James McCarthy M free agent b.1990

[Crosby87]

Wait, you bet 1.67 and won 91.46?

[tricky_colour]

Little Wigan winning the FA Cup is a fairytale though OwlsFan. 18 years ago they were non-league. Of course on a given day any Premier League team can beat another, but it usually wouldn't happen in what is an equally big game for both sides, a final. The fact that they did it playing great football made it all the more impressive.

So, 'extraordinary feat' - definitely yes, 'crazy result' - maybe not so much but I'm sure most people hearing the result would be pretty shocked, apart from mental gambler Tricky that is :)

McManaman was without doubt the best player on show, barely debatable really.


As I said on paper it may have been a shock result but judging by the first 15 minutes play I don't think so.
Just depends which teams turn up on the day, turned out to be a decent Wigan side and a lacklustre Man City one.


Agreed about McManaman, he is some player shame he is not one of ours. Maloney is a good player too with a dead ball.

Given would have kept that header out though!!!

[tricky_colour]

Wait, you bet 1.67 and won 91.46?

No I bet £0.67, there was already £86.67 'resting' in my account, so I ended up with £91.36

Had a good week really, $20 on on-line poker which I recently restarted playing cos I was bored,
the money is neither here not there really hardly a life changing sum.

[Crosby87]

What do you think about the Preaknesss? All Irish have the horseplay in the blood and it drives me crazy that you all don't care about the triple crown. Orb looks nasty but give me a different horse tricky.

[Stuttgart88]

Most enjoyable cup final in years. I feared it'd be like Paris in '09, where the plucky underdog played out of their skins, but paid the penalty for not taking their chances. I know Martinez acted the git over the McCarthy-defecting-to-Scotland affair, but there's a lot to like about the guy. He was a credit to football yesterday.

[tricky_colour]

What do you think about the Preaknesss? All Irish have the horseplay in the blood and it drives me crazy that you all don't care about the triple crown. Orb looks nasty but give me a different horse tricky.


I had a bit of a look at the form for that, Orb looks like he should win but he has a correspondingly short price.
When I have a bit more time I will have a more of a look at some of the others and see if any are worth a bet.
I don't like backing short prices much as you have to put a lot on to win anything decent, and then they
run nothing like their form!!

[tricky_colour]

Most enjoyable cup final in years. I feared it'd be like Paris in '09, where the plucky underdog played out of their skins, but paid the penalty for not taking their chances. I know Martinez acted the git over the McCarthy-defecting-to-Scotland affair, but there's a lot to like about the guy. He was a credit to football yesterday.

Was definitely a good game even though the was no goal until right at the end, but it was worth waiting for. Sometime finals can be boring but I really enjoyed that one, especially McManaman skinning the City defence.
I doubt Wigan will be able to hang onto him if they go down.

[Crosby87]

Big Mac to Spurs for 10 Million?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2323291/Tottenham-want-James-McCarthy.html

[Charlie Darwin]

Most enjoyable cup final in years. I feared it'd be like Paris in '09, where the plucky underdog played out of their skins, but paid the penalty for not taking their chances. I know Martinez acted the git over the McCarthy-defecting-to-Scotland affair, but there's a lot to like about the guy. He was a credit to football yesterday.
I don't think he did. I think he just tried to be neutral and not get involved but his attempts to do so made it look like he was meddling.

[Colbert Report]

alI wouldn't like to see him go to Spurs. They have far too many good quality players in his position already.

[paul_oshea]

watching him on saturday, it was boys v men against toure.

[passinginterest]

In a couple of shoulder to shoulder battles he came off second to Toure but not many players are winning those. Overall McCarthy was absolutely crucial to Wigan, he played an incredibly disciplined role as the midfield anchor, always protecting the back four and never panicking when he had the ball, he just held it to allow the team to move forward then picked the right pass nearly every time. It was McCarthy's discipline and positional play that allowed McManaman to be constantly pushed forward because he was always offering the extra cover to his full backs. We didn't get to see him in a more mobile attacking role, which I think he'd be capable of in a better team, if it was required, but I though it was a brilliantly mature performance from a 22 year old, in a cup final, against some of the most highly rated midfield players in the world. David Silva hardly got a touch in a dangerous area in front of the Wigan back four, and that was down to the fact that McCarthy was always occupying that space, City never really managed to create anything in the middle and I'd give a huge amount of Credit to McCarhty for that.

[Junior]

watching him on saturday, it was boys v men against toure.

Toure had a relatively poor game and ended up on the losing side. He is a man mountain if that is what you are referring to?

[tetsujin1979]

watching him on saturday, it was boys v men against toure.
Toure had an edge on him, but overall McCarthy had the better game

[geysir]

James was definitely more subdued in a covering role, compared to the excellent game he had against Swansea, when he was about the only functioning Wigan player. In that game, McManaman was very poor and then he goes to hero status in the cup final with a brilliant performance.

There is no way that Toure overshadowed James, I thought Toure was a mere purposeless shadow out there.

[Sullivinho]

I think Paul might possibly be referring to that instance when James and Toure got into a footrace/barging contest along the touchline which the latter got the better of. Otherwise I agree, McCarthy had the better game of the two.

[Charlie Darwin]

James was definitely more subdued in a covering role, compared to the excellent game he had against Swansea, when he was about the only functioning Wigan player. In that game, McManaman was very poor and then he goes to hero status in the cup final with a brilliant performance.

There is no way that Toure overshadowed James, I thought Toure was a mere purposeless shadow out there.
They hype over McManaman is beginning to reach James McCleanian proportions. Future England international - one Guardian reader even tipped him for a World Cup spot. since England are guaranteed qualification, of course.

[Stuttgart88]

It's hard to tell how good McManaman was. I've rarely seen Clichy being given such a pasting but I'm not convinced his decision making was very good and either his final ball was poor and he wasn't aware of his options, or he just simply had nobody to pick out on the box. Kone(?) was game but limited in his impact.

Charlie, wrt Martinez, pethaps I should have said that he upset a few people on foot.ie (which of course is the true barometer of Irish football attitudes!) with his unhelpful remarks on McCarthy last year. I'm not sure he was being deliberately disruptive, but even if he was, he's entitled to speak his mind. I like him.

[IsMiseSean]

Speaking of McManaman has he a link to the North?
Saw a tweet by the OWC boys suggesting MON should look into it...

[Bungle]

Apparently McManaman has at least two Irish grandparents and is eligible for the Republic.

[paul_oshea]

No in the individual battles against Toure he was out-muscled, over-powered and out-paced. He looked slow against Tevez too one on one. Whatever about keane he was never out-muscled and I know toure is a man-mountain and a one off but still. McCarthy did a great job holding and being a free outlet throughout the game.

There is no comparison, Mcclean is a lot more one trick pony. McManaman had a lot of poor final balls or over playing, a bit like McGeady, but he has a lot of skill.

[peadar1987]

He could well be a McClean-like player. Bursts onto the scene (in England at least) tearing defences apart for fun, then cools down a bit to become merely a decent player.

(I seem to remember him and I think Liam Kearney tearing Unknowns to shreds a few years back in a 1-1 draw, no idea how we managed to get a point out of it!)

edit: It wasn't McClean, it was Gareth McGlynn.

[Stuttgart88]

Yes, McManaman can go both inside and outside before wasting it!

[DeLorean]

I don't think McManaman wasted much. He invariably won a corner or free kick, etc. It was superb wing play all day long. Options were often pretty slim after he beat a man or two as Kone was being fairly well marshaled as the lone striker. Who knows if he'll turn out to be a good player but he was excellent on Saturday.

[Stuttgart88]

One review I read today likened his performance to Stanley Matthews' in his legendary cup final. FFS...

[paul_oshea]

I don't think McManaman wasted much. He invariably won a corner or free kick, etc. It was superb wing play all day long. Options were often pretty slim after he beat a man or two as Kone was being fairly well marshaled as the lone striker. Who knows if he'll turn out to be a good player but he was excellent on Saturday.

Ya I agree with that, I said above a lot of poor final balls or over playing, but what I meant was many times he over-played/his final ball could have been better by taking a different option, but he still got a corner or whatever. Had he taken a better option though it might have created a goal scoring opportunity.

[Stuttgart88]

The fact that they only played Kone upfront meant he had limited options. When you've a dead ball taker like Maloney any corner or free won is very valuable.

[paul_oshea]

That's also a fair point, perhaps even Martinez had instructed him to do so. Kone was isolated a lot, but isolated from his own men as opposed to defenders.

[Crosby87]

McManaman. Too clunky. He needs to get rid of some letters there. It's like reading Kipling, as Nigel Harps says, the words stick in my mouth. I suggest McMann or Manam.
Edit: No offense to any McManamans on here or McManawomen.

[tricky_colour]

McMcMan seems more local to me.

[Irwin3]

Not many McManamans in Ireland. Apparently only around 10! Much more likely to be McMenamin or McManamon.

There are however around 80 McManamans in the UK, with Liverpool unsurprisingly being the top city for McManamans.

[tricky_colour]

The fact that they only played Kone upfront meant he had limited options. When you've a dead ball taker like Maloney any corner or free won is very valuable.

He just got the equaliser, Wigan had been 1-0 down. So still in with a chance. Have not really been watching them but though
I would have a small bet (60p) on Wigan winning at 6/1, worked last time!! (but I don't feel so good about this one as I have not
been watching the game.

[tricky_colour]

2:1 that's 60p I will never see again and Wigan down.

[geysir]

2:1 that's 60p I will never see again and Wigan down.
I doubt if you'll ever be seen at a Gamblers Anon meeting at that rate.

[paul_oshea]

the midfield and defence were awful.

[BonnieShels]

Not many McManamans in Ireland. Apparently only around 10! Much more likely to be McMenamin or McManamon.

There are however around 80 McManamans in the UK, with Liverpool unsurprisingly being the top city for McManamans.
Called up to the Tan U21's.

[tricky_colour]

2:1 that's 60p I will never see again and Wigan down.

No I have never really been a compulsive gambler, more a calculated one, more fun just betting a token
amount than to have the worry of losing a pile of money. I would have to bet a pretty serious amount
for it to make any difference to my life, to much for me to risk as it would make an even bigger
difference if I lost!

Sometimes if I have good feeling about something I will have a big bet, but only rarely.
Most I have every bet in one bet was £100 at 4-1 and I won that!!

Did lose £300 one night playing poker, but that was from winnings, I had lost £300 before
but kept playing until I won it back however, I just called it a day that time.

That was back in the day when I was winning £100 a month at poker, lasted for 9 months
and then suddenly I could not win a thing, rather suspicious!!!

I mean I was averaging £25 a week, the odd week I would be down, but then
make it up the next week. So it averaged out within the month.

Then suddenly I was losing £25 a week, seemed very suspicious to get such a step change in
fortune, the odds of that being due to luck must be astronomical.
I think the site just decided to take my money.

[SkStu]

People like myself and POSH don't need to gamble.

[paul_oshea]

But we can gamble, Stu.

[gastric]

But we can gamble, Stu.

Becoming very pally boys!

[geysir]

Just a temporary ceasefire. Like the christmas truce on the Western Front.

[Bungle]

Gary Jacob who writes for the English Times reported that Brendan Rodgers was at the Emirates to watch James and Callum McManaman.

[SkStu]

Just a temporary ceasefire. Like the christmas truce on the Western Front.

me and PAul agree on more things than we disagree on. It just that we are both vocal when we feel strongly about something. Plus we compete financially which adds another element. We are basically living legends.

[paul_oshea]

You are a bit older than me though Stu, and I am very handsome. My mother told me so.

[geysir]

You are a bit older than me though Stu, and I am very handsome. My mother told me so.
An image of Farmer Dan comes to mind.

[BonnieShels]

An image of Farmer Dan comes to mind.

Farmer Dapper Dan, what with the manbag and all!

[DeLorean]

Should be a serious summer of transfers if some of the rumours are to be believed. Liverpool (again) the latest to be linked with Mac...

Liverpool want McCarthy & McManaman (http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/468141/20130516/liverpool-wigan-mcmanaman-mccarthy-relegation-rodgers.htm)

[KK77]

Can't see McCarthy at Liverpool myself. I reckon he will be playing for a champions league side. To think Rodgers spunked £15 million on Joe Allen but i suppose he bought well in January.

[Stuttgart88]

Liam Mackey's opinion on McCarthy in The Examiner (http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/mccarthys-a-talent-but-he-aint-yet-a-midfield-messiah-231454.html)

I think it's a fair assessment.

McCarthy’s a talent but he ain’t yet a midfield messiah

Thursday, May 16, 2013
By Liam Mackey

Having experienced FA Cup glory and relegation despair in the space of just a couple of days, James McCarthy could be forgiven for not knowing if he’s coming or going.

The answer, however, is almost certainly the latter, since it seems improbable if not downright impossible that, facing a season of huge transition in the Championship, Wigan will be able to hold onto one of their most prized assets. Then again, hardly a year has gone by since McCarthy’s move south from Hamilton Academical to the DW Stadium in 2009 without some feverish speculation pertaining to his immediate future being splashed across the back pages — especially the Irish ones.

Thus far, however, none of the big guns who have supposedly had him in their sights have actually squeezed the transfer trigger.

But now, on the back of Wigan’s relegation — and with it the expectation that manager Roberto Martinez will be enticed to pastures new — the clamour surrounding the player’s future is louder than ever. A cursory glance at the headlines over the last few days and weeks would suggest he is set to be inundated with offers: we have been variously informed that Arsenal and Chelsea “will lead the race” for his signature; that Newcastle boss Alan Pardew is “weighing up an ambitious move”; that Spurs are “considering a €10 million bid”; and even in the days leading up to Wigan’s memorable Wembley triumph, that the player was reportedly “trying to ignore speculation surrounding a move to Manchester United” — as well he might, with an FA Cup final still to come at that delicate point.

And, of course, the bookies, as ever, are anxious to cover all bases: if you’re so inclined, you can currently get 40/1 on the Glasgow boy going to Barcelona.

Remember where you read it first.

A reality check might be in order: while it’s reasonably safe to assume that McCarthy will be a Premier League player again next season, whichever club does acquire his services will be landing a work in progress rather than the finished article. Having installed McCarthy as a regular in his side since the start of the current World Cup qualifying campaign, it should be self-evident that Giovanni Trapattoni is an admirer, yet the manager has still managed to ship some criticism for, essentially, failing to add his voice with sufficient vigour to the strident claims that McCarthy is, already, and at just 22, some class of midfield messiah.

Earlier this week, it’s true, Trapattoni was predicting that the player could become as influential as Michael Carrick or Steven Gerrard, a comparison of contrasts which left at least some of us rather fervently hoping it will turn out to be the latter rather than the former. Yet, for all his qualities as a positionally aware ball-winner and confident passer, I have to confess I’ve seen little enough evidence so far that McCarthy can exert anything like as dynamic or transformative an influence on a game as the Liverpool man.

Part of that is undoubtedly circumstantial. At forever embattled Wigan, McCarthy has been obliged to do much of his best work in the midfield trenches, acting as a necessary screen for a woefully porous defence. That the task can be thankless was evident enough in those phases of the game at the Emirates on Tuesday night when Arsenal were threatening to run riot — before they finally did.

With his team under pressure, the bulk of McCarthy’s movement — and passing — was side to side rather than forward. But when Wigan were able to gain the initiative, you could see glimpses of what he has to offer as a constructive force, especially on the few occasions when he surged forward to win the ball and was able to act as a springboard for the attack.

At international level, you could argue Trapattoni’s conservative game-plan hardly does McCarthy any favours in terms of freedom of expression but, even so, my own opinion is that the player has yet to exert a real sense of authority in the green shirt.

This is probably what Trapattoni is getting at when he repeatedly insists on referring to him as “a little bit shy”.

No-one could deny that, at just 22, McCarthy plays his football with uncommon composure and maturity but I am still waiting for the day when he really starts to take games by the scruff of the neck.

In England, a move to a bigger club, playing with better players, would undoubtedly help. The softly-spoken Glaswegian has never sounded anything but sincere when he has lavished praise on the management style of Martinez but, after perhaps too long a period fighting fires at Wigan, it’s time for James McCarthy to light a few big ones himself.

[DeLorean]

Very fair. The biggest thing for me though is that he has improved every season. It's the perfect time for him to make the big step up but it's vital he goes to the right club.