James McCarthy M free agent b.1990

[Stuttgart88]

The name is JamesSeamus McDonagh used to be "Jim" before his calling

[Junior]

Playing well in the SPL is not the same thing as playing well in the Premier League. Granted, Rangers have had a good cup run but the better players in that Celtic side are those from outside Scotland.

Dont dispute that the Premiership is better than the SPL. So whos place will McCarthy take when 'walking' in to that Scotland Midfield (Hypothetically of course!!!!!)

[Charlie Darwin]

Commons or Naismith, I'd imagine.

[Stuttgart88]

I think this debate just highlights what has been obvious for years. We have our worst central midfield in a generation or more. The rest of the team is grand, by and large. I think players like Fletcher and Scott Brown would walk into our CM, and Charlie Adam has been the surprise pacakge of the year. Our wide options are more than decent however, quite a bit better than Scotland's I reckon.

[paul_oshea]

I'd have to agree with Junior on this I don't think James is that well known, even among(some of) the average scottish fan.

Most of the premier league club supporting people I know haven't heard of him.

[Charlie Darwin]

I bet most of them support United or Liverpool too and maybe some even go to the pub to watch the games in their replica shirts. How many people know who Matt Jarvis or Jordan Henderson are? More than McCarthy, sure, but they've at least got the media-friendly angle of being English. People who know their football rightly regard McCarthy as a major talent alongside those players.

[amaccann]

It would be kind of funny that after all this, after all the rumours & innuendo, McCarthy languishes on the subs bench (or worse), because he doesn't fit Trap's style / system.

[Crosby87]

An Irish couple here on vacation asked me directions the other day and the fella had a Duff Jersey on so I asked if they were fans of the team. He said they go to a lot of the games and are fans...We got to talking and I brought up McCarthy....he had no idea who he was! I thought that was a bit odd.

[paul_oshea]

I bet most of them support United or Liverpool too and maybe some even go to the pub to watch the games in their replica shirts. How many people know who Matt Jarvis or Jordan Henderson are? More than McCarthy, sure, but they've at least got the media-friendly angle of being English. People who know their football rightly regard McCarthy as a major talent alongside those players.

Many people might not know their football then.

there is a couple of lads who sit beside me at work one is a newcastle season ticket holder(who is your typical annoying NU supporter) the other is an arsenal fan, who never misses a home game in any competition. Im interested to see if they are aware of him and how they rate him. I must ask, I mean 2 people isn't a fair representation but id like to know anyway. My guess is they know he is with wigan and thats it.

[Junior]

Commons or Naismith, I'd imagine.

Possibly but it would be a 'marginal' decision at this stage imo. He wouldnt be just 'walking' in to the side.

You're dead right Stutts - It because we have Green, Gibson, Andrews, Whelan that we are crying out for McCarthy to make his debut and get involved. If we had 2 from Adam, Brown or Fletcher (Could have had the Achill man!!!) then I dont think we'd be so concerned / desperate.

[paul_oshea]

An Irish couple here on vacation asked me directions the other day and the fella had a Duff Jersey on so I asked if they were fans of the team. He said they go to a lot of the games and are fans...We got to talking and I brought up McCarthy....he had no idea who he was! I thought that was a bit odd.

Whats a "Duff Jersey" ;) :P

[Crosby87]

Sorry kit? I hate that term. Kit is the car from Knight Rider. shirt? uniform? His girlfriend was good looking so maybe that is why he doesn't have time to know who Jimmy Mac is.

[geysir]

I think the emphasis was more on the Duff part of "Duff jersey".

[Stuttgart88]

Whats a "Duff Jersey" ;) :P

It's one of these (http://www.evanscycles.com/products/foska/duff-beer-classic-jersey-ec018273)

[gastric]

Good positive article on McCarthy in today's Indo. The man is onboard. Thank God for that!


http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/i-wont-go-back-on-my-word-to-ireland-mccarthy-2587083.html

[tetsujin1979]

Good positive article on McCarthy in today's Indo. The man is onboard. Thank God for that!


http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/i-wont-go-back-on-my-word-to-ireland-mccarthy-2587083.html
from that article:

The talented midfielder has been hogging the headlines over the last month after a remarkable episode fuelled by bizarre comments from both Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni and his Wigan counterpart Roberto Martinez.

They gave weight to groundless speculation that Glasgow-born McCarthy -- who was capped in a senior friendly against Brazil last February -- was mulling over changing his international allegiance to the country of his birthAbout as close to an admission of guilt as you're going to get from McDonnell

[paul_oshea]

So i did the mini test, not that its a fair reflection, and the guys had heard of henderson and jarvis(not that they were really aware of jarvis only for some decent reviews and now being called into england), both weren't that impressed by henderson, and neither were aware of Mccarthy.

Again, these are 2 english lads, with no affiliation to ireland, but i reckon if you were to ask a lot of these sort of football fans, the answer would be the same.

[paul_oshea]

Sorry kit? I hate that term. Kit is the car from Knight Rider. shirt? uniform? His girlfriend was good looking so maybe that is why he doesn't have time to know who Jimmy Mac is.

No not kit. A duff jersey sounds like a single, unique entity. Whereas it could be a Fulham jersey with Duff on it, or an Ireland jersey with Duff on it. Duff jersey bar stutts link doesn't specifiy....heck it could be a Newcastle jersey!!

[shakermaker1982]

I hope James impresses in training this week and the Trap just thinks **** it I'll play him from the start. An Irish central midfielder who can pass forward? Yes please.

[paul_oshea]

I think people are being a little short sighted, that Trap was just throwing down the gauntlett to james here - with the training comment. The situation we find ourselves in is a lot of players missing through injury. Trap is simply saying to all those vying for a spot, give that bit more, show me what you can do in training, impress me and you will be rewarded.

[Crosby87]

I did the test too just now after being inspired by POSH. Sadly, the only players people in THIS office have heard of are David Beckham and Landy Cakes, Most have heard of Pele, one of the secretaries heard of the Fat Ronaldo and most people recalled an incident where "Two players were headbutting each other in some summer game about ten years ago." Yet most own a Derek Jeter Jersey. (That's A Yankee Kit for my less sophisticated audience.)
Poor James. It's becoming evident that not even Dr Peepee has heard of him and that is who is scheduled to give him his physical later today.

[paul_oshea]

Have they heard of LeBron James?

Cwosby, do you speak in a Sean Connery accent whilst saying in your head(typing) my abbreviated username?

[Stuttgart88]

Has James arrived at Dublin airport yet? :)

In fairness to O'Donnell, he came around to the "there's nothing in the rumour" position quite quickly as far as I can recall.

From a purely tactical perspective, won't it make more sense to start attacking and then revert to defensive if we get a clear lead? That would call for Gibson or McCarthy to start in my mind.

Also, given that Trap see McC as primarily an attacking option it could mean that he comes off the bench to replace a forward, playing 4-5-1 of sorts, if "lead preservation" is a factor.

[geysir]

In fairness to O'Donnell, he came around to the "there's nothing in the rumour" position quite quickly as far as I can recall.
.

With the expediency and dexterity of a Stalinist.

[tetsujin1979]

Has James arrived at Dublin airport yet? :)According to fai.ie - http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=101614:countdown-to-macedonia-euro-qualifier-begins&catid=1:senior-men&Itemid=8

Republic of Ireland senior squad members will assemble in Dublin tomorrow (Tuesday) to commence preparations for this Saturday's EURO 2012 qualifier against Macedonia at the Aviva Stadium (7.45pm)

[paul_oshea]

Tets i love the way you always take things literally.

[SkStu]

Tets i love the way you always take things literally.

imagine that - people taking things literally... what a novel concept...

*sarcastic* :)

[geysir]

It would be a difficult task to find literal content in Paul's posts.

[paul_oshea]

imagine that - people taking things literally... what a novel concept...

*sarcastic* :)

Stutts was making the point that until he lands in ireland he wont believe it.

But tets replied back to tell him when they were arriving in Ireland as though stutts could go out to the airport to see him landing.

Now I wasn't being sarcastic, now I know you were, but I still find that funny.

[tricky_colour]

Whats a "Duff Jersey" ;) :P

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41%2B2JDZlLNL._AA300_.jpg

[EastTerracer]

According to the lads on YBIG James has just arrived in Dublin on a flight from Glasgow

[boovidge]

According to the lads on YBIG James has just arrived in Dublin on a flight from Glasgow

pics or it didnt happen

also why was it from Glasgow? Do you think Martinez was waiting at Manchester to try and convince him he still had a "very tough choice to make"

[tricky_colour]

pics or it didnt happen

also why was it from Glasgow?

Cos he's Scottish :p

[Stuttgart88]

His family would have been coming from Glasgow I reckon.

[The Fly]

According to the lads on YBIG James has just arrived in Dublin on a flight from Glasgow

Has he kissed the tarmac yet?

[elroy]

Trap has in the past thrown new lads right into the fray, not that often but the odd time he has. Any chance that McCarthy will start this wkd?

[Sullivinho]

Trap has in the past thrown new lads right into the fray, not that often but the odd time he has. Any chance that McCarthy will start this wkd?

I'd be shocked if he did. St. Ledger comes to mind as someone who had a baptism of fire under Trap but if memory serves, injuries and whatnot forced his hand.

[geysir]

The game against Bulgaria away? I don´t have the same memory.
What forced Trap's hand was the experience with McShane at RB in the away Italy game and Kelly fluffing his RB lines in the home game against Georgia.
Trap had both O'Shea and Dunne available for the away game against Bulgaria. He chose to play O'Shea at RB (for the first time?), leave Kelly on the bench and gave St ledger his first cap at CH.
What helped St ledger most in that game was that Dunne was just at his imperious best.

[gastric]

Has he kissed the tarmac yet?

First James, then the Queen and lastly Barack. I hope he doesn't have cold sores!

[paul_oshea]

Where is sullvinho, very quiet I notice, this is a statement of fact that he has lost all credibility and should never be taken seriously again. We are on page 130. Its 4days before Saturday.

[Yard of Pace]

Trap has in the past thrown new lads right into the fray, not that often but the odd time he has. Any chance that McCarthy will start this wkd?

With the morale of Green and Gibson in mind, I hope McCarthy doesn't start this weekend. As much as I don't rate them (Green more so than Gibson), they are important players in this campaign.

[Stuttgart88]

You don't want the morale of players you don't rate dented, so you wouldn't pick a player you rate more highly, because the inferior players are important?

I'm assuming you rate McCarthy more highly anyway.

[DannyInvincible]

I don't think it would be in the best interests of the national team to play inferior players over superiorly-talented ones just to keep an individual player's morale up. All squad members must acknowledge the fact that only eleven of them will make the starting line-up. Naturally, it might impact negatively on a player's morale if he doesn't make the line-up, but what can you do about that? Trap can't start everyone and it would be hard to argue that McCarthy isn't deserving of a start over Green and Gibson.

[geysir]

Trap is quite astute on whenever he is asked about a player's performance meriting a place in the team, he replies in the positive but also mentioning the merits of the other players vying for the same position.

[TiocfaidhArmani]

With the morale of Green and Gibson in mind, I hope McCarthy doesn't start this weekend. As much as I don't rate them (Green more so than Gibson), they are important players in this campaign.

Paul f**king Green?! He is just awful, please take a lie down. He's made passing to the opposition under no pressure into an art form!

[Crosby87]

Trap is quite astute on whenever he is asked about a player's performance meriting a place in the team, he replies in the positive but also mentioning the merits of the other players vying for the same position.

Totally agree. Trap was unjustly slammed on some things all winter. People should finally start understanding he cannot just put random players in the starting lineup every game because the fans saw him score a goal vs Luton or what not. Also think that he deal's with people better than he gets credit for. I know someone will bring up the Andy Reid thing but he had to show who was boss.

[TiocfaidhArmani]

Cos he's Scottish :p

He's Irish, I know some of his family and they all consider themselves an Irish family, they've massive ties to Donegal.

[Yard of Pace]

You don't want the morale of players you don't rate dented, so you wouldn't pick a player you rate more highly, because the inferior players are important?

I'm assuming you rate McCarthy more highly anyway.

For the role that Trap is asking of his midfield players, I don't think come Saturday there would be much difference between how Gibson or McCarthy would perform. It would be McC's first competitive game, he hasn't been around many squads etc. Therefore, I'd have Gibson in with Whelan with the hope that McC can come on with a reasonable length of time to go and stake his claim.
Green, on second thoughts, I do think is pretty terrible and I'd have no problem with ousting him!

[Yard of Pace]

I don't think it would be in the best interests of the national team to play inferior players over superiorly-talented ones just to keep an individual player's morale up. All squad members must acknowledge the fact that only eleven of them will make the starting line-up. Naturally, it might impact negatively on a player's morale if he doesn't make the line-up, but what can you do about that? Trap can't start everyone and it would be hard to argue that McCarthy isn't deserving of a start over Green and Gibson.

He's hardly THAT much better than Gibson just yet. Gibson certainly has more experience of big games. I couldn't argue for McCarthy starting ahead of him seeing as he hasn't played for us since the Brazil game. Green, yes, just on ability.

[Razors left peg]

Gibson will start at the weekend id imagine after his goal in the last game but im just glad that mccarthy is finally involved. It was maddening to see green in the squad when mccarthy wasn't