Ooh! Ah! Samaras!

Article by Jim Payne

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The World Cup has, so far, been pretty terrific. As I write this piece on the morning of Monday the thirtieth of June I'd say that if the quality of some of the football hasn't always been of the highest class then the drama such matches have provided usually made up for the lack of quality- the two games played on Sunday were transformed from being dour tactical battles to the level of minor classics because they had exhilarating finales. In three of the four second round matches I've felt sorry for the team which missed out- Mexico and Chile have truly brightened the tournament whilst the Greeks , although not a particularly good team, provided a fair bit of drama.

However, the Greek team provided the one moment of the tournament when I was out my seat. First in fear and then in jubilation. The fear came as the Greece versus Cote d’Ivoire reached its climax with the realisation that Georgios Samaras was to take Greece's injury time penalty. I am not completely ashamed to admit I prayed that he'd score it. When he did score it I jumped around the room like a demented child. In a World Cup in which Scotland is, yet again, not competing, with no Irish team and with Italy out (I thought that a tenner each way at 25-1 in the Azurri was a shrewd bet) I had to find some emotional involvement - and a player from my club doing something of some merit became a major achievement. I was sorry that the Greeks went out to Costa Rica on penalties but I have to admit I went to bed mightily relieved that it had not been Sammy who'd missed the decisive spot kick.

Sammy will soon officially not be a Celtic player and it is hard, practically, to assess his departure will have on the team. His style rarely completely gelled with the overall style of the rest of the team- he was a talented, erratic improviser in a team that seemed to be aspiring to be well drilled and efficient. Sammy was only of value when he delivered big style.

The thing was he often didn't deliver. Neil Lennon showed great faith in the player and the big man would regularly repay his faith with flaccid displays in which he would miss easy chances by side-footing the ball straight at the goalie instead of hitting it hard away from the net minder. Or he'd get caught in possession repeatedly, dribble up blind alleys or his head flicks would go AWOL. And then he'd transform the mood in the last minute by scoring a great goal such as his winner in Moscow in October 2012 or an outrageous overhead kick to cap an amazing comeback against Aberdeen.

Georgios was unquestionably the most frustrating player I have seen in my 46 years of following Celtic – John Hughes, Paul Wilson and Frank McGarvey were rock solid in their consistency in comparison with the Greek. Here was a player blessed with height, strength and pace, fine close control, above average passing ability and an appetite for hard work. But there were days and nights he was off the boil on a grand scale. A league cup tie with Hearts in October 2009 when he missed four sitters was one of the worst individual displays I have ever seen by any Celtic player and a year later at Tynecastle he was if anything even worse. How could such a truly gifted player so often play like a Sunday morning player who had drunk too much beer the night before?

Sammy was somebody who never enjoyed the unanimous approval rating amongst the support even as his Celtic career was drawing to its close. I know at least one otherwise sane fellow who'd have been laughing had he missed that penalty against Cote d'Ivoire. But overwhelmingly he leaves with the good wishes of the support and a reputation as a hero to many.

For most of the first three years though he was with Celtic though there was little division in the support as to his worth to the team. He was a lazy, overpaid misfit. The 2nd of January 2011 changed many people's minds.

That day Celtic played Rangers at Ibrox in what was being touted as something of a League decider given that Celtic had slipped far enough behind their greatest rivals in the title race for defeat to make a Rangers title retention a near certainly. Celtic won 2-0 with you-know-who getting both goals - the first a superb finish after a great pass from Joe Ledley , the second a coolly struck penalty after a barnstorming run up the wing by Sammy himself. It was a great display by a previously reviled figure and the support turned in his favour.

Of course Sammy being Sammy the route to the status of demi-god was not smooth. Less than 4 months after his triumph at Ibrox he missed a penalty at the same venue - though in reality it was a great save by McGregor- which would have given Celtic daylight in what was by now a neck-and-neck race for the flag. Celtic subsequently lost the title following an abject cave-in at Inverness but had Sammy scored that penalty at Ibrox many felt the Rangers challenge would have evaporated before that ‘shock’ loss in the Highlands. As 2011 was drawing to a close and with Celtic struggling to keep up with Rangers and apparently out of their depth in the Europa League Samaras' stock with the support was once again in decline. But as Celtic found their form in the league and started to hold their own in Europe Sammy's form improved and the doubters were quietened.

For the rest of his career the then Celtic manager Neil Lennon used Sammy carefully. The Irishman recognised that the big Greek Ghod was more likely to be motivated - and therefore of real use to the team- for big games against decent teams or in matches against Scottish teams when there was a lot at stake. I wouldn't say the big man was the acme of consistency but he was an asset more often than not. Eight goals in European ties - including two at the Camp Nou and a winner in Moscow - were testimony to his big match temperament. He lost his way a bit in the last few months after picking up an injury but there were still flashes of class.

Whilst admitting to being a big fan I’d stress that Georgios Samaras was not as good a player as the great Celts I've seen like Jimmy Johnstone, Bobby Murdoch, Kenny Dalglish, Danny McGrain, Henrik Larsson or Lubomir Moravcick. He wasn't touched with the genius of the young Charlie Nicholas, Paolo DiCanio or Shunsuke Nakamura and he lacked the consistent excellence of Paul McStay, Brian McClair, John Collins, Chris Sutton or John Hartson. He was an idol with very clay feet.

But he loved playing for Celtic and when he was being pilloried by his own fans he didn't complain - even after the humiliating loss to Ross County in 2010's Scottish Cup he still signed autographs for young fans whilst their dads were telling him he was rubbish and other players were arguing with the fans. He was a frustrating, inconsistent, moody big dolt who gave incredible pleasure on the many occasions he did get it right.

I think that Sammy's time with Celtic has passed - there were times last season when Celtic looked better when he wasn't playing and domestically the more effervescent Kris Commons was a far more likely game changer. Next November it is unlikely that if and when Celtic is struggling on some dreich afternoon against a relegation candidate that anyone will say 'we really need big Samaras at times like this'. Though such a comment will be nearer in the mark in a tight European tie.

The Celtic team may not need Georgios Samaras but as a team and club we may be a little duller without him. For all his myriad faults I'll miss him more than a lot of 'better' players who've moved on in recent times- and I doubt that I am alone in thinking that.

Guan' Yourself' Big Man

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