With Celtic playing 2 up front in a tough game away from home possession was crucial and he picked his midfield to keep hold of possession. As a whole it was Celtic's best performance in Ibrox since Strachan's first season by some distance but Maloney had a very poor first half.Originally Posted by gspain
As for O'Dea - I can't stand the way he lumps the ball up field almost every time he gets it. Caldwell used to be like that but has learned to play the ball on the ground now.
Whilst I would agree with the sentiment, I cannot believe that Maloney was put in ahead of McGeady because he retains possession better? thats simply not the case, youd have started Robson IMO.
I thought you were off the drink Ronnie?
"No, I drink to help me mind my own business....can I get you one? (c) Ronnie Drew
I disagree. I think Maloney's a much better link up player. But McGeady has done a brilliant job at that too like the game in Old Trafford.
Celtic's best team for me contains McGeady, Maloney and Naka. I'd have started McGeady and Naka certainly and McDonald up front on his own. I don't know why Strachan sticks with 2 up front so much when it clearly doesn't result in more chances.youd have started Robson IMO.
Mowbray on how he sees McGeady in the team: http://www.herald.ie/sport/soccer/mc...t-1778179.html
had a feeling this would be the case, and its great to see him complimenting mcgeady, something strachan could never do. dont see mcgeady going anywhere now this summer, and he could became the central figure of a much more 'footballing' celtic team this season, especially now nakamura is moving on.
Havin a weekend away is quite frankly,lettin ur team mates down!
Probably the most interesting season coming up now for McGeady.
Against Spurs Paddy McCourt was given a complete free role to roam where he wanted. He stuck mainly around the centre of the pitch. I think McGeady has been given this role too in his 2 friendly starts for Celtic but, as impressive as he's been, he hasn't really made full use of the freedom he's been given. He stayed out wide too much. After watching McCourt play with so much freedom hopefully he realises that he too is allowed to drift around and not to be afraid to break the structure.
Mowbray:
'I don't think great player is too strong a description for Aiden McGeady, having watched him in the first few weeks, because he is an exceptional talent.
'I've never seen quicker feet in a footballer than Aiden possesses and there is no point in me caging that up. I have to let him go and express himself on a football field.
'And I will structure my team around the fact. By having such quality, imagination and ability, you have to harness your team around it. You have to build your team around that quality. Let him go and win us games and create us chances, but make sure it doesn't weaken the team in the process.
'I experienced the English Premier League last year and had a group of players who at times held their own and at times found it difficult.
'But we felt the strength and power of the Rooneys, the Tevez, the Torres, the great players. I just think Aiden McGeady, one on one against just about anybody, is capable of causing them a problem.
'You have got to get him in the right areas of the pitch to do that, you have got to give him confidence and belief, that he can go past people, jink inside people, come back, leave people on their backside.
'I know he can do that because I have seen it.
'As a club, we have to go out to win games, Aiden has to go and find the consistency of performance himself that you would not ask questions like that about him.
'It would then be a given that he could do it.
'As a club, we have to get him on to that platform I would suggest, and then he needs to go and do it.'
Yeah yeah the next Ronaldo wasnt it?
No Somos muchos pero estamos locos.
Good points Eirebhoy. My take on Aidan is that he simply needs to "calm down" and look up for the final ball! I'm surprised he hasn't managed to get this simple weakness out of his game, he does all the good (and sometime astonishing) work and then fceks up the finish.
Important season alright, and hopefully a free'er role will assist his development and Celtics results!
But would Trappatoni allow for such freedom? - unlikely.
I thought you were off the drink Ronnie?
"No, I drink to help me mind my own business....can I get you one? (c) Ronnie Drew
According to who? Grow up man.
In fairness eirebhoy yourself and a few others on here couldn't use enough superlatives to describe McGeady up until a few seasons ago when it became painfully obvious he was a bit crap.
Evidence. I stick by anything I said about McGeady. I don't change my opinion about a player who I've seen play 90% of his games on one season. He was decent last season. In fact I remember talking very highly of him after the game at Old Trafford last season.
I may talk an awful lot about McGeady but I don't overrate him. People seem to think because I'm a Celtic fan, a McGeady fan and want him desperately to succeed that I think he's a superstar. Show me these posts.
He's nowhere near the standards Duff reached and I never would have claimed that. Never mind Ronaldo...
/ I actually find your point interesting. Post on McGeady were positive 2 seasons ago because his performances were positive. Posts last season wouldn't have been as positive because his performances weren't as positive. I just give my opinion on his progress. If it's negative that doesn't mean I think he's a bit crap. I think that maybe people did see me as overly biased so any negative talk about McGeady looked like I had turned against him. Maybe just realise that I'm realistic and the bias doesn't cloud my judgement.
Last edited by eirebhoy; 29/07/2009 at 11:39 AM.
According to one of his teammates genius.
I am all for him getting it back after last year just tired of all the talk and speculation. Just do it. The talking on here I read never ever seems to pan out. I remember hearing a young lad named Stokes was going to be a star....
It scares me to death when I read this one saying how good this one will be....Didnt Ger Crossley have "all the tools" at one point?
No Somos muchos pero estamos locos.
First of all don't listen to Artur Boruc. He'd tell you his son was better than Ronaldo too.
Imo McGeady is the same level as Shaun Maloney. I think that shows you how I rate McGeady. Both very, very good players. At champions league level they're creativity and flair sticks out against very good teams. I'd say they'd both fit in well at a team like Roma or Villarreal. That's the level McGeady's at imo.
Last edited by eirebhoy; 29/07/2009 at 11:55 AM.
Maloney was p*ss poor at villa when he was playing against decent opposition week in, week out and not the likes of Inverness and Falkirk. I think McGeady would struggle in a decent league such as La Liga, Serie A or the Premiership to be honest. He has too little end product for a winger and is not consistent enough when pitted against defenders of a decent quality. He would be droppped after a few games and would float around the periphery of the team.
Last edited by youngirish; 29/07/2009 at 12:03 PM.
In my opinion Maloney was far from poor in the premiership. There are actually lots of people who think Barry Ferguson was poor at Blackburn too. I saw Maloney any time he was on telly in the prem and he was decent. He didn't exactly go all out to take possession from teammates though so obviously wasn't flowing with confidence. Carew said Maloney was always the best player in training and he just couldn't understand why he wasn't given a run in the team. Jesus he scored 2 goals before half time against Chelsea and O'Neill took him off at half time because they were down to 10 men.
Maloney played under O'Neill as he always has done. O'Neill just doesn't see him as a left sided midfielder when that's clearly his best position. Anyway, we'll see this season under Mowbray. I can't wait to see these guys play his attacking football.
Mowbray was talking earlier about setting his team up so that when someone like McGeady runs with the ball, and gets beaten while taking on the 3rd or 4th player, the team will be set up so they won't be exploited by the loss of possession. McGeady is going to get the freedom he could only dream of under Strachan. The pressure is off.
Last edited by eirebhoy; 29/07/2009 at 12:09 PM.
I think people forget that McGeady is only 23. Yes he is inconsistant at times but there are other times when is almost untouchable on the pitch.Hes had enough good games recently for Ireland to prove he is good enough and yet some people have it completely drilled into their heads that he has never had a good game, its was the exact same situation with John o Shea for years.
Anyway the comments from Mowbray were extremely encouraging and I cant wait to see how McGeady developes this season under a manager that trusts him and encourages him to be as good as he can be
Its really not that complicated!!!
Celtic's Champions league game is on here at 7.45 for anyone interested:
http://www.justin.tv/sixty67
Probably Celtic's best player in the first half so far, but he's hit some very poor crosses (as usual).
Beating players for fun though, but the problem is that he's being double marked, and so he's forced to cross instead of cutting in (which I feel is his real strength).
Dynamo are actually playing a similar system to Trap's defensively. They're allowing plenty of space in the middle of the park, but are very tight in the final third.
It's going to be tough for Celtic to score, but MacDonald always seems to bag one, and with this sort of possession, you'd bank on Celtic eventually getting a reward.
One of their centre-halfs was injured at half-time as well, so maybe if he comes off/plays hurt that could have an impact as well.
UPDATE: They didn't score
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