James McCarthy M free agent b.1990

[Stuttgart88]

chelsea have to score over there to go through.Yep, Barcelona will have to score 3 I'm sure.

[kev mcq]

1-0 Chelsea and the long ball. ( A mistake from the Spanish Keane).
Still 45 mins to go so my 1-1 is still on.

Is Messi Spanish now :confused:

[shakermaker1982]

I've seen Bilbao give Barca a proper game of football without resorting to 10 men behind the ball and cynical play.

Like Stuttgart says Barca battered the Arse last season at the Emirates but like last night Barca didn't take their chances.

Did Chelsea narrow the pitch last night? It looked bloody tiny on the tv. I suppose if you have 21 players in one half for 80% of the time it is going to look cramped.

One thing that does surprise me with Barca is that then when the Barca gk has the ball and Chelsea had 3/4 players in the Barca half (wow I know) they didn't try and speed the attack up. The Chelsea midfield didn't have time to 'set' yet Barca would play the ball out slowly amongst themselves and almost wait for Chelsea to form their defensive shield. I know these guys are top class players and believe in their football 100% but trying to play through 7 instead of 11 is a lot easier!

[Charlie Darwin]

R5 Live were previewing the game last night saying that arsenal deservedly beat barcelona at the Emirates last season.

I'm an Arsenal fan and can't agree at all. Barcelona were already 1 up and had missed clear cut chances when they had a goal ruled out by an incorrect offside call. Arsenal then scored from both of their only two chances.

They were torn apart at the Nou camp, only scoring from a weird OG from a corner. Yet, right at the death Bendtner missed a great chance to seal the tie. Mad game, football!

I think Trap will use Liege vs. Italy as our template, maybe being a bit more on the front foot versus Croatia.
Well I meant they matched them on the scoreline. Apart from one hammering at Camp Nou Arsenal have always competed with Barca.

[paul_oshea]

Matched in what sense, they try to play in the same style? thats about as good a match, like a cheap brand of whiskey, it looks the same, but certainly doesn't taste the same. Arsenal have never looked closed to barcas quality.

[Charlie Darwin]

No, matched in the sense they were in the game right until the last kick while playing their natural attacking game.

[paul_oshea]

On another day that home game, a bit like Chelsea last night could have been 3/4 goals for barcelona. Arsenal were a pale impression of barcelona, they never came close to matching them, a pseudo-total football impersonation and they were knocked out.

The one thing Barcelona do is miss an awful lot of chances given a world class attack its quite strange, maybe its complacency because they know they will just create more.

[shakermaker1982]

I suppose they are missing Villa.

Hopefully Iniesta gets a more central role next week.

I think it would be a tragedy if Chelsea sneaked through.

[Charlie Darwin]

On another day that home game, a bit like Chelsea last night could have been 3/4 goals for barcelona. Arsenal were a pale impression of barcelona, they never came close to matching them, a pseudo-total football impersonation and they were knocked out.

The one thing Barcelona do is miss an awful lot of chances given a world class attack its quite strange, maybe its complacency because they know they will just create more.
I wouldn't say it's complacency. Simply, their approach play is better than their finishing. Alexis is not Robin Van Persie, Pedro is not Andy Johnson.

[paul_oshea]

At that level though, their finishing when under pressure or in quick circumstance is rushed and not clinical like so much more of their play in tight quarters in midfield and their build up play. The passing they make is very clinical, and precise, so why not their finishing, it seems rushed or not concentrated, perhaps under pressure they find it difficult, but at the end of the day, good finishing is like good passing really its about picking a spot and executing the pass precisly to that position. Im putting it down to either being under pressure and rushed or complacent.

But ya villa seems to be precise and clinical under pressure ;)

[Stuttgart88]

I've seen Bilbao give Barca a proper game of football without resorting to 10 men behind the ball and cynical play.

Like Stuttgart says Barca battered the Arse last season at the Emirates but like last night Barca didn't take their chances.

Did Chelsea narrow the pitch last night? It looked bloody tiny on the tv. I suppose if you have 21 players in one half for 80% of the time it is going to look cramped.

One thing that does surprise me with Barca is that then when the Barca gk has the ball and Chelsea had 3/4 players in the Barca half (wow I know) they didn't try and speed the attack up. The Chelsea midfield didn't have time to 'set' yet Barca would play the ball out slowly amongst themselves and almost wait for Chelsea to form their defensive shield. I know these guys are top class players and believe in their football 100% but trying to play through 7 instead of 11 is a lot easier!If I was a coach one of my mantras would be that the way to get through 11 behind the ball is tempo. Just passing and passing by itself won't get you anywhere, but speed it up and the gaps will appear.

[paul_oshea]

I think its the distance on the ball, pull them in then spray the ball 20 yards, the oppossing team is pulled over and back and then space will be provided on the other side of the pitch, the system chelsea used yesterday was very rigid and very tight. They weren't getting pulled over and back but why would they, Barca were hitting 20-25 consecutive passes over and back no more than 10 metres, thats all well and good if you want to create space in behind and pull defenders out, but it didnt work for Barca because Chelsea stuck to the system and didnt move. Had barca kept it tight and short at first, then sprayed the ball 25-30 yards across pitch it would have sucked chelsea in and create space on the other side. They were too direct trying to walk it in behind them and it backfired for them, even though they still managed to create 4-5 clear cut chances. Had they played the above type possession play id say they would have created at least double that.

I'm begining to think Trap is quiet an intelligent tactician, which I dont and didnt think we need against some opposition but is justified in some instances.

[Stuttgart88]

Do we need Walters up top against Spain?

The Nou Camp pitch is much bigger, it'll be harder for Chelsea to pack the last third of the pitch like they did last night. But I still think Chelsea will get at least one, probably someone like Terry from a set piece. The thought of JT ending up as a heroic captain fills me with dread.

[tricky_colour]

Is Messi Spanish now :confused:

Ha ha wish he was :)

He does play in Spain so he is half Spanish.

[paul_oshea]

I work in England im not .0000000001% english.

[tricky_colour]

Is Messi Spanish now :confused:


Actually I was right, albeit accidentally , "Messi obtained Spanish citizenship on 26 September 2005". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lionel_Messi

What a piece of luck!!!

[osarusan]

The Nou Camp pitch is much bigger.
It's 2 metres longer ans 1 metre wider, according to wiki. Not a huge difference. I think the height of the cameras plays tricks with our eyes.

[Stuttgart88]

I'd be amazed if that was true.

[geysir]

If what was true, the pitch size or the camera height playing tricks?
The 'huge pitch at the Camp Nou' compared to Stamford Bridge, is a pundit myth.

[Stuttgart88]

Christ, it's nitpickers galore on here today.

Nou Camp certainly looks bigger than Stamford Bridge.

I always look to the shortest distance between the circumference of the centre circle and the "D". In some piches it looks big - e.g., Parkhead where there's a lot of green space in between whereas in others, e.g., Highbury, you can tell that it was short.

Maybe I'm just being conned by an optical illusion but I trust my instincts.

[DeLorean]

The camera angle makes a massive differnce. They seems to have two different camera angles for White Hart Lane. It looks quite spacious normally with the high camera angle, but they had a low camera for Champions League games for some reason and it's looked very narrow. The new Wembley looks narrow as well because of the camera angle, I don't like it!

Poor James Mc won't know what's going on when he logs in.

[paul_oshea]

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/tardelli-raises-mccarthy-hopes-for-place-in-euro-2012-squad-3087131.html

[brine3]

Nou Camp: 105 x 68 m
Stamford Bridge: 103 x 67 m

Also from wikipedia.

Not a big difference.

[SkStu]

7140 sq. meters v. 6901 sq. meters...It's quite a bit more green space than you would think.

[seanfhear]

7140 sq. meters v. 6901 sq. meters...It's quite a bit more green space than you would think.There was many a major Land dispute in Ireland over a lot less !

[geysir]

1 meter wider along each sideline? I suppose the green space location value is higher along the sideline than the endline.
Tony Pulis would consider the green space over the sideline to be more valuable, useful as a runway for a Delap throw.

Maybe the extra 1m along the sideline has the makings of a deal breaker to Barca getting their act together on home ground against the Chelsea wall?

[John83]

As far as I can tell, those are the correct figures, which are normal dimensions for top tier professional clubs. I, too, recall tell of Barca's enormous pitch, and even remember reading that a Belgian team successfully appealed that it was too wide, delaying a match while the sideline was repainted. A quick google fails to confirm it, so while I guess some construction or rule change has forced them to reduce the pitch dimensions since, it's possible the whole thing is nothing more than urban legend.

[tricky_colour]

It's half a metre each sideline and a metre on each end a difference of 3.5% in area.
I compared it to the rest of the premiership pitch sizes


1. Manchester City, City of Manchester Stadium, 116 x 77 yards, 8932
2. Manchester United, Old Trafford, 116 x 76 yards, 8816
3. Blackburn Rovers, Ewood Park, 115 x 76 yards, 8740
4. Everton, Goodison Park, 112 x 78 yards, 8736
5. Aston Villa, Villa Park, 114 x 75 yards, 8550
6. Middlesbrough, Riverside, 114 x 75 yards, 8550
7. Arsenal, Emirates Stadium, 114 x 74 yards, 8436
8. Derby County, Pride Park, 114 x 74 yards, 8436
9. Reading, Madjeski Stadium, 111 x 76 yards, 8436
10. Sunderland, Stadium of Light, 114 x 74 yards, 8436
11. Wigan Athletic, JJB Stadium, 114 x 74 yards, 8436
12. Portsmouth, Fratton Park, 115 x 73 yards, 8395
13. Chelsea, Stamford Bridge, 110 x 75 yards, 8250
14. Fulham, Craven Cottage, 110 x 75 yards, 8250
15. Liverpool, Anfield, 110 x 75 yards, 8250
16. Birmingham City, St. Andrews, 110 x 74 yards, 8140
17. Newcastle United, St. James’s Park, 110 x 73 yards, 8030
18. Tottenham Hotspur, White Hart Lane, 110 x 73 yards, 8030
19. Bolton Wanderers, Reebok Stadium, 110 x 72 yards, 7920
20. West Ham United, Boleyn Ground, 110 x 70 yards, 7700


(2007 figures, Portsmouth have not been promoted, :) )

Unfortunately that is in square yards.. so converting the original figures
Nou Camp 8539
Stamford Bridge 8253.

So the Nou Camp is big but not particularly big and vice versa for Stamford Bridge.

I am not sure if Barcelona need a particularly big pitch, they don't seem to use the whole with of the pitch when attacking, would help if they had bigger goals though, the would be about 3-1 up if they were.

[geysir]

Craven Cottage looked tiny, maybe it was the camera angle, maybe it was the 4:3 streamed transmission,
or maybe that missing yard on the sideline is the hard yard that matters.

I just started watching when Wigan went ahead midway in the 2nd half. Those last 30 minutes were about Wigan trying to hang on. I dozed off before the end and missed the Fulham winner. Maybe it's me, maybe it was the game, but it was a hard 30 minutes of football (midfield clutter) to watch.

[seanfhear]

I think that any new stadiums should be required to make their pitch to the upper limit (whatever that is). Extra room gives good players the opportunity to play and makes it a lot more difficult for less good players to squeeze the footballing ability out of the game.

There has been examples past and present when the not so good footballing teams have moved in the sidelines (on their own pitchs obviously) so that they can put the squeeze on the opposition.

[tricky_colour]

I expect a number of thing affect how big the pitch appears to be, ie the size and closeness
of the stand and maybe even how wide the strips on the grass are.

[Eminence Grise]

Sure if the Camp Nou is a teensy bit bigger than Stamford Bridge what difference does it make? It's just a little extra space for Drogba to roll around in!

[Charlie Darwin]

I can't believe you don't understand how much a difference space makes. Drogba touched the ball like 10 times in the entire match. 75% of the game, Barcelona had the ball and were desperately trying to find little pockets of space to get away from the Chelsea players.

[Charlie Darwin]

From the Times' Tony Bennett on twitter:
James McCarthy is one of few Wigan players who hasn't come close to scoring but he's been outstanding.

[geysir]

Just another day at the office for James. In the first half Newcastle were impotent and Wigan were relaxed and confident.
Perhaps Pardew's reaping the effects that his midweek bluster about the CL spot had on his team.

[tricky_colour]

got a high rating on sky sports a 9 and a 8.7

[Crosby87]

Wonder if Trap would ever start him at Euro.

[elroy]

Wonder if Trap would ever start him at Euro.


He needs to be in the squad first!

[Manblue]

Grt performance, more aggressive, more attacking and driving forward like I like to see him, great composure on ball

[geysir]

He had a very good game, not much different from the level he has been performing to, for most of this season.

No doubt the mistake spotters will note that he got caught, ambushed and lost the ball in a dangerous area.

[geysir]

I only watched the last 30 minutes of this afternoon's game against Chelsea but McCarthy looked very good in possession and some precise passing.

[IsMiseSean]

He played very well I thought. Chelsea could have done with him in CM with Mikel instead of an overweight Lampard.

[Crosby87]

Wigan are tough to watch.

[DannyInvincible]

According to GreenScene.me on Twitter (https://twitter.com/GreenSceneDotMe/status/241927573590904832), McCarthy had a very impressive pass completion rate of 94 per cent this afternoon. 47 of his 50 attempts reached their target.

[tetsujin1979]

All passes here, including one key pass: http://epl.squawka.com/matches/english-barclays-premier-league/01-09-2012/wigan-athletic-vs-stoke-city
Click Stats -> Individual -> James McCarthy and select "All Passes"

[Colbert Report]

Wigan are tough to watch.

Wigan were brilliant to watch last season, I think I just happened to see most if not all of their last ten league matches. All out attack. Are they still playing 3-4-3? Highlight of the season was watching them play Arsenal off the park.

[Stuttgart88]

I'm an Arsenal fan and was enthralled by that Wigan performance.

[tetsujin1979]

won the penalty for the opener today, shot hit a Stoke defender on the arm

[tricky_colour]

All passes here, including one key pass: http://epl.squawka.com/matches/english-barclays-premier-league/01-09-2012/wigan-athletic-vs-stoke-city
Click Stats -> Individual -> James McCarthy and select "All Passes"


Excellent stats sight. Could not find a player with higher pass rate, score overall but I only looked at a few.

[Charlie Darwin]

McCarthy at fault for United's third goal after a really weak tackle in the box.