Aiden McGeady

[Walken]

Creative and willing to take players on. A danger when he's on and can open up a defense for himself and others.

Not everything comes off though and sometimes takes the harder option rather than the simple one and loses possession.

Gotta take the good with the bad sometimes but I think his overall contributions have been positive.

he's that sort of player isn't he, and will frustrate at times, all about balance though, in midfield you need runners, positionally smart players, link players and direct players. With Kev out we are short of his type, especially with atsu yet to prove as useful as gerry, but for what we paid I'm glad we have him

 

[Professor Toffee]

much better delivery tonight...very good game

he was mesmeric at times, unpredictable yes but then a creative , fast , talented player should be a bit unpredictable!
He tacked back more than usual and got tired
He is a class act just needs to get them crosses in and Rom will have a field day!

 

[granter79]

Thought he was very good first half on sat and very good again tonight. I know from watching him play for Ireland how frustrating he is but iv seen over the last few games he has improved already. Hes never gonna have a perfect game where he never gives the ball away.

 

[davek]

Maybe it's still too early to say, but the last few games he seems to have improved his decision making. Or maybe he's just a bit more relaxed. Last season and at the start of this he seemed to lack a bit of confidence and try casual flicks or hasty passes instead of caring for the ball and recycling it. But it seems like the last few matches he's been a bit more aware of when to keep it simple and when to try and make something happen. And I have to say, the quality of his crossing is decent. He doesn't need to beat his man to get a good cross in...and this also seems like something he's learning about his own game. Anyway, I hope he does a Naismith, makes the change and becomes solid.

I disagree. You can see how ill at ease he is still. When something doesn't come off for him he has his head in his hands.

Players like that need massive amounts of confidence to do their stuff. If they dont have it then hesitancy creeps in and that is toxic for a player tasked with going one on one with defenders.

We've yet to see him settled, and yet to see his best. Bits and pieces of his better stuff we're getting right now.

 

[MassBlue]

I disagree. You can see how ill at ease he is still. When something doesn't come off for him he has his head in his hands.

Players like that need massive amounts of confidence to do their stuff. If they dont have it then hesitancy creeps in and that is toxic for a player tasked with going one on one with defenders.

We've yet to see him settled, and yet to see his best. Bits and pieces of his better stuff we're getting right now.

Honestly, I don't think McGeady will ever relax and be smiling, confident and hugging people like Eto'o. He's spent too much time in Glasgow. But I think he's more relaxed mentally and maybe more determined, and so making better decisions. He reminds me a lot of what happened to Mirallas. Let me give you one example. McGeady is quick but not the quickest. So getting one on one with a PL defender doesn't mean he should take him on and try to do him for pace. And it just seems like he's doing less of that instinct stuff, and more of waiting till he's in a position where he just needs to make half a yard for a killer cross. To me, that's a mental thing. Better decisions from being a bit calmer. But we'll see, maybe this trend needs more evidence to be a trend...

 

[Minimeister]

I'd love it if just once he'd square up to his full back, put both hands on his hips and then start doing the Riverdance.

 

[davek]

Honestly, I don't think McGeady will ever relax and be smiling, confident and hugging people like Eto'o. He's spent too much time in Glasgow. But I think he's more relaxed mentally and maybe more determined, and so making better decisions. He reminds me a lot of what happened to Mirallas. Let me give you one example. McGeady is quick but not the quickest. So getting one on one with a PL defender doesn't mean he should take him on and try to do him for pace. And it just seems like he's doing less of that instinct stuff, and more of waiting till he's in a position where he just needs to make half a yard for a killer cross. To me, that's a mental thing. Better decisions from being a bit calmer. But we'll see, maybe this trend needs more evidence to be a trend...

I think it does mean that, tbh. That's McGeady's job and what he was bought for because no one else out wide can give us it. It's not particularly that he burns defenders off he's facing. He doesn't. But his crossing relies on him just throwing that defender off balance a touch to get marginally ahead of him and clip the ball across the box.

If he comes inside looking to link up, I tend to think it wont be a success; he does his best work on the outside getting to the goal line and pinging a cross over. Our players, especially Lukaku, need to be gambling and going in a lot more than they do when McGeady is on the ball in those situations. It's an asset that will be wasted otherwise.

 

[RFUS]

2 assists, can't moan. He's very frustrating -- something I and many other Ireland fans said before we signed him -- but he is most definitely a useful asset for the Europa league. The problem is that with Kev injured he's our first choice winger and he is not consistently effective enough, especially in the league. He suits European football though.

 

[davek]

2 assists, can't moan. He's very frustrating -- something I and many other Ireland fans said before we signed him -- but he is most definitely a useful asset for the Europa league. The problem is that with Kev injured he's our first choice winger and he is not consistently effective enough, especially in the league. He suits European football though.

Neither is Mirallas., tbf. His form hasn't been consistent for a while.

 

[RFUS]

Neither is Mirallas., tbf. His form hasn't been consistent for a while.

Sorry Dave, got to disagree.

Wingers are the least consistent players of all. The only consistently good ones are the ones that move to Madrid for £70m. Outside of that elite group, any winger that gets close to 10 goals and assists a year is a very effective one. Kev is in that bracket and had started the season very well. In fact the one original weakness in his game -- being a bit of a pansy -- has been erased to the point where he's become a 90 minute rampaging snide.

Kev is ace.

 

[evertony]

Very under-rated....just because he wasn't a big transfer in my opinion. For me, he should be starting regularly in preference to Pienaar who himself is often under rated.

 

[davek]

Sorry Dave, got to disagree.

Wingers are the least consistent players of all. The only consistently good ones are the ones that move to Madrid for £70m. Outside of that elite group, any winger that gets close to 10 goals and assists a year is a very effective one. Kev is in that bracket and had started the season very well. In fact the one original weakness in his game -- being a bit of a pansy -- has been erased to the point where he's become a 90 minute rampaging snide.

Kev is ace.

I fully agree that the likes of Robben, Ribery, Bale can give consistency and not the level we have.

On Mirallas though: he didn't start off too brightly this season - although none of them did, tbf. He picked it up in the couple of games or so before he got injured.

He's a fine player. Different to McGeady though. I dont think we can compare them, tbh.

 

[RFUS]

I fully agree that the likes of Robben, Ribery, Bale can give consistency and not the level we have.

On Mirallas though: he didn't start off too brightly this season - although none of them did, tbf. He picked it up in the couple of games or so before he got injured.

He's a fine player. Different to McGeady though. I dont think we can compare them, tbh.

They are different players but it's worth comparing simply because it highlights what we're missing. We really needed to add another wide player to the ranks.

 

[RobotCrow]

Thought he was very good first half on sat and very good again tonight. I know from watching him play for Ireland how frustrating he is but iv seen over the last few games he has improved already. Hes never gonna have a perfect game where he never gives the ball away.

He can be a bit wasteful as you say, but I don't mind it much as by and large his waste is in the final third. I suppose that shows my own leanings in terms of logistical wastefulness: I'd rather him squander a chance in the final third because he's a bit too aggressive or selfish than that he be prone to checking out mentally on in our own end and causing us to concede goals.

 

[ArtetaMagic]

I absolutely love Mirallas but he's far from consistent which as stated for a winger is difficult. McGeady gets far too much flak on here, he's not been amazing but he's done a decent job and will get better. With Mirallas injured I want McGeady starting every game on the wing, miles ahead of Atsu or pushing Lukaku, Osman or Barkley out wide.