Aiden McGeady

[davek]

You really weren't a moyes fan were you?!lol

I actually was for a long, long time.

He did what was required of him keeping us up and solid. Then he stayed around four years too long.

 

[tim cahill]

I actually was for a long, long time.

He did what was required of him keeping us up and solid. Then he stayed around four years too long.

In hindsight I agree. But I wouldn't have been happy at the time if he'd left in 2009.

 

[Furey1878]

McGeady attempts actual through balls.

And for that, he's in my first 11.

 

[Robertor]

He's the type of player that however badly he plays he still has an effect on the game. Leicester he scored and for the 1st and 2nd goals against Chelsea he did really well. Will be important imo in terms of coming off the bench and changing games.

 

[1966efc]

I actually was for a long, long time.

He did what was required of him keeping us up and solid. Then he stayed around four years too long.

Completely agree. But his manager should have spotted the signs of terminal staleness and acted. Needless to say, his manager just gave him a higher salary.

 

[neil999]

got the skillz, sometimes wish he had more conviction and comitted his man, or looked for the quick pass..hopefully that will come with confidence

 

[Sim]

There's a generation of fans who've grown up at Ecerton who have been weaned on the Sgt Moyes football philosophy of "sweat bullets first, flair play a distant second". Someone like McGeady is hard for them to digest because of his legacy. It was the same last season when they were all up in arms about the team passing the ball and building play patiently.

Traditionally though, we've always loved players who entertain at Everton. It'll take a little while to throw off Moyes' dour and alien Presbyterian stink.

Exactly mate. When I was a kid growing up in the 80's watching Everton we loved wingers and we loved attacking passing football. I think Moyes may have damaged the expectations of our fans for a small generation far more than I realised.

It always amazes me when I see players like Mirrallas and McGeady do their thing then lose the ball and our fans call them sh**e for it. But that's their job, to try and get around the opposition any way they can. So inevitably they are going to give the ball away because if they didnt we'd be winning matches by 20 odd goals. Wingers HAVE to lose the ball in their attempt to get us through and make space.

Message to fellow blues who dont like wingers, attackers or passing football: guys and gals, you've been brainwashed by ultra defensive football, there are other ways to play.

 

[Ruairi77]

Thought He did well in his 20min appearance last night.
I didn't watch him in Russia but in most of his previous Irish appearances he would tend to run down blind alleys or in to three defenders, rarely drift into the middle and play a through ball. Not last night, he seemed to get the ball and ocasionally hold it up and assess his options, also tended to drift inside instead of heading for the corner flag. He used to frustrate the hell out of me but I liked what I saw last night, he seemed a lot more comfortable on the ball and a lot more confident. Perhaps a combination of being back in Britain and Martinez.

 

[davek]

Exactly mate. When I was a kid growing up in the 80's watching Everton we loved wingers and we loved attacking passing football. I think Moyes may have damaged the expectations of our fans for a small generation far more than I realised.

It always amazes me when I see players like Mirrallas and McGeady do their thing then lose the ball and our fans call them sh**e for it. But that's their job, to try and get around the opposition any way they can. So inevitably they are going to give the ball away because if they didnt we'd be winning matches by 20 odd goals. Wingers HAVE to lose the ball in their attempt to get us through and make space.

Message to fellow blues who dont like wingers, attackers or passing football: guys and gals, you've been brainwashed by ultra defensive football, there are other ways to play.

Yep, it's part of the deal with wingers. Someone like Pienaar has set the gold standard for wide players for the generation who came through during the Moyes era. Industrious, tracks play when it breaks down with him; which is good, but then he never actually was a winger, and Moyes never deployed them..or if he did he had them tucking inside a lot. I think there has to be a readjustment in expectation levels concerning the two operating wide of Naismith/Barkley.

 

[Eggs]

....good player and you can't have too many of them.

 

[Furey1878]

Yep, it's part of the deal with wingers. Someone like Pienaar has set the gold standard for wide players for the generation who came through during the Moyes era. Industrious, tracks play when it breaks down with him; which is good, but then he never actually was a winger, and Moyes never deployed them..or if he did he had them tucking inside a lot. I think there has to be a readjustment in expectation levels concerning the two operating wide of Naismith/Barkley.

I have wondered if we're going to keep playing with 2 out and out wingers for most of the season.

Last season it was mostly Pienaar/Osman playing as wide mids with Kev or Del as wingers on the other flank.

 

[davek]

I have wondered if we're going to keep playing with 2 out and out wingers for most of the season.

Last season it was mostly Pienaar/Osman playing as wide mids with Kev or Del as wingers on the other flank.

IIRC Mirallas and Deulofeu also played in the same team last season...and McGeady too?

I think he likes what Pienaar gives in terms of control of the ball, but his signing of Atsu leads me to believe he sees the way forward as having pacy wingers who focus on hurting the opposition. That, of course, may change if we're being overrun. I dont think we are though, it's individual errors at the back costing us. If we are being over run at certain points I think it's because the CM duo dont have the extra lending hand of Barkley in the scrap for the ball in the middle. For me, we haven't dominated a game in the midfield the way we did last season...maybe the 25 minutes against Arsenal before HT aside.

 

[CahillsCornerFlag]

McGeady attempts actual through balls.

And for that, he's in my first 11.

Been missing this for years. Reckon Gibbo could play a few too. Barkley needs to learn how to and he'll be very dangerous.

 

[Pavement Blue]

IIRC Mirallas and Deulofeu also played in the same team last season...and McGeady too?

I think he likes what Pienaar gives in terms of control of the ball, but his signing of Atsu leads me to believe he sees the way forward as having pacy wingers who focus on hurting the opposition. That, of course, may change if we're being overrun. I dont think we are though, it's individual errors at the back costing us. If we are being over run at certain points I think it's because the CM duo dont have the extra lending hand of Barkley in the scrap for the ball in the middle. For me, we haven't dominated a game in the midfield the way we did last season...maybe the 25 minutes against Arsenal before HT aside.

Yeah game was boss last season. Southampton away. Pienaar is a must when fit. Mcgeady is nowhere near the standard miralles has set. Might get away with the two wingers if we had two of him but baines would offer very little attacking wise. Don't see the point. And despite what some might say, see above, its nothing to do with how moyes played. It's to do with how great baines is.

 

[mkrudden]

There's a generation of fans who've grown up at Ecerton who have been weaned on the Sgt Moyes football philosophy of "sweat bullets first, flair play a distant second". Someone like McGeady is hard for them to digest because of his legacy. It was the same last season when they were all up in arms about the team passing the ball and building play patiently.

Traditionally though, we've always loved players who entertain at Everton. It'll take a little while to throw off Moyes' dour and alien Presbyterian stink.

Im not having this one Dave.

I love the way we play, I love Martinez and I think Moyes deserves respect for what put into what we are today.

The fact that I, and others, arent sold on McGeady isnt anything to do with what you mention. Its more to do with the fact that he seems almost determined to show his flashy feet everytime he receives the ball. Sometimes it comes off and it looks fantastic - his cut inside and ball for Naismith was fantastic v Chelsea. I seem to remember a trick and cross which set up Coleman for the winner v Cardiff last year. The lad undoubtedly has talent.

The issue is he seems quite poor at counter attacking. Take Kev as an example, when we counter attack he wants to do it at pace, to exploit the the space with his pace. McGeady doesnt do that. Ever. He receives the ball, stops, lets the opposition get behind the ball so he can then do a bit of skill with some flash footwork and beat his man. He did it so many times against Chelsea.

He's a work in progress no doubt, and I like what he brings to the team. I think though that every Evertonian has the right to not buy into a winger just because theyve mastered a step-over without being labelled a disciple of Moyes.