SPL Discussion Thread

**FootballsKing** · 19/09/2006, 11:19 PM

yeah it was essentially a second string team from what i saw which was only a few moments. sno, o'dea and balde all played

**Stuttgart88** · 20/09/2006, 8:54 AM

Any comment on O'Dea's performance?

By all accounts Anthony Stokes was excellent for Falkirk last night. Good goal too I read.

**Delbertt** · 20/09/2006, 10:30 AM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Any comment on O'Dea's performance?

O'Dea played very well lastnite was very impressed with him at left back, i think i would have picked him or sno for motm, McGeady changed things when he came on second half nd played very well also

**RogerMilla** · 20/09/2006, 10:31 AM

o dea looks a very assured player but a bit slow , most likely he will be a centre half rather than a full back , sno was excellent

**Junior** · 20/09/2006, 10:40 AM

Didn't see the game.

Sno - Got the Celticfc.net MOTM
O'Dea - "looked assured at left back" but by the sounds of things didn't have a great deal to do.
Mcgeady - Come on for the 2nd 45 and seems like he created a few opportunities, though held on to the ball for too long on a few other occasions.

**eirebhoy** · 20/09/2006, 11:19 AM

O'Dea was put through a few test last night.

Distribution - He did seem to hump it up the pitch a few times but he did put in a few decent crosses. When he kept it short he always took the right choice and looked very comfortable on the ball.

Defending - St.Mirren had a proper winger on O'Dea's side who didn't really get much of the ball. He ran at O'Dea once trying to trick him and O'Dea easily dispossessed him, leaving the St.Mirren player look like a fool.

Pace - A St.Mirren player ran down the byeline once and O'Dea's lack of pace was really shown up. He had to cut inside to get the ball off the Mirren player as if he ran right towards him he wouldn't have catched him.

Overall a decent performance but definitely lacks pace to be a left back. Might have a future at centre half though which is his position anyway.

**OwlsFan** · 20/09/2006, 12:38 PM

Centre-halves need pace these days as well. The days of being up against lumbering centre-forwards are mostly gone and most forwards now are pacey.

McGeady did well but does overdo it on occasions.

**eirebhoy** · 20/09/2006, 1:32 PM

I actually didn't think McGeady was too impressive when he came on. He could have beaten that left back all day as he was rubbish but he was back to the McGeady from last season. Choosing the wrong options, under or overhitting passes, getting caught in possession, etc. In saying that, he did change a dull match when he came on.

**tetsujin1979** · 20/09/2006, 2:26 PM

Thought McGeady's best moment came from a set play, the ball was played to him from a corner on the right, and he rifled in a low shot that went just wide of the post. Other than that he was average.
O'Dea was solid, but lacked pace. Thought he did well on the overlap a few times, but this left the left side of defence exposed.
Slightly off topic, why were the commentators pronouncing it O-Day? I went to school with a bloke called O'Dea who pronounced it O-Dee

**OwlsFan** · 21/09/2006, 6:50 AM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Slightly off topic, why were the commentators pronouncing it O-Day? I went to school with a bloke called O'Dea who pronounced it O-Dee

Yeh like Cahill is K-hill, McGrath is Ma-Grat, Kinsella is Kin-SELA, Moran is Mor-ran etc etc

**RogerMilla** · 21/09/2006, 8:56 AM

anyway roll on the game against scotlands third power on saturday
i predict 3-0 celtic

**Stuttgart88** · 25/09/2006, 8:05 AM

Again, couldn't see anything of OF game. No Setanta and missed all news bulletins. Saw Miller's goal on youtube.com. Neat finish but build up was all about McGeady. Papers say McGeady was excellent.

Anyone care to expand?

**drinkfeckarse** · 25/09/2006, 8:50 AM

Had a game myself so only saw a little bit of it. Missed the first half but saw 20 odd minutes of the 2nd half and during that time Rangers were the better team although you could say for all their possesion they didn't hurt Celtic a lot.

In that time I saw Boyd hit the crossbar and Prso had a header cleared off the line so on another day it could've been 2-2.

At 1-0 Strachan took Nakamura off and replaced him with Sno which suggested he was content to try to hold on to the lead (something that I hate to see) and Millers goal seemed to me to have caught Rangers on the break.

Still, I wasn't complaining

**Junior** · 25/09/2006, 9:54 AM

First Half Celtic were by far the better team.

A Lennon cross, a great header from McGeady which was well saved, Graveson knocking in the rebound. Aiden also had a 25yrd drive that clipped the crossbar.

First 20mins of 2nd half, Rangers were the more dominant but Celtic rode their luck a little and Miller scored the 2nd at the perfect time, to kill the game off. Mcgeady ran with the ball for about 40 yrds and slipped a slide rule pass beyond the fullback, Miller slotted it home.

I didn't think it was a great match tbh, but very happy with the result. Rangers are a poor side, huffed and puffed but I didn't think the result was in any doubt.

It was a poor day for Rangers, they lost, Miller scored and Lennon/McGeady (depending who you go with) got MOTM!!!

Lennon was superb yesterday and deserved MOTM IMO. Just goes to show, I thought he was poor against Man U, off the pace, but yesterday he was excellent, winning and keeping the ball, something that Graveson needs to get up to speed with doing!!

Atmosphere was pretty decent, and a long days drinking finished off with a kebab brought a great Saturday to an end

**geysir** · 25/09/2006, 7:20 PM

Junior, maybe you were a wee bit harsh on Lennon against Man U.

Is this the first choice starting midfield: Nakamura, Lennon, Graveson and McGeady ?
Could Jarosik not do a fill in job at RB or is Telfer bearing up ?
I'm really looking forward to the CL game at CP, it's been a long time coming.

**Junior** · 25/09/2006, 10:58 PM

Thats the starting Midfield alright. Maloney is fit again and was our player of the year last year so he will be chomping at the bit to get a first 11 spot. Miller has now got off the mark with his first goal and obviously Zurawski wants a starting place to partner J VoH. Jarosik is more of an attacking midfielder, so I've never thought of him filling in at RB, can't see it to be honest. Balde is fit again, not sure if Mcmanus (he has played leftback) or Caldwell could play out at RB?? they couldn't do any worse than Telfer thats for sure.

Telfer it is at RB then Im afraid. The distribution by both fullbacks (Naylor as well) on Sat was awful and that will have to improve, we saw what giving the ball away easily can do against Man U.

Nakamura is real quality, but does have a tendency to go missing in games, hopefully at CP he should be productive, but Copenhagen will be tough, no nonsense type players, it will be interesting to see how he copes with that sort of attention. Attackwise though, we have plenty of options and Im really looking forward to McGeady shining on the back of his great performance on Sat and not so good one at OT.

Its a sell out and should be a great atmosphere. Fingers crossed its 3 points on the board....

**drinkfeckarse** · 26/09/2006, 8:07 AM

I think Caldwell might go to right back myself with Bobo coming in alongside "Mick"

**RogerMilla** · 26/09/2006, 9:15 AM

drinkfeck , that would be a great answer to copenhagens physicality, i hope he goes with that and drops telfer.

**Plastic Paddy** · 26/09/2006, 9:58 AM

Doubt it. Telfer is one of WGS's tried-and-trusted types (although Christ only knows what he sees in him) and so it's unlikely he'll make way. Strachan has used Caldwell as a centre-half only so far this season and IMO will be unlikely to switch him away from this role in something as high-stakes as a CL game. I thought he might have tried it in last weekend's stroll-a-thon instead...

PP