James McCarthy M Celtic b.1990

[tetsujin1979]

I wouldn't have any faith in goal.com as a source. And the guy who wrote the article has, in the past week alone, linked McCarthy with United, Kompany with Bayern Munich after a "bust-up" with manager Martinez and Goetze with all the top English clubs. Bull**** merchant, in other words.

this. posting links to goal.com transfer rumours is a suspension on some football sites.
(yes, I know I posted a link to a goal.com story last week)

[BonnieShels]

But you did pre empt your post with a disclaimer and it wasn't a transfer rumour.

[Charlie Darwin]

Goal links are fine if they're reporting what somebody else says, but they are not taken seriously by anybody so nobody credible is ever going to leak news to them.

[DannyInvincible]

My bad.

[Charlie Darwin]

Not good enough. You're finished, Danny.

[SkStu]

RIP DannyI.

[geysir]

Looks like you'll have to use up all your credits to avoid an imminent disgrace, Danny. You're back to zero

Still, you'd wonder if a higher profile club would take a punt on James, has he done enough this season to attract that type of attention?

[Charlie Darwin]

I wouldn't say it's an issue of him needing to attract attention. By all accounts, Chelsea and Arsenal have been scouting him for a couple of years, and I'm sure Manchester United would be another one to keep an eye out. I think it's unlikely one of the those clubs will take a punt on him, but perhaps that's just my pessimistic nature not allowing me to believe an Irish player could make it at an elite club.

[Colbert Report]

I remember when this thread first started and people were going on about Barcelona tracking him. Doesn't seem so foolish now.

[geysir]

Somehow I've had the 'feeling' all season that this would be his last with Wigan, regardless of their end season table position. That he needs to move onto a new challenge, different coaching etc. But I suppose something, sometime, has to happen to make that so.
I'd be curious to find out what coaches from top 5 or 6 clubs think about James, could he step up another level and play for them?

[DeLorean]

Sir Alex Ferguson has been made aware of the midfielder's impressive performances for the relegation strugglers, and is keen to keep further tabs on the youngster believing him to have strong potential sell-on value, given his age.

You'd swear he was some obscure 16 year old in Venezuela. I'm sure Ferguson has seen plenty of McCarthy himself. Also, if he is interested, I'm sure it's because he sees him as having the potential to control United's midfield for the next ten years, not to make a few quid off him.

[geysir]

James had a good game against Man City, it's just insane to think he was on the cards to be dropped against Sweden.
He shipped a nasty kick to the back of the shin from Tevez, he was limping for much of last 15 minutes.

[Charlie Darwin]

I can't imagine he'll be at Plucky Little Wigan next season regardless of whether they stay up (I think they will, more comfortably than expected). I just wish he'd score more goals.

[Fergie's Son]

That's really not his gene though and he's been dropping back a lot more per Martinez's instructions.

[Yard of Pace]

Guardian piece from today or yesterday on the Player of the Year nominations.

Bale, 23, and Hazard, 22, are also on the shortlist for the Young Player of the Year – whether they should feature on both is debatable – and the former is being tipped to win both awards. Christian Benteke would be a better choice. His goals could keep Aston Villa up and there are bigger clubs who are kicking themselves for not spotting him last summer. Romelu Lukaku has also made a strong impression during his loan spell at West Bromwich Albion.

However there are surely more deserving candidates than Jack Wilshere and Danny Welbeck. The former has not truly caught the imagination, while the latter has scored only twice for his club despite playing up front for the champions-elect. If you could combine Welbeck and Javier Hernández you would have the perfect forward, but that remains a problem for a mad scientist to solve. Southampton's Luke Shaw, Manchester City's Matija Nastasic and Wigan's James McCarthy can all feel aggrieved not to have been shortlisted.

[tricky_colour]

I can't imagine he'll be at Plucky Little Wigan next season regardless of whether they stay up (I think they will, more comfortably than expected). I just wish he'd score more goals.

Results did not go too well for them today, they are odds on to go down, but only just.
If they play well to the end of the season they should be OK, a lot of teams feeling safe might get dragged back into it again.

[Colbert Report]

Wigan are odds on to go down, Aston Villa are 2-1. The next team is Newcastle at 24-1 so I think it is safe to say that only Wigan or Aston Villa will realistically go down now.

[back of the net]

With the amount of young Irish Players on the verge of getting game time with the villa first team and the type of manager Lambert is, really hoping for our National Side that Villa stay up

[tricky_colour]

Wigan are odds on to go down, Aston Villa are 2-1. The next team is Newcastle at 24-1 so I think it is safe to say that only Wigan or Aston Villa will realistically go down now.

I think the fact that Wigan has to play Villa makes all the difference as a least one must drop points were it not
for that the teams above would be a fair bit shorter than 24-1.
You could make a case for Wigan getting 12 points and Villa getting 9 putting both on 43

ie Wigan winning Spurs (H), West Brom (A), Swansea (H), Villa (H)
and Villa winning Sunderland (H), Norwich (A), Chelsea (H). ( they would also play a Man U side with nothing to play for).

But that seems tough, they might be able to do it getting 9 and 6 points, but even then their poor goal difference is a big problem.

[Crosby87]

Big Mac: Me not thinking about Man U.
http://www.express.co.uk/sport/footb...er-United-move