James McCarthy M Celtic b.1990

[DannyInvincible]

Spurs are lining up a £20 million bid for James, according to the Daily Mail: http://balls.ie/football/james-mccar...rding-reports/

[Charlie Darwin]

Nothing to see here, folks.

[DeLorean]

Exactly. Looking forward to the transfer window closing and a more intermittent spread of bullsh!t.

[DeLorean]

But, for completion sake, here's the Daily Mail article

[tetsujin1979]

balls.ie reporting on a daily mail article. It's sh*t squared.

[DeLorean]

Balls is a breath of fresh air compared to Joe.ie, which seems to have progressively turned into the biggest load of garbage on the internet. They ran a story earlier of how Roy Keane needs to move aside, as Jordan Henderson is the new killer stare master. It was the last straw as I unfollowed them immediately, that'll teach 'em

[DannyInvincible]

They're having a laugh.

[colonelwest]

Balls is a breath of fresh air compared to Joe.ie, which seems to have progressively turned into the biggest load of garbage on the internet. They ran a story earlier of how Roy Keane needs to move aside, as Jordan Henderson is the new killer stare master. It was the last straw as I unfollowed them immediately, that'll teach 'em

They're having a laugh.

Henderson and joe.ie are only wannabes baby (/dunphy)









On topic:

[DeLorean]

Setback for McCarthy

Balls.

[jbyrne]

Setback for McCarthy

Balls.

maybe not...
http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/engli...arthy-fitness/

[DeLorean]

Super!

[DannyInvincible]

Setback for McCarthy

Balls.

I knew this couldn't be true as James doesn't suffer aggravations or setbacks.

He only suffers entirely new injuries in the exact same place as previous ones in the exact same place as previous ones.

[DeLorean]

He only suffers entirely new injuries in the exact same place as previous ones in the exact same place as previous ones.

You could be right there Jimmy two times

[DannyInvincible]

McCarthy back in the Everton starting line-up for the Merseyside derby.

[DannyInvincible]

Kilbane reckons James needs to have a row with Martinez to prove how much he wants to play for Ireland: http://balls.ie/football/kevin-kilba...ccarthy-32432/

Kevin Kilbane has reopened the debate over James McCarthy’s commitment to international football with some very forthright views about the Everton midfielder’s priorities.

The former Everton and Sunderland winger turned full back was speaking to the Sun when he suggested that McCarthy needs to take a step back and reassess his priorities.

Kilbane has long been held up as one of the most committed players to have played for Ireland in recent years and, as if we didn’t know it already, he confirmed that for him, Ireland always came first.

However, Kilbane like many Ireland fans has questioned whether that is the same for McCarthy. As Roy Keane suggested a number of months ago, Kilbane doesn’t think McCarthy’s injury record in the build up to international matches is entirely coincidental.

Invariably he will come off with ten minutes to go and that’s that.

Players being pulled out of international matches by their clubs is nothing new but Kilbane has challenged McCarthy to stand up to Martinez and Everton and prove that he actually wants to play for Ireland.

I think some players allow the decision to be made for them. It’s far too easy for a player to be dictated to by a physio. Sometimes you’ve got to take responsibility for yourself and show what it means for you to come and play.

Kilbane gave Robbie Keane and Shay Given as examples of the desire that needs to be shown when it comes to putting yourself forward for selection. Something which he was more than willing to do during his time in the Ireland set-up.

I’ve seen Robbie Keane, Shay Given, all the lads take injections for big games because that’s what it means to them. I had a row with the physio at Sunderland before the Iran play-off game in 2001. I had an ankle injury but I spoke to Peter Reid and that was it really.

I don't think it's fair to frame this as a lack-of-commitment thing (that's aimed more at Balls.ie than Kilbane); James never had to choose us nor did he have to put up with the sectarian abuse he got on a weekly basis in Scotland from doing so. He hasn't had to keep returning either, but he does. I suppose framing it as such conveniently positions Kilbane's comments at one end of the debate's spectrum and helps catch the attention of supporters' insecurities on this matter.

I get the sense that James is a fairly shy lad who wouldn't want to rock the boat with his club, but the above (and I've not read the Sun article as I don't subscribe) all presumes he's been fit to play when we know he's been carrying recurring injuries (or his father has had serious health worries). I mean, you can only come and play if you are actually fit. All (I think) of his senior caps have come whilst playing under Martinez at club level. Kilbane is of an older generation; fair play to himself, Shay and Robbie - massive respect and appreciation - but there's obvious risk attached to playing through pain with the aid of an injection and I'd imagine most clubs are a lot stricter now about tolerating their younger players taking pain-killers to see them through international duty. Clubs are a lot stricter about everything since Killer, Shay and Robbie started out, from diet to rest, recuperation and general lifestyle.

[DeLorean]

McCarthy's decision to not play against Scotland has been vindicated ten fold to anybody without either an agenda or a paranoid delusion. Kilbane's comments hold a lot weight with regards the current generation generally, but a bit pointless singling out McCarthy after what transpired post Scotland.

[DannyInvincible]

Kilbane's comments hold a lot weight with regards the current generation generally, but a bit pointless singling out McCarthy after what transpired post Scotland.

It's surely more a case of clubs having greater demands and expectations of their "possessions" rather than players nowadays generally and suddenly having lost interest in international football, isn't it?

[DeLorean]

Not sure really. You see the likes of Raheem Sterling not wanting to play (for England) because he feels a bit tired, after one of the least physically strenuous seasons possible in terms of game time. I think that would have been unheard of years ago. There's no doubt that the way they are pampered now leads to an under-appreciation and sense of entitlement amongst some. I'm agreeing with what you're saying, by the way, but I think it might be a combination of factors. McCarthy certainly doesn't seem to fit the mould of the spoiled, modern footballer and I think he deserves a lot more leniency than he's getting, given what he had to put up with to play for us, as you mentioned as well.

[KK77]

Good to see him back playing. The perfect plan working. Has done well in the two games. Ok he won't carve you open with passing or get you many goals but runs around a lot and puts some tackles in. Onwards to Poland next month!

[Stuttgart88]

McCarthy's decision to not play against Scotland has been vindicated ten fold to anybody without either an agenda or a paranoid delusion. Kilbane's comments hold a lot weight with regards the current generation generally, but a bit pointless singling out McCarthy after what transpired post Scotland.

I agree with Danny. There's a fair bit of wordsmithery in the article, no? "Kilbane reopens the commitment debate". "Kilbane doesn't believe it's coincidental" - did KK say that? He said he needs to stand up to Martinez. He said he tends to pull up late in games, and that's that. He did pull up late in the last game before Scotland. He missed that competitive game and subsequent events have vindicated him, as the carmaker says.

But yes, KK's remarks about Shay and Robbie seem to be a bit of a dig at others who won't play through the pain barrier. I think it speaks as much about clubs' relative power versus international football as it does about players' commitment though. It's a bit of both.