Influence of Senior Players in the Reserves

As most people have commented i agree about loving watching the reserves this year, been to a few games and watched most on Celtic TV also. Think the influence of guys like McCourt and Donati recently has been fantastic, Donati's professionalism and class in these games has staggered me considering he must know he's on his way out, he puts Graveson to shame who was a disgrace in the reserves last year. McCourt just oozes class also and you can see the influence these two guys have had on the younger lads.

Would it not be more beneficial for guys like Hartley and other fringe players to turn out in more reserve games to keep them sharp as some of the football played this year has been a joy to watch.

 

I love, in a really bad way, that gravesen tried to be a striker, midfielder and defender at once, * he would have tried to be a keeper if he got the chance.

 

aye would make sense to give more first team players the odd run out for the reserves, I reckon it would benefit Maloney greatly just now to get a few matches under his belt to help us with the run in & Hartley too

 

McCourt has looked class, but his fitness levels still leave a lot to be desired - although it is improving and hopefully the training schedule for the summer will enable him to feature more for the first team.

Hartley and that are nearing the end of their careers so I would prefer if they did not take the place of youngsters in the reserves, the only time first team players should play reserve games is to build up match fitness after an injury lay-off imo.

 

*, so true tho....

 

Paddy must have done some amount of damage to himself with the drink when he joined Rochdale


"Arrrrgh, I have it made..."

 

The reserves have been good this year, McCourt however was the stand-out for me, I think that he could make a impat on the first team at any time, he really looks the part in my opinion

 

he really did think he was the new George Best.

I'm glad he's settled down now but come the end of games he still looks a bit knackered so more improvement in his fitness is required. I read when he turned up at his first training sessions his fitness levels where so much below the rest that he spent half the time throwing up.

 

He's been magic in the Reserves and it's good to mix the younger players with older more experienced players so that they can learn, it helps the whole League as they also a lot of the time play against First team players of other teams in games too. Be interesting to see how Michael Tidser makes the step up in the next couple of games and next season, he looks excellent in the under 19's technically sound with a superb left-foot. In his two seasons in the under 19's he's scored around 20 goals from midfield and most of them were crackers. If he can do that in the Reserves he could make the step up to the first team. Simon Ferry sounds like he's not far off the first team either, probably be in the first team for pre-season and Caddis will probably be there to. Good to see young players coming through into the team!

 

He isn't as bad as being made out, I regularly watch the Reserve games on Celtic TV and he can last the full 90 all the time, somtimes the matches are played at a high pace.

I think the problem with him is his build, he isn't as fit or strong he could be in a muscular way. If he was to add on about a stone of muscle he'd be quicker, stronger and a lot fitter than he was when he first signed as the Irish League he came from is amateurish and he was too skinny, he's improved a lot and im sure he'll get sorted over the summer.

A lot of players we sign from lesser teams or Leagues usually need about a year to settle. Last season McDonald could hardly last a full game and by the second half of the season looked done in game after game. This season he's hardly missed a match and never looks tired.

 

Michael Tidser has been deemed surplus to requirements by Mcstay.....a few clubs are looking at him, Aberdeen among them.