Fans expectations need to be remeasured when it comes to Jamie McGrath’s next move
Jamie McGrath’s rapid rise came not only as a result of his run of Ireland appearances but also his swashbuckling form for St.Mirren which saw him score score 17 goals and assist 6 under the guidance of Irishman Jim Goodwin.
Goodwin has been a key figure in McGrath’s development in Scotland with the Waterford native stating only a couple of weeks ago that it was unlikely the 25 year old will still be at St.Mirren next season amid a lot of interest.
“We’ve made Jamie and his representatives a very good offer but Jamie is well within his right to go and talk to any club he wants to. Realistically of course it’s highly unlikely Jamie will be a St Mirren player next season but while he’s here we’ll use him as best we can’’
Recently, McGrath was seemingly close to a pre-contact agreement with Aberdeen, a side sitting sixth in the SPL, a mere six points ahead of St.Mirren. The deal was said to be a lucrative one and would have made the Athboy man one of the highest paid player at Pittodrie. Alas, the deal did not come off which has reportedly lead to tensions between McGrath and his club. Goodwin again responded to the speculation surrounding one of his key men and that the air needed to be cleared for the unsettled player.
“James is still very much a St Mirren player and still very much part of my plans. There’s a lot of speculation floating about, but until something is confirmed, or otherwise, he will remain part of my squad, “ said the Saints boss.
“He’s in a good place now and he trained really well this morning. All the noise about whether he is or isn’t moving was affecting him and we have had a chat and I have asked him to try to put all that to the back of his mind.
“It can be distracting when there is speculation flying around, I’ve been there myself, but we have had a really good chat this morning and he just wants to get back playing football.
However, it has been the reaction of some Irish fans that has been interesting. Many are shocked that only a club like Aberdeen had been seeking the midfielders signature and not a higher profile side. What brought even more surprise was that a League 1 team in Wigan and Championship strugglers Birmingham City seemed to be the only other interested parties.
The reality is that on McGrath’s current form, these links are perhaps flattering. He has 2 goals and has 1 assist this season and has been anonymous at times. In fact, he has often been outshone by fellow Irishman Connor Ronan who himself has missed portions of the season through injury. However, it was not that long ago that the creative player was linked with SPL giants Celtic and Premier League side Watford.
It was evidential long before these links that McGrath might not necessarily be of the calibre for these types of clubs. His stats were impressive and he held his own for his country away to Portugal, but there is a lot lacking to his game that would need to be addressed before making a significant step up.
McGrath has a lot of similarities to Alan Browne, a man only a year his senior but seems to have been knocking around a lot longer. Both players can come up with big moments and both had magnificent goalscoring seasons, McGrath last term and Browne in 2018/19 for Preston where he netted 12 times from midfield. Unfortunately, both have a tendency to go missing over 90 minutes and this is probably why Browne hasn’t elevated a level despite past transfer windows being linked to mid to lower table Premier League clubs.
For the modern day midfielder, going missing isn’t quite acceptable given the increasing demands to marry technical ability with physical presence. McGrath for all his technical capabilities and dynamic game can find it hard to nail down consistency. A good example was during the September fixtures against Portugal and Serbia. After giving a good account of himself in Faro, he found it nearly impossible to get a foot in the game at home to the Serbs, getting into questionable positions and surrendering the ball cheaply.
In fact, there is the argument that many got carried away by his performance against Portugal and that some may feel it was more a demonstration of him ‘holding his own’ rather than particularly standing out. This performance in Faro, no matter how perceived coupled with his goalscoring form at St.Mirren seemed to trigger the notion for many Ireland fans that McGrath was entitled to play for a bigger club than St.Mirren.
In essence, the Celtic and Watford links were welcome but ludicrous. Looking at both of those squads now, does McGrath really get in ahead of other midfielders in those respective squads? Or is he even better than midfielders linked with those clubs in recent times? Sometimes as Ireland fans, we can be guilty of looking at out players through green tinted glasses and this seems to be the latest case.
This is not to say that McGrath is not talented and he has been a key part of Stephen Kenny’s revival despite not having a dominant role. However, the links with Aberdeen, Wigan and Birmingham seem absolutely realistic if not ambitious considering where McGrath is at the moment in terms of form and indeed his attitude which has been questioned given his response to being linked with a move away.
St.Mirren legend Barry McLaughlin offered the following perspective when asked about McGrath not feeling in the right mindset to line out for the Saints against Dundee United amid the transfer speculation
“It just depends on the character of the player, doesn’t it?
“Some players can justify it with getting injured and not wanting to risk a move.
“Some boys will go the other way so if he’s one of these characters he’s not really going to give everything.
But, if he’s of that mindset, you’re probably better moving a boy on and bringing in someone who’s desperate to play and giving everything he’s got.
In fact, the fact that McGarth is said to be ‘unsettled’ by the transfer talk will also raise alarm bells with some of the bigger clubs who once considered him.
“If he’s a Paul Pogba-type character you’re maybe better moving him on!”
McGrath will almost certainly part ways with St.Mirren and Goodwin in the summer. However, for Ireland fans, expectations may need to be measured when it comes to his next destination by looking at his form this season for his club and recent attitude rather than a solid performance against Portugal nearly six months ago.
Nick, The Green Machíne Podcast
