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O'brien "had Learned Nothing Since He Was 10"


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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/...-he-was-10.html

 

Mark McGhee: Jim O'Brien had learned nothing since he was 10

 

Motherwell manager Mark McGhee claims that he has been forced to teach winger Jim O'Brien the basics of the game since signing him in July, in spite of the fact the 21-year-old spent five years as a Celtic player before arriving at Fir Park.

 

Indeed, McGhee argues that O'Brien, who is finally making an impression at the Lanarkshire club, had learned nothing about football since he left primary school until he started giving him some intensive tuition.

 

"When I took Jim in the summer I remember sitting him in the stand and telling him he was the same player as he was when he was 10 years old," said McGhee.

 

"If the guy who coached him when he was 10 years old came and watched him he would see the same player – and that player was no use to me.

 

"Consequently, I didn't play him until I started to see the things he needed to do. He's finally done that and now he is a terrific asset.

 

"He's the player who gets up the park and links the play in a similar way to Aiden McGeady at Celtic.

 

"We got him for nothing and I remember saying to [Celtic chief executive] Peter Lawwell, who initially wanted a fee, that we weren't buying a player, we were taking a risk by bringing in someone whom I knew was never initially going to play in our team.

 

"We have had to work hard with him, but I always knew he had ability. He has skill, a few tricks, a fantastic engine and his level of fitness is superb: he could out-run most of the squad.

 

"If he uses those things in the right areas of the field he can be terrific but when he came here at first he would lose the ball in dangerous areas trying to do fancy tricks.

 

"We had to knock that out of him, although I'm quite prepared for him to do that and take risks at the other end of the pitch."

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He's probably as good as a ten year old at crossing the ball with his left foot

 

No worse than Keith Lasley or Stephen Hughes I suspect. All 3 are right footed players. Likewise I wouldn't expect Marc Fitzpatrick or Steve Hammell to be accomplished crossers from the right.

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"We got him for nothing and I remember saying to [Celtic chief executive] Peter Lawwell, who initially wanted a fee, that we weren't buying a player, we were taking a risk by bringing in someone whom I knew was never initially going to play in our team.

 

Think hes talking bout this quote Mitch.

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