This chap is a great lad and deserves his own thread. Rocko and I noticed a couple of years ago that he was a bit nuts when he first got into the squad. You’d see him during the half-time subs’ kickaround haring around like a hyper kid rugby tackling the other players and generally being a bit crazy. He’s meant to be spot on with supporters and at events and is a funny fooker too. I really want him to establish himself at Celtic.
Some Yoo Toob:
O’Dea disrupts recent Scott Brown interview, while wearing flippers and goggles:-
[ame=" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOmbCZHRxRE
]YouTube - scuba Steve- Darren O’Dea[/ame]
O’Dea disrupts Aiden McGeady’s skills video for the UEFA website (1:45 and 2:10 on this one):-
[ame=" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq8qbTab6WI
]YouTube - Celtic Bloopers[/ame]
O’Dea lifts up the bird from Celtic TV, carries her into the dressing room and puts her in the bath after we won the league in 2007:-
Maybe this lack of maturity is the reason he is still fourth choice centre half behind some very average performers. Maybe he isn’t good enuf either tho. What’s he like at left back?
To be fair to him he’s unbelievably enthusiastic. You could see how much he enjoyed his goal last weekend but the week before when McGeady got in a little argument with someone O’Dea was straight over pushing and shoving.
Noticed him in the St Mirren home game I think it was when Naka scored his free kick. He was always going to shoot but O’Dea was sprining around the box trying to evade his marker for about 30 seconds beforehand.
It’s the same stuff in the warmup before every home match. He’s there taking penalties and practising his shooting for longer than anyone else.
He’s got his fair share of goals for the first team when he’s played and certainly doesn’t lack belief. Tidy footballer but he’s just not quick enough to be a full back. More impressive when he’s played at centre half but really needs more experience there but he’s still very young for a centre back so has plenty of time to get that experience.
[quote=“therock67”]He’s a nut case but a sound lad it seems.
To be fair to him he’s unbelievably enthusiastic. You could see how much he enjoyed his goal last weekend but the week before when McGeady got in a little argument with someone O’Dea was straight over pushing and shoving.
Noticed him in the St Mirren home game I think it was when Naka scored his free kick. He was always going to shoot but O’Dea was sprining around the box trying to evade his marker for about 30 seconds beforehand.
It’s the same stuff in the warmup before every home match. He’s there taking penalties and practising his shooting for longer than anyone else.
He’s got his fair share of goals for the first team when he’s played and certainly doesn’t lack belief. Tidy footballer but he’s just not quick enough to be a full back. More impressive when he’s played at centre half but really needs more experience there but he’s still very young for a centre back so has plenty of time to get that experience.[/quote]
He obviously has some ADD or something. You need guys like that in a squad(characters i mean). If he produces on the pitch who cares.
It’s rare to see a global superpower like Celtic with a young centre half. Fair enough, he was superb against Milan over two legs as a 20-year old but he was thrown in at the deep end to cover injuries at the time. That’s actually caused a catch 22 situation in some ways, as he showed great potential but do you want a young centre half learning his trade in the first team in such a pivotal position?
Centre half is generally considered a position where experience is key. Take other comparable clubs and you’ll see young, promising central defenders often spend an apprenticeship at full back where they pick up first team experience and build up strength and composure before ultimately moving inside. I’m thinking of the likes of Maldini, Carragher, Chiellini, Puyol et al. There’s other examples such as Sergio Ramos, who showed promise at Sevilla as a centre half, but has been playing right back for Real Madrid since signing for them. Perhaps, he’ll eventually move inside too.
It might have been beneficial for O’Dea to go out on loan for 12 months and play exclusively at centre back. However, I prefer the idea of him staying at Celtic where he can phase his way into the side at centre back, even if that involves getting a run at left back to begin with. His qualities are his mentality, commitment, strength and commanding presence. He lacks a bit of pace but should be able to overcome that with good positioning and reading of the play as he gains more experience.
The only thing predictable is his failure to accept that if you cant get your game ahead of McManus, Caldwell or Loovens then its only natural that outsiders will question how good he is. Glasgow Celtic supporters on here have at various stages commented on how rubbish these 3 are at different stages this season. I thought it was a pretty reasonable observation.
There is no minimum age to be a centre half and to suggest otherwise is ridiculous. The likes of Maldini were perfectly suited to playing full back due to his pace and ability on the ball. When his legs started to slow he moved inside. In any case, Maldini had the likes of Costacurta and Desailly at centre half. Comparing Glasgow Celtic’s current incumbents to them is an insult to the game.
Apologies KIB man, perhaps it was unfair to compare the Italian to young Darren at this time. The Monkstown man could end having a better career than the stellar former Italian internationalist so comparisons at different stages of their development are possibly mute all right. Indeed, I never suggested there was a minimum age to be a centre half - I merely pointed out the trend amongst global giants like Celtic, Barca, Liverpool, Milan and Juventus was rarely to pitch a youngster into the team in such a pivotal position. Clubs where trophies are demanded every single season are very unforgiving environments so there’s naturally an element of caution in this regard. Of course, lesser clubs don’t have these concerns so it’s easier for them to pick someone so young given the consequences aren’t comparable.
What consequences do Glasgow Celtic have? They are guaranteed uefa cup football at a minimum on an annual basis. The calibre of opponent they face on a weekly basis has seen players like Boumsong elevated to a level far beyond their actual worth. If O’Dea couldn’t manage the high quality football that is the SPL then like Sheridan he will never be good enough.
Again, if Gordon Strachan who I would think is a pretty fair man, judges Loovens, Caldwell and McManus as better centre halves than O’Dea then I wouldn’t hold out too much hope for him. What do you think or are you going to spout more shite again?
[quote=“KIB man”]What consequences do Glasgow Celtic have? They are guaranteed uefa cup football at a minimum on an annual basis. The calibre of opponent they face on a weekly basis has seen players like Boumsong elevated to a level far beyond their actual worth. If O’Dea couldn’t manage the high quality football that is the SPL then like Sheridan he will never be good enough.
Again, if Gordon Strachan who I would think is a pretty fair man, judges Loovens, Caldwell and McManus as better centre halves than O’Dea then I wouldn’t hold out too much hope for him. What do you think or are you going to spout more shite again?[/quote]
i would not write boumsong off based on a few bad games for an epl team - he was french player of the year , is a french international, played for top french teams & played for juve - not a bad CV
[quote=“Bandage”] There’s other examples such as Sergio Ramos, who showed promise at Sevilla as a centre half, but has been playing right back for Real Madrid since signing for them. Perhaps, he’ll eventually move inside too.
[/quote]
Poundage… did Ramos not play centre half for real for a good while when salgado was the resident right full?..for some reason I thought it was with Spain that he was first shifted to right back?..
[quote=“KIB man”]What consequences do Glasgow Celtic have? They are guaranteed uefa cup football at a minimum on an annual basis. The calibre of opponent they face on a weekly basis has seen players like Boumsong elevated to a level far beyond their actual worth. If O’Dea couldn’t manage the high quality football that is the SPL then like Sheridan he will never be good enough.
Again, if Gordon Strachan who I would think is a pretty fair man, judges Loovens, Caldwell and McManus as better centre halves than O’Dea then I wouldn’t hold out too much hope for him. What do you think or are you going to spout more shite again?[/quote]
Celtic are required to win the league every season, along with progressing in European competition after Christmas. They have failed to accomplish the latter this season, but the former remains the key goal. Winning the league guarantees Champions League entry and a significant financial windfall, as opposed to having to negotiate tricky second and third qualifying rounds, so winning is everything. The pressure of 50,000+ season ticket holders, a global fanbase of millions and the Irish diaspora generally is intense. I have no doubt that O’Dea can handle it, but more decorated managers than Strachan have eased similar young starlets into such pressure cooker atmospheres, and a spell at left back seems to be part of that journey. Bayern Munich would be another similar club to Celtic, a fellow global superpower, and I note that Breno has barely played for them this season. Again, massive football clubs tend not to throw youngsters into the pivotal centre back position.
