Source: FOOTYMAD
Ball in McCourt's court
Paddy McCourt has a chance to shine and make his name impossible to leave out of the starting line up Neil Lennon has laid down the gauntlet to Paddy McCourt to put in the work and go that extra mile to prove he can be considered a potential replacement for Aiden McGeady. McGeady looks about ready to head off to Mosgow and complete a £9.5million move to Spartak. Apparently, McGeady has already "said his goodbyes" at Parkhead after the game against Blackburn Rovers. McCourt recently signed a new three-year deal and was given McGeady's wide role on Sunday, producing an uneven display of sublime skill, combined with some sluggish decision-making. Lennon wants McCourt to seize his moment to demonstrate he can go from being a bit-part player to someone with a major role to play in in the team's season. Speaking on Sunday, Lennon said: "Paddy's fitness is improving and he got 90 minutes under his belt today, but he has a wee breather now and again in games. He had a wee niggle with his hamstring so we need to monitor that, but there's no doubting his talent and we saw that again. I don't know if you can ever get him fully fit. Everyone has been trying that for the time he's been here, but he may never do it for a concerted period of time. Playing consistently a number of games, he hasn't done that since he's been here, but we're working towards that. If he keeps getting niggles, though, we have to pull him out." When given the opinion McCourt could influence games as much as McGeady, Lennon added: "I agree. He's playing against Michel Salgado, who has been a world-class full-back, and given him a really tough time for long periods of the game. He's wonderful to watch. He's beautifully balanced and he's got great vision and great feet and that's why we decided to get him on a longer-term contract. He's pleased and we're pleased. They're different types of players. Paddy doesn't have Aiden's dynamic style of play, but he's got qualities that more than make up for that in his vision, touch and timing of passes. We'd all love to see Paddy play 25-30 games a season, but you have to take it week by week."
