Aiden McGeady

[Carrigaline]

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?
The right back was rubbish for Barca's opener too.

[Stuttgart88]

How did all our other Champs League players do this week?

[AlaskaFox]

How did all our other Champs League players do this week?

Anthony Stokes had the same impact as he had at the Carling Nations Cup.

[Crosby87]

How many Irish have ever won Champs league? Is it 2?

[Colbert Report]

Finnan for Liverpool in 2005, though he was hauled off at half-time when they were down 3-0 against AC Milan. Roy Keane in 1999, though he was suspended for the final itself. John O'Shea was an unused sub in 2008 when Manchester United beat Chelsea on penalties.

[pineapple stu]

Ronnie Whelan in 84. Denis Irwin in 99. Plenty of others I'm sure.

[peadar1987]

Probably a couple of eligible players among the Lisbon Lions of 1967
Shay Brennan and Tony Dunne with Manchester United in 1968
Steve Heighway for Liverpool in 1977 and 1978
Mark Lawrenson, Ronnie Whelan, and Michael Robinson for Liverpool in 1984
Denis Irwin with Manchester United in 1999
Steve Finnan with Liverpool in 2005

And the Nordies:

George Best with Manchester United in 1968
Martin O'Neill with Notts Forest in 1980


There are probably a couple of unused substitutes or people who missed the actual final, a la Roy Keane, but I've done enough wiki trawling for one day!

[Stuttgart88]

Have we ever had so few Irish players playing CL or Europa League / UEFA Cup football in September?

[Kingdom]

Finnan for Liverpool in 2005, though he was hauled off at half-time when they were down 3-0 against AC Milan. Roy Keane in 1999, though he was suspended for the final itself. John O'Shea was an unused sub in 2008 when Manchester United beat Chelsea on penalties.

Finnan was substituted because of a groin injury.

[OwlsFan]

How did all our other Champs League players do this week?

Interesting. I wonder for the teams that qualifed for Euro 12, would 1 player be the lowest?

[Stuttgart88]

yes, i'd expect so.

[DeLorean]

Interesting. I wonder for the teams that qualifed for Euro 12, would 1 player be the lowest?

Well we are one of four teams who qualified who don't have a club representative in the group stage. I think it's probably safe to assume each club has at least two players from their own country. Czech Rep, Poland and Sweden are the other teams with no clubs in the group stage. Off the top of my head the Czechs have Cech and Rosicky, Poland have two or three Dortmund guys and Sweden have Ibrahimovic and Lustig.

[Dodge]

Well we are one of four teams who qualified who don't have a club representative in the group stage. I think it's probably safe to assume each club has at least two players from their own country. Czech Rep, Poland and Sweden are the other teams with no clubs in the group stage. Off the top of my head the Czechs have Cech and Rosicky, Poland have two or three Dortmund guys and Sweden have Ibrahimovic and Lustig.

Czech Republic and Sweden both have clubs in the Europa League groups. Poland and ourselves don't.

[John83]

We were also the only third seed to qualify. I think people underestimate how much Trapattoni has eked out of limited players.

[DeLorean]

Czech Republic and Sweden both have clubs in the Europa League groups. Poland and ourselves don't.

Owls fans seemed to be asking about the Champions League. Even if he wasn't, I didn't have to go as far as the Europa to find the answer to his question. Surprising that Poland have no representative between the two competitions.

Yeah, it does put things into perspective a bit John83.

[Dodge]

We were also the only third seed to qualify. I think people underestimate how much Trapattoni has eked out of limited players.

We weren't the the only 3rd seed to finish 2nd though (Bosnia), and two 5th seeds did that too (Estonia, Montenrgro)

I'd imagine if Bosnia had've drawn Estonia they'd have qualified instead of us


Owls fans seemed to be asking about the Champions League. Even if he wasn't, I didn't have to go as far as the Europa to find the answer to his question. Surprising that Poland have no representative between the two competitions.


Oh I know, I was just adding to the general "we're well down the footballing ladder..." vibe

[tetsujin1979]

We weren't the the only 3rd seed to finish 2nd though (Bosnia), and two 5th seeds did that too (Estonia, Montenrgro)

I'd imagine if Bosnia had've drawn Estonia they'd have qualified instead of us

Oh I know, I was just adding to the general "we're well down the footballing ladder..." vibe
Bosnia couldn't have drawn Estonia, they were in the lower seeds.

[Stuttgart88]

In one sense it's telling that we have no players in CL or Europa League, bar McGeady (or Elliott at a stretch) and yes, it credits Trap's achievement.

However, I do think that some of our better players are more or less EL standard. It shows how limiting ourselves to playing in England limits our players' exposure to continental football and also highlights what the LOI should - somehow - aspire to, EL group stage qualification on at least a semi-regular basis. We probably had a few EL qualifiers at Scottish clubs, and we obviously had LOI players in the qualkifier stage too.

[DannyInvincible]

Who's Elliott? Is it Stokes you mean? Not hard to confuse the two - assuming you mixed him up with Stephen Elliott - given their respective failures to live up to much initial promise on the international scene.

Not sure if I posted this before but a Scottish girl in work told me she knew an Irish footballer a few months ago. When I quizzed further, it transpired it was Anthony Stokes. I asked her how she knew him and she said they drank together at weekends. She was extremely complementary of his ability to guzzle down copious amounts of alcohol; not so complementary of his football...

[Colbert Report]

Who's Elliott? Is it Stokes you mean? Not hard to confuse the two - assuming you mixed him up with Stephen Elliott - given their respective failures to live up to much initial promise on the international scene.

Not sure if I posted this before but a Scottish girl in work told me she knew an Irish footballer a few months ago. When I quizzed further, it transpired it was Anthony Stokes. I asked her how she knew him and she said they drank together at weekends. She was extremely complementary of his ability to guzzle down copious amounts of alcohol; not so complementary of his football...


Stokes is a messer who has found his level playing up in Scotland. Elliot is the third choice keeper at Newcastle and he played yesterday for them in the Europa League..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Elliot

[DannyInvincible]

Ah, I see. Apologies, Stutts, for doubting your certainty. :)

[Olé Olé]

In one sense it's telling that we have no players in CL or Europa League, bar McGeady (or Elliott at a stretch) and yes, it credits Trap's achievement.


Very valid point.

Taking it from a different angle, had players such as James McCarthy, Ciaran Clark, Marc Wilson and Shane Long been getting regular international football over the past 2 years or so would they have developed into Top 4 players? Probably not in the case of Clark and Wilson, but I think Long and McCarthy's prospects would've been nicely enhanced by extended runs in Euro 2012. Purely speculative post this.

[Charlie Darwin]

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.
And he'd be playing worse football as a result.

[Carrigaline]

McGeady on the bench for the game against Amkar - Spartak 1-0 down.

[tetsujin1979]

McGeady not in the lineup at all today for Spartak's game against Amkar. Only three Russians in the starting XI actually
He completed 90 minutes in their last game against Belgorod, and I can't find any report of injury or suspension, so all I can think is that he's being rested for the Celtic game on Tuesday?

[Crosby87]

Who the heck is playing in front of him?

[tetsujin1979]

McGeady on the bench for the game against Amkar - Spartak 1-0 down.
where did you get the lineup? soccerway don't have him listed here - http://www.soccerway.com/matches/2012/09/29/russia/premier-league/fk-amkar-perm/fk-spartak-moskva/1286952/ - and they're fairly reliable


Who the heck is playing in front of him?
The Brazilian Ari is on the right

[geysir]

Ari struck Spatak's winner.

[AlaskaFox]

Aiden played the midweek cup game too, so is definitely being rested. Ari is usually in the first team anyway, so it's not like he's come in to take Aiden's place.

[Kingdom]

He was suspended. It all makes sense now.....

McGeady was suspended for the weekend victory over Amkar that lifted last season's runners-up to fifth in the Russian Premier League, four points behind leaders Anzhi Makhachkala.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19780101

[Carrigaline]

where did you get the lineup? soccerway don't have him listed here - http://www.soccerway.com/matches/2012/09/29/russia/premier-league/fk-amkar-perm/fk-spartak-moskva/1286952/ - and they're fairly reliable


The Brazilian Ari is on the right
I was sad enough to watch the match. Didn't see Эйден МАКГИДИ on the team sheet.

[Colbert Report]

Best match I've seen all year. Great drama. Fair play to Celtic, the ref was against them the entire match.

[geysir]

I thought the ref had a good game though he shouldn't have needed prompting for the red card offense. MGeady didn't get into his stride but neither did a spunkless Spartak.

[Junior]

Aiden unhappy with the more central role he was asked to play tonight...

http://en.rian.ru/sports/20121002/176366550.html

[Charlie Darwin]

He doesn't seem as baffled as the reporter, to be honest. Trap has asked him to come in at times too, and proposed starting him there I'm almost sure. He's very good at finding space around the middle, though usually when coming off his wing.

[Colbert Report]

I think the central role is where his skills can be showcased the most. We all know that he lacks a consistent quality final ball. In short, his crosses aren't the best. I think he can dazzle with the skill he has and beat one or two men in the middle, then lay the ball off or shot himself.

[Kingdom]

I think the central role is where his skills can be showcased the most. We all know that he lacks a consistent quality final ball. In short, his crosses aren't the best.

Anyone that has watched him for Spartak will know that isn't the case. We don't commit as many bodies into the box,


I think he can dazzle with the skill he has and beat one or two men in the middle, then lay the ball off or shot himself.

Agree, with you here though. In the future, a formation of

-----Generic Midfielder---Generic Midfielder----
McClean-----------McGeady-------------Brady
-------------------Long----------------------

is something I'd like to see.
In Short, I'm an Aiden Fanboy.

[tetsujin1979]

McGeady out for two weeks with foot injury sustained against the Faroes: http://au.eurosport.com/football/champions-league/2010-2011/spartak-moscow-s-aiden-mcgeady-to-miss-benfica-clash_sto3462046/story.shtml

[Crosby87]

So we are down to 0 CL players right? Not nice.

[Stuttgart88]

When's Stokes going to be fit again?!

[CraftyToePoke]

When's Stokes going to be fit again?!

Dec/Jan, I read on here yesterday.

[Charlie Darwin]

No Makgidi as mentioned but Spartak have raced into 1-0 (should be 2-0) lead at home to Benfica. They're also down to their third choice goalkeeper, incidentally.

[Charlie Darwin]

2-1 at half time, Benfica having undeservedly equalised. Benfica look like they don't want to be there, although the cold must be a huge factor.

[DeLorean]

No sign of him in the Spartak squad last night. How long more is he out for does anybody know? He'll surely be fit for Celtic Park on the 5th December. Playing Barca on the 20th November.

[elroy]

I'll be murdered for this, but who thinks Celtic wouldve got the result they got the other night if McGeady was in the team?!?

I dont think they wouldve. McGeady not reliable or disciplined enough from a defensive perspective.

[DeLorean]

I think this side of his game has improved. It's had to under Trap to be fair. It's hard to know though, before Wednesday night I wouldn't have thought Kris Commons would have been capable of such a disciplined defensive performance and I thought he was really immense. There's no doubting that it would have been a kind of game that would go against all of McGeady's natural instincts but Lennon and Celtic obviously put a huge amount of time into perfecting it. I'd imagine if McGeady was a part of that preparation he would have been able to do his bit as well.

[Kingdom]

I'll be murdered for this, but who thinks Celtic wouldve got the result they got the other night if McGeady was in the team?!?

I dont think they wouldve. McGeady not reliable or disciplined enough from a defensive perspective.

Sir, I refer you to the Russia v Ireland game from Sept 2011 where Aiden McGeady played LW and LB.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdzFeVY4_fA

[Yard of Pace]

Yep, McGeady has been immense defensively at times for us. Playing for Celtic you'd imagine he'd have had a licence to just stay forward most of the time...I think he's been great for Ireland (mostly) at adapting to this new role.

[CraftyToePoke]

I wouldn't be that critical of McGeady's defensive contribution/play. He is willing enough on that front. It's his end product at the other end I have given up on ever seeing consistently, or even now and then.

[Fixer82]

I wouldn't be that critical of McGeady's defensive contribution/play. He is willing enough on that front. It's his end product at the other end I have given up on ever seeing consistently, or even now and then.

Couldnt agree more