O'Neill expresses frustration over McGeady's fitness

, 19 August, 30comments | Jump to most recent

Although Aiden McGeady appears to be close to being fit again following a hamstring injury, Republic of Ireland manager Martin O'Neill says he remains to be convinced that the winger will be available for next month’s European Championship qualifiers.

Roberto Martinez said last week that McGeady was ready to return to full training after missing the Blues' pre-season with the soft-tissue injury, one that came on the heels of a back problem earlier this year.

O'Neill reveals, however, that concerns over the former Celtic player's hamstring date back to last year and that he advised the 29-year-old to get properly fit to avoid exacerbating the issue over the long term.

“You would think that as a professional player, a professional athlete, (that he would be aware that should be the priority)," O'Neill is quoted in the Irish Times.

“I’m not so sure any of us had been totally aware that this tightening of his hamstring had been going on for a year or something like that."

While O'Neill has been critical of Everton in the last in relation to the fitness of James McCarthy – he, too, suffered with hamstring issues last season – McGeady does not appear to have been helped by the fact that he was given a pain-killing injection to enable him to play for Ireland in Euro2016 qualifying against Poland.

“As a club manager I would hate any international manager interfering and saying ‘nobody is looking after this player’. You [the player] have got to take responsibility yourself. You’ve got to look after yourself."

McGeady hasn't played for Everton since early 2015 but, according to Martinez at least, his latest recovery is almost complete.

Quotes sourced from Irish Times

Reader Comments (30)

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Paul Kossoff
2 Posted 19/08/2015 at 17:55:37

Not good enough for Everton from the off. McGeady should never have been signed, and the sooner he goes, the better.

Denis Richardson
3 Posted 19/08/2015 at 17:57:25

We're frustrated too.

If he were fit we could off load him!

Brian Williams
4 Posted 19/08/2015 at 18:04:20

We're frustrated when he IS fit!!

Colin Glassar
5 Posted 19/08/2015 at 18:05:30

We really need to get rid of him and Gibson. Both are a waste of money and time.

James Marshall
6 Posted 19/08/2015 at 18:11:58

Whereas the rest of are frustrated at how shit he is at football.

Lev Vellene
7 Posted 19/08/2015 at 19:00:54

But, but, he MUST have a mother that loves him whenever he's not performing to his potential??? Spankings? What, outlawed? They should be kept for Special Purposes...! ;D

Anthony Dwyer
8 Posted 19/08/2015 at 19:18:15

Agreed Colin, I'd also throw Hibbert into that equation even though he's been a loyal servant.

Kieran Kinsella
10 Posted 19/08/2015 at 20:18:48

O'Neill should be grateful that McGeady is always injured. If he was git, he's just a mediocre journeyman kind of poor man's Preki. If he is injured he is the legendary "what might have been" like Billy Kenny, AVDM, etc and all the other players who we judge purely by flashes of brilliance before their careers went down the toilet.

Harold Matthews
11 Posted 19/08/2015 at 20:25:20

If McGeady was such a bad player, O'Neill wouldn't be bothered.

Des Farren
12 Posted 19/08/2015 at 20:28:56

For McGeady substitute Osman, Hibbert, Gibson, Robles, Kone and maybe a few others. I love these knowledgeable threads.

Oh wait, Kone is now rehabilitated isn't he. Until he is injured again.

Carry on...

Mike Allison
13 Posted 19/08/2015 at 20:44:46

McGeady is a talented player who can produce moments that no-one else does, at those times he looks top class. Unfortunately, they are very few and far between. We simply can't afford to have so many constantly injured players at the club. We still don't know for sure whether our medical staff are getting something wrong, something has happened since Martinez came in, a lot of the previous staff left and we seem to get a lot more injuries, especially hamstrings, but none of us knows the full story on this.

To be honest McGeady is a player I don't really consider as being a genuine option because he's always either injured or 'just coming back from injury', like Gibson or Van Der Meyde. The sooner they're not on our books the better and we can concentrate on getting players in or promoting youngsters who will actually be available to play.

Kieran Kinsella
14 Posted 19/08/2015 at 21:15:03

Didn't see why we signed him when we did as it was clear he wouldn't be a starter and he's not the type to be on the sidelines -- except of course when he is injured. I am a bit worried that Del boy may turn into Preki IV (with AVDM as Junior and McGeady III).

Moments of brilliance, always injured, seems like a square peg in a round hole in either the 4-5-1 or 4-4-2 line ups we use. I think we would have done better to sign Lennon.

Harold Matthews
15 Posted 19/08/2015 at 22:25:33

RM likes to use him to chase down opposition quick wing subs on either side. He is also the only squad member who can send over a good cross with left or right foot. I could mention the moments when his quick reaction has led to a goal but I don't think I'll bother. Confucious says that people who look with partial vision shall not tell a footballer from a salmon fishcake.

James Flynn
16 Posted 19/08/2015 at 22:30:41

I see the Express is saying we've agreed on a deal for Yarmolenko.

Anyone hear anything?

Peter Mills
17 Posted 19/08/2015 at 23:23:25

H # 11, I know you're on a high after Kone on Saturday, but I'm afraid McGeady, whilst having hints of salmon and smoked haddock, has too much spud and breadcrumbs about him.

Colin Glassar
18 Posted 19/08/2015 at 23:30:43

Saw that James but it seems to have disappeared like all their other rubbish rumours.

David Hallwood
19 Posted 19/08/2015 at 23:46:04

Sorry Harold(#11) maybe I should go to specsavers but IMO McGeady has never been fit and has the body of a semi-pro footballer and all I've seen with the exception of the odd flash of reasonable football(maybe I'm fussy but I would expect a well paid footballer to be able to put a cross in) but the rest of the game passing him by.

He's never taken a game by the throat or bossed it from midfield or tormented the opposition. I have seen him give quite a few tired misplaced passes, and the fact that when fit he's a squad player says it all.

I remember when he was presented to the crowd, and he was at least a stone overweight and he's never looked fit since. yes he had his difficulties in Russia where he didn't play for most of the season. But if you can't be match fit, surely the onus is for a pro footballer to keep themselves in top physical condition; they're earning enough money to employ personal trainers etc. The fact he was so out of shape I thought then we had another boozy Shandy Van D on our hands.

Please get shut.

James Stewart
20 Posted 20/08/2015 at 00:13:07

Still not forgiven him for his stupidity that cost us the game against West Ham. Doesn't have the desire or attitude to make it at the level we require. A waste of wages.

Stephen Brown
22 Posted 20/08/2015 at 08:06:43

If it wasn't for articles like this you'd forget we have McGeady on the books!

Harold Matthews
23 Posted 20/08/2015 at 10:21:21

David. Come on mate. "Taken the game by the throat, bossed it from midfield, tormented the opposition". Holy smoke, we know he's not Arteta or Alan Ball. People remember when, like all his team-mates, including 㿔M Stones, he makes an error which leads to a goal, but they forget when he saves us by plonking the ball onto Lukaku's head.

We know he's a squad player but he's certainly not useless.

Andrew Ellams
24 Posted 20/08/2015 at 10:46:18

IF we do pull off a deal for Yarmalemko then McGeady will probably become surplus to requirements. Good luck to him, but his is a position that we need to improve in.

Michael Penley
25 Posted 20/08/2015 at 11:24:57

Honestly I think it's better that half the first team is injured. At least the team can begin to gel that way. I hate to think of Pienaar and McGeady getting fit again and Martinez throwing them straight in without a thought, and removing players who have been performing well.

Mike Childs
26 Posted 20/08/2015 at 11:27:04

He needs to loose a stone or two to become the player that I see. He has a decent football brain from the little I've seen of him but lacks the fitness to accomplish what he sees. He also has shown the willingness to track back but unfortunately being over weight he can't keep up.

Mike Berry
27 Posted 20/08/2015 at 11:31:31

Generally on the subject of hamstring injuries. When were they invented? I don't recall anybody in the late sixties or seventies having them. Perhaps the threat of a cold sponge on it from the physio would reduce them? Or perhaps I'm a moaning old git.

Steve Croston
28 Posted 20/08/2015 at 11:39:39

Substitute the words "O'Neill" for "Everton fans" and "fitness" for "footballing ability" and the headline hits the nail on the head. Ideal player for Middlesborough or Derby County, not up to scratch for where we want to be heading and should be moved on ASAP.

Tony J Williams
29 Posted 20/08/2015 at 12:11:22

Maybe O'Neill needs to shut the fuck up and get back to ironing his trackies...bell end!

Eric Owen
31 Posted 20/08/2015 at 17:00:13

Tough shit! We need him fit too.

Dennis #2 said it all.

John Raftery
32 Posted 21/08/2015 at 10:43:27

Mike (24) I recall Johnny Morrissey pulling a hamstring against Sheffield Wednesday at Goodison in October 1966. He was out for about six weeks. That was the only one I can recall from the sixties or seventies.

I think Terry Curran started the modern trend in the early eighties when he pulled up against West Brom just after he signed a permanent deal with us. Of course the most significant one in the late eighties was Ian Snodin who never seemed to recover full fitness.

Karl Masters
34 Posted 21/08/2015 at 21:04:37

Bob Latchford got one in November 1980 as I recall with us lying 6th in the table. Never played again that season.

Imre Varadi replaced him, did okay at first (pie in the face from a Kopite when he knocked them out of the Cup) but was always missing chances. We finished 15th and Gordon Lee was sacked.

Kendall Mk 1 came in and sold big Bob to Swansea where he scored 32 goals in 1981-82 whilst Kendall after wasting money on Biley and Ferguson, brought Graeme Sharp into the team and the rest is history!

Hamstrings are notoriously slow to heal. Not surprised O'Neill is frustrated as a fully fit McGeady is a fine player. Could be a while yet though and I don't know if he's ever really been 100% since we bought him.

Shane Corcoran
35 Posted 22/08/2015 at 11:29:12

What's with the "tough shit" comments?

McGeady had a hamstring injury in early June and here we are two and a half months later and he's still crocked.

Somebody somewhere has fucked up and O'Neill is right to be frustrated.

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