about three quarters empty.

[Noelys Guitar]

Shevchenko's twin brother managing Spartak!

[Charlie Darwin]

That's Valery Karpin innit?

[Noelys Guitar]

Yes. Top player in his time. Good start for McGeady. A couple more games and he should really be firing on all cyclinders. I can see this move really working out forhim and us.

[shakermaker1982]

Good to hear he got off to a good start. If he can keep that up then he'll be brimming with confidence for the double header next month.

[Qwerty]

Goals and more assists are certainly things Aiden needs to improve on but you can't completely dismiss his contribution in those terms. In Sofia last June he came on as sub and was the out ball for the Irish defense - he took the ball up the other end of the pitch on a couple of occasions and relieved the pressure of the Bulgarian attack. Maintaining possession is of huge value (even if it's just a fruitless dribble past a couple of players into the corner flag). He knows more than anyone that he needs to improve his final ball but it's a bit unfair to suggest he hasn't done anything.

For sure, he has very good feet and is adept at playing his way out of trouble. Certainly a useful player for holding possession and is the kind of player you look at to hold the ball when holding onto a lead.

I was unimpressed though with his contribution against Armenia, our midfield as usual was bereft of creativity and besides a few useful long passes from the back only Liam Lawrence sparked anything. Once Duff & Hunt return I think McGeady will struggle for game time. He had one nice run aided by Kilbane but his shot was as we've come to expect weak, pretty much sums him up in a green shirt.

He needs to bulk up a bit and add some power to his game.

[Paddy Garcia]

Hunt is a long way behing McGeady & a liability to boot. Useful from the bench though.

[therock67]

That was a lovely pass for the first goal.

l6AR06UBkKA

[Crosby87]

Yes. Top player in his time. Good start for McGeady. A couple more games and he should really be firing on all cyclinders. I can see this move really working out forhim and us.

I'm going to quote you on that NG! I hope it happens and I trust your judgement but things should be sorted on here.

[Sullivinho]

That was a lovely pass for the first goal.

Not dissimilar to his assist for Robbie's goal during the week. Great to see.

[Philly]

Here are some clips of McGeady's first game. Looks like he was lively, and great pass for the first goal.

Here's hoping this is a sign of good things to come!


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[seanfhear]

I know they were only highlights but that looked like an excellent debut for Aiden.

Its a brave move and it will be interesting to see how Aiden does playing with better players.

[The Fly]

http://sport.scotsman.com/sport/McGeady-delighted-after-setting-up.6527505.jp


McGeady delighted after setting up winner on debut for Spartak
by Brian Walker

AIDEN McGEADY revealed he loved his debut for Spartak Moscow after he set up the winning goal. The £9 million former Celtic winger played the full 90 minutes as Spartak beat FC Saturn 2-1. The Irish international provided the assist for Brazilian Welliton to score the winner after the striker had already netted for McGeady's side.

"The main thing was we won," said McGeady. "It was nice that I helped with one of the goals, but the credit belongs to Welliton. He's a great striker.

"The game was extremely difficult and tense. We managed to score, but they equalised and it took us time to adjust our game. Saturn were a strong, physical team.

"They reminded me of clubs in Scotland because they were defensive and tried to play on the counter-attack. To get past them was not easy. I'm a little tired after playing the full 90 minutes. I haven't played any matches in the pre-season, but now I am starting to get match fit after playing for Ireland in Europe. Once I start getting the games in for Spartak, I will get into my stride.

"I was playing on the right wing and, although I usually played on the left with Celtic, I played on the right wing earlier in my career. Anyway, I generally fell very comfortable being in that position. It was different for me playing on the artificial grass here, but I am confident I can adapt to the surface. I had better since we play all our home games on it!

"Now I have the Champions League to look forward to. I still don't have enough match practice, but that will come once I get games under my belt."

Spartak boss Valery Karpin said: "McGeady had a good game and showed the qualities that we bought him for."

[Fergie's Son]

Excellent start! I hope this works out well for him but so far so good!