Gary Mackay-Steven

* has been like a man down recently. Surely he can't start in Amsterdam?

 

Still hoping he can really kick on this season. He ran riot in preseason. It looks like he's restricted when he's on the pitch at present. Wouldn't mind seeing the odd *-up if he's trying the sublime - and he's capable of it.

 

Personally I think Forrest will and GMS will be on the bench. Although James has been slightly better recently he is still not the finished article

 

He needs a goal to kick on from.
However, I'd prefer other players to play ahead of him. He doesn't offer as much as Forrest in my opinion.

 

Some laugh considering posters on here were mad enough to think he'd be our best player this season!

Hopefully he gets the itch for a move south and his agent is good enough, cause he has no place at our football club.

 

I spoke to a few Dundee Utd fans when we first signed him and the book on GMS was that he is quite an inconsistent player. When he's good he can be very good but there are games where he just goes missing. That's pretty much how he's been at Celtic. I hope as he gets older the inconsistency in his game will improve.

 

He's 25 now. He's just never going to elevate himself to that next level. It's no big deal, we took a gamble. This isn't the first big club he's failed at.

 

Eh?

 

Started at Liverpool

 

Bit harsh to class not making Liverpool's first team as a failure. Our whole squad would be failures going by that criteria.

 

He's a winger, wingers are always going to be inconsistent.

 

He was injured for majority of time he was at Liverpool.

 

Today's game was the type of game GMS was always going to have a fight on his hands to make any real impact on. The physicality of Aberdeen was too much for him, was easily brushed aside on a few occasions when challenging for the ball or in possession. Missed Armstrong on the wing today.

 

He's been a useless wee * as well this season

 

I think on form he is our most potent attacking weapon in terms of unlocking defences, he needs to start showing that again very soon.

 

rotten yet had a decent pre-season, but at this moment in time he's as good as tonev, needs dropped

 

Something odd is going on with him, doesn't look like he's enjoying football one bit this season.

 

Just need to play him through it, he's not the only one that's lost confidence/form.

 

Getting to know Gary Mackay-Steven.
http://www.celticfc.net/news/9516

1. Who was your boyhood hero?
The Brazilian Ronaldo. I looked up to him a lot when I was younger. He was unbelievable in his prime and even though he had a lot of bad injuries he was still unbelievable everywhere he played. He could do everything. He was so fast, strong and he was really skilful with both feet. I enjoyed watching him because he could beat a man and he got you off your seat. He was an exciting player to watch and you didn’t know what he was going to do. I remember him in the 1998 World Cup but even before that when he was at Inter Milan I watched him. I had a few Inter Milan tops when I was younger and he was their main player at the time. I used to watch Italian football on a Sunday and he was the one I looked up to most.

2. What other team did you support?
Growing up I had lots of Inter Milan tops because I just liked the kit so I’d say them. I had a few Real Madrid tops as well.

3. Who is the best player you played with?
I played a reserve game at Liverpool with Steven Gerrard. Even just training with him you could see he was a class above and was one of those players who could just do anything. He’s a leader but he can tackle, run past players, pass it and score goals so he’s just got a bit of everything. Everything he did was top level and he very rarely let his level slip. There’s no weakness to his game and everything about him just had something extra.

4. Who is the best player you played against?
I’m not too sure. I’ve played against players like Gerrard in training and played against Inter Milan but I never really find anyone that’s so difficult to play against. When I was younger I played against a Manchester City youth team and played against Micah Richards and he was a big lad for his age. He was tough to play against but I wouldn’t say there has been a major stand-out so far. Everyone has different strengths.

5. Which was the best goal you scored?
My first goal for Celtic wasn’t my best goal but in terms of meaning something to me and the fact that it came so early was something special to me. That was the nicest feeling and in a game like that you want to sort out your first touch first, and that was mine so it was a good one! It was amazing for it to happen that way and I’ll always remember it.
6. Which was the best game you’ve ever played in?
Probably the Inter Milan game at home just for the sheer atmosphere. I was really excited about experiencing that and it was more than I could have imagined with the atmosphere the fans generated and the game was pretty crazy as well. For before and after the game the atmosphere makes it easy to pick.

7. What was the strangest thing to happen to you on a football field?
There was a game we were set to play at Dundee United when we’d done the warm-up and we were all ready to go but then the floodlights failed so we had to go back in and get changed and go home. That was strange because you’re not expecting it when you’re focused and raring to go. Also, my first game for United in the SPL was against Kilmarnock and I came on as a sub but had to get subbed because I fell over a sprinkler and went over on my ankle. It was at home and the ball went out for a throw-in and I just went off the pitch a little and a sprinkler was there and I went over. It was a bit embarrassing and I tried to play on but it wasn’t possible. To make things worse the team had made three subs so they had to play the last 10 minutes with 10 men so they weren’t too happy with me.
8. What was the best stadium you played in?
Celtic Park. It’s great. I’ve played in the San Siro as well and that was special because I had a lot of Inter Milan tops growing up and always used to go Inter Milan in FIFA. The older FIFA games used to give a stadium tour before you played the game and the one for the San Siro went down the tunnel so I knew that stadium well from those days so it was nice to play there.

9. What would you be if you weren’t a footballer?
I was asked this before and I said a zoo keeper but I think I just pulled that out of thin air. I don’t know what I’d be. I left school at 15 and it has always been football so I’ve never thought about a different career but I really like music so maybe I would have gone to University and studied music or sport.

10. What words of advice would you give to a young Gary Mackay-Steven?
When I was younger I broke my leg in consecutive years and had some other injuries early in my career. My family helped me as there were times where I’d spend long periods on the sidelines. Now I’ve learned to be positive all the time. Back then it was more my family that helped me through things like injuries. I’d just say to have more of the mindset that I have now which is basically, ‘Yes, you’ll get obstacles but if you’re positive you’ll overcome them’.

 

Regarding his loss of form,Is it not just a case of players taking more time time adjust because we at Celtic expect more from our players?