[quote=ânorth county corncrakeâ]tripe , Monobe had lost the previous league to a worse rangers team
[/quote]
donât agree NCC but thatâs your opinion and youâre entitled to it
Aiden McGeadyâs agent says the midfielder remains committed to Celtic, despite contesting the fine and suspension imposed on him by the club.
âHe has been suspended for two weeks,â David Holbrook told BBC Sport. âThatâs not the same thing as never playing for the club again.â
Celtic took action claiming a breach of club discipline after a reported fall-out with manager Gordon Strachan.
But Holbrook said he knew nothing of the need for a written apology.
âNeither Aiden or the club have made we aware of any request from the club, or indeed anyone else, for a written or verbal apology,â said the Republic of Ireland wingerâs agent. Aiden plays for Celtic. He loves Celtic and wants to be part of the cause
âI have been familiarising myself with the in-house appeals process and disciplinary process and I canât see anywhere that there is any aspect of it that would allow the demand of an apology.â
McGeady and Strachan reportedly had a disagreement following a 4-2 defeat by Rangers at the start of the season.
And Celtic took the present action after a dressing-room argument that followed Saturdayâs 1-1 draw at home with Hearts.
Holbrook would also be investigating whether Celtic were within their rights to impose both a two-week suspension and a fine of two weeksâ wages.
And, while he hoped that the situation could be resolved quickly, he thought it possible that McGeady could serve his ban and have his fine taken from his wages before the appeals process was completed.
âI presume Celtic are acting as they are entitled to do and we are taking action as we are entitled to do,â said Holbrook.
âThere is a dispute, but that is not to say that the grievance will not be reconciled.â
News of McGeadyâs censure came on Tuesday as Celtic completed the signing of winger Niall McGinn from Derry City.
However, Holbrook insisted that McGeady wanted to remain at the club he supported as a boy - and that he knew nothing of reported interest from clubs in Englandâs Premier League.
âAiden plays for Celtic,â said the agent, when asked if McGeady wanted to play again for Strachan.
"He loves Celtic and wants to be part of the cause.
"He wants to play in the next match for Celtic. Obviously Celtic donât want him to play in it.
âNo other club has contacted me. You would have to ask Celtic if any club has come in for Aiden McGeady as they donât need to tell me or Aiden.â
Holbrook had previously said that McGeady had been left âshocked and disappointedâ by the clubâs action, which he thought was âcompletely unjustifiedâ.
He said that McGeady would be disappointed to miss the Old Firm derby at Ibrox on 27 December.
Holbrook would not be drawn on whether McGeady would now consider his long-term future at Celtic.
âLetâs just say we intend to appeal the decision and see what the panel decides,â he added.
The return to Celtic from Aston Villa of Shaun Maloney has increased the competition for the wide berths with the Scottish champions this season.
Strachan has at times left McGeady, who has also been hampered by injury, out of his starting line-up.
[quote=âthedancingbabyâ]Aiden McGeadyâs agent says the midfielder remains committed to Celtic, despite contesting the fine and suspension imposed on him by the club.
âHe has been suspended for two weeks,â David Holbrook told BBC Sport. âThatâs not the same thing as never playing for the club again.â
Celtic took action claiming a breach of club discipline after a reported fall-out with manager Gordon Strachan.
But Holbrook said he knew nothing of the need for a written apology.
âNeither Aiden or the club have made we aware of any request from the club, or indeed anyone else, for a written or verbal apology,â said the Republic of Ireland wingerâs agent. Aiden plays for Celtic. He loves Celtic and wants to be part of the cause
"I have been familiarising myself with the in-house appeals process and disciplinary process and I canât see anywhere that there is any aspect of it that would allow the demand of an apology."
McGeady and Strachan reportedly had a disagreement following a 4-2 defeat by Rangers at the start of the season.
And Celtic took the present action after a dressing-room argument that followed Saturdayâs 1-1 draw at home with Hearts.
Holbrook would also be investigating whether Celtic were within their rights to impose both a two-week suspension and a fine of two weeksâ wages.
And, while he hoped that the situation could be resolved quickly, he thought it possible that McGeady could serve his ban and have his fine taken from his wages before the appeals process was completed.
âI presume Celtic are acting as they are entitled to do and we are taking action as we are entitled to do,â said Holbrook.
âThere is a dispute, but that is not to say that the grievance will not be reconciled.â
News of McGeadyâs censure came on Tuesday as Celtic completed the signing of winger Niall McGinn from Derry City.
However, Holbrook insisted that McGeady wanted to remain at the club he supported as a boy - and that he knew nothing of reported interest from clubs in Englandâs Premier League.
âAiden plays for Celtic,â said the agent, when asked if McGeady wanted to play again for Strachan.
"He loves Celtic and wants to be part of the cause.
"He wants to play in the next match for Celtic. Obviously Celtic donât want him to play in it.
âNo other club has contacted me. You would have to ask Celtic if any club has come in for Aiden McGeady as they donât need to tell me or Aiden.â
Holbrook had previously said that McGeady had been left âshocked and disappointedâ by the clubâs action, which he thought was âcompletely unjustifiedâ.
He said that McGeady would be disappointed to miss the Old Firm derby at Ibrox on 27 December.
Holbrook would not be drawn on whether McGeady would now consider his long-term future at Celtic.
âLetâs just say we intend to appeal the decision and see what the panel decides,â he added.
The return to Celtic from Aston Villa of Shaun Maloney has increased the competition for the wide berths with the Scottish champions this season.
Strachan has at times left McGeady, who has also been hampered by injury, out of his starting line-up.[/quote]
some load of shite, young mcgeady would be well advised to stop that parasite of an agent talking on his behalf. These could be Donal Og Cusacks or sean OHalpins words, and as they found out they will only inflame things.
On first reading i thought the agent was a complete moron, but it would indicate to me that the lad is being lined up for a move and the agent is pulling the strings.
No way does that statement help Aiden McGeady in any way!
Do you think the agent should be fined 2 weeks wages and suspended for 2 weeks for speaking like that HBV ?
Thats just playing silly beggars dancingbaby.
HBV is dead right, the tone of the article and the wording used are loaded.
fined and suspended by who?
what the fuck you on about?
[quote=âHBV*â]fined and suspended by who?
what the fuck you on about?
[/quote]
Rock/Bandage - i want HBV suspended from all forum duties for 2 weeks for the above outburst at me.
either this is badly executed humour on your part or you are thick as pigeon shit.
shouldnât they fine me two weeks wages also? :rolleyes:
[quote=âHBV*â]either this is badly executed humour on your part or you are thick as pigeon shit.
shouldnât they fine me two weeks wages also? :rolleyes:
[/quote]
Easy HBV easy, you need to chill mateâŚdeep breaths son - deep breaths.
This really has been a fooking big, big month for Celtic.
I donât see the issue with David Holbrookâs quotes to be honest. Heâs not your typical football agent parasite either and McGeadyâs his only client. Heâs good mates with McGeadyâs auld lad and represents McGeady specifically to avoid having agents leeching off him. McGeadyâs auld lad is an ex-professional himself and saw the clubs clamouring around Aiden when he was a kid and wanted somebody he could trust advising them and looking after Aidenâs affairs.
Strachanâs unpopular with sections of the Celtic support for a few reasons ranging from his playing days with Aberdeen, the Artmedia debacle in his first competitive game (which some supporters never got past), falling out with some popular players (Balde, Agathe, Sutton and now Aiden), signing shit Huns like Miller and Pressley and sometimes playing a regimented style rather than allowing the playersâ natural ability to flourish.
I disagree with Celticâs supporters who use the above as a stick to beat Strachan with and recognise his achievements but I think heâs overreacting badly in this particular instance.
Wasnât he also on Football Focus or something years ago saying McGeady should be âhung, drawn and quartered for not playing for Scotland.â
Strachan was a pundit for BBC Scotland during his time out of the game when he resigned from Southampton alright. I donât think he was quite as damning as that Pikeman but he did say on air that McGeady should have played for Scotland. At the time, I guess he was ignorant of McGeadyâs roots but their relationship has fluctuated from outright hostility to quiet disdain. He apparently told McGeady that he âfound it very hard to like him as a personâ a couple of years ago. AFAIK, McGeady didnât go running the the Board of Directors when this happened.
[quote=âBandageâ]This really has been a fooking big, big month for Celtic.
I donât see the issue with David Holbrookâs quotes to be honest. Heâs not your typical football agent parasite either and McGeadyâs his only client. Heâs good mates with McGeadyâs auld lad and represents McGeady specifically to avoid having agents leeching off him. McGeadyâs auld lad is an ex-professional himself and saw the clubs clamouring around Aiden when he was a kid and wanted somebody he could trust advising them and looking after Aidenâs affairs.
Strachanâs unpopular with sections of the Celtic support for a few reasons ranging from his playing days with Aberdeen, the Artmedia debacle in his first competitive game (which some supporters never got past), falling out with some popular players (Balde, Agathe, Sutton and now Aiden), signing shit Huns like Miller and Pressley and sometimes playing a regimented style rather than allowing the playersâ natural ability to flourish.
I disagree with Celticâs supporters who use the above as a stick to beat Strachan with and recognise his achievements but I think heâs overreacting badly in this particular instance.[/quote]
Add to that the lack of effort from some of players Strachan has picked. One thing lacking technique but nothing annoys me more than players who look as though they simply donât care. The manager must take part responsibility for this.
Players have also gone out with a terrible mentality in some of our bigger games over past year. Said this a number of times on this forum but Strachan tends to hide when things go against him or against Celtic. Didnât appreciate his smiling and bemused looks on his face when we were being destroyed in Manchester. His comments about looking for a decent performance last year against Barcelona were not acceptable either. Most of the players were more keen to swap a jersey at end of game then get a tackle in for fear they may hurt a player (McGeady noticeable exception). Always noticed that Strachan is very vocal from touchline when we are leading but when we fall behind he retreats into his shell. I really believe he is not a strong enough character to be a Celtic manager. His handling of this whole sage has been appalling also. Ridiculous to assert that Strachanâs religion may have something to do with his lack of popularity. Celtic has never been a sectarian club.
[quote=âBandageâ]This really has been a fooking big, big month for Celtic.
I donât see the issue with David Holbrookâs quotes to be honest. Heâs not your typical football agent parasite either and McGeadyâs his only client. Heâs good mates with McGeadyâs auld lad and represents McGeady specifically to avoid having agents leeching off him. McGeadyâs auld lad is an ex-professional himself and saw the clubs clamouring around Aiden when he was a kid and wanted somebody he could trust advising them and looking after Aidenâs affairs.
Strachanâs unpopular with sections of the Celtic support for a few reasons ranging from his playing days with Aberdeen, the Artmedia debacle in his first competitive game (which some supporters never got past), falling out with some popular players (Balde, Agathe, Sutton and now Aiden), signing shit Huns like Miller and Pressley and sometimes playing a regimented style rather than allowing the playersâ natural ability to flourish.
I disagree with Celticâs supporters who use the above as a stick to beat Strachan with and recognise his achievements but I think heâs overreacting badly in this particular instance.[/quote]
a fair assesment if i dont agree with it all
I donât agree with everything in this article but it captures my point about how things should have been handled differently. Itâs quite a good read and incredibly itâs written by a woman. From The Evening Times in Glasgow:
Strachan adopts high-risk strategy in McGeady row
by Alison McConnell
THE storm appears to have passed. The dressing room that could tell a tale or two has long fallen silent.
But the noise of battle will continue to roll along the corridors of Celtic Park these next few weeks.
And the danger for Celtic now is that the disintegration of Aiden McGeadyâs relationship with Gordon Strachan will echo its way through the remainder of the season.
If points are dropped when McGeady is, by the managerâs choice, out of the team, the war will have only just begun.
Saturdayâs spat has cost both player and manager dearly. There are no winners in this sorry tale of simmering frustration and mutual disaffection.
News that the Celtic manager has fined McGeady two weeksâ wages came as no surprise last night. Suspending him for a fortnight was as much of a shock to the Hoops support as it was to the player himself.
If truth is indeed the first casualty in any war then no-one knows for certain what was said and done in the heat of the moment on Saturday evening. No-one can say for sure who was out of line and who stepped over the line and just what was said to whom and when and why.
Rumour, gossip, hearsay and innuendo infiltrate every fibre of both halves of the Old Firm.
But what is irrefutable is that a humdinger of an argument took place between player and manager in full view of a slack-jawed dressing room. And, according to specific intelligence, the player repeatedly directed a personal insult towards Strachan that has made the prospect of reconciliation between the two an unlikely conclusion.
Certainly, the severity of the sanction that Strachan has imposed underlines his fury at the manner in which his position was publicly challenged. And, in truth, it is difficult to envisage a manager reacting in any other way.
If Strachan has anything, it is the stomach for a fight. And whatever else the opinion may be on his decision to banish McGeady until the New Year - raising the distinct possibility that the 22-year-old has played his last game for the club should an offer come for him in January - it is a bold move by anyoneâs standards.
It would be a strong move for any manager to strip themselves of their best player ahead of an Old Firm game that is shaping up to play a definitive role in the moulding of the season. It would be an audacious move for any manager simply because it leaves their own position open to the most intense scrutiny.
But when it comes to Strachan, the move is all the more daring for the pressure it puts him under. The Celtic manager should be bombproof at Parkhead. His years at Celtic are profiled by three successive snapshots of him with the SPL trophy aloft. He scaled new heights when he took the club into successive last 16 Champions League encounters.
Yet he remains a manager who divides the Celtic support like no other. His position is always only a couple of defeats away from being precarious. Only last April when the Hoops lost at home to Motherwell the week after losing at Ibrox the distinct, a profane chant was heard around Celtic Park inviting him to head elsewhere.
So as he prepares for two away games against Falkirk - never an easy hunting ground for Celtic in recent seasons - and Ibrox immediately afterwards, he does so without McGeady, without Shaun Maloney and with Shunsuke Nakamura practically playing on one leg.
He does so, having taken just one point from a possible six in the last two weeks. And he does so, knowing full well that if Celtic are to slip up in either of these two games that the full fury of the Hoops support will fall hard on him.
The current crop of Celtic players does not have a Larsson or a Moravcik or a McStay in its ranks. McGeady has not done enough to attain the iconic status these guys enjoyed, but he is nevertheless one of the darlings of the Hoops support.
And despite the fact his performances this season have not reached the standards he set for himself last term, his goal against Villarreal showed he remains one of the few players Celtic have who can change a game with one deft flick here or there.
Saturdayâs argument lit the fuse on a powderkeg atmosphere between Strachan and McGeady, but as the Celtic boss has already shown in his time at Celtic, he is not afraid of confrontation.
And, as a manager, nor can he afford to be. Any manager has to demonstrate their authority and even the biggest and apparently untouchable names have been put in their place through the years.
Alex Ferguson emerged triumphant from battles with Roy Keane, David Beckham, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Jaap Stam and any attempt to undermine a managerâs supremacy will always reach a similar conclusion.
The first battle Strachan had when he arrived was wrestling control of a dressing room that was bossed by senior players. The likes of Chris Sutton, Alan Thompson and Stilian Petrov were key men in a dynasty of Martin OâNeill-inspired success.
It wasnât long before all three were gone. But that was the first of many battles. Bobo Balde, Didier Agathe, Derek Riordan and Thomas Gravesen have all found themselves jettisoned from Strachanâs plans, often against the wishes of supporters.
But the continuing clashes with McGeady are a different kind of struggle altogether. Inferences of the coolness that the Celtic manager holds the player in have not been difficult to detect in press conferences with Strachan. That he rates the playerâs talent and precociousness isnât in question, but without ever coming out and saying so he appears to question the attitude that goes with it.
From McGeadyâs point of view, he played the best football of his career last season and he did so when he appeared to take on board the direction that was afforded to him on the training ground. Yet Strachanâs praise of him in games when he had been a clear standout always seemed to be of the parsimonious variety while others were often singled out for far more effusive praise.
That he sees himself as a dressing room whipping boy is the catalyst behind McGeadyâs reaction to the criticism he was on the end of this weekend. Reports earlier this season that he was told not to come to a first-team meeting in the wake of the Old Firm defeat does not paint Strachan in a clever light. It comes across as destructive, puerile and churlish and was never going to leave anything other than a sour taste in the mouth of the player.
That McGeady has a conceit of his own ability that has yet to be genuinely proven is without doubt. But to dismiss him as little more than mouthy and arrogant is a lop-sided slant on a feud that has been building for the last three years.
Only a grovelling apology from him would temporary halt the warfare, but it is difficult to envisage McGeady, who feels he has been hung out to dry by Strachan, backing down.
While the Celtic manager comes out of this latest skirmish with his dressing room reputation unscathed and his authority proven, in his quieter moments he too may have cause to reflect on a situation that could have been handled differently.
The full reverberations of it may yet to be felt if the title is not won.
Good article alright.
Its pretty similar to the Keane situation really, albeit WGS doesnt seem to have deliberately set out to humiliate McGeady in the manner McCarthy did.
Based on the little I know of Strachan I doubt he will back down from this.
Any idea what the other squad members think, that is the key point. If they support WGS in this then all other arguments are futile really and McGeady will have to go.
Iâd like to know what the other squad members think too Dan and frankly Iâd hope and expect that a couple of the more senior players (McManus, Jan, Hartley) would be trying to organise some sort of reconciliation. Itâs not like international football obviously because there is a transfer window so they can just get rid of the problem but the players there now how invaluable McGeady has been. If they do nothing then regrettably Iâd have to infer that Aiden was out of line.
Having said that Iâm not a fan of how Strachan handled the situation at all. Was there a need for a press release on the subject? Thatâs hardly helped matters. I donât think Aidenâs agentâs comments are too heavy-handed at all. Heâs focusing on the disiplinary matter in question rather than getting involved in the bigger dispute between the manager and the player and thatâs a good thing. The priority should be resolving the conflict, even for a short period, not emphasising the differences.
On Strachan himself I donât believe for a second that Strachanâs religion is even a miniscule factor in his lack of support from the fans and itâs ignorant and dangerous to suggest otherwise. I donât know or care if Jansen, Barnes or Venglos were Catholics, Protestants, Jews or Presbyterians - all were judged on their footballing abilities. OâNeill got a bit more adulation because he was clearly passionate about the club but thatâs no more than Newcastle fans adoring Keegan or Arsenal fans loving Wenger.
Strachan has an annoying manner and while thatâs not the most important trait in a manager it ultimately defines the managerâs relationship with his fans. Hoddle was ruined by his ramblings to the media, McCarthy was seriously undermined by some of the comments he made, Advocaat got himself sacked from the huns for basically saying âwhy canât people accept that there are two good clubs in Scotland?â If you donât manage your relationship with the fans through the media then youâre always vulnerable. Strachan has trophies but last season was conspicuously less convincing than the one before (not as impressive in Europe and far less dominant domestically) and the signs are that weâve disimproved considerably since then. Judging the guy on his achievements alone I wouldnât want Strachan out - heâs not immune from criticism though.
Larry, I donât think Iâd agree that heâs lost the dressing room in any way at all. We lost some crucial matches under OâNeill near the end through a lack of focus and a lack of appetite. MON was obviously a better motivator than Strachan and thereâs a difference in styles alright. Ideally, Strachan would make a fine coach or director of coaching type role at a club. As a technical guy heâs excellent, the improvement in our young players is far better than under OâNeill and the style of football is often better (despite what the critics say). But his game management and his motivation are below what they should be for a top level manager. Donât think that equates to losing the dressing room though - itâs just his nature.
Rock, his agent is entitled to get involved of course. The language used was militant I thought though, and didnt appear to me to be reconciliatory at all.
I wouldnât have thought it was militant but I only glanced through it. I think itâs de-escalating the issue into a grievance over a disciplinary issue. You have to look at it as two possible negative outcomes:
- the club sells Aiden because they donât want him anymore
- Aiden asks to leave because the club donât support him
Heâs trying to diffuse the second as much as the first. From the boardâs perspective theyâd obviously rather he kept things quiet but Iâd be more encouraged by the comments than anything. If he sees it as merely a disciplinary grievance around one particular issue then at least itâs confined to that.
Compare that to the Keane tirade which extended to loads of other stuff or the Cork hurler comparison that was made earlier that descended into stuff about training, food, discipline, man-management, appetite for the job etc. A more provocative reaction along the lines of Keane or Cork Hurling would have hinted at so many more issues. McGeadyâs agent doesnât even name Strachan so itâs not even personalised.
The point Bandage made earlier about who the agent is, is relevant in this context too I think. This isnât a guy angling for a move for his client. This is a family friend appointed to look after his interests, Iâd say he wouldnât even know how to go about negotiating a transfer!
One other point on Aidenâs wages of 15k from earlier in the thread - only reading most of it now. A fair chunk of Celticâs wages are performance based (far bigger % than in EPL etc because theyâre tied to variable revenue) so presume the 15k is basic and is probably a guess anyway.
TFK Exclusive - McGeady Ban Reduced To One Week
I canât give away my source but Aidenâs ban is going to be reduced to 1 week/1 game after a bit of movement behind the scenes. As a result, heâll be available for the derby at the shitpit on December 27th. More news to follow.