James McCarthy M free agent b.1990

[Charlie Darwin]

You don't sound too grieved by that result on behalf of our Irish lads at Everton?
The football quality was poor, double expresso, hyperactive, adhd stuff.
God be with the glorious golden days when players had skill and time on the ball to display their repertoire of tricks. Now it's all helter skelter, run-around-a-lot.
One day we'll look back on the Roberto Martinez era with fondness.

[liamoo11]

In fairness McCarthy goin off changed the game. Pool got lallana onto a lot more ball and Barry just couldn't cover the ground that McCarthy does. McCarthy was far crisper in his passing in first half than Everton were in second

[DeLorean]

You don't sound too grieved by that result on behalf of our Irish lads at Everton?


I was hoping they'd hold out as I've no great love for Liverpool but they got what they deserved for their lack of ambition in the second half, they seemed to settle for restricting Liverpool alone from an early stage. The circumstances of the game didn't help with two enforced substitutions but they still had enough decent players to carry more of a threat than they did.

As commendable as it was showing faith in that young winger also, it never seemed likely to have the desired effect. I thought Mirallas would have been the obvious option in the circumstances and would have probably withdrawn Lennon instead of Valencia, who was just starting to show some signs that he might do something.

The match against Arsenal last week was helter skelter stuff as well but much more enjoyable, less disjointed anyway.

Koeman mentioned the good job that McCarthy had been doing in the first half in his post match interview, so it's been a positive few days for him at least (outside of yet another injury obviously).

[Stuttgart88]

There must be an international break coming up.

[OwlsFan]

Didn't see the game but along with Coleman, gets the highest rating (8) from the Daily Telegraph for an Everton player. These injuries he constantly picks up are worrying though.

[KK77]

Played well got through the miles and put the tackles in.

[OwlsFan]

Koeman still moaning about Ireland playing McCarthy in the two games and yet says he was fully fit for the Arsenal game https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2016/1222/840791-everton-without/

A hint that it's all our fault and then a contradiction in the next sentence.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Everton have agreed a fee with Man Utd for Schneiderlin per Sky sources.

According to the Liverpool Echo, Everton will only sell McCarthy permanently in this window.

[BonnieShels]

Hopefully to Man Utd.... Just kidding.

[tricky_colour]

Another on same theme

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2892/transfer-zone/2017/01/11/31396602/rumours-everton-to-reject-loan-offers-for-mccarthy

"sell McCarthy permanently" permanantly confused me as I have never know a non-permanent sale, mind you I am not a solicitor.

[BonnieShels]

Another on same theme

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2892/transfer-zone/2017/01/11/31396602/rumours-everton-to-reject-loan-offers-for-mccarthy

"sell McCarthy permanently" permanantly confused me as I have never know a non-permanent sale, mind you I am not a solicitor.

I think they mean just sell him once. not a Bohs sale as it's known in the business.

[OwlsFan]

Might be going to Sunderland - https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/2632530/everton-transfer-newstoffees-will-allow-midfielder-james-mccarthy-to-join-sunderland-for-10m-and-defender-lamine-kone/

Not exactly great news.

[tricky_colour]

Defnitely not, he would be better off sticking with the Toffees.

Mind you he would be with O'Shea he migh save him from relegation.

[OwlsFan]

Defnitely not, he would be better off sticking with the Toffees.

Pun intended ?

[OwlsFan]

Now interest being shown by Newcastle and Crystal Palace (linked with every Irish player at the moment)

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/582158/Newcastle-James-McCarthy-Sunderland-Everton-news-gossip

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Turned down a loan move to Sunderland apparently.

[Charlie Darwin]

Turned down a loan move to Sunderland apparently.
Who could blame him?

[tetsujin1979]

Transfer bid from Newcastle refused, according to the Sun

[DannyInvincible]

This is interesting. According to the Mirror, Koeman convinced McCarthy to stay at Everton and refused to sanction the player's sale as he sees him building a long-term midfield partnership with Schneiderlin: http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/everton-boss-ronald-koeman-explains-9731410


Ronald Koeman refused to sanction the £15million sale of James McCarthy, because he sees the midfielder forming the foundation of a trophy-winning team.

Many Everton fans assumed McCarthy would be sold in January – Championship promotion chasers Newcastle were desperate to sign him – after Blues boss Koeman pulled off a £24m coup in landing France international Morgan Schneiderlin from Manchester United.

Yet the Dutchman explained he has now seen the quality the Republic of Ireland international can bring to his team — and that persuaded him to refuse all offers in the window.

“I see him having a long-term future here because I think he is a really good player and those players we need for the future of Everton,” said Koeman.

“We need competition in the midfield and that is what I mentioned to the board of the club. There is no possibility for one of the midfielders to go – yes for Darron Gibson, because there was too much competition for him, but not for James.”

Koeman appeared unimpressed with McCarthy when he first arrived at Goodison, but he explained that was down to the midfielder’s injury problems, which were exacerbated by problems he picked up on international duty.

“My attitude hasn’t changed towards him. My attitude is the same. If what happened with all the injuries and all the call-ups for Ireland I will do the same,” he said.

“Of course he’s really on a good fitness level and that makes James a better player than I saw in the beginning. At the beginning he was not fit, he had his problems with his hamstring. Now I am really pleased with his quality and how he is involved in the team.”

Koeman clearly sees McCarthy forming a long-term partnership with Schneiderlin in the midfield, and that pairing could move a step closer in Wednesday's game at Stoke.

The French midfielder hasn’t started in either of his Everton appearances, but the manager said it is a clear possibility this time.

“It is possible he will start at Stoke because he is training and in good condition. I didn’t change the team after Manchester City because everyone did a great job, but it is possible we change now, because finally you need to choose your next team,” said Koeman.

“It can be tactical, it is about freshness. Now we have competition and everybody is on a good level.

"James McCarthy is on a good level and that makes it very competitive in some positions.”

What exactly does Koeman mean by the bit I've highlighted in bold? Is he saying he'll frown upon future Ireland call-ups generally or simply that he'd take issue if we attempted to call McCarthy up whilst the player may not be 100 per cent fit?

By saying there was "too much competition" for Darron Gibson, is he saying that Gibson wasn't good enough to compete for his place, whereas he has come to realise or believe that McCarthy, on the other hand, is good enough to compete for a place? Or is he just saying that he had too many players vying for Gibson's position and someone had to go?

[DeLorean]

What exactly does Koeman mean by the bit I've highlighted in bold? Is he saying he'll frown upon future Ireland call-ups generally or simply that he'd take issue if we attempted to call McCarthy up whilst the player may not be 100 per cent fit?

Would have to assume the latter.


By saying there was "too much competition" for Darron Gibson, is he saying that Gibson wasn't good enough to compete for his place, whereas he has come to realise or believe that McCarthy, on the other hand, is good enough to compete for a place? Or is he just saying that he had too many players vying for Gibson's position and someone had to go?

When I read the piece I didn't even considering your second interpretation actually. It could easily mean that though. Either way, Gibson was ultimately too far down the pecking order, whether that in relation to the midfield positions generally or a specific midfield position I suppose it amounts to the same thing. With Barry, McCarthy, Schneiderlin, Besic, Gueye and the recent emergence of Davies they have serious options in there.

It warms the heart to read him speak so positively about McCarthy though. I think he was seriously impressed with him in the Arsenal match and the first half against Liverpool before he went off injured.

[osarusan]

By saying there was "too much competition" for Darron Gibson, is he saying that Gibson wasn't good enough to compete for his place, whereas he has come to realise or believe that McCarthy, on the other hand, is good enough to compete for a place? Or is he just saying that he had too many players vying for Gibson's position and someone had to go?

They are the same thing, aren't they? Either way, compared to the players he kept, he didn't think Gibson was worth keeping.

[paul_oshea]

I took it to mean he would keep him(and still want him), even if he had to go through the same thing again with him.

[DannyInvincible]

They are the same thing, aren't they? Either way, compared to the players he kept, he didn't think Gibson was worth keeping.

Hmm, I suppose one way or another, it would ultimately have to boil down to an an ability/value/utility judgment. Perhaps Gibson's injury-proneness also influenced Koeman's contentment with seeing the player depart.

[geysir]

This is interesting. According to the Mirror, Koeman convinced McCarthy to stay at Everton and refused to sanction the player's sale as he sees him building a long-term midfield partnership with Schneiderlin: http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/everton-boss-ronald-koeman-explains-9731410



What exactly does Koeman mean by the bit I've highlighted in bold?
(Koeman "My attitude hasn’t changed towards him. My attitude is the same. If what happened with all the injuries and all the call-ups for Ireland I will do the same,”.) Is he saying he'll frown upon future Ireland call-ups generally or simply that he'd take issue if we attempted to call McCarthy up whilst the player may not be 100 per cent fit?

It was more the overplaying (in Ronnie's opinion) of a fragile James v Georgia and Moldova inside a few days..
I'd say the actual call-up is not the issue, it's more that he has no trust in O'Neill not to play James when there are fitness doubts.

And Ronnie does like to drone on and on about it.

[SkStu]

Goal for Jimmie Mac.


If Everton's first goal was incredible, this is incredibly lucky. The build-up from a possessed Romelu Lukaku was excellent down the right, jinking through. After that, it got silly. James McCarthy's shot hit Steven Cook, bounced back, hit McCarthy and went in. You just feel it might not be Bournemouth's day...

He also got an assist on Lukakus opener.

[Closed Account]

Good for Jamie, not exactly Gerrardesque though
http://streamable.com/4udfm

[Fixer82]

Classy from Lukaku

[Stuttgart88]

Waxy goal. His first shot was going wide - dreadful effort - and it just ricocheted back off a defender into his shin again and in. I'll take one of those against Wales of course. Two ideally.

[DeLorean]

Not in the Everton squad today at Middlesbrough. Presume he has to be injured?

[Charlie Darwin]

Martin O'Neill must have had him around for some drills.

[DannyInvincible]

McCarthy didn't play for Everton yesterday, as he's "'one or two weeks' away from fitness", according to Ronald Koeman: http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2017/0312/859098-james-mccarthy-ireland-wales-everton-koeman/

This makes him a doubt for the upcoming Wales clash. Squad is to be announced tomorrow, of course.


“James again has some problems with his hamstring - it happened at the beginning of last week, “Koeman said.

“It’s painful for him and also for me because I like him and we want to progress with him.

“But every time we do that he has to take a step back. It’s not a big hamstring injury - he will be out for one or two weeks - but I’m really disappointed about it.

“We need to deal with his fitness and maybe [play him] 30-35 minutes like last week, then put him through recovery.

“We need to learn. I’m not a doctor but I want the best for him, it’s difficult.

“It’s another step back for the boy and that’s really disappointing. We need to find a solution and we haven’t found it yet.”

Asked if he expects Martin O'Neill to pick him then, Koeman replied: "I don't know. We know it will be another nine, 10 days (before the game) and the FIFA rule is that they have the possibility to call the player. If they call the player the player will go and they will see how his fitness is at that time."

[geysir]

Deja vu, albeit with a different intro.

[tricky_colour]

Well I guess in a way him not playing for his club kind of justifed the times he has taken stick for not playing for Ireland.


Still we have other midfielders waiting for a chance, Conner Hourihane to name but one, and assist for Villa on Saturday.

[DannyInvincible]

Koeman has a go at both James McCarthy and Martin O'Neill after McCarthy aggravated his hamstring problem before the Wales game: http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/fuming-everton-boss-ronald-koeman-10124151


Furious Ronald Koeman has accused Martin O’Neill AND James McCarthy of defying medical advice from club AND country ahead of the Everton midfielder’s latest injury.

...

[Koeman] said: “It was a final decision against the [judgement of the] medical staff of Ireland and also against the medical staff of Everton.

“And there are two people responsible for that.

“One is the player by himself. Finally, if he says, 'Yes. I’m fit', okay, but even the player needs protection from the manager and, once again, they didn’t give that protection to the player.”

[DeLorean]

He might have a point this time?

[jbyrne]

He might have a point this time?

I doubt that Ireland did anything with McCarthy other than what Everton would have done themselves to have him fit for a game. I understand that McCarthy trained twice at most and felt it in the warm up last Friday which hardly constitutes pushing or risking him. Hasn't he only played 90 mins for Everton once this season? I think everton need to look at the way they are handling his fitness the way Chelsea did with Duffer when he had similar hamstring problems

[DeLorean]

Seemed like we were desperately trying to get him fit in time for the match. I doubt Everton would have been quite as desperate if the early signs were that he wasn't going to make it. Keane was close enough to ruling him out when he hadn't trained up until the Wednesday, was it, or Thursday. Everton had been wrapping him in cotton wool but we appeared to try to accelerate the process. I was kind of thinking that myself so I'm definitely not surprised by Everton's frustrations.

[DannyInvincible]

It would be interesting to hear O'Neill's perspective, or even McCarthy's.

Koeman added:


I was pleased by [Roberto] Martinez that, one, Kevin Mirallas was starting [in Belgium's friendly in Russia] and, second, that Romelu [Lukaku] was not starting.

That's good for us, because he played for 95 minutes in the qualification game against Greece.

You like people to understand... not like Ireland.

Acrimonious.

Lukaku isn't a great analogy though considering Lukaku played a game for Belgium and was then rested. McCarthy was rested for both our fixtures on the basis of the concern over his hamstring. To be fair to the Irish management, it's not as if they played a player whose fitness was in doubt. You'd nearly get the impression from Koeman's comments that McCarthy had actually played a game.

[DeLorean]

Was the hamstring injury actually aggravated in the warm up as suggested?

[DannyInvincible]

Was the hamstring injury actually aggravated in the warm up as suggested?

Hmm, possibly not. I'd assumed it was, but maybe it was simply decided - by player, management or both - that it would be best for McCarthy not to play. The way Koeman has been talking though, it would suggest McCarthy's hamstring problem has been worsened.

The Mirror reported the following:


Blues manager Koeman is livid after Ireland counterpart O’Neill decided McCarthy was fit to face Wales in last Friday's World Cup qualifier, only for the player to be withdrawn after feeling a hamstring problem in the warm-up.

The 26-year-old is now expected to be out for a lengthy spell.

That would suggest an aggravation and/or deterioration.

[backstothewall]

Comparing a friendly to a crucial World Cup qualifier is insane and Koeman must know that. McCarthy was given every chance because of the importance of the game but ultimately didn't make it.

There is no story here apart from Koeman mouthing off for no reason

[DeLorean]

That would suggest an aggravation and/or deterioration.

O'Neill confirms that here - http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/soccer/martin-oneill-defends-james-mccarthy-handling-but-ronald-koeman-fumes-446466.html


First of all, I think we should put a couple of things to bed,” he said, “speaking in the wake of the friendly defeat to Iceland. “James wants to play for us but it just seems to be quite often when he has come to us that he’s just recovering from an injury, and the time element seems to fall on us on whether you play him or don’t play him.“James wanted to play in the game, and there (had been) a fairly lengthy time from when he picked up the injury. He had a bit of setback but he was back running and, the things he did in the couple days of training we had, he was very happy with. But we all know training is totally different to what you’re doing at match level, and that was a bit of a concern. But he’s important for us.”

While O’Neill again stressed that McCarthy “wanted to play and was fit to play” against the Welsh, he added that, in terms of the player’s match fitness, as manager he had expected he would probably have review to situation at half-time and was prepared to substitute him if required.

“But I wasn’t thinking he was going to pull up in the warm-up,” he said, “but he overstretched himself.” O’Neill also indicated that, even then, McCarthy thought he might still be able to play in the game but, at that point, the decision was taken to withdraw him from the side.

The Derryman also said that he feels the Irish management and medical staff are having to cope with the consequences of an injury issue which can only be fully dealt with at Goodison Park. “What he does at club level is something that’s outside our jurisdiction and outside our control, and I think that hamstring problem that he’s continually having, that’s got to be addressed by him and his club more than anything else,” he said.

“We’re trying to pick up the bits of this here but it’s not a fight... “I’m really surprised you’re telling me (about first reports of Everton’s dismay). If you’re looking at the length of time he hasn’t been with us and the times that he’s missed matches, either by not being picked or picking up a niggling injury, that’s something the club and James will have to look at because we’re not in control of him, we only have him these (few) days and we’re guided by James and our staff. The reason it seems to be more pronounced is because of the historical things seemingly between this country and Everton.

[DannyInvincible]

O'Neill says McCarthy "overstretched himself"* but that "even then, McCarthy thought he might still be able to play in the game".

Is Koeman exaggerating matters then (possibly so as to distract from Everton's potential culpability as far as McCarthy's recurring injury problems are concerned)? It sounds like he may be. If McCarthy still felt he could have played on Friday night, how does that fit with the Mirror reporting that he's now expected to face a lengthy spell on the sidelines?

*What exactly does that mean? I've got zero expertise in the field of hamstring injuries, but does it mean McCarthy pulled the muscle again or does it mean he just felt a bit of pain/tightness upon exerting himself?

[geysir]

It sounds similar to his last hamstring setback with Everton on 6th March, but that's not the point here.
James was still in rehab when this squad assembled, otherwise he would have been fit enough to join in the sessions. He has a long injury history. He was taken out of his primary rehab environment.
By placing the carrot of an important WC qual ahead of him, faced with a depleted team the Irish management have left their door wide open to accusations that they forced the situation, inward and outward pressure on James to be fit to play and possibly with the aid of a complaint FAI doctor. The management were well aware of wishes of Everton not to take risks. Koeman had claimed James would not be fit until some time between 19th and 25th. By fit Ronnie explained, would be to play James for 30 minutes or so then put him through a recovery program.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

MON offers stinging rebuke to Koeman.

http://www.fai.ie/ireland/news/statement-from-martin-oneill

[geysir]

You kinda get the feeling that Liverpool are going to hump Everton on sunday. Ronnie is in for the prolonged angst.

[DannyInvincible]

Erm, tets, in that post of mine that you've deleted, I quoted Ronald Koeman's spoken words from a public press conference, all ten minutes of which could be viewed via the YouTube video that I also posted. Of which forum rule was that in breach? :confused:

[geysir]

The first rule is what Tets says are the rules.

[DannyInvincible]

Here's what Koeman said during the pre-Merseyside derby press conference earlier today that provoked O'Neill into making his scathing "master tactician of the blame game" statement this evening: http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2017/0331/864191-ronald-koeman/

Or see from 1m35s:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXYKELCeF-c?t=1m35s

[DannyInvincible]

Koeman has now tweeted a sarcastic response (https://twitter.com/RonaldKoeman/status/847924574058663936) to O'Neill's claim (http://www.fai.ie/ireland/news/statement-from-martin-oneill) that McCarthy "returned to Everton [post-Euros] after a very short break, but only 11 days later, he played his first of three games, all within an eight-day period, against Real Betis, Manchester United and Espanyol":


James McCarthy began his pre-season three and a half weeks after Ireland were knocked out of the Euros. From the master tactician