How do we get a fit Paddy McCourt in the team?

Not as easy as it sounds actually, assuming that he'll ever actually be fit enough to get a regular starting spot.

He's not really a natural winger, as he doesn't have much pace & can't really track back - as is required by most managers who use wingers.

He's not a Central Midfielder, as he has no physical presence & can't tackle.

He can only really play behind a lone striker or behind 2 strikers, in a free role IMO.

Can Lenny (or anyone else) justify a free role for Paddy McCourt in the team, how would he manage it - who would he drop.

A fit Paddy McCourt really should be in a Celtic team, as he is probably our best attacking player & has always givin a good performance & scored amazing goals when given the opportunity - however he lacks a lot of other defensive or teamworking attributes to his game, so he's really a bit of a luxoury.

I honestly really don't know if we could fit him into the team, a 3-5-2 would probably mean dropping McGeady & we don't have a LWB, I think Hinkel would be a great RWB though.

Playing a 4-4-2 diamond, with Paddy at the head of the diamond could work, but again we're dropping either Brown or N'Guemo, neither of whom are really cut out for the holding midfielder role. Perhaps drop them both & play Crosas there?

It's a nightmare & that may be why he's not in the team more often, could he be more effective than Samaras on the LW. Sammy does track back a bit, but he's not exactly effective is he?

Thoughts?

 

needs a free role really, dosent fit into a 4-4-2 system. if lennon thinks celtic need to toughen up then it dosent look good for him.

 

His pace doesn't seem to hold him back too much on the wing, but he just doesn't have the fitness to go 90, never mind coupled with defensive responsibility to.

Don't think a gaffer will ever really have this headache as he seemingly will never achieve the required fitness.

Hypothetically, a fit Paddy imo would warrant a little lee way in terms of chasing back. I actually think hes that good whenever I see him.

 

My thoughts are that he fits into the matchwinner/luxury/creator/entertainer category , and if we had a Celtic team that was firing on all cylinders in defence , central midfield and attack , we can probably afford two of these types in the team and even if they are having an off day we'd have others to compensate for it..
Unfortunately we haven't really had the players throughout a starting 11 to allow us even one of these kind of players at times because as mentioned many times before , when Mcgeady isn't on his game , we generally aren't on our game as a team so it's unlikely we'd play Mcgeady and Paddy in the same team for a run of games , although Mcgeadys tracking back is a good bit better than Paddy's..
I think he'll always be a bit part player , reminds me more of a 35 year old world class player who's legs have gone , and is always good for one or two moments of magic each performance , rather than a mid 20's player who should be at peak fitness and able to avoid picking up one injury after another.. (injury-wise the same could be said about Maloney)

 

we dont

 

Ok, I'll rephrase the question - "how can we?"

I'm expecting - "We can't", from you.

Thanks for your input though, don't phone us, we'll phone you.

 

The free-role is dead in football.

It used to be THE position to be filled by your best, most creative play. At least in the first half of the noughties and earlier.

The classic number 10, the likes of Rui Costa, Riquelme, Bergkamp, Laudrup, etc it was soon found out that an energetic, intelligent anchorman will generally neutralise such players. Lambert against Zidane in the CL final is a great example.

I think recently it has been the done thing to jam such technical players out wide, I'm reluctant to use the term "luxury" but it's not far from the truth because they simply do not graft for the team. If they don't turn up they are almost like playing with 10 men.

Nakamura is an example of a classic technical number 10 being stuck out wide, but again can contribute almost zero to defending.

New up and coming players who fit the bill are increasingly becoming physical monsters as well. Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi are the new breed. Not at all strikers, purely creative and technical but have the work-rate and stamina to play equally well on the wing as in the "hole". Ronaldinho is in the same mould but didn't have the defensive attributes so was promptly booted. AC MIlan struggle to fit him in their team as could be seen against Man United where his wing was constantly exploited (especially for the opening goal from the cross from Neville).

But these guys at the top top clubs are proof that even the very best technical players , however good they are, they NEED to be able to defend from the top. It's the same kind of thing as the death of the Kris Boyd/Romario type lazy poacher in the modern game.

Unless McCourt can sort out his stamina and therefore defensive side of the game then he can never be anything but an impact sub, thrown on when desperate. He will never fit into our team.

For those watching Benfica tonight though it will be interesting to see where classic number 10's like Aimar and Saviola fit into things. I believe they are just ahead of a 3 man midfield, like a 4-3-2-1 with Cardozo at the top of the Xmas tree.

So could we get 3 workhorses in the team with say, McCourt and McGeady just ahead, and Fortune at the top?


..............Fortune.............
.....................................
......McCourt....McGeady....
......................................
.....Brown.........Crosas.......
............N'Guemo...............
......................................
Naylor...Jos....Rogne...Hinkel

 

In theory he should play in this.

Boruc
Hinkel Rogne Hooiveld Naylor
N'Guemo Brown
McGeady ____________McGinn
________McCourt
Keane______ ​

 

As much as I love the guy I don't think we will change our formation for a very injury prone player sadly

I don't see why he isn't ok left as a winger, where he has always played. Yeh he doesn't have much pact, but the way he plays he doesn't need it

 

I saw a video where lenon said McCourt was the best footballer he's ever seen or something like that so I think he'l be wanting him in the team as much as everyone and if there is a way he'l find it. (Impact sub imo)

 

I dont think the free role is dead. Messi quite often plays a free role for Barca, granted they are a much more capable team than us so they can pull this off.

If paddy were to play a free role for us, the team would have to be full of competent passers and defenders, a la barca, so we can retain possession and win it back quickly when we do lose it.

 

That's what I was talking about.

Lets hope we get to see it more often now

 

Nope, Barca have the best defensive offence (if that makes any sense) in the world. They pressed consistently with 4 attacking players last night and as you could see Arsenal simply couldn't hold the ball (normally you hold the ball at the back as its 4 defenders + keeper against 1/2/3 forwards pressing). The entire at least front 4 including Messi were pressing in a uniform fashion. If everyone does not pres then it doesn't work. As you could see last night it worked simply because of the incredible work rate of players like Messi and Pedro who are given strict roles in the team.

 

Agreed entirely. A luxury player, who can come on when we are 2/3 in front to turn on the style with no pressure. Week in week out, however, i simply cannot see him fitting in in any way.

A real shame, as he is an undoubted talent.

 

First and foremost he needs to get fit, play against better opposition. How he can be seen as a revelation when he has only done it against smaller teams I don't get.
Came on against the huns in the first game if I rember and got fiund out. I like paddy but until I see a good run of games, not 20 against falkirk, I will not be convinced

 

To be honest I've pretty much given up hope now of Paddy McCourt ever being fit for long enough to have a prolonged run in the first team. It seems like every time he is on the cusp of getting a look at a first-team slot he breaks down again.

It's a pity because when he has the ball at his feet he's the most exciting player at Celtic(along with Keano).

 

Is Paddy fit just now .

 

If we ever intend to play a proper pressing game then Paddy McCourt won't start.

If we are ever on top and need a goal, you can be sure he will come off the bench if he is fit enough.