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Falkirk have the worst away defensive record in the SP, if it was a Champions league match I would have been more impressed. Second goal was off target before it got a deflection, apart from that he seemed to have a good game.
But to put things in perspective, Stokes scored 3 hatricks for Falkirk, didn't find it so easy in the Championship though.
I watched it on a dodgy stream with no sound and couldn't really tell you how either did. McManus was booked for hacking down Barrett though which isn't like McManus. It's good to have Cregg involved in the one touch passing football Falkirk play. He seems to be their workhorse.Quote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
Nah I'd rather the hattrick against Falkirk. ;) Fair enough, Falkirk have a rubbish defence. I'm just delighted that McGeady is scoring a few goals. Regardless of the opposition, he's clearly improving a lot all the time.Quote:
Originally Posted by tricky_colour
The 2nd goal looks well on target to me. Look at the angle from behind the goal.
Saw the first half tets, then had to pop along to rodrigo y gabriella. Barrett seems to be settling in nicely there, forming a partnership with higgin(???) who seemed to be their most quality striker before Barrett came back. On a good run now, looks powerful. Glad for him as he must be 26/27 at this stage? Brutal luck with injuries.
Cregg, well the bairns fans appreciate him as far as I know, and he's foraging some sort of a career for himself up here, but he's a clogger from what I've seen, well suited to the league and can compensate for lack of natural quality.
All the best to the lad, not a bottler by any stretch...
Great game again from aiden, Falkirk* though to be fair. Not a part time side I hasten to add!!! Serious lack of respect for the scottish game in Ireland again on foot. :confused:
*should be on spl thread i know, but fair play Falkirk. A great little side playing football a positive way. Saw a Graham Barrett article earlier today somewhere praising their set-up. Anyone who watches the league will know about their style. St Mirren do a Rangers on Saturday an snatch a point, Falkirk play football tonight and get humped(scoreline wise). Know who I respect more. :ball:
Stokes wasn't doing it in the Champions League as well at the time though.Quote:
Originally Posted by tricky_colour
McGeady never has been and never will be the tricksy dicksy winger people seem to think he is, doing countless stepovers and flicks and never getting anywhere. He is a skillful player playing wide in a system designed for interaction between the front two and the central mids (and fullbacks:eek:) in and around the box. By no means a bit-of-skill-down-the-line-and-horse-it-in-merchant. He has had end product since 2004 but decision making (learning the game?) has let him down previously. I still think his shot is seriously weak though, but at least now a few are hitting the target.Quote:
Originally Posted by DmanDmythDledge
I saw a compilation of Ronaldo's Utd goals on polsat tonight. what a cracking amount he's scored and I never really realised. If McGeady gets near that standard I'd be delighted.
I thought at the start of this season that United would struggle because there's no way they would get as many goals from Ronaldo as last year and so many of them were crucial. Looks like that's a prediction that's way off the mark!Quote:
Originally Posted by Bottle of Tonic
Aidan McGeady thread?? :confused:Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
fed up coming on here to see people slating the SPL, Celtic and one of our own McGeady, hes still very young and learning, why can't people just appreciate him for what he is. When I saw last night he got a hat-trick I thought - ok maybe now people over here will acknowledge he's improving. how wrong I was :(:(
Simple really. A while back Artur Boruc compared McGeady to Ronaldo and DeManDeMyth recently added further comparison to the two. The bloke above said he didn't realise Ronaldo got so many goals and I responded to that.Quote:
Originally Posted by EAFC_rdfl
Agree with the "why don't we just appreciate him for what he is?" query. The guy's clearly good and clearly improving. Good for him and hopefully good for us.
Always a joy to see him cut in from the wing and have a go as most of his goals seem to be like that. His passing has improved a huge amount too, especially his long range passes which were excellent against Falkirk.
I'm looking forward to seeing the lad start over fresh with Ireland under a manager who knows what he's talking about.
Actually, just on Cristiano Ronaldo. His goals ratio is incredible at the minute but what would be a typical Ronaldo "assist"? He doesn't seem to try too many through balls, crosses, long balls. Off the top of my head it's usually beat a player or two, get into the danger zone and lay a goal on a plate with a basic short pass. I'd like to see more of that from McGeady. if he beats a player he usually wants to get the ball into the box asap. In saying that, I think his through balls are very good.
A few words we'll all be happy to hear:
“It wasn't one of my best performances but in terms of end product I can't argue with three goals. That's my first senior hat-trick and it makes it extra special.
I'll probably never have another game like that in my life with three goals from three chances. Normally my finishing is not the best part of my game but everything I hit seemed to go in.
“I think there is a different side to my game now and I'm adding goals and assists. It's good to be seeing the fruits of my labour.
Any time I play I'm relied on to create or score. The onus was on Shunsuke Nakamura last season but he is out of the team and it has shifted to me. I'm thriving on that.
You are always going to have doubters, but I hope I've silenced a few who say I've no end product. I still have a long way to go though. Three goals does not paper over all of the cracks and I still have loads to work on.”
His attitude is really pleasing. Appears to have his head screwed on and is willing to put in the work. See Derek Riordan for an opposite example, or perhaps our own Stokes (though I don't this for sure).
Probably the most important attribute for a young player.
Good luck to him. I'd like to see him strengthen up a little bit, maybe more weights work for his upper body? - whenever he plays for Ireland he seems to get knocked off the ball too easily but the fella has great ability and could be one of our main men in the next world cup campaign. I know Strachan has been trying to work on his end product and by all accounts this is paying dividends for Celtic this season.
What would you Celtic fans say his best position is? Is he better on the wings or would you use him in a free role?
I still think atm left midfield is his best position with the freedom to drift inside. He could play as a 2nd striker but I don't think he's ready for a free role just yet.
I say keep him on the right wing, he'll go all day & now that the end product has started to appear there should be plenty of crosses from him for JVOH to miss :mad:!!! He's well able to get to the by line as the Shaktar game for example showed when he pulled back for massimos goal.
Strachan was asked if he had considered playing 3 at the back because the full backs are all injured. His reply seemed to focus on McGeady.Quote:
Originally Posted by shakermaker1982
"You would have to have two wing-backs. Who is going to do that? Is Aiden going to be a wing-back?
"You would need three in the middle of the park. Is Aiden going to play in the middle of the park?
"That's the problem. We don't have wing-backs as such. And your system is built around your best players. Maybe if we had top, top wing-backs, perhaps it would be an option.
"But where then do you play Aiden? Off the front? He's not as good there as he is playing in an attacking wide position."
Really seems to be building his team around McGeady from that answer. Its good for him I suppose but surely its a little bit premature, I've been massively impressed by McGeady this season but give it a few more months before you start making him the fulcrum of the team, the lad is flying now, why put extra pressue on just yet?
I don't think it's premature- his performances recently would force any manager to build his team around him.Quote:
Originally Posted by shanekerins
I can see the logic but he has had good spells before (although nowhere near as good and as consistent as this one) and drifted back again. Maybe he will respond well to the extra responsibility, but maybe putting extra pressure on him in front of 60,000 people to carry the team at the age of 21 is a bit too much too soon. McGeady ain't broke, why fix him?
That said, I get the feeling Strachan knows what he is doing up there, and believe me when I say I would love to be proved wrong!