O'Dea starts for Celtic

**eirebhoy** · 03/12/2007, 2:26 PM

Originally Posted by elroy

Having said that Don G played 433 that night against arguably one of the best U21 sides in Europe.

And our 3 midfielders were attack minded too. Crazy team selection. On the ball though I really thought we were better than England in the first half.

Originally Posted by irishfan86

Yeah I remember him barking at Balde when he played his first game in the Champions League.....I was thinking, who's the veteran centre half here?

Yeah he also captains Celtic reserves which usually contains 3 or 4 senior players.

**scottish_bohs** · 03/12/2007, 3:37 PM

Originally Posted by Junior

It was really Naylors injury at LB that created the opening for Odea. Pressley has stepped in to the CB role and Id imagine he is ahead of O'Dea in the pecking order for that position

Yeah, that's spot on. I'd imagine Pressley will partner McManus for the forthcoming games. The vast majority of Celtic fans back home would rather O'Dea was given a go rather than Pressley though. I agree too. He's a great talent and deserves to be given a go at either centre back or left back. Strachan is very stuck in his ways though so as soon as Naylor is fit again O'Dea will no doubt be back on the bench.

**sligobhoy67** · 05/12/2007, 9:35 AM

I reckon O'Dea was Celtics best performer are the San Siro.

McGeady had a great first half but O'Dea shone throughout

**drinkfeckarse** · 05/12/2007, 9:56 AM

I only saw the first half but he certainly didn't let himself down in that. He looked comfortable and composed without being brilliant.

**scottish_bohs** · 05/12/2007, 9:58 AM

I thought he was excellent last night. A little nervous at the start perhaps but he was composed throughout and didn't really put a foot wrong. Not frightened to have the ball at his feet either. Hard to believe he's so young with a mature performance like that.

**sligobhoy67** · 06/12/2007, 11:14 PM

Originally Posted by scottish_bohs

I thought he was excellent last night. A little nervous at the start perhaps but he was composed throughout and didn't really put a foot wrong. Not frightened to have the ball at his feet either. Hard to believe he's so young with a mature performance like that.

wouldnt disagree with that - especially out of position. I'd be happy to see him keep his place tbh

**eirebhoy** · 11/12/2007, 9:55 PM

O'Dea was dropped for tonights match in place of the attacking Conroy (for his Celtic debut). Strachan said after the match that he noticed the full backs had been getting a lot of the ball recently and there wasn't a lot of creativity coming from Caldwell and O'Dea. In Strachan's words: "I decided to leave Darren out cos he's gonna be a terrific centre half". So obviously he rates him as a central defender which you'd be starting to doubt considering the lack of game time he's getting there.

**irishfan86** · 11/12/2007, 10:17 PM

Originally Posted by eirebhoy

O'Dea was dropped for tonights match in place of the attacking Conroy (for his Celtic debut). Strachan said after the match that he noticed the full backs had been getting a lot of the ball recently and there wasn't a lot of creativity coming from Caldwell and O'Dea. In Strachan's words: "I decided to leave Darren out cos he's gonna be a terrific centre half". So obviously he rates him as a central defender which you'd be starting to doubt considering the lack of game time he's getting there.

In fairness I think any young defender would struggle to get in ahead of McManus and Pressley.....Caldwell is also good by SPL standards.

The fact that Celtic defenders rarely have much to deal with in the SPL also means their places are fairly secure- an EPL defender wouldn't have that safety week in and week out; if he has a nightmare he's going to get dropped and someone else is going to slot in, end of.

**therock67** · 11/12/2007, 10:20 PM

Pressley came off injured tonight - so maybe O'Dea will get a run now.

**drummerboy** · 12/12/2007, 8:33 AM

Think O'Dea should be looking to go on load to a championship side until Celtic are ready to play him regularly. He will not improve playing in Celtic reserves.

**tetsujin1979** · 12/12/2007, 9:31 AM

Originally Posted by drummerboy

Think O'Dea should be looking to go on load to a championship side until Celtic are ready to play him regularly. He will not improve playing in Celtic reserves.

Or on the bench.

**dr_peepee** · 12/12/2007, 12:04 PM

All true.... But I worry. Wasn't too long ago Anderson was regarded as one of the best centre half's in Scotland, and McShane was getting in ahead of him at Sunderland. I know he's young, but if O'Dea gonna be an asset to Ireland and dare i say the answer to who best to partner Dunne, he's got to be able to usurp players better than Pressley. Admittedly I don't watch much SPL, but would i be right in saying that given the standard of some of the oppostion, there's ample opportunity to blood a young centre half if he's got 'the potential'???

**EAFC_rdfl** · 12/12/2007, 12:23 PM

Dr peepee you would be right enough alright and other managers (eg ferguson, wenger etc) would probably be blooding him by now, but there are 2 reasons why this won't happen:

Strachan consistently doesn't change the team if possible, especially when doing well. Take last nights game, I was expecting a number of changes but the only one was Conroy in for O'Dea, other managers would have rested McGeady for Riordan, JVOH for Killen for example.
2nd point is that Strachan wil not play two left-footed centre backs together. McManus is no 1 CB so O'dea's chances could be limited.

on the plus side Strachan said after lastnights game that he sees O'Dea as a future centre back & wants to limit the amount of time he spends at full back

**SuperDave** · 12/12/2007, 1:14 PM

Originally Posted by irishfan86

In fairness I think any young defender would struggle to get in ahead of McManus and Pressley.....Caldwell is also good by SPL standards.

The fact that Celtic defenders rarely have much to deal with in the SPL also means their places are fairly secure- an EPL defender wouldn't have that safety week in and week out; if he has a nightmare he's going to get dropped and someone else is going to slot in, end of.

the same spl where the celts haven't kept an away clean sheet (excluding the cup final) for 14 months?

**scottish_bohs** · 12/12/2007, 1:37 PM

I was surprised to see O'Dea dropepd in favour of Conroy last night. O'Dea did ok when he came on for Pressley though.

As an aside, Falkirk had Moutinho on the right flank, so i think Strachan was also trying to eliminate his threat by playing a quicker player at left back than O'Dea. Conroy's natural position is apparently left wing.

Glad to hear Strachan sees O'Dea as CB though, rather than a left-back as his attempts at converting players into left backs have been awful (wallace, wilson) and i'd rather he simply went out and bought an out and out left back to cover Naylor, or dipped in to the youth system.

**eirebhoy** · 12/12/2007, 4:09 PM

Originally Posted by EAFC_rdfl

other managers would have rested McGeady for Riordan...

I don't know about that. Celtic's most in form player in a crucial match?

**irishfan86** · 12/12/2007, 9:38 PM

Originally Posted by SuperDave

the same spl where the celts haven't kept an away clean sheet (excluding the cup final) for 14 months?

I don't know if you watch the games, but most of those goals are the rare counter-attack goal.

Celtic dominates every game they play in the SPL, but in any league, the home team is always going to get a couple of chances.

**EAFC_rdfl** · 13/12/2007, 8:54 AM

Originally Posted by irishfan86

I don't know if you watch the games, but most of those goals are the rare counter-attack goal.

Celtic dominates every game they play in the SPL, but in any league, the home team is always going to get a couple of chances.

had the same argument not so long ago

http://foot.ie/showthread.php?p=832637#post832637

**SuperDave** · 13/12/2007, 10:49 AM

Originally Posted by irishfan86

I don't know if you watch the games, but most of those goals are the rare counter-attack goal.

Celtic dominates every game they play in the SPL, but in any league, the home team is always going to get a couple of chances.

the trick is not letting them score from those couple of chances, or restricting counter attacks with, say, speedy, or even positionally aware, defenders.