Give Paddy the ball and he'll become a genius
The Derry Pele
Paddy McCourt or Aiden McGeady?
It’s the question and debate that can never be answered.
One of them made their debut at 17, won league and cup medals, starred in the Champions League and was sold for a £9.5m profit.
The other is starting his third season at Celtic, has yet to play a full 90 minutes, arrived for an undisclosed fee and was interesting Blackpool before signing a new Celtic contract.
It should be an open and shut case but clearly isn’t.
According to Roddy Collins, who managed McCourt at Shamrock Rovers, the comparison is a non-contest.
Collins claimed: “McGeady’s a good player and a good lad but his talent isn’t even 20 per cent of Paddy’s natural ability.
“He might come inside and score a wonder goal once a season. Paddy will do it in every game. If you want someone in the final third to create havoc, Paddy’s your man.”
In an era of super athletes, physical giants and marathon runners McCourt is a thrown back to a previous era when it was all about ability rather than agility.
His lack of first team action adds to the legend that is Paddy McCourt. In a 13 minute appearance against Hearts last Saturday it took him five minutes to get a kick of the ball but all week supporters have been drooling over another magical goal- his first at Celtic Park.
The McCourt fella arrived in Glasgow 27 months ago as a low key signing with Gordon Strachan noticeably absent from the introduction press conference.
You Tube guru’s and supporters dotted around Ireland knew who Celtic had signed but questioned whether his wizardry could be translated into the SPL from the League of Ireland.
Out of nowhere appeared the not so shy and retiring Roddy Collins to tell the world that the new bhoy was better than McGeady- the player who had just inspired Celtic to a final day title triumph over Rangers.
Surely not Roddy?
Cameo appearance by cameo appearance the legend of McCourt has grown. It started on Celtic TV as he put popped up with a solo effort to win the monthly goal of the month award with word starting to spread.
Back to back first team goals for Tony Mowbray at Falkirk and St Mirren a year ago put down a marker of someone that bit different but genius couldn’t be delivered on a regular basis.
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Two goals in four games this season has propelled McCourt back into focus with his place in the affections of the supporters assured already.
Could this be the breakthrough? Is this the season? Will Neil Lennon trust the Derry Pele to help fill the creative void left by the McGeady’s departure.
Answering YES, YES, YES to those questions is Roddy Collins in an interview in today’s Sun.
Collins helped revive McCourt’s career after he left Rochdale with a spell at Shamrock Rovers widely credited with renewing the players enthusiasm and joy for the game.
“Paddy can do in five minutes what other fellas struggle to do in 90 minutes plus extra time,” Collins declared.
“They run about like headless chickens and will NEVER be able to achieve what Paddy does.
“Ask Paddy McCourt to do a 12-minute run and he’d look at you like you were daft. And rightly so.
“He’s a unique talent so if he’s match fit just give him the ball. People are obsessed with players being six-foot-plus. They want them big and powerful and pacy.
“But what does that get you? Lads built like doors running into each other. This stuff about his fitness is the biggest load of cr*p I’ve ever heard.
“Give him the ball, get Samaras out of his way and just let him play. If you give him the space on that left wing he will run amok in the SPL.
“Don’t be worrying about his fitness, just watch him go and see him become a legend.”
Collins’ brush with the blarney stone was clearly a lengthy affair and it’s unlikely that he’ll ever be asked to speak at a coaching conference at Inverclyde.
Until McCourt completes a dozen games on the bounce the fitness question will never be far away.
You can almost feel the anger building up in Collins as he answers the question head on- or with the right hook his brother Steve ‘Celtic Warrior’ delivered to make him world middleweight champion.
Roddy responded: “Why do you have to run around like a lunatic? Give him that space, no deeper than the halfway line and you see what he can do.
“Why change him, why have him tracking back and helping out the defenders. Paddy McCourt will fill a stadium. Just leave him alone and let him play.
“I’m sick of it. I’ve a pain in my a**e listening to these weaklings who wouldn’t have the bottle to play him for 90 minutes. He might do nothing for 85 but you don’t take him off the park.
“Give him ten games and in nine of them he’ll have the crowd off their feet. People will pay money in a recession to be entertained. They want to see pure talent.
“That’s why Paddy is made for Celtic.”
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