mcgeady may have the odd average performance but it cant always be summer
You must have missed him skinning two players down the outside before winning the corner from which we scored the opening goal, for example. He went down the outside on numerous occasions the other night.
I canāt really argue with much of that except to say that I think you are playing up his lack of crossing ability/final ball a bit too much. I recall about 5 occasions on Tuesday where his final ball was decent but undoubtedly he wastes some as well. I still like to see a player of McGeadyās ilk playing for us and want to see him deliver.
Also Duff was a pretty late starter (maybe not as late as McGeady) in terms of stepping up to the plate. I think when he was introduced against Portugal in 2002 qualifiers was the time I first realised anyway that this was a proper player. Wasnāt he an U17 in 1997?
See my post in reponse to Rocko. I was on about him cutting to cross it.
You see thatās blatantly not true.
Lawrence didnāt rip slop like Andorra to shreds. Lawrence didnāt look like Giggs in his pomp. He looked good enough, nearly as good as McGeady on the night. Most people who have commented on the game on here or on RTĆ or other places rated McGeadyās performance better. If McGeady was withdrawn after 60-70 minutes heād have been certainly rated higher. He tired, inevitably, but until then he was possibly Irelandās best player. Dunphy (no fan of McGeady) highlighted him at half time as Irelandās best performer.
Still people are bringing up one cross as an example of his no end product. It was one cross he should have done better with. Lawrence wasted a few balls too and went quiet for a while. Keane could have played McGeady in on goal once but gave him a horrible pass that sent him wide. It doesnāt mean Keane and Lawrence were awful - it just means players make mistakes. The fact that our most talented player makes them too doensāt mean he deserves more criticism for it, irrespective of Greenās abilities or Kilbaneās limitations etc.
I donāt follow this at all.
McGeady hits crosses from the byline and from cutting in. Itās that variety that helps him go past players so often. He can go around the outside and cross the ball - i.e. for the rolled one across the box or as he was endeavouring to do before the goal or he can cut in and cross it - as in the instances you seem to remember.
The one thing the guy is not is predictable.
Duff was 23 in 2002, but he was turning it on by the age of 20/21 Farmer, in 2002 he was playing up front but had a good number of games put in on the wing at that point. I do see your point though, but its hard to see McGeady reaching that level for Ireland, perhaps the Moscow move will develop him further, time will tell.
You may have taken me a little literally there Rocko, you did realise I wasnāt actually comparing Lawrence to Giggs right? It was just an off the cuff remark to show that McGeady was disappointing.
Still people are bringing up one cross as an example of his no end product. It was one cross he should have done better with. Lawrence wasted a few balls too and went quiet for a while. Keane could have played McGeady in on goal once but gave him a horrible pass that sent him wide. It doesnāt mean Keane and Lawrence were awful - it just means players make mistakes. The fact that our most talented player makes them too doensāt mean he deserves more criticism for it, irrespective of Greenās abilities or Kilbaneās limitations etc.
There was more than one cross Rocko. We expect too much of McGeady perhaps, you could be right.
Indeed. I thought Lawrence was fairly good again the other night and Iām delighted with his displays to date. But Iām not constantly referring back to the time he had a wild shot over the bar just after Doyle scored when a through ball to Keane was on. It was a pity their goal came from the kick out that followed but it should have been defended better too. I thought Lawrence was busy, delivered a good ball for Kilbaneās goal and hassled well to win it back before Doyleās strike.
Equally, I was impressed by McGeadyās skill and dangerous ball that was knocked behind for the corner for the first goal, his play to initiate the move from which Lawrence clipped into the side netting, his skill and switching of the play before the second goal, the move and assist for the third, the ball that Kilbane headed over in the second half, the chance he set up for Keogh late on. Lots of end product despite naturally tiring after not having a pre-season and it being his first full 90 minutes in months.
Duff only really improved to a top player after Blackburn were relegated from the EPL and when they bounced back he was very good. He went on to play well at the World Cup and has been mostly very good since then.
He also played on a far better Irish team than McGeady has.
[quote=āmyboyblue, post: 513379ā]
You may have taken me a little literally there Rocko, you did realise I wasnāt actually comparing Lawrence to Giggs right? It was just an off the cuff remark to show that McGeady was disappointing.[/quote]
It might have been off the cuff but it was miles wide of the mark. You were suggesting that Lawrence put McGeady to shame the other night. Thatās just an incredible assessment of the game. McGeady might have had 4 assists on another night if the finishing from others was more accurate.
There was more than one cross Rocko. We expect too much of McGeady perhaps, you could be right.
I know there was more than one cross that went astray. If a winger doesnāt hit more than a cross or two astray in 90 minutes then heās probably not getting enough crosses in.
You and I canāt but there are plenty of other simpletons who will. Barrup!
I must admit it is surprising to see Bandage and Rocko defend McGeady so strongly here in the face of all the criticism being placed at him by other posters, it was quite difficult to see that happening. Perhaps it is the rest of us that are blind to all the wonderful things McGeady does in games for Ireland. The examples being outlined by Rocko and Bandage above are the least I would expect from him, a decent dead ball and a through ball that was on to be given (albeit the cutting inside and interplay was quite nice and to be appluaded while at the same time despairing that we donāt see more of it).
I honestly believe the fella should be contributing more and be more of a leader in the side at this stage in his career, perhaps, as I said above, I like others, am expecting too much from him too soon. I would hope he will develop into the International player many believe he will be. I would love it if he did.
Iām not explaining myself very well. If I was bothered Iād get a video to show you what I mean. Suffice to say there was at least two occassions I can remember where he was played into space and all he had to do was swing a leg at it to cross it. But he instead cut it back inside to his strong side and the chance was gone.
His decision making was poor all night too many dead ends, too many crosses astray, too easily pushed off the ball etc. Compare him to Lawerence who hasnāt got the ability to take people on but used the ball much better and youāll see what I mean. Iād prefer to 2 Lawerences to 2 McGeedys anyway but thats just my opinion.
To be honest we dont expect too much from him. We expect him to be up to international standard. To date in his international career he hasnt been.
True Duff if memory is correct struggled at international level until the end of the qualifying campaign for 2002. He had many good games under Kerr but was equally culpable as many others in failing on the big days. Remember at home to France under Kerr where Willy Sagnol didnt give him a kick, a bit harsh to pick that one out but I dont recall him doing fuck all against Israel or Switzerland in that campaign either. Iāve always thought Duffās performances for Ireland were a bit overrated, he doesnt score enough goals either (same amount of goals as Dunne!!!) but he suffered badly from a disastrous club move. At Fulham last season there was a renaissance thankfully and his international performances picked up as a result. I really thought he was finished this time last year.
The Irish system isolates wingers and in some games Duff and McG have struggled due to lack of support. But Lawrence and Hunt have done well for us as they arent slaves to the touchline and cut inside a bit. Duff has far more guile than the others though at winning freekicks, getting defenders booked and his general decision making.
The Irish team without Keane was average in 2002 - Kelly, Breen, Staunton, Kinsella, Holland, Harte, Kilbane. The side in 2004 perhaps even worse so I suggest you are talking through your ring about Duff being on a better side than McGeady. McGeady has been involved with the Irish set up since 2004 so they have been in the same squad for the past 6 years. It is fair to say Duff has been immeasurably better.
The criticism is obscene in the context of his display and it appears that the likes of Rocko, Trap, myself, Pat Fenlon, NCC and others must have been watching a different game. McGeady had a string of positive interventions yet thereās posters on here giving it the glib āleast he should have doneā talk and pinning him for the instances where things didnāt come off. By all means be consistent and slaughter the defence and 'keeper for conceding, the rest of the midfield for not creating anything close to what he did and, if the Andorrans are so shite, surely the strikers should have been able to make their own chances and get a couple more goals each. Thereās no balance to it and he doesnāt get judged like other players. I am genuinely shocked that people would watch that game and conclude that McGeady was disappointing.
Celtic die hards always back their man, thats what iām getting from this.
Didnāt see the other night really, but thought myself McGeedy was improving all the time for Ireland, over the past year or so. Previous to that i thought he was out of his depth. I think his lack of match practice would allow him a bit of latitude for last 2 games. But he is still a better international player now than say 2 years ago.
Has to be said though you donāt have to be that particularly great anymore to make a decent International player, the club game is now streets ahead of it in standard, and particularly speed. Not saying speed is everything, but a slow paced game suits the likes of Lawrence, but possibly not so much McGeedy who needs tired full backs to torment in a high paced game. It seems to me its easier to defend him for Ireland than it was when he was with Celtic. Of course the quality of defender matters as well, but i have seen struggle against mediocre International opposition and torment AC Milan.
For the āreal soccer peopleā, What gives?
Good news for Keane with Defoe out injured for up to six weeks,will give him a great chance to nail down a starting place for Spurs.
Maybe not the greatest side defensively anyway but that was a solid enough midfield with Kilbane/Duff and the Kinsella/Holland/Keane partnership in the middle with McAteer/Reid on the other wing. They were playing well and Duff played well in that team.
By the time Aiden came into the side I donāt think Duff was contributing that much in an Irish shirt in competitive games. Over the time theyāve been in the team together Duff has been more effective but Aidenās been learning his trade a bit and Iāve no doubt heāll become as important to the team as Duff ever was. Heāll always be subject to more criticism though because heāll always take more risks with tricks and flicks etc.
mcgeady is useless. ffs giving him credit for having a decent game against the might of Andorraā¦if trap gets this particular bunch of players to the finals he should be knighted. the only saving grace is the other teams are just as badā¦