The 23-year-old turned in another indifferent performance in the disappointing 3-3 draw with Falkirk on Sunday, culminating in a missed penalty and a squandered opportunity to convert the rebound.
This weekend’s first leg of the World Cup play-off against France has afforded McGeady some respite from the pressure which has been slowly building around Celtic, despite Tony Mowbray’s side holding top spot in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League table.
Speaking in Dublin as Giovanni Trapattoni’s squad prepared to face the French, McGeady said: “We had a poor performance on Sunday, and coming straight into an atmosphere where everybody is buzzing, you are looking forward to the game, whereas it’s not been like that in Glasgow.
“It’s a game I’m looking forward to, and I think everyone else in the squad is, too.”
Saturday’s game in Dublin followed by the return in Paris on Wednesday will determine who advances to the finals and McGeady is optimistic, that with qualification settled by the time he returns to Glasgow, an upturn in fortunes will not be far away. He is, in any case, unconcerned by the paper talk which has accompanied Celtic’s poor performances.
He said: “I know I’ve not played [well] myself. But I don’t take a great deal of notice of the stick we’re getting. I am down about my penalty miss at the weekend. I think about it all the time and I’m sure a lot of players are the same. But, whatever goes on in the papers and people talking about the team doesn’t really affect me.”
The departure of Gordon Strachan with whom he endured a fractious relationship and the arrival of Tony Mowbray as his replacement was expected to create the conditions for McGeady to rediscover the form which made him Scotland’s PFA Player of the Year in 2008.
That has so far eluded him, despite Mowbray declaring from the outset that he would build his team around the midfielder. McGeady recognises he has not lived up to the billing his manager gave him, but insisted he is not letting criticism of him or the team undermine his confidence.
Instead, he remains phlegmatic and said: “It’s really only since the last international break [in early October] that we’ve started to play poorly as a team at Celtic.
“Games against Motherwell and Hearts, and losing Europa League games, it’s been a poor month for us.”
McGeady also recognises that the best answer to critics is to be found on the pitch, not in press conferences.
To that end, he has set himself what he considers to be achievable targets, both at club and international level where he is still waiting to get off the mark after 29 appearances.
“At Celtic, I’ve set myself a target of 10-12 goals this season,” he said. “I’ve got four so far, and it should have been five after the weekend. It’s what any midfielder with aspirations to play in the top leagues has to set themselves. Internationally, I need to improve on that front as well.”
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