Goal and assist both last week and today in Aberdeen victories. They've won all 6 matches so far this season, 4 cup, 2 in the league, he's started all of them. Feels like he's finally gotten the right move.
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Goal and assist both last week and today in Aberdeen victories. They've won all 6 matches so far this season, 4 cup, 2 in the league, he's started all of them. Feels like he's finally gotten the right move.
Did you watch any of the games? Tranksfermarkt says he played LM but Livescore is saying RM. Either way I think he'll play either of those positions for us under Hallgrimsson assuming we play 442.
I've only seen the highlights from both games and he scored from the left side in both, also assists were from right footed inswinging corners on the left.Quote:
Originally Posted by JR89
Seems Aberdeen have lost their main striker to Girona, so things might get a little tougher from now on, but looking at their fixtures, they really could win the first 5/6 league games before running in to Celtic.
Gavin Molloy has continued playing every minute of every game so far too. Really handling the step from LOI to SPL well.
You think he'll start or just be an option there?Quote:
Originally Posted by JR89
Playing a run of games in a side doing well, high on confidence should see him around the squad at least. I wasn't sure he'd get caps under the next manager, but he's not doing himself any harm so far. I think he's a good squad option and we probably haven't seen the best of him in an Irish shirt yet. Away in Portugal was the one match that sticks out in my mind that I really remember thinking he can contribute a lot for years going forward. Then he made the awful move to Wigan and hasn't seemed to quite hit those previous heights, until now hopefully.
I think it's more a case that he's playing left of a 3 behind a main striker and drifting centrally when he can.
Think Ogbene has RM locked if he's fit and available. When it comes to LM there's no standout player. When Iceland played 442 believe they had a CM player who played a lot out wide.Quote:
Originally Posted by Olé Olé
Don't know if it was a tactical thing or just Iceland didn't really have anyone to play LM I think it might have been. Have one wide player make it a midfield three with the other natural wide player pushing higher to make it a front three.
He keeps up the good form then don't see why he shouldn't start at LM. Think Knight is another player who could be a wide midfield option for Hallgrimsson if we only play with a midfield two.
Could see a work horse like player start on the left with someone like Johnston to come off the bench. Just need to get away from Celtic as he's been used as a CF this season it seems. Think Hallgrimsson will like someone like Callum ODowda too.
Why so?Quote:
Originally Posted by Acornvilla
Halgrimsson left the Iceland position a full 6 years ago, didn't he?
So is 4-4-2 his preferred formation? Or was that just the most pragmatic deployment of the very slim playing resources available to him at that time?
Did he mostly use this system with Jamaica? It looks like He played with a back three in his last two matches, at least, against Ecuador and Mexico. He did say he wasn't wedded to any particular formation when he was first interviewed, but most managers will have their preferred system.
It seems to me we'll get completely overwhelmed in every match if we play a 1980s-style 4-4-bloody-2 against any, even remotely reasonable international team, in 2024.
It's not even as if we have two central midfielders of exceptional ability. Two peak Roy Keanes playing in there would struggle in today's game. And we looked woefully outnumbered in that area during Kenny's time, in almost every match.
I remember McCarthy saying, when he came in for his second spell back in 2018, that it would be naive to play a 4-4-2, as he had done back during his first spell, in the modern game.
It certainly looked that way under Trap.
With Jamaica it seemed he favoured 442 but did use 3 at the back towards the end of his reign. I wouldn't be surprised to see him stick with that for us, especially if the backroom will be the interim staff.
He'd been struggling to recapture his St. Mirren form and to make the step forward I'd hoped he could, new shiny toys always come along to take your place if you stand still. Thankfully it looks like he's doing the thingQuote:
Originally Posted by JR89
Playing 4-4-2 only really makes sense if the plan is to basically concede midfield out of possession and defend deeper instead and to basically bypass it in attack, either through quick counter attacking play or long ball. It can work, but only in a specific game plan.
I expect we'll play a 4-2-3-1 that can be a 4-5-1 when you're under pressure. but the option to spring a lot of bodies forward on the counter.
Someone like Knight/Mcgrath on the left means they could drop deeper and more centrally to bulk up midfield when needed, someone like Sammy or Troy centrally and Ogbene on the right to stretch things, with Ferguson/Idah at the tip. Hopefully a few more people put their hands up to offer more options and alternatives.
Central midfield is the biggest issue still, and someone to take the left back spot.
I wonder will ogbene be locked in to start at RM, if Mcateer comes onboard?Quote:
Originally Posted by JR89
He has a lot of work to do to displace Chio as things stand imo. Will he even get meaningful game time for Leicester in the PL this season and be able for the step up or get loaned out by Christmas would be my initial thoughts on him and where his career is. I hope he's great, people seem to think highly of him, but he's 22 and has had more or less one good season or half a season at championship level to his name.Quote:
Originally Posted by Diggs246
Quote:
Originally Posted by Acornvilla
He played 26 times last season, is there an indication he wont be playing in the prem?
He was a sub in their last two friendlies, got about 30 mins in each. We'll see, we have no idea if he's good enough yet. I don't know if they're looking to sign more players, but if he gets a chance and doesn't take it, or the team aren't doing well there's no guarantee they'll pin their hopes on him, that's why I don't know if he's going to be playing enough to be in an Ireland squad yet. Lot's of unknowns, we'll find out soon.Quote:
Originally Posted by Diggs246
I actually don't know the stats, but how many of those 26 apps were starts, I think he was injured a bit, and would likely have played more otherwise?
Ive no idea re starts out of the 26 appsQuote:
Originally Posted by Acornvilla
but if this article is to be believed and its a big if tbf , he must be very good
Report: Premier League Clubs Lining Up To Sign Ireland Hopeful | Balls.ie
14 starts in those 26.
So if you take it he was a squad player really last season, then that's the kind of player that might get pushed down the pecking order when a team gets promoted to the Premier.
But then he did have three months out injured in that time and he's only 22, so he could equally kick on this season and challenge for a starting spot more, which would be great. I think Acorn's right in that we'll know by Christmas which way the season is likely to go for him.
Yep that's more than fair
We will know by xmas
Another win and assist today for Jamie
Think we'll see him start on the left in the upcoming window.
Seems to be back to his St. Mirren form/confidence, so why not. No telling how long this Aberdeen streak will go on for, but the fixtures have been very kind to a new setup and they're taking full advantage of it.
Doesn't seem to be many out there playing games and making a claim for it early season. He's probably our most inform forwardish/attacking player with the most match minutes under his belt coming in to the internationals as things stand. Sammy also having a solid goals/minute ratio at a higher level, but far less game time and he'll be central behind a striker you'd imagine. I think Jamie can play both roles, I guess Knight might be his direct competition until Johnston plays some football. I'm probably forgetting someone obvious.
2 assists in a draw v Celtic today, Gav Molloy playing again as well. They're still joint top!
McGrath was excellent but Molloy didn’t great game, or at least made two bad mistakes.
McGrath’s through ball for Aberdeen’s opener was lovely, though made easier by a suicidally loose high line by Celtic. The pass exposed Scales in the middle, with Trusty and Valle both well wide of him and full backs nowhere in sight. Scales made amends a couple of minutes later with a goal saving block tackle. Celtic totally lost the plot for 10-15 mins at this stage.
Aberdeen nearly had a third after a goal was ruled out by VAR for a handball nobody had seen or appealed for in real time, all from a well-delivered corner by McGrath.
Celtic then got a grip on the game again and came really close several times in a crazy 11 minutes of added time. Idah connected well with a corner but headed it straight at the keeper. He also had a header narrowly wide and a header rightly disallowed. Celtic had shots saved and cleared off the line and had a penalty rightly denied as the foul took place about 2 inches outside the box. Really entertaining game.
He's a good SPFL player and on form deserves his squad place with Ireland. But I cannot see him ever making much of a difference. We have too many players who are nearly good enough.
Missed a penalty v Rangers tonight, but they still won 2-1. That's a pretty huge result. Celtic in the cup next. I assumed their season might tail off right about now with playing Celtic x2 and Rangers in quick succession between league and cup, but so far so good!
Lost 6! 6-0 to Celtic in the cup today. A real statement result there. Didn't see the game, but the 2 lads started as usual. Scales and Idah also got on for the last while when the game was more than over.
Be interesting to see how Aberdeen react to this, some winnable games up next in the league or is this where it all goes wrong?
An amazing change in Aberdeen's fortunes lately - after starting the season with 16 wins and a draw (away to Celtic) in their first 17 games in all competitions, they bounced back from the 6-0 defeat in the previous post to win 4-1 against Dundee, but since then it's three points in eight games, and they're losing at home to Ross County this afternoon.
A bit of regression to mean from that great start was always to be expected - but not quite that bad!
Going to be out for a few months with a shoulder injury
https://www.afc.co.uk/2025/01/24/inj...jamie-mcgrath/
Has signed a pre contract with Hibs ahead of a summer move.
I always thought that you could only sign a pre contract agreement with a club outside of the country? Is that a thing of the past or am I remembering it wrong?Quote:
Originally Posted by Eirambler
that's a premier league / football league specific thing afaik...Quote:
Originally Posted by Razors left peg
I must have played too much in the English leagues on Championship manager so :)Quote:
Originally Posted by elatedscum
there's a date in May after which an english club can approach another team's player, it's also the time where an u24 has to be offered an extension, which entitles the club to compensation if he leaves on a free (everton famously lost out on £4m by not offering him an extension in writing by the date, just a verbal offer).
i think it's pretty common in other countries that deals are agreed around this time of year within the league. can remember examples up north, in scotland, germany, spain, italy. i saw this article a month ago which portrayed the north are some kind of outlier but you only have to think about Lewandowski's transfer from Dortmund to Bayern (signed January 4th) to have an obvious example of what's the norm
Bit of a strange move, no? Not sure if it even is sideways.
Looking like SPL is his ceiling.
Pre-contracts are common in Scotland anyway. Hibs offered him a four year contract which Aberdeen couldn't match, so he's going to Edinburgh. Not a bad city to move to in fairness.
McGrath is a strange one, has always looked really good in Scotland, hasn't looked out of place in his Ireland caps, yet doesn't seem to be able to hack it at any sort of decent level in England. Have to say as a Hibs fan I'm delighted with the signing though - we usually sign complete crap.
It's a 4 year deal that sees him through until he's almost 33. That might explain it.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
Exactly this, at this stage of his career he knows hes not going to play for Real Madrid and its about getting job security for few years. Fair play to himQuote:
Originally Posted by Olé Olé
McGrath finds himself in an unusual situation at the end of the Scottish season. He has signed a pre-contract at Hibs and will join them this summer from his current club, Aberdeen. Hibs finished third in the league and as things stand will be playing group stage European football next season. So far, so good for Jamie.
However, the one thing that can stop that happening now is if his current club, Aberdeen, who finished down in fifth, beat Celtic in the Scottish Cup Final next weekend. If that happens they will take the guaranteed group stage spot away from Hibs. McGrath is highly likely to be playing in that game, his last for Aberdeen. Celtic will start as red hot favourites, but there is a possibility that McGrath could end up denying himself a European run if he plays well for Aberdeen next weekend.