Aiden McGeady definitely seems liberated as his two-goal performance against Georgia demonstrated yesterday evening.
For so long the Everton winger has been disappointing for the Boys in Green but of late, he has been in good form for club and country with a freedom to move inside and create chances.
Former Ireland wideman Kevin Kilbane played behind him at times during the Giovanni Trapattoni era and he joined us on the line to analyse the win over Georgia and he had anecdotes and comparisons between now and then.
"His all-round game is certainly coming to now," said Kilbane. "The things he used to do in training one-on-one, he could beat players and make them look foolish. He was just never able to replicate that on the pitch but that's what can happen sometimes.
"I remember when Giovanni Trapattoni came in, he was so hell bent on telling Aiden to work hard back for the team. Aidan probably had that in his head to stay in the side that maybe he had to do too much. I remember Aiden used to play in front of me at times and I remember trying to get him off my toes and to do his job higher up the pitch. But maybe he had Giovanni Trapattoni at the side screaming at him to work back."
But he did add that Trap's defensive demands did help McGeady to develop that side of his game, although there is always a danger that it could stymie what he does best.
Kilbane, who assessed how positive or disappointing nature of the Georgia game, also cut down a myth from a previous Ireland trip when a knife was thrown in his direction from the stands.
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