When I’m putting on my football bets either at home or in the breezeblock jowl that is the concourse of Celtic Park; the click of the mouse or the stroke of those miniscule red pens – that you have hundreds off in your home, car and washing machine – that signals that I fancy Paddy McCourt as last goalscorer is not a bet born from romance.
Romantic betting is a mugs game and one sure fire way of losing money. I’m in no way a romantic as Mrs LoTW will attest. The bet is made with educated guess-work.
I truly believe that Paddy McCourt will come on and has a decent chance to influence the game. The bet came in a few times this season. It never justified the outlay – or ended up ensuring that my last scorer / scorecast double ship came in – but it was enough for me.
The fact that I only thought Paddy would come off the bench confirms the problem Paddy and Celtic have.
He either appears as the Jester to entertain the masses when we are cruising or what always seems as a desperate gamble when we are struggling to breakdown packed defences, which sometimes leads to embarrassing tumbles as seen at Inverness and the Diddy Cup Final.
Off course sometimes it works. His play set up late winners at Tannadice and St Midden proving a worth in this tactic.
His early season starts and show as the in the hole striker at Ipox in January should also dispel that he is just a bit-part squad player who has a bit of maverick genius in him. It doesn’t though.
While I believe Paddy can do something credible everytime he pulls on his plain Addidas – another reason to love him, no coloured boots – I get the impression that Paddy doesn’t.
At his best his ability seems nonchalant, wistful and as natural as a salmon following it’s biology back to it’s spawning place (dodging numerous bears on the way). He is the bloke who used to sit at the end of the bar in your local and every year would turn out for the pub team once or twice to produce a man of the match performance after borrowing someone’s boots (usually two sizes too small for him).
At worst his style could be seen as arrogance. That sometimes he can’t be bothered. I would argue that is not the case. His tribulations in getting fit and into the squad are testament to a player that wants to improve his all round game.
We all love the image that McCourt is a 40 Lambert and Butler a day, Guinness swilling eccentric with craic straight from the blarney and ability from Rio via Derry. His unkempt look adds to the love.
This image adds to the cult status and the myth of his overall ability. I must admit I fully embrace the McCourt fantasy. I don’t need a £50 an hour therapist for me to admit that failing.
But, Commons has stolen his thunder. Forrest and Maloney have all been seen as safer forward options. Scott Brown and Joe Ledley have also been favoured in wide positions ahead of him.
He’s reached a moment of truth.
Does he hang around being a bit part adding 4 or 5 iconic DVD moments to enhance his already legendary cult status at a club his talents deserve to be at every season or take his talents elsewhere to a lesser light and probably still produce 4 or 5 iconic DVD moments to further enhance his cult status but play every week.
Paddy McCourt of Kilmarnock / Motherwell / Aberdeen / Blackpool / Doncaster sounds like being locked in a room with the soundtrack to Mama Mia being on constant repeat with only a dentist drill for company.
For the good of McCourt , for the good of the game and for all that love the game we can’t hold him back. That sound has to become a reality. Think of the children for gods sake.
Previously On The Celtic Blog (Click On The Pictures For Untold Delights)
I tend to disagree. He’ll be on a relatively low wage & cost peanuts. He’s worth keeping as an option. He hasn’t ever been given a ‘run’. He is involved 1 week then not used for weeks, not exactly the boys fault.
I don’t think Celtic want to let him go. They will listen to offers as will the player. I think the player will call time on his Celtic career, not the club.
Guys like McCourt can lift the spirit when they turn it on. All too often though they fail and can only be said to flatter to deceive. We all know lads we went to school with who were great on the ball but hadn’t the will or determination to force their fitness and skills to a higher level. The ones who do succeed go on to become genuine legends, a la Jimmy Johnston, Jim Baxter, Davie Cooper and the rest. McCourt seems to have the skills but not the mentality. I think he will fade away over the next two seasons and be spoken of in terms of “if only”
The feeling that he is 20 years too late nags constantly about Paddy. The game is for athletes not artisans now. I’m willing to bet that there would be games when he would be dropped for a Killie and Murderwell due to the state of our game.
I’ll probably get pelters for this, but I think parallels can be drawn (or projected) between Paddy and Matt Le Tissier, someone whom I think is one of the most underrated players of my generation. Not to compare Paddy to him in terms of ability or goal scoring, but I get the feeling that if he could find a club that suited him and was given the freedom to do what he does best, like Le Tissier, he would be an exceptional player.
Paddy’s a far better all round player than a lot of people think, but he’s been pigeon-holed into this super sub role. I felt, in his last few performances, we were beginning to see a more complete player and I’m sure Lennon had a lot to do with that. Unfortunately, he’s almost set the bar too high. When he doesn’t take on 3 players and dick the keeper, people say he had a bad game/was ineffective. I think that’s very unfair. He was beginning to play the intelligent pass for the team rather than doing it all himself. The anti-McGeady, if you like.
I agree, he should move on and that’s a shame. I don’t think, with the competition that you’ve mentioned, that we will ever make the best use of him…and the team is looking fairly settled, he’s just another option to add confusion to the system. Under the right manager, and if he can apply himself, he’ll be an great player for someone.
Fantastic. Le Tiss was a genius more so because he never moved. He told Man U to beat it as he didn’t want to train or leave the Channel Islands. Does that make him any less of a player because of this. Off course not. It makes him a genius, an evil genius, the antidote to those pampered EPL stars that have no morals. Off course, Southampton rewarded him handsomely for his loyality and he got to bang that burd from Home and Away.
Is Celtic Paddy’s Southampton? I would love it to be. I would love him to stick around and grace us with his untold joy tools.
The McGeady thing. I reckon Paddy has a better vision. This is mainly due to him not having that gallusness that Aiden had. I remember going mental when he chased a R*ngers player back 25 yards and won a tackle on the edge of our box at Ipox on Jan 2nd. It was a magical moment. It was like the first time Optimus Prime transformed to the shock of world. It wasn’t meant to happen.
Yeah, I always respected Le Tissier for staying at Southampton. Great guy, in my opinion. I forgot he shagged Marilyn, b*stard, haha !
Totally agree, McGeady just doesn’t have a good footballer’s brain (or any kind of brain, actually)..and is complete narcissist.
I wouldn’t berate Aiden for having that streak in him. It makes him, him. Hopefully Russia is improving him both on and off the park.
I know what you’re saying, it’s like taking that bit out of eg. Rooney that makes him a player. Think Russia’s been a culture shock. Living in a foreign country is a pretty sobering experience but it forces you to grow up pretty quickly !
i know his fitness has been questioned previously but he is left on bench for weeks at a time. I’d like to think he could get in ‘his’ peak condition & perhaps review his contribution in January. Most players need a run to show their worth. Ledley looked p*sh at first. Maybe an article on Majstorovic is due. He looks like a wardrobe lumbering about pitch & painfully slow at turning. Ledley & Kayals ability to retain the ball contributed to so many clean sheets.
I don’t get the Ledley didnt look good at first thing. I thought he also looked like a decent player who improved as he settled.
I hope he stays and gets more game time,I would certainly give him more game time than the likes of Samaras or Maloney.
A lot has been said about his lack of fitness but anytime he played he certainly didn’t look unfit to me.
For me Paddy is the type of player you pays your money to watch. Why Neil doesn’t rate him above the other two I mentioned I’ll never know.
However if he were to move PLEASE not to another team in Scotland,couldn’t bear to see him playing against us!
Neil Lennon spoke highly of Paddy at the Roadshow meetings last year. I reckon he does rate him but the modern game means that Samaras and Maloney are the DVD to his VHS. Paddy has evolved since Lenny took charge. I trust him more than the two you mentioned.
Sorry LOTW, Have to disagree with you. I think the DVD and VHS analogy is the other way round.
You state in one of your replies;”The game is for athletes now not artisans”.
What about the song we sing loud and proud “To play football The Glasgow Celtic Way”.
Would you then not sign the likes of Iniesta, Xavi,
or Messi,or do you regard them as “Athletes”and Not “Artisans ?.and I’m not sure I would class Sammi as an “Athlete” more like an Afghan Hound in disguise!.
I am sure you are a fan of Paddy like the rest,or at least most of us, and I just wish he was given as much time to establish himself as has been given to the aforementioned, particularly Sammi.
I too trust in Neil Lennon and of course his team has to play every week whereas the one I pick doesn’t.
Hail Hail Anyway.
Barcelona are a freak of nature. Like the Milan team in the early 90’s. They are a perfect blend of artists and athletes. That’s due to the philosophy of the club and the manager and the people of Catalonia. It’s a brave world and one that not many will try to replicate. This is mainly due to fear and the fact that they can’t. What they will do is try and stop them. This means playing more athletes who will do the dirtier side of the game.
Though, Lennon embraces the Celtic Way, I’m sure he looks back and wishes at ICT and in Holland he maybe looked to an athlete, or a more athletic player – see Charles Mulgrew – in the midfield rather than two wingers.
paddy’s a great player, every time he gets the ball i be on the edge of my seat, hope he gets his chance at Celtic as id love his best moments to be in the hoops. think he would be great to have in Europe, they wouldn’t have a clue who he was and the Derry Pele would roast them. hail hail!
I think Paddy made a much more significant contribution to the season just gone than has been recognized and I would rather others for example see Shaun Maloney exit the club before Paddy. As some people have already mentioned Paddy is a whole lot more than a clever goal-scorer with an obvious touch of genius, his display at Ibrox in December was outstanding on a day of outstanding performances. He was just getting into his stride when Chris Commons arrived and started like a house on fire. We need to remember Paddy’s position has been one where we have been blessed by an embarrassment of riches since his arrival with Nakamura and Mc Geady both with the club since his arrival. I too think he needs a run of games and if he is happy to stay then there is absolutely no reason why he should not continue to bring joy and magic to Celtic supporters for years to come.
I will probably get all manner of curses thrown at me for this but,it is my confirmed view.I am completely baffled as to why McCourt his held in such high regard by many Celtic supporters,some of whom laughably refer to him as a genius.Jimmy Johnstone was a genius,Henrik Larsson was a genius,Jimmy McGrory was a genius.Paddy McCourt is not!!!He’s not remotely good enough to wear the same jersey worn with such distinction by those mentioned. He slows the game down to a pedestrian level which suits the opposition. Yes he comes up with the occassional flash of skill and finishing which if was done on a regular basis would indeed give creedence to this genius epithet bestowed upon him. He dosen’t. His positioning is poor, more often than not he is way behind his fellow attackers, when Celtic are on the offensive thus just as his general play does slows down the attacks allowing the opposition to regroup.When I see him coming into a game I despair, because I know the manager thinks the team is in trouble and will try any desperate measure to turn things around. That is what McCourt is, a desperation move put simply He is not good enough to play for Celtic and should in my view be shown the door.Through which I would hope he would be accompanied by McGinn,(who is even worse), Duffy, O’Dea,Rasmussen,Loovens,Hooiveld,Zauslka, Hutcheson,Rogne in addition to those who have already been let go. I await the brickbats!
He is the genius of cult and I disagree wholly with what you say about his lack of ability. But you expected that 🙂
Apart from the champagne goal against the likes of St. Mirren (who ma maw could score a wonder goal against) his problem is not his mentality it’s his decision making, he tries to hard to do it all himself, which when works he does get a wonder goal but when doesn’t begs the question why not retain possession with a simple pass and more often than not against better defences he gets found out. He does have a touch of class but for the odd moment of genius he produces all the other players you mention do it more often and the team balance is better without him I do wish him success at Celtic but more than likely will find it somewhere else
Again, I disagree. McGeady attempted to do it all himself. McCourt is more a team player than he ever was. I said in the blog he is not gallus.
It wasn’t McGeady’s fault he was by far the most technically gifted footballer to come through the ranks of the SPL era and it was a case of every player giving the ball to him and not taking responsibility themselves (More than likely Strachan’s idea) but to say he hasn’t got a football brain is nonsense seen as he has flourished in Moscow and been linked with a £30million move to Zenit the top team in Russia. But back on point McCourt’s real problem as you highlighted is he never gets a run of games and if he did all the opinions of what is wrong with his game like decision making, mentality, fitness etc. will all improve
Your post sums up what completely happened with Aiden. He was the best player in Scotland and knew it. The longer he stayed the more unlikely that football intelligence would have come. He had to leave to get it.
Also I will always agree with a it’s Strachans fault type comment! 🙂
McCourt is in no way a genius. That label should be saved for the Messi’s and Bergkamps of the game. McCourt is a player with better than average dribbling skills but not much more in the locker.
There is nothing magical about the Barcelona team. Their playing style is founded on hard graft on the training ground coupled with a responsible lifestyle. Barcelonas’ passing game can’t be played without world class fitness levels and if you look at the true greats you’ll see that they were all tremendous athletes. The last Scottish players who could be put anywhere near that bracket are Souness and Dalgleish.
If McCourt had the fitness level of Messi Celtic wouldn’t be able to hold onto him.
Roddy Collins got the best out of Paddy, when he was playing at Shamrock Rovers. He was played in a classic number 10 second striker position given a free role with no defensive duties. Having watched Celtic vs. Aberdeen I think Lennon set his team up without any width or balance. Commons (who was awful) played on the right is going to cut inside 9 times outta 10 and when Izaguirre got injured Celtic were crying out for width on the left. Lennon likes using Brown on the right also which doesnt provide much width. To be honest I think Paddy won’t get much of a chance at Celtic mainly due to the way Lennon wants to puts his side out, he likes 442 without any real width so no place for Paddy on the wing or in the second striker position given the players Lennon seems to prefer. I hear Wolves are interested in taking him south and he is due to start for the North tonight. From what I hear Paddy loves playing at Celtic and firmly believes he has the ability to challenge for a starting spot but for his sake I would agree with the original blog, he must move on. And I would like to see him sign for the like of Wolves and show on a more regular basis the ability he has. His problem is not one of fitness or lack of belief etc he simply isnt given the starts look at his goals/assists return from minutes on the pitch. His conditioning has dramatically improved since his time at Brandywell, where I watched him with delight as a season ticket holder during his time back home. Looking at Celtic I belive Majstorovic is a disaster and losing Izaguirre is a massive blow add to that the lack of a top keeper I feel Lennon hasnt made the significant improvements to the team he spoke of making. He spoke recently of using 433 and Paddy and Commons as two interchangeable wingers with Hooper/Stokes would be nice to see however I think both Stokes and Hooper have to play and Commons is one of the first names on the sheet so maybe the time has come for Paddy to bid farewell and show the English Premiership what he’s got in spades.