BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - JANUARY 29: Celtic's Callum McGregor and Aston Villa's John McGinn in action during a UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD8 match between Aston Villa and Celtic at Villa Park, on January 29, 2025, in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Harry Brady has revealed an incredible opinion on John McGinn.
Famously in the summer of 2018 Peter Lawwell failed to sign the Hibs midfielder as he lost out again to Easter Road CEO Rod Petrie.
Some people just never get over certain events. Others double down and more as they deny the blatantly obvious.
MCGINN AND LAWWELL
Lawwell has a multitude of massive failings to his name at Celtic, possibly the most obvious is sitting in the CEO office and drawing a massive salary for nothing in particular.
Virtually nothing in and around Celtic Park has changed since October 2003 other than the club plunging down the UEFA rankings.
Not since March 2004 have Celtic won a UEFA knock out tie. Even Barry Ferguson has one on his CV.
Two Scottish clubs have reached UEFA finals since Celtic beat Barcelona 1-0 on aggregate.
Incredibly many Celtic fans seem to think that avoiding liquidation is the measure of greatness!
Discussing Ben Nygren, Brady switched focus after 15 minutes 30 seconds to what is without question the worst ever decision made by CEO Lawwell- and that is saying something:
I’m looking at him (Nygren) thinking that you have a poor first touch and you’ve got no pace. That’s my issue with him.
I mean, I was describing him today to someone at work who isn’t a Celtic fan, but they (the work colleague) like John McGinn. And I don’t see it in John McGinn.
I only see John McGinn playing for Scotland, right? And what I see is a guy with a huge arse who gets the ball, runs with his head down and he can’t actually see what’s going on and then runs into a cul-de-sac.
And he’s got this brilliant technique, watch for it, he runs into the cul-de-sac and realises that he’s run into a cul-de-sac and then he goes right up against an opponent and falls over. Throws his hands up in the air and makes this face and gets a free kick.
And I think wow, that’s amazing because all you’ve done is taken, you’ve taken the ball, which Nygren can’t do, you’ve taken the ball and then you’ve run and then you’ve just run into a dead end and managed to get a free kick out of it.
Watching him play for Scotland, because I don’t really watch English football, it’s an amazing technique.
Sometimes he doesn’t get it and just sits on his arse pulling the face.
Seems like Brady is the only one going down a cul-de-sac here.
Perhaps the Celtic Underground podcaster could set up a World Cup Consultancy and share his analysis with Haiti, Morocco and Brazil.
Over the last 10 years McGinn is among the top 10 midfielders in the EPL.
CELTIC’S MCGINN ALTERNATIVES
Just because Lawwell didn’t rate him or lost out to Petrie doesn’t mean that McGinn has to be trashed by fans of the Celtic Chairman.
Some times it is better just to let things go. Not to show your hurt and anger at getting something badly wrong.
Having lost out on McGinn Celtic turned their attention to free agent Youssouf Mulumbu. Rodgers left six months later for Leicester. Mulumbu was mutually consented by Celtic after three appearances.
Other midfielders thought to be better than McGinn by the former Celtic CEO include Ismaila Soro and Liam Shaw.
Away from Scotland duty McGinn must raise his game incredibly to survive and thrive in the EPL. The most physically demanding in Europe.
Brady is best known for his world exclusive podcast with Lawwell in 2018, using a technique that would make Jim White and Chick Young blush.
McGinn is on course to make his 300th appearance for Villa this season.
NOTE: Ross on the Celtic Underground delivers great analysis. His articles on the Celtic Academy are outstanding.
I never saw enough of Mcginn in 2018 to rate him as a player, although he would undoubtably been a good fit for Celtic!
But how Celtic would have matched his wages at Aston Villa, I will not know!
Editor: McGinn could have been signed in June or July, long before Villa appeared on the scene.
A fair offer to Hibs and the son of a former Chairman and former Celtic Season Ticket holder would have been signed.
About as straightforward a deal to complete as possible, unless You Know Who gets involved.
I’m no fan of law well,but as far as McGinn goes I agree wholeheartedly.I believe he’s overrated,as I’m perfectly happy we never signed him he runs around like a headless chicken,I just hope when he decides to finish his career in Scotland it’s not with us
Editor: What are your thoughts on Mulumbu, Shved, Bayo, Bolingoli, Soro, Klimala, Ajeti, Barkas and not forgetting Mark Lawwell’s Magnificent 7 of Tilio, Holm, Kwon, Yang, Nawrocki, Lagerbielke and Palma?
Charlie
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Totally agree …McGinn is a cheating diving b…..turd he always had the tendency to use his big arse then fall over claiming a foul but absolutely perfected it after months of coaching on it from Gerrard when he took over Aston Villa
McGinn’s talent can be debated, but my dislike for him comes from a Scotland v Ireland game at Hampden.
His first contribution to the game was to smash James McClean long after the ball had departed the scene. His demeanor said it all. He was delighted to have landed one on the player that boils the piss of every knuckle dragger in brit football.
James was never a great footballer, but he was and is a great man. One who regularly stands up for his beliefs without disrespecting anyone else’s.
McGinn earns a lot of money..
James McClean is my pure fuckin hero !