Aiden McGeady

[Stuttgart88]

Trap saying we don't have goal scoring midfielders to justify a 4-3-3 (or variation thereof)?

[Colbert Report]

McGeady does his best work in the middle right behind the strikers, not on the wing. He's a joy to watch running at centre backs. Stephen Ireland plays this position very well also. Stephen Ireland is the key to this team being successful.

[Diarmo]

McGeady does his best work in the middle right behind the strikers, not on the wing. He's a joy to watch running at centre backs. Stephen Ireland plays this position very well also. Stephen Ireland is the key to this team being successful.

You might as well talk about Liam Brady circa 1986 being the key to this team being successful. SI doesn't want to play for Ireland fullstop.

[John83]

Trap saying we don't have goal scoring midfielders to justify a 4-3-3 (or variation thereof)?
He means wingers, and to a lesser extent a Lampard-like centre mid. If you just drop a striker from our current team for, say, Gibson, you need the wingers to score a good bit more often than they do. We have centre mids who could play behind a front two (McCarthy and Gibson come to mind; even Andrews; heck, Robbie Keane, Duff, McGeady could all play that position before Hoolahan or Ireland or whoever comes into play), but that demands more of the three in the midfield, who then have to give more width, cover the full backs, etc. We don't have those guys either. In the end, it's probable we could make it work, but whether it's any better than what we're doing is open to speculation. Trap says no, though (and so do I, for whatever it's worth).

Maybe Ireland could play that role, but I don't see the point of talking about him.

[Stuttgart88]

In my "ideal" 433 pretty much everyone has license to get forward, cover and interchange except the 2 CBs. I'm not saying we should go all out total football but I think (like Liam Brady) that we do have players to make this work and I think that with more midfielders we'd have more possession and with more possession comes more chances. We can play more on the front foot, not be outnumbered in critical areas and not spend so much time chasing around after the ball. I hate talk of players having to cover. For a start it's a given in any formation, but why don't we try and make the opposition cover for our attacking players? Everything about Trap's thinking is defeatist.

As you say though, it's all speculation.

[EastTerracer]

McGeady was substituted after an hour today in the Moscow derby against Dinamo. Spartak 2-0 up and look like they will maintain their 100% start to the season.

EDIT: Final score Dinamo Moscow 0-4 Spartak Moscow

[Carrigaline]

McGeady played an amazing ball to Ari to set up the counter attack for the first goal. Spartak look to be really ticking so far this season, let's hope they can do the business and qualify for the group stages of the Champions League.

[IsMiseSean]

Unai Emery is a good coach, I reckon McGeady will do well under him!

[therock67]

Spartak against Zenit is live on ESPN on Saturday morning from 10:30.

[EastTerracer]

After a great start to the season, the wheels came off big time for Spartak today.

Lost 5-0 away to Zenit St.Petersburg and McGeady sent off (straight red card) after 63 minutes.

[Murfinator]

Trap saying we don't have goal scoring midfielders to justify a 4-3-3 (or variation thereof)?

He's correct.

Andrews: 1 in 10.6
Duff: 1 in 12.5
Whelan: 1 in 21
McGeady: 1 in 26
Hunt: 1 in 39

Those are awful stats, all worse than both our centre backs.

[Colbert Report]

Anyone watching this match? Dirk Kuyt just scored to make it Fenerbahce 1 Spartak Moscow 1

[Colbert Report]

Stunner from Kombarov from McGeady's corner. Great goal. Spartak 2-1 up at home in the first leg.

[DannyInvincible]

Spartak 2-1 up now. McGeady with the assist from a corner.

[Carrigaline]

Anyone watching this match? Dirk Kuyt just scored to make it Fenerbahce 1 Spartak Moscow 1
GOAL!!

Kombarov scores a peach of a volley with McGeady assisting with a sweet floated corner.

[Charlie Darwin]

Ballooned a great chance to make it 3-1.

[Carrigaline]

Great movement from McGeady there, shame the finish didn't match the pass.

[swinfordfc]

Will be tough to see them getting through after giving away that goal! What was the keeper doing?

[Charlie Darwin]

They'll have to score at least once in Turkey, you'd think. Tough task.

[swinfordfc]

I think they will ... they enough attacking options in that team - they will concede especially with that keeper!

[dantheman]

Set up the first goal away to Fenerbahce, from UEFA.com:


Ari (Spartak Moskva) scores!
Fine goal from Spartak. Ari releases Aiden McGeady on the right before sprinting into the box to meet the Irishman's low cross. His deft finish slips past the diving Mert Günok and in at the near post.

[tetsujin1979]

goal online here: http://www.101greatgoals.com/gvideos/1-0-spartak-moscow-ari-v-fenerbahce-aiden-mcgeady-assist/

[Colbert Report]

Great finish here. McGeady playing emergency right-back.

[Carrigaline]

"He's a spoofer, Bill. Can't cross and bottles it at the big occasions"

[Murfinator]

Great news for McGeady to be back in the Champions League. They'll be in Pot 3 I believe, hope they get a good draw.

[Junior]

Destined to get Celtic in Pot 4! Draw is at 16:30 today.....

[elroy]

Destined to get Celtic in Pot 4! Draw is at 16:30 today.....

Nostradamus you are!! Aiden is on his way back to Celtic

[Serb]

Spartak have drawn into Group G with Barcelona as their top seeds and Benfica as their second seeds. And, well, well, well, the last team to join their group is Celtic.

[paul_oshea]

Celtic will do well to finish 3rd there.

Definitely an easier group to come out of.

[Murfinator]

Celtic will do well to finish 3rd there.

Definitely an easier group to come out of.

I think the days are gone of SPL teams having realistic ambitions to progress from the group stages. They'll be happy just to be there and in truth will be doing well to get any points at all. I'd expect Barca to dominate with Benfica and Spartak playing out for 2nd. Benfica probably getting it.

[Charlie Darwin]

goal online here: http://www.101greatgoals.com/gvideos/1-0-spartak-moscow-ari-v-fenerbahce-aiden-mcgeady-assist/
The TV company were determined not to award the goal to Spartak there.

Will be good to see Aiden terrorise the Barca full backs again. It's been a few years.

[Junior]

I think the days are gone of SPL teams having realistic ambitions to progress from the group stages. They'll be happy just to be there and in truth will be doing well to get any points at all. I'd expect Barca to dominate with Benfica and Spartak playing out for 2nd. Benfica probably getting it.

It's not a dissimilar situation to Ireland at the Euros.

[geysir]

Benfica are well ahead of Spartak and are the type of team who can give Barca a good game, it's between Celtic and Spartak for the 3rd spot prize.

[Carrigaline]

McGeady scores for Sparatak today.

[tetsujin1979]

cracking finish from McGeady: http://www.101greatgoals.com/gvideos/kuban-2-spartak-moscow-2/

[Carrigaline]

McGeady just assisted to put Spartak 2-1 up against Barcelona.

Shame he can never do that in the really important games :p

[mark12345]

McGeady just assisted to put Spartak 2-1 up against Barcelona.

Shame he can never do that in the really important games :p

Yeah, shame alright!

I take it your comment is not a serious one.

Should put to bed the notion that McGeady can't play football as some on here would have you believe. It should also illustrate that the boy can do it against Barca so therefore he can do it against anybody. The real shame is that those around McGeady in an Ireland shirt still play a prehistoric game.

[Colbert Report]

He was playing the likes of AC Milan and Barcelona in the Champions League five years ago for Celtic.

[swinfordfc]

He was playing the likes of AC Milan and Barcelona in the Champions League five years ago for Celtic.

And your point? Celtic not being in the Champions League in the last 4 years so dont come out and say he should have stayed at Celtic. His move to Russia has def made him a better player and to be honest he should not come back to England. I think Spartak Moscow will get 2nd in this group and get through.

[Colbert Report]

And your point? Celtic not being in the Champions League in the last 4 years so dont come out and say he should have stayed at Celtic. His move to Russia has def made him a better player and to be honest he should not come back to England. I think Spartak Moscow will get 2nd in this group and get through.

Oh, I hope you're right and I think he was right to leave Celtic when he did. I just don't get this thing of him having to leave Celtic in order to play against Champions League opposition. If he had gone to the likes of Stoke or Aston Villa he would been playing eight games minimum a season against Champions League opposition just in the Premiership alone.

[Murfinator]

His move to Russia has def made him a better player and to be honest he should not come back to England.

How can he come back to a place he's never played in?


[QUOTE=Colbert Report;1628949]Oh, I hope you're right and I think he was right to leave Celtic when he did. I just don't get this thing of him having to leave Celtic in order to play against Champions League opposition. If he had gone to the likes of Stoke or Aston Villa he would been playing eight games minimum a season against Champions League opposition just in the Premiership alone.

While the premiership is strong in training players the discipline of what to do off the ball its shambolic in what to do with it, Russia is a better technical league for nurturing his attacking talent. Frankly we've enough of the former kind of player and not enough of the latter so the more who avoid the EPL for other leagues the better.

[Colbert Report]

There's certainly something to that murf. I would have loved to have seen Duff playing for one of the top sides in Spain or italy back when he was in his prime circa 2002-2005 instead of playing at Chelsea where he seemed to have all the creativity coached right out of him.

[geysir]

I didn't see the game, how did McGeady play?

[Colbert Report]

Terribly. He set up Spartak's second goal but was skinned like a cat for the Barcelona winner. Terrible defensively.

[geysir]

You watched the highlights or the whole game?

[Colbert Report]

Whole match, it was on live here in Canada.

[Colbert Report]

He's not a bad player, in fact, I think he is far and away Ireland's best player and certainly the most entertaining to watch. Nobody has the kind of skill he has on our team. He's not up to snuff against the likes of Barca in terms of tracking back and closing down, but then again, not many players are.

[DannyInvincible]

McGeady's assist against Barca earlier:


http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xtq40g_b1-2s-www-fasthighlights-com_sport?start=1

[AlaskaFox]

Terribly. He set up Spartak's second goal but was skinned like a cat for the Barcelona winner. Terrible defensively.

Apart from that howler for the goal, I thought he had a good enough game. Kept looking for the ball and didn't try to overplay it, like he has to with Ireland - Spartak offer him much more options when he has it. Where was their right-back for the winner?

[Carrigaline]

While the premiership is strong in training players the discipline of what to do off the ball its shambolic in what to do with it, Russia is a better technical league for nurturing his attacking talent. Frankly we've enough of the former kind of player and not enough of the latter so the more who avoid the EPL for other leagues the better.
I don't buy into this notion that the Russian league has made McGeady a better player, or that it is superior technically. I reckon if you dropped McGeady into a team like Fulham, West Brom, Norwich or Swansea, he would be just as big a success. When McGeady plays for Spartak, he plays as an attacker and unless his team are defending a lead, then McGeady doesn't really track back. Also, Spartak are a team that love to play on the counter, and this gives McGeady a chance to run at his man, to stretch their defence and not get doubled up on. What also helps McGeady is that his full back will get forward, and that he will have lots of runners from midfield to play the ball through to. If McGeady played with any of the aforementioned Premier League teams, he would be playing in similar-ish systems. The problem for McGeady, is that flat 442 formations where the team is less mobile and freedom is restricted is the kind of system that doesn't play into McGeady's style (or indeed, most wingers). Unfortunately, the system that Trap uses doesn't play to McGeady's strengths and I reckon regardless of who we play on the wing, it's going to make all our wide players look worse than what they are.