Against the tide of momentum, opinion and form at the moment, one man has defied the odds to make the final 23 man squad for Ireland’s EURO 2016 trip this summer.
Aiden McGeady is used to being double or triple marked anyways!
Love him or hate him, he’s still as relevant as he was when he broke onto the scene as bleached hair magician on the wing for Celtic. Many would believe Aiden’s career is in a downward spiral. To some, this is a series of events few have any surprise or little sympathy for. Others remain steadfast in their belief of his ability and potential on matchday, and cannot rule him out. The man himself has never ruled himself out, he has never given up, and he won’t stop trying.
I am of the latter. Having christened him Aidenho, he has been the subject of much criticism that I usually seek to defend him from. It’s a tireless task. Many years ago things Aiden did that incurred the wrath of Irish fans I tried to defend, nowadays I’m more accepting of his limitations and his failings. However, these same critics can’t do the same in vice-versa and appreciate the ability and potential he can bring to the big occasion. McGeady may not have had the storied Ireland career that many predicted off the back of his earliest Celtic performances, but it is still has been an eventful journey for the Glasgow born winger. His early Celtic performances and subsequent declaration for the Irish national team set a bar of expectation that Aiden has only intermittingly exceeded. His assist count has totalled 17 which is a decent return, but could be better. While his goal tally at a mere 5 leaves a lot to be desired for someone of his talent. Without him, however, would things be better?
It is much forgotten that Ireland entered Euro 2012 off the back of a 14 game unbeaten streak. It is also another forgotten fact that McGeady created the majority of Ireland’s goals in qualifying that campaign. Not to mention it was his delivery on that free-kick Sean St.Ledger nodded home for Irelands only goal in Euro 2012. It would be fair to say he is unlucky not to have added more to his statistics, and at the beginning of the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign, everyone was expecting he would do just that.
A wonderful solo performance that secured 3 points away in Georgia was the perfect start for the winger and Ireland. His two goals typified what every Ireland fan wants. He got on the end of a good team move to put Ireland ahead in the first half. His second, coming in injury time, was a beautiful piece of trademark McGeady magic, came at a time when Ireland seemed devoid of ideas in breaking down Georgia. He subsequently played the full 90 minutes against Georgia and Germany, provided an assist in the 7-0 win at home and playing his part in a strong defensive performance in Gelsenkirchen before later playing a part in the equaliser. Things were looking good. That was before a hostile reception in Glasgow greeted McGeady and Ireland in the qualifier against Scotland. Despite his best efforts, both he and Ireland struggled to perform and ended up losing 1-0.
Since then, McGeady has slid down the surface of things in the Ireland set-up. An untimely knee injury at the beginning of 2015 curtailed his involvement at club level. He started against Poland and was the key threat in the first half. He left two Polish defenders for dead as he tried a delicate chip over the keeper. It didn’t come off and while he created a few more chances, he was eventually replaced by James McClean. McClean is more direct and energetic presence on the wing and immediately announced his arrival by clattering into Arkadiusz Milik. Right then, it was what Ireland needed. Another injury prevented his involvement against Scotland in June and has only made 3 subs appearance over the next 6 qualifying games, the most telling of which was against Poland in Warsaw. The Ireland team in his absence began to gel after the Scotland game in June and key players proved un-droppable off the back of historic results against Germany and Bosnia.
His club career is of a more interesting variety amongst high profile Irish players. He progressed through the Celtic academy before making his first team debut. It wasn’t long before he became popular with his trickery on the ball and contribution to the team going forward. No doubt his greatest moment was the 2007/08 season, where he won SPFA Player and Young Player of the year, scoring 8 goals and providing 24 assists. His transfer fee went a long way to helping Neil Lennon build a new era after his departure. While sceptics remained in the stands of Lansdowne Road and Croke Park, McGeady was a fan favourite at Celtic Park. Even in leaving the club, he provided. His £9.5 million pound transfer fee to Spartak Moscow was the catalyst for a transfer budget that Neil Lennon used to rebuild the squad in the summer of 2010.
The Spartak experience was one McGeady himself said was a “positive one”. Moving to a league with a greater standard, this move would test his skills and character as a player. He was playing an advanced role on the right hand side of a 4-2-3-1 formation that suited his play better than that at Celtic or Ireland. Only a few months after his arrival, he was named on a list of the 33 Best Players by the Russian Football Union. Goals & assists kept coming his way. In 93 games for club, he scored 13 times and created 29 more. Suspensions also came his way, the second of which saw him receive a ban for six league games. Towards the end of his time at the club, he was sent to train with clubs youth team after a disagreement with manager Valeri Karpin. It signalled an end to his Russian odyssey, one which could be called a personal success.
In 2014, he moved to Everton for an undisclosed fee. For a long time, a move to the Premier League was touted. It was a greater test again, and one which answer a lot of questions his critics had. In the 2 and a half years he’s been at the club, he has made 43 appearances in League and Cup, scoring once and providing 7 assists. It’s been a difficult spell for McGeady. The knee injury at the start of 2015 saw him lose his place in the team to Aaron Lennon before being frozen out of the squad altogether by manager Roberto Martinez at the start of 2015-16 season. In a bid to boost his Euro 2016 prospects, he went on loan to Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship, turning down an offer to go to Sporting Lisbon. Wednesday, a club vying for promotion, seemed like a solid fit for McGeady. Here was a player vying to keep his place on the plane to France alive, and maybe the rest of his entire career with it! However, he has still struggled to rediscover the form that put him at the forefront of Ireland’s hopes. He made 13 appearances for Sheffield Wednesday, scoring only once. He also didn’t feature in their playoff games at the end of the season. It’s been a nightmare 12 months for him and it’s been this struggle that many Ireland fans think of when the McGeady debate comes up. They couldn’t fathom why someone so inconsistent now struggling for form should be brought to France.
Consistency. Imagine if he did it every game. One of the more endearing aspects of his game is that he consistently tries to pull off the spectacular. It’s what makes him the exciting player he is. He will never stop trying to outwit his opponent because it’s what defines him as a winger. Even against Slovakia with the game fading towards a 2-2 draw both sides could settle for, he was tearing towards the sideline attempting his trademark spin. It didn’t come off and the crowd moaned. I’d rather someone kept trying even if everything wasn’t working for him. And minutes later, in the centre of the pitch, it came off. It opened up space in the final third.
He featured in Ireland’s final friendly game against Belarus before heading to France. The first half was a dire performance from all concerned. Belarus took the lead. McGeady struggled to impose himself, except for one moment where he hassled and won the ball back in the Belarus half. Unfortunately the move didn’t come off as Daryl Murphy failed to anticipate the turnover and was subsequently caught flat footed and his first touch let him down. A quick one-two was on and could have led to something for Ireland. In the second half, the team were much more urgent on the ball and McGeady tried much harder to get involved. It was a much more positive approach and one that ultimately could have sealed his place in the final 23 later that night.
There is far more to his game to than fancy tricks. A lot more. And while he may forever be defined by his ability in the final third, it’s important to judge him on his overall game. I already mentioned previously about his work off the ball but there is a greater example I can highlight. Stephen Ward is another much maligned figure on the Irish scene. Ward broke into the Irish team in 2011 at left-back and featured in our qualifying campaign that year. My abiding memory from the memorable 0-0 draw in Moscow against Russia, apart from a monumental performance from Richard Dunne, was the tracking back of McGeady time and time again from left midfield. He was often left to cover gaping holes on the left side as Ward was caught out of position. It was a tireless performance from him, not one worthy of headlines but a vital cog in overall heroic defensive showing from Ireland that evening. We wouldn’t be talking about heroic 0-0 draws had Russia got a free run on left side all game. McGeady may be creative, he may attempt one too many trick at a time and lose possession but he will never shirk his responsibilities going forward or defending.
Realistically we can expect Aiden to play no more than a bit part role in France. In his place, there have been others have taken the mantle and given Ireland the edge they need going forward. That being said, I have always been adamant that he is someone who be in the squad. Against Poland in Warsaw last October, Ireland were struggling to create chances to score a decisive equaliser. McGeady provided the outlet to create that once chance we needed, and Richard Keogh was unlucky not to score. Doubts remain over Robbie Keane’s ability to provide from the bench, but I’ve seen first-hand what Aiden can do late on in a game, whether he comes on late or starts the game. His form going into Georgia was hardly blistering, if substantially better than what it is now, but he delivered. It was decisive for our qualification.
Roy Keane stated midweek that he should have done better against Belarus “but maybe that’s the story of Aiden’s career”. They were strong words, and many agreed with them. On the flipside, Damien Duff spoke positively of him, “he’s the one player who gets people off their seats” and “confidence isn’t a problem, ability isn’t, I just hope he’s fit and sharp enough to get into the team”.
The jury may still be out on Aiden. In a moment, he can vanquish every negative said about him.
And no other Irish player can do that on a given day.
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