Jamie McGrath is a player who almost defies definition. It is in that where his extraordinary value to Aberdeen resides.
McGrath is not a winger in the classical sense, and nor does he touch the ball sufficiently frequently to be described as a playmaker.
And yet he is regularly the man who is responsible for providing the Dons’ attacking play with a sharp finishing edge when most needed.
For the second game in a row, in Sunday’s 3-1 home Premiership victory against St Mirren, McGrath first prised Aberdeen’s opener with his expert corner delivery, then fired in his own counter to outnumber the concessions of his own defence.
Analysis of these two ultimately match-winning goals shows how difficult McGrath is to defend against.
Though nominally selected as the widest of effectively five midfielders, in both cases did McGrath’s run on to the ball commence from inside the width of the goal, and while in Perth – in the 2-1 win over St Johnstone – he elected to let it run across him for a perfect left-foot finish, here he moved it inside to dispatch it beautifully with his right.
So natural does McGrath look either way, it would be difficult to tell which was his preferred foot were it not for the evidence of the skills he displays when given free choice at set-pieces.
And the knowledge that he is just as likely to succeed inside or out makes it fearsomely difficult for a full-back to keep him in check, even if they have tracked his drifts infield.
Regular watchers of this team have long realised McGrath’s importance to it – even if his efforts have been in the shadows while others have drawn the national spotlight.
With injuries and career uncertainty removing his most highlight-attracting colleagues from selection, his second season seems likely to shift McGrath to the centre of the conversation, wherever his starting position may be.
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