GEORGIOS Samaras will be celebrating his 27th birthday on February 21 and he wants all the Young Hoops Club members to design him a birthday card. http://www.celticfc.net/newsstory?item=2113
I sense scorn in your post , what exactly were you looking for ? a proper hand painted one with glitter and string??
My two eldest daughters both have Samaras as their favourite player (long hair and tall, I think - eldest one's a ****ing goth ) My second eldest was at her first game at the Dundee United game the other week and the bhoy that sits next to us asked her who her favourite player was - she said Samaras and he just shook his head - he looked serious as **** about it (he, like most, isnae a fan) She talked me into sticking a fiver on the **** getting the first goal I can't figure Sammy out - he plays his best games and scores at important times, generally, when I'm ready to set fire to him. Just when he's been at his most infuriating for months, he scores in Moscow, similarly, pish for months and costing us games then scores twice at Ibrox. Pish for about four games in a row and getting dog's abuse from the stands, and then tears Van Zanten a new one in the 5-0 game. I think he waits until half the support hate him before putting a performance in - it's the only explanation.
I think Sammy's a God, and i'm not a teenage goth. Or a girl. He's got the ability, just his drive is sometimes questionable.
Jiffy - do you not get frustrated with the way he wastes possession? Or his shoulders slumped attitude (in particular, the 4-2 game at Ibrox where he blocked a Hooper shot in the first half and generally stops running or trying if he loses the ball). He does sometimes try to win back possession but he seems to pick the wrong times and, just on a tangent, why isn't he ever picked up in training for the silly way he tackles - hitting the deck and sliding 3 or 4 yards away from the player on the ball and, half the time, giving a foul? Don't get me wrong, sometimes he excites me when he's running and the goal in Moscow, in particular, is worth remembering as how vital he can be but he doesn't even have the gait of a footballer. There's a player that's too good for the SPL in there somewhere but there's also a big fey student choosing the wrong pass and chucking lost causes too often. He's an enigma, alright.
Yes, i do. Don't get me wrong, there's time when i'm screaming at the **** like everyone else, but he clearly has the ability, just maybe sometimes not the application. Ability-wise he is one of the best in the SPL. You can tell he has, and probably could, play at a higher level. Whilst not for Celtic, his performance for Greece in the WC 2010 against Argentina as a lone striker was absolutely brilliant, yet when he's given a job for us, 9 times out of 10 he fluffs his lines. I do agree in the most part about his tackling and how his interest in games wanes depending on how well the team and he as an individual are performing, but he's 27, he'll be hitting his peak years - heck, his performances this season are actually pretty good and consistent-ish - and i reckon given a bit mroe game time and support he'll really start hitting his stride. Or he could just spend more time down the hairdressers and regress in to a Freddy Mercury impersonater.