Celtic 3 - Aberdeen 0
From The Times
November 26, 2007
Celtic power to win thanks to Aiden McGeady’s masterclass
Celtic 3 Aberdeen 0
Phil Gordon at Celtic Park
When Scott Brown admits to being envious of someone else’s energy, it has to be a special talent. The eager Celtic midfield player is not one to stop in his tracks for anything, and certainly not to admire the view. However, even Brown feels second-best right now, compared to the raw power of Aiden McGeady.
Just seven days earlier, Brown left a few world champions gulping for oxygen as he took Scotland’s Euro 2008 fight to Italy. On Saturday, he put in one 90-yard run that tore Aberdeen apart and conjured up a pirouette that Zinedine Zidane would have been proud of. Yet, Brown still felt in awe of McGeady’s performance. The Ireland winger earned high praise from Gordon Strachan – “It was a flawless performance from Aiden,” the manager said – but the endorsement of Celtic’s £4.5 million summer signing from Hibernian probably counted more with McGeady. Kind words from the manager are important, but kudos from the dress-ing-room is much harder to earn.
Brown watched McGeady torment Aberdeen – finding the net with the same fierce accuracy from distance that he employed against Benfica four weeks ago – and he is hoping that his teammate is saving up of those goals when Shakhtar Donetsk come to Celtic Park on Champions League business on Wednesday. McGeady was sacrificed by Strachan when the two teams met in Ukraine on the opening night of group D, as the Celtic manager went for a 4-5-1 formation only to lose 2-0, but there is no chance of the 21-year-old being on the bench this time round.
“Aiden was frightening again,” Brown said. “For the last month, I don’t think anyone has been able to get close to Aiden. I hope that continues. Since I came to the club, his performances have been on a different level. His pace, his work-rate and his skill are incredible. He regularly runs 60 or 70 yards several times in a game, taking players on, but he still gets back to help out in defence. He has amazing energy.”
Jimmy Calderwood will also take his team into Europe this week, away to Atlético Madrid in the Uefa Cup on Thursday. However, the Aberdeen manager acknowledged that even in Spain he may not see a talent quite like McGeady’s. “We contributed to our own downfall but Celtic were magnificent and it was a wonderful performance by McGeady. Celtic’s energy and desire were terrific. Look at him and Scott Brown when they were 3-0 up, they were still hungry for the ball.”
During the week, McGeady can be spotted on Celtic’s training ground running with a harness round his waist as he drags a tyre, to improve his speed. On match days, it is opponents who seem laden down as they trail in his wake. McGeady symbolises Celtic’s progress in the Champions League this term: neither got out of the blocks in Donetsk but they are now well into their stride and Wednesday offers the chance to go second behind AC Milan.
“We were disappointing in Ukraine,” Brown said. “We lost two early goals and we tried to come back in the second half but it was not to be. This will be different. We are home, where we have a great record. The fans will be like a twelfth man for us and that will really help us. The performance against Aberdeen was one of the best I have seen. We had 11 players at their peak and we will need something like that against Shakhtar Donetsk. We have to win all our home games to have a chance of going through to the next stage in the Champions League. We’ve won the last two, against Milan and Benfica, and we badly want the victory from this one, too.”
Had it not been for Jamie Langfield, then Aberdeen would have been badly mauled in the manner that they so often were when Ebbe Skovdahl was manager a few years ago ago. This was three, going on seven. The goalkeeper produced a string of first half-saves to prevent Scott McDonald and Brown adding to the thirteenth-minute header from Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and McGeady’s raking shot, on off the post. Jiri Jarosik also grazed the top of the bar with an audacious long-range effort.
Even though Langfield committed an error that allowed McDonald to pounce and secure his fourteenth goal of the campaign, after initially saving at the striker’s feet, the goalkeeper atoned for that in superb fashion in the 69th minute with a remarkable double save from McGeady and Vennegoor of Hesselink, as they rained down venomous efforts upon him.
Calderwood was deeply unhappy about Aberdeen’s display. Only Chris Maguire, the teenage substitute, was absolved from blame. “Chris showed great desire and no fear but I cannot say the same about more experienced members of the team,” the manager said. “They have been told a few home truths and if they don’t deliver, they will not play.”
Scott Severin, the captain, admitted that Aberdeen cannot afford to allow
Atlético Madrid the same latitude on Thursday. “It is a massive game for us but it will be a difficult one,” Severin said. “When we get to Spain, we want to cause them a few problems – we just did not do that to Celtic. It will be the biggest club game of my career, though I was on the bench when I was 18 and at Hearts and we played Real Mallorca.
“The manager was going to see Atlético play on Sunday night and he will work out a game-plan for us. We were on a good run until we went to Tynecastle to play Hearts before the international break and now we have conceded seven goals in two games. We did not do that last year. We were very hard to beat and we have got to get back to that standard.”
Celtic cruised past Aberdeen without the industry of Paul Hartley and the goalkeeping of Artur Boruc. The Scotland midfield player was suffering from a virus but should be ready to play on Wednesday but Boruc’s fitness is more of a concern, after picking up a toe infection while on international duty with Poland. Mark Brown was promoted from the bench when the problem became evident 30 minutes before kick-off. “There is something wrong with his toes, he can’t kick the ball properly,” Strachan said.
Thankfully for Strachan, there is nothing wrong with McGeady’s toes. He is quite simply, poetry in motion just now.
Celtic 3 Aberdeen 0
Scorers Celtic: Vennegoor of Hesselink 14, McGeady 27, McDonald 49
Celtic (4-4-2): M Brown 6 G Caldwell 8 S McManus 7 J Kennedy 8 L Naylor 8 A McGeady 9 S Brown 8 M Donati Y 6 J Jarosik 8 J Vennegoor 8 S McDonald 8 Substitutes C Killen (for McDonald, 77min), M Zurawski (for Vennegoor, 77), E Sno (for Donati, 82) Not used P Caddis, D Riordan, D O’Dea
Aberdeen (3-4-3): J Langfield 8 A Diamond 6 S Severin 5 L Mair 4 M Hart 5 B Nicholson 7 C Clark 4 R Byrne 5 J Smith 4 L Miller 4 S Aluko 7 Substitutes: C Maguire 6 (for Clark, 46min), J De Visscher (for Smith, 72), S Lovell (for Miller, 75) Not used D Soutar, R Foster, K Touzani, A Considine
Referee M McCurry
Attendance 58,000
November 26, 2007
Celtic power to win thanks to Aiden McGeady’s masterclass
Celtic 3 Aberdeen 0
Phil Gordon at Celtic Park
When Scott Brown admits to being envious of someone else’s energy, it has to be a special talent. The eager Celtic midfield player is not one to stop in his tracks for anything, and certainly not to admire the view. However, even Brown feels second-best right now, compared to the raw power of Aiden McGeady.
Just seven days earlier, Brown left a few world champions gulping for oxygen as he took Scotland’s Euro 2008 fight to Italy. On Saturday, he put in one 90-yard run that tore Aberdeen apart and conjured up a pirouette that Zinedine Zidane would have been proud of. Yet, Brown still felt in awe of McGeady’s performance. The Ireland winger earned high praise from Gordon Strachan – “It was a flawless performance from Aiden,” the manager said – but the endorsement of Celtic’s £4.5 million summer signing from Hibernian probably counted more with McGeady. Kind words from the manager are important, but kudos from the dress-ing-room is much harder to earn.
Brown watched McGeady torment Aberdeen – finding the net with the same fierce accuracy from distance that he employed against Benfica four weeks ago – and he is hoping that his teammate is saving up of those goals when Shakhtar Donetsk come to Celtic Park on Champions League business on Wednesday. McGeady was sacrificed by Strachan when the two teams met in Ukraine on the opening night of group D, as the Celtic manager went for a 4-5-1 formation only to lose 2-0, but there is no chance of the 21-year-old being on the bench this time round.
“Aiden was frightening again,” Brown said. “For the last month, I don’t think anyone has been able to get close to Aiden. I hope that continues. Since I came to the club, his performances have been on a different level. His pace, his work-rate and his skill are incredible. He regularly runs 60 or 70 yards several times in a game, taking players on, but he still gets back to help out in defence. He has amazing energy.”
Jimmy Calderwood will also take his team into Europe this week, away to Atlético Madrid in the Uefa Cup on Thursday. However, the Aberdeen manager acknowledged that even in Spain he may not see a talent quite like McGeady’s. “We contributed to our own downfall but Celtic were magnificent and it was a wonderful performance by McGeady. Celtic’s energy and desire were terrific. Look at him and Scott Brown when they were 3-0 up, they were still hungry for the ball.”
During the week, McGeady can be spotted on Celtic’s training ground running with a harness round his waist as he drags a tyre, to improve his speed. On match days, it is opponents who seem laden down as they trail in his wake. McGeady symbolises Celtic’s progress in the Champions League this term: neither got out of the blocks in Donetsk but they are now well into their stride and Wednesday offers the chance to go second behind AC Milan.
“We were disappointing in Ukraine,” Brown said. “We lost two early goals and we tried to come back in the second half but it was not to be. This will be different. We are home, where we have a great record. The fans will be like a twelfth man for us and that will really help us. The performance against Aberdeen was one of the best I have seen. We had 11 players at their peak and we will need something like that against Shakhtar Donetsk. We have to win all our home games to have a chance of going through to the next stage in the Champions League. We’ve won the last two, against Milan and Benfica, and we badly want the victory from this one, too.”
Had it not been for Jamie Langfield, then Aberdeen would have been badly mauled in the manner that they so often were when Ebbe Skovdahl was manager a few years ago ago. This was three, going on seven. The goalkeeper produced a string of first half-saves to prevent Scott McDonald and Brown adding to the thirteenth-minute header from Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and McGeady’s raking shot, on off the post. Jiri Jarosik also grazed the top of the bar with an audacious long-range effort.
Even though Langfield committed an error that allowed McDonald to pounce and secure his fourteenth goal of the campaign, after initially saving at the striker’s feet, the goalkeeper atoned for that in superb fashion in the 69th minute with a remarkable double save from McGeady and Vennegoor of Hesselink, as they rained down venomous efforts upon him.
Calderwood was deeply unhappy about Aberdeen’s display. Only Chris Maguire, the teenage substitute, was absolved from blame. “Chris showed great desire and no fear but I cannot say the same about more experienced members of the team,” the manager said. “They have been told a few home truths and if they don’t deliver, they will not play.”
Scott Severin, the captain, admitted that Aberdeen cannot afford to allow
Atlético Madrid the same latitude on Thursday. “It is a massive game for us but it will be a difficult one,” Severin said. “When we get to Spain, we want to cause them a few problems – we just did not do that to Celtic. It will be the biggest club game of my career, though I was on the bench when I was 18 and at Hearts and we played Real Mallorca.
“The manager was going to see Atlético play on Sunday night and he will work out a game-plan for us. We were on a good run until we went to Tynecastle to play Hearts before the international break and now we have conceded seven goals in two games. We did not do that last year. We were very hard to beat and we have got to get back to that standard.”
Celtic cruised past Aberdeen without the industry of Paul Hartley and the goalkeeping of Artur Boruc. The Scotland midfield player was suffering from a virus but should be ready to play on Wednesday but Boruc’s fitness is more of a concern, after picking up a toe infection while on international duty with Poland. Mark Brown was promoted from the bench when the problem became evident 30 minutes before kick-off. “There is something wrong with his toes, he can’t kick the ball properly,” Strachan said.
Thankfully for Strachan, there is nothing wrong with McGeady’s toes. He is quite simply, poetry in motion just now.
Celtic 3 Aberdeen 0
Scorers Celtic: Vennegoor of Hesselink 14, McGeady 27, McDonald 49
Celtic (4-4-2): M Brown 6 G Caldwell 8 S McManus 7 J Kennedy 8 L Naylor 8 A McGeady 9 S Brown 8 M Donati Y 6 J Jarosik 8 J Vennegoor 8 S McDonald 8 Substitutes C Killen (for McDonald, 77min), M Zurawski (for Vennegoor, 77), E Sno (for Donati, 82) Not used P Caddis, D Riordan, D O’Dea
Aberdeen (3-4-3): J Langfield 8 A Diamond 6 S Severin 5 L Mair 4 M Hart 5 B Nicholson 7 C Clark 4 R Byrne 5 J Smith 4 L Miller 4 S Aluko 7 Substitutes: C Maguire 6 (for Clark, 46min), J De Visscher (for Smith, 72), S Lovell (for Miller, 75) Not used D Soutar, R Foster, K Touzani, A Considine
Referee M McCurry
Attendance 58,000
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