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McGeady Never Tracks Back

Discussion in 'Sunderland' started by safc-noggieland, Mar 5, 2021.

  1. safc-noggieland

    safc-noggieland Well-Known Member

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    It’s not often l feel like a rant, and it is often for things that may seem almost irrelevant.
    This time l am beginning to be just a little bit irritated that some stock phrases or comments get repeated and repeated and so eventually appear to be virtually accepted.
    This is often cloaked in praise of other qualities that A. McG. has.
    How many times has he been given the negative quality of not helping out his full/wing back out often enough - usually (now) due to his age.
    Now l have for a good few games made the deliberate decision to check this.
    l am SHOCKED and pleasantly surprised to say in my honest and considered opinion the current thoughts are absolutely wrong and lazy analysis.
    l challange posters/readers to look back over the previous matches (all available on SAFSEE). You will plainly see McG with his small but rapid stride flying back time after time to chase the attacker or cover the defender facing their winger.
    I am not talking about sometimes but virtually every time an attack developes on our left after we lose possesion he sprints back every bit as much as those (Diamond/Gooch/Maguire) on the other side.
    Now l am not talking about other types of mistakes he may be prone to - but only to the (l believe) continuation of this misapprehension of the defensive effort that Aiden McGeady really puts into a game.
    Thank you - rant over. :emoticon-0110-tongu
    KTF
     
    #1
  2. Sunderpitt

    Sunderpitt Well-Known Member

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    Its not that he doesn't track back, he does, I am sure the manager says like everyone else in the team he has to help out the defence.

    Mcgeady is our best creative attacker by a mile, he is actually the best in the this league that I have seen.

    The flip side, and why he is not higher in the league, he cannot help himself not to do the same tricks defending, that he does when he is attacking. This can be disastrous.

    I would have him in my team always, but he had to stay up front nearly all the time. Which means Wyke has to do some extra defending..
     
    #2
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  3. safc-noggieland

    safc-noggieland Well-Known Member

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    To be fair l did say l was not defending/considerating ANY OTHER failings - but rarther commenting upon the continual wrong (imho) accusation of not tracking back.
    KTF
     
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  4. Smug in Boots

    Smug in Boots Well-Known Member

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    He's definitely improved in that respect.
     
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  5. cumbrianmackem

    cumbrianmackem Well-Known Member

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    He's an interesting character is Geads, he gets accused of disrupting the dressing room and is banished by PP, he comes back into the food under LJ and is an instant success so fans then accuse him of not tracking back, then it's found that he does track back so then someone says he does his usual tricks when doing so and puts us into disastrous situations, well I've never yet seen that scenario where he has cost us a goal by doing so.
    Can't we just marvel at his qualities in a forward position and accept this guy is a cut above anything else in this league.
    Don't think he's in need of a rest as he's already had four months off so in my book you carry on Geads and with a fair wind he'll help us get promoted this season.
     
    #5
  6. marcusblackcat

    marcusblackcat SAFC Sheriff
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    I think he does track back but not all the time. His full back was left exposed a lot but Johnson has got a grip on that mostly by using the systems we play to accommodate.

    he’s undoubtedly the best footballer in this division. Won’t be far off that in the championship either as he really is that good!! Whatever went on before, whether it’s true or not, I’m not bothered as he’s doing the job. Water under the bridge as they say
     
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  7. Nig

    Nig Well-Known Member

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    We are winning.
    I care less.
     
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  8. Nads

    Nads Well-Known Member

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    He’s done more under LJ as his attitude has improved.

    His job is to create though. If he’s doing that, and we are winning, he can have a sit down piss while we defending for all I care.
     
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  9. The Berk

    The Berk Well-Known Member

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    In my opinion he’s playing better now than he was the season he carried us to the play off final. As good as he was then he still used to hang in to the ball too much , now he’s a great team player and is a major factor in our improved form. Obviously it ultimately comes down to LJ but AM has bought right into it.
    HTL
    KTF
     
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  10. Porterfield73

    Porterfield73 Well-Known Member

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    he's always the last man on to the field, must be his superstition, but i've noticed on that behind the scenes video thingy, always last out the tunnel. watch him prove me wrong tomorrow!!!
     
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  11. Nads

    Nads Well-Known Member

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    I mean, he’s slow as ****...
     
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  12. Nacho

    Nacho Well-Known Member

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    I think it's fair enough to say that since we signed him for the most part he hasn't tracked back, whichever defender has been behind him has suffered compared to the other wing. Maybe some of us have been slow to acknowledge his improvement in that but imo it was a valid criticism.

    Recently though he's a new man and looks keen as mustard to do his job and prove his doubters (like me) wrong. I'm not sure I'll ever genuinely like the bloke but I'm glad he's on our team.
     
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  13. Saf

    Saf Not606 Godfather+NOT606 Poster of the year 2023

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    He can literally stand still with his finger up his arse for 90minutes for all I care as long as he keeps rattling these assists up every game.
     
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  14. steesafc

    steesafc Well-Known Member

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    Pretty much the leagues top goal assister despite not playing for three months of the season. We can afford him not to track back.
     
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  15. Oliver's Army

    Oliver's Army Well-Known Member

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    I hope he doesn't track back tbh, waste of talent if he is in our half. Trying a 360 on the edge of his own box isn't great. He just needs to be left alone to 'play' in the attacking 3rd and not worry about any defensive duties whatsoever.
     
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  16. Oliver's Army

    Oliver's Army Well-Known Member

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    This
     
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  17. Oliver's Army

    Oliver's Army Well-Known Member

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    And this
     
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  18. Smug in Boots

    Smug in Boots Well-Known Member

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    Tbf he's often double marked, and defenders are wary of him, so it makes sense for him to stay in their half. It occupies two defenders which means it affects how they can help their attacks. It's a brave right back who'll leave McGeady alone while he pushes down our left flank.

    I'd always have him on out wide on the halfway line at opposition corners and free kicks. It gives us an 'out ball' and means any counter attack has more room through the middle.

    Mcgeady's energy should be conserved for when it has the most effect ...

    .... Johnson has brought in enough energetic young lads who should be able to cover.

    Great to see Hume running and kicking a ball.
     
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  19. Wayne the Punk

    Wayne the Punk Well-Known Member

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    Mcgeady should never be more than 1 yard in our half, Wyke should never be in the channels, has to be the width of the 6 yard box at all times.no ****ing about in the channels, we have other players to do that
     
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  20. steesafc

    steesafc Well-Known Member

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    Disagree about Wyke. Arguably more important to run the channels when playing upfront on your own to try and switch the responsibility of who is marking you. If you're occupying the same areas it becomes predictable for the CBs, but if you move and run channels then they have to communicate the change over of responsibility for his marking, much less predictable. It also creates a space for others to attack if he can split the CBs and drag one out of position.
     
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