Aiden McGeady M Ayr Utd b.1986

[eirebhoy]

He was making his mark though. If you look back a few pages he was miles ahead of anyone in the Celtic fans polls for man of the match. Only last week week did Nakamura finally catch him and Naka has started about 6 or 7 more games than him.

99% of Celtic fans would have him in the starting lineup on Sunday. He has been really superb this season and also set up about 8 or 9 goals. We don't know the reasons Strachan has decided to go with Maloney but I would be suprised if this contract situation had nothing to do with it. Not to mention the fact that Maloney is superb.

youngirish - I love the way you insist on slating the SPL at every opportunity yet have nothing against Championship players. When you knew Stokes was on trial at Sunderland you listed him in the players to look out for. As soon as he joins Falkirk you write him off. Fair enough, the SPL may be weaker than the Championship but believe me, it's no tougher to judge a player's ability playing for Celtic than to judge a premiership player. I certainly find that the case, you may ignore it thinking I'm biased. Put it this way, can anyone say that one of Celtic's best players ever constantly failed to perform against the best in Europe?

Liam Miller joined Man Utd based on a months performances against Rangers, Hearts, Anderlecht and Lyon. That really is all. He started about 10-15 games when he signed that contract with United.

Why constantly ignore the points I make? Maybe I sound too biased? I'd be very happy if McGeady stayed at Celtic for the rest of his career. He certainly doesn't need to be playing in the premiership to fill his potential and the history of SPL players has shown that.

[youngirish]

youngirish - I love the way you insist on slating the SPL at every opportunity yet have nothing against Championship players. When you knew Stokes was on trial at Sunderland you listed him in the players to look out for. As soon as he joins Falkirk you write him off. Fair enough, the SPL may be weaker than the Championship but believe me, it's no tougher to judge a player's ability playing for Celtic than to judge a premiership player. I certainly find that the case, you may ignore it thinking I'm biased. Put it this way, can anyone say that one of Celtic's best players ever constantly failed to perform against the best in Europe?

I slag it cause it's sh*te. No other reason. If yo've any doubt just look at the quality of players who play week in week out in it. Even some of those players for the so called big two would not set the world alight in the Championship.

If McGeady wants to be a top player and has as much talent as he's been hyped up to have, he needs to be playing week in and week out at a decent level - not prancing about looking good against Dunfermiline and Falkirk defenders. If that's the quality of opposition he's accostomed to it makes it very hard for him to be rolled on for Ireland every two or three months to adjust and play his part in games against top class opposition.

I only care about Ireland and if McGeady is MOTM for Celtic in all the games he plays against Motherwell and Aberdeen etc this season but can't get a game or turn it on against decent opposition like United then I don't give a s*it. It'll just show that he's no use to us and unfortunately only another squad filler.

P.S. I'd still have much preferred Stokes to get a loan move to the Championship. Unfortunately it doesn't really seem to matter much many goals he scores for Falkirk. If he'd scored half as many in the Championship by now he'd be the most sought after young player in England and that's the cold hard facts.

[tetsujin1979]

If he'd scored half as many in the Championship by now he'd be the most sought after young player in England and that's the cold hard facts.

Stokes has scored 12 goals this season in Scotland.
Half of 12 is six.
The following strikers have scored 6 (or more) goals in the Championship this season
Chopra Cardiff City
Earnshaw Norwich City
Rasiak Southampton
Eastwood Southend United
Gray Burnley
Vine Luton Town
Kamara West Bromwich Albion
Cureton Colchester United
Lee Ipswich Town
Howard Derby County
Hume Leicester City

Of these, only Eastwood has been linked with a move to the Premiership, those are the cold hard facts

[eirebhoy]

If McGeady wants to be a top player and has as much talent as he's been hyped up to have, he needs to be playing week in and week out at a decent level - not prancing about looking good against Dunfermiline and Falkirk defenders.

No he doesn't. I don't see what makes you believe this. There has been dozens of international quality players in the SPL in recent years.

P.S. I'd still have much preferred Stokes to get a loan move to the Championship. Unfortunately it doesn't really seem to matter much many goals he scores for Falkirk. If he'd scored half as many in the Championship by now he'd be the most sought after young player in England and that's the cold hard facts.

I think this paragraph sums up your bias against the SPL. I've no problem with people stating the reality, that the SPL is a poor league but in your case it's mainly bias for some reason.

[youngirish]

Stokes has scored 12 goals this season in Scotland.
Half of 12 is six.
The following strikers have scored 6 (or more) goals in the Championship this season
Chopra Cardiff City
Earnshaw Norwich City
Rasiak Southampton
Eastwood Southend United
Gray Burnley
Vine Luton Town
Kamara West Bromwich Albion
Cureton Colchester United
Lee Ipswich Town
Howard Derby County
Hume Leicester City

Of these, only Eastwood has been linked with a move to the Premiership, those are the cold hard facts

Vine is also linked with a move to the Premiership if you must know.

Nearly all the others are journeymen strikers anyway some of which have already tried their luck at higher levels (Gray, Earnshaw, Chopra) and not looked too hot. None are an 18 year old striker in their first season. Walcott moved for 10 or 11 mill last year and was a similar age to Stokes scoring less goals per game so look to that if you want a comparison. Fact.

[eirebhoy]

Vine is also linked with a move to the Premiership if you must know.

Nearly all the others are journeymen strikers anyway some of which have already tried their luck at higher levels (Gray, Earnshaw, Chopra) and not looked too hot. None are an 18 year old striker in their first season. Walcott moved for 10 or 11 mill last year and was a similar age to Stokes scoring less goals per game so look to that if you want a comparison. Fact.

Stokes has been linked with many premiership clubs. Lupoli has scored half as many goals as Stokes and he's certainly not "the most sought after young player in England".

Can't we just celebrate the number of decent number of young lads coming through and be happy?

Exactly.

[republicofwhite]

McGeady has got MOTM in a few Old Firms and Against AC Milan...Far Superior to just Motherwell and Aberdeen. I think people's view is also coloured by one of his only poor performances this season against United in a high profile match in the CL. This was unfortunate. He has ridiculous technical ability, probably more so that anyone else in the Irish squad. Has a lot more to offer than Kilbane, can unlock defences and is still only 21.
December 2004 - SPL Player of the Month
Season 2004/05 - Celtic Young Player of the Year
November 2005 - SPL Young Player of the Month
Season 2005/06 - Celtic Young Player of the Year
August 2006 - SPL Young Player of the Month
Consistency? Too good for the SPL perhaps? Either way, he's doing very well and is definitely a player we should not take for granted.

[republicofwhite]

I slag it cause it's sh*te. No other reason. If yo've any doubt just look at the quality of players who play week in week out in it. Even some of those players for the so called big two would not set the world alight in the Championship.

If McGeady wants to be a top player and has as much talent as he's been hyped up to have, he needs to be playing week in and week out at a decent level - not prancing about looking good against Dunfermiline and Falkirk defenders. If that's the quality of opposition he's accostomed to it makes it very hard for him to be rolled on for Ireland every two or three months to adjust and play his part in games against top class opposition.

I only care about Ireland and if McGeady is MOTM for Celtic in all the games he plays against Motherwell and Aberdeen etc this season but can't get a game or turn it on against decent opposition like United then I don't give a s*it. It'll just show that he's no use to us and unfortunately only another squad filler.

P.S. I'd still have much preferred Stokes to get a loan move to the Championship. Unfortunately it doesn't really seem to matter much many goals he scores for Falkirk. If he'd scored half as many in the Championship by now he'd be the most sought after young player in England and that's the cold hard facts.

My Above post is In response to that post by youngirish by the way... Quoting it wouldn't work for some reason... Gremlins, you know yourself

[geysir]

McGeady.... is still only 21.
Season 2004/05 - Celtic Young Player of the Year
November 2005 - SPL Young Player of the Month
Season 2005/06 - Celtic Young Player of the Year
August 2006 - SPL Young Player of the Month

I hope that now he's too old for another one of those young player awards.

[eirebhoy]

He also got young player of the month for September. Stokes won the October award so it's all Irish so far this season.

[geysir]

Must be time for McGeady to be called a man.

[eirebhoy]

Latest McGeady press conference:
mms://channel67.celticfc.net/ondem/2...1-24_AM_PC.wmv

and his latest icons diary entry:

We've qualified!
Friday 24th November 2006

I thought we were outplayed for most of the game against Manchester United in the Champions League on Tuesday evening. The main thing was the result, the 1-0 victory that put us through to the last 16 for the first time. At first, I just thought it was a great result but then in the dressing room a few people said we were through and that was excellent news.

Although the performance was not great, the main thing for the players in a match like that is the result. We could have played really well, as we did away to Manchester United, and lost and not made it through. In such a situation playing well on the night would have been of little consolation.

When I saw Naka lining up to take the free-kick, I thought it was pretty far out but he’s done things like that before so nobody was really surprised when he scored. He’s got a great technique and he does practice it quite a lot - but a lot of it is natural ability as well.

I didn’t see the penalty so I don’t really know whether it was fair or not and Shaun hasn’t said much about it.

It’s great to be part of the Celtic team that's made history by getting through to the second stage of the Champions League for the first time. It’s impossible to say how much further we will go in the competition but it is just fantastic to have that platform. We have beaten Manchester United and other top-class teams in Europe so that shows we could possibly go on and do well against similar opposition. It depends on which team we are drawn against and how we perform against them on the day but we must have a chance.

I don’t really have a particular preference as to which club I would like us to meet in the last 16 although Real Madrid would be a nice one. I’m not too fussy - just being involved is wonderful and ensures there are two great games in Europe coming up for us after Christmas.

On Sunday we travel to Edinburgh to play Hibernian, who have a new manager in John Collins. I was a big fan of John Collins when I was a young Celtic supporter. He was a player I always looked up to and he did great things in a Celtic shirt . He was my favourite Celtic player when I was growing up. We weren’t doing particularly well as a club when John was here in the early to mid-1990s, Rangers were dominating and winning the League every year, but John and Paul McStay were the two Celts who lit up the gloom for me more than any others.

John was a good passer and had the ability to go past players as well. He was decent at free-kicks too; I remember two superb goals scored by him from free-kicks against Rangers at Ibrox; in consecutive seasons . Both were extremely similar - one was scored at the end of one season and the other at the start of the following season. He is remembered well at Celtic Park for those moments.

He has been doing well since taking over as Hibernian manager. He has maybe added a wee bit of consistency to the Hibs team, which is perhaps something that they were looking for. I always like playing at Easter Road - they are always good, open games. John’s management may add an extra edge and competitiveness to Hibs that would make them powerful challengers to us but it’s not really my concern whether there are more and better challengers to us - my only concern is that we keep being better than the competition and keep winning.

[co. down green]

McGeady sounds like he will look at other options , if he fails to gain regular first team football at Celtic.


Midfielder Aiden McGeady admits a lack of first-team action could jeopardise future contract talks with Celtic.

The 20-year-old Ireland international has 18 months of his present deal to run and is currently losing his battle with Shaun Maloney for the left midfield position.

However, both were left out of the starting line-up for the dramatic Champions League win over Manchester United which sent Celtic through to the knockout stages of the competition for the first time.

McGeady's disappointment at watching yet another huge match at Celtic Park from the sidelines could affect his future career plans.

"I'm in competition with Shaun for a place on the left-hand side of midfield," he said. "I think we were both surprised when the team was read out for the United game.

"I'd been looking forward to the game because I thought I might play.

"Not getting a regular game could have a bearing on my contract talks because I can't commit myself to a long-term deal if I can't get a game.

"I feel I should be getting more time on the pitch.

"But all I can do is play as well as I can in training and hope that's good enough to get me a game.

"I was happy as anybody that the side beat Manchester United and made the last 16 in the Champions League, but to not get on the park was a disappointment."

[tetsujin1979]

Excellent article in today's Times about McGeady, if someone could post it here

[eirebhoy]

McGeady sounds like he will look at other options , if he fails to gain regular first team football at Celtic.

Don't mind that. You can see from the above press conference that he's happy. Those quotes are from the Daily Record and they just want to create something out of nothing as usual.

[eirebhoy]

He played well when he came on today and earned Celtic a point with a good goal. He'll surely start next week and we'll see if he can keep his place in the team for a while.

[eirebhoy]

Excellent article in today's Times about McGeady, if someone could post it here

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...3-2471919.html

[Qwerty]

Vine is also linked with a move to the Premiership if you must know.

Nearly all the others are journeymen strikers anyway some of which have already tried their luck at higher levels (Gray, Earnshaw, Chopra) and not looked too hot. None are an 18 year old striker in their first season. Walcott moved for 10 or 11 mill last year and was a similar age to Stokes scoring less goals per game so look to that if you want a comparison. Fact.

This is all nonsense. The lads at Arsenal ( and other clubs ) tracking Stokes won't be looking at the quality of the SPL, or the Falkirk team but just Anthony Stokes and the things he does and doesn't do, the decisions he makes on the pitch etc. IBut you think it's not enough he has done very well at Falkirk, ah no it doesn't count unless he banging them in the Championship .

[Fergie's Son]

I'll be happy so long as he gets his game be it at Celtic or in the Premiership. Imagine he went to the continent? That might do wonders for his game.

[youngirish]

This is all nonsense. The lads at Arsenal ( and other clubs ) tracking Stokes won't be looking at the quality of the SPL, or the Falkirk team but just Anthony Stokes and the things he does and doesn't do, the decisions he makes on the pitch etc. IBut you think it's not enough he has done very well at Falkirk, ah no it doesn't count unless he banging them in the Championship .

Yeah good one. Are you seriously telling me that it wouldn't be far better for Stokes and his future career options if he was banging in goals for a decent Championship team on loan as opposed to Falkirk? If so you're deluded.

Stokes has taken the SPL by storm and is proving that he's too good for the sh*te that plies it's trade up there but I still don't see Premiership teams lining up to sign him in January. If he was doing anywhere the same amount of damage to Championship defences there would be offers flooding in to Arsenal. Any statement otherwise is rubbish.