James McCarthy M free agent b.1990

[Colbert Report]

When he first came on the scene, he was training with Liverpool and lobbing Pepe Reina, being praised by Steven Gerrarrd and Rafa Benitez, and was strongly linked with a move from Hamilton Academical to Barcelona.

[DeLorean]

Sounds a bit like Jack Byrne impressing Vieira and co. Pinch of salt required.

[seanfhear]

Could he be a case of a lad that played too much senior football too young ?

Has had a lot of niggling injuries . Perhaps his body was not up to playing so many senior games at the age he did ?

Would it be a big surprise if he says he wants to concentrate on his club career and give up the international stuff .

[DeLorean]

Would it be a big surprise if he says he wants to concentrate on his club career and give up the international stuff .

I don't think anybody would be too shocked. If he can stay fit in the short-term he'll surely fancy another crack at the Euros, especially with our position in the group at the moment. After that, you could see why he might call it a day at international level, but hopefully not.

[gastric]

Keith Andrews and Peter Reid, showing my age here, overcame injuries at around Mc Carthy's age to go on and have good careers. I am an optimist in a sea of pessimism!��

[elatedscum]

Interesting point. It could be viewed that playing over 200 Premier League games and playing a few years with a top 6/7 side is actually delivering on the hype, these days anyway, given how few of our players even achieve that.


There's a lot of excitement about Troy Parrott at the moment but what are the realistic expectations? That he'll become a regular goalscorer for Tottenham or another Champions League team? Or would we be happy enough if he's scoring goals fairly regularly for a bottom half PL side? I suppose at the moment we have to dream of the former, but how likely is it to happen?


There's probably four outcomes for Troy over the next 5 years:


1:


He's the closest thing we've had to Robbie Keane with a touch of Wes. He's playing well for a very good premier league team and is Ireland’s best player. My guess 20%


He’s currently on trajectory for this outcome but everyone from Richie Partridge to Conor Clifford to Anto Stokes were on that path before they reached 18, and they lost their way either due to injuries or misfortune or personal problems or a mixture of all of them.


2:


Ends up in that second tier, where he’s at the level of a lot of current irish internationals. Playing for a team which is somewhere between the 11th and 30th best side in England. He’s good but not a revelation. 55%


3)


Struggles to establish himself at a less technical club, problems off the pitch, is playing at a level where he wouldn’t be considered likely to play for Ireland, perhaps back in Ireland or in the lower leagues. Something similar to how Jack Byrne’s last few years have gone. 20%


4)


Out of the game entirely ala Joxer (John-Paul Kelly). 5%

[liamoo11]

McCarthy played the full 90 today for crystal palace 23s. Last season everton didn't seem to hardly ever allow him play 23 football

[Diggs246]

McCarthy played the full 90 today for crystal palace 23s. Last season everton didn't seem to hardly ever allow him play 23 football
Also mick McCarthy flew in to London to watch james in the under 23 game

[irishfan86]

Also mick McCarthy flew in to London to watch james in the under 23 game

Is that a joke or serious?

EDIT: Have seen that Mick did indeed watch that match. Got to say I really like this decision, as opposed to what some managers would do -- simply wait until he James is playing first team football before contemplating including him.

[IsMiseSean]

Is that a joke or serious?

EDIT: Have seen that Mick did indeed watch that match. Got to say I really like this decision, as opposed to what some managers would do -- simply wait until he James is playing first team football before contemplating including him.

Desperate times. Whelan still without a club - who's going to play the holding midfield role against Switzerland.

[DeLorean]

Desperate times. Whelan still without a club - who's going to play the holding midfield role against Switzerland.

He's going to play a midfield two of Hendrick-Hourihane again, isn't he? :eek:

[Diggs246]

He's going to play a midfield two of Hendrick-Hourihane again, isn't he? :eek:

McCarthy will start, why would mick go to the U23 Palace game? I guess he will do a like for like swap with James in for Glenn

[DeLorean]

McCarthy will start, why would mick go to the U23 Palace game? I guess he will do a like for like swap with James in for Glenn

Palace have a few games before then. If McCarthy gets a bit of game time, you're probably right.

[Stuttgart88]

I don't think anybody would be too shocked. If he can stay fit in the short-term he'll surely fancy another crack at the Euros, especially with our position in the group at the moment. After that, you could see why he might call it a day at international level, but hopefully not.Mick said in the press that he has been in regular contact with James during the summer so that'd suggest he is still available for selection. I could understand it too if he decided to focus on club football only. I do hope one day we'll see a fit and confident McCarthy playing regularly for us.

[Colbert Report]

McCarthy very lucky not to have a broken leg after a horror challenge a few minutes after being subbed on away to Sheffield United.

[geysir]

Came on late and played a part in the winner for Palace. It's the first play I've seen of him since before his injury, he's got the swagger alright. Next game up is a league cup game, let's hope he plays in that, still a long shot though for the september games.

[Diggs246]

Palace play Colchestor FC on Tues ( they are League 2) I wonder would 70 mins in that game be enough for James to start against the Swiss?

[Olé Olé]

Starts tonight.

[geysir]

He finished the game. Manager Roy "We sign players, believe in them and believe that when they get their chance they will shine. You can't do more than give them a chance to come in and shine and there will be some who aren't happy with their performance."

[DeLorean]

He finished the game. Manager Roy "We sign players, believe in them and believe that when they get their chance they will shine. You can't do more than give them a chance to come in and shine and there will be some who aren't happy with their performance."

That doesn't sound too good, considering McCarthy was one of only two starters that they signed this summer, the other was loanee Victor Camarasa.

At least he got ninety minutes though, probably the most important thing for now.

[Diggs246]

Not available for the swiss game. Which is Bang out of order. Whelo will have to start.

[jbyrne]

Not available for the swiss game. Which is Bang out of order. Whelo will have to start.

never heard such a nonsense reason.... apparently the swiss match could be too intense.... surely no more so than most epl matches.... would he miss an epl game for same reason??!

[IsMiseSean]

never heard such a nonsense reason.... apparently the swiss match could be too intense.... surely no more so than most epl matches.... would he miss an epl game for same reason??!

I'd give him the benefit of the doubt, but it sounds like such a nonsense excuse.
You'd think he'd be crying out for some game time to build up his fitness. If he's not ready for the Swiss game - the Bulgaria friendly would be ideal to get some minutes into the legs.

[liamoo11]

I'd give him the benefit of the doubt, but it sounds like such a nonsense excuse.
You'd think he'd be crying out for some game time to build up his fitness. If he's not ready for the Swiss game - the Bulgaria friendly would be ideal to get some minutes into the legs.

Micks statement reads as if mick told McCarthy he was leaving him.iut not that McCarthy pulled out

[mark12345]

Not available for the swiss game. Which is Bang out of order. Whelo will have to start.

Badly short in midfield now. No McCarthy. Hendrick hasn't really kicked a ball this season (not that his presence would have made much of a difference). No Robbie Brady (a loss creatively). Maybe there is hope for Jack Byrne??

[liamoo11]

Badly short in midfield now. No McCarthy. Hendrick hasn't really kicked a ball this season (not that his presence would have made much of a difference). No Robbie Brady (a loss creatively). Maybe there is hope for Jack Byrne??

I'd say mick was always going to pick whelan, hourihane and Hendrick with Robinson mclean and mcgoldrick so if they are fit he would be happy enough I'd say. At least it's only 1 competitive game this time

[mark12345]

I'd say mick was always going to pick whelan, hourihane and Hendrick with Robinson mclean and mcgoldrick so if they are fit he would be happy enough I'd say. At least it's only 1 competitive game this time

Hourihane is more deserving of a start than Hendrick, given Mick's criteria of playing time at this early stage of the season. As far as Whelan, I as his biggest critic, am going to take a different approach this time and just hope that he has a great game as part of a famous Irish victory.

[Closed Account]

Hopefully not. But I do believe there will be long periods of time on Thursday when we do not have possession of the ball.
Let the Swiss have as much possession as they want, all they'll produce is a cuckoo clock.

[irishfan86]

I can see both sides to this one. Ultimately I think Whelan doesn’t have the legs to go 90 minutes and I’d like to have seen McCarthy come on for the last 20 to freshen up the holding role.

The fact Mick watched James line out for an underage Palace team shows how much he rates the player. But maybe there’s an argument in seeing the player re-establish himself with his club before fully bringing him back into our national squad.

That said, the Bulgaria match you’d think would be a nice way of getting some extra minutes for him in a low-risk environment while keeping James involved. Maybe the attitude of James and/or Mick is that he’s played enough friendlies lately and needs to test himself competitively and that’s that.

[tetsujin1979]

Pun threads are one of the things I hate the most about other forums.
Read into that what you will

[Diggs246]

If you are talking about ybig. Puns is the least of their worries. They bitch against each other way way too much. There is often pages of personal insults without any note worthy football debate.

[tetsujin1979]

All puns deleted, you were warned.

[Fixer82]

All puns deleted, you were warned.

Apologies. I missed that warning. But know for future.

[tetsujin1979]

A few is fine. A thread dominated by them is not

[SkStu]

Ask me swiss Tets.

There’s absolutely nothing in the rules about puns or overuse of puns. This seems like your dislike of them and your role as mod crossing over. The forum is finally getting a little bit of life and humour back and then in comes the fun police. Ridiculous.

[EAFC_rdfl]

Indeed, a precedent has now been set for deleting puns, the mod(s) will now be on a 'roll' with all the deleting they will have to do

[tetsujin1979]

you had a day of them. That's enough. Back on topic.

[paul_oshea]

I feel like that Conservative MP who defected today.

Wonder did we have a choice about having our game against the swiss second?

[geysir]

I'd say mick was always going to pick whelan, hourihane and Hendrick with Robinson mclean and mcgoldrick so if they are fit he would be happy enough I'd say. At least it's only 1 competitive game this time
I'd say he was desperately hoping that McCarthy would be fit enough to play, that's why he went to the u23 game and the league cup game to give serious consideration.
The defensive midfielder/s position was up for grabs but James did not pass muster.

[samhaydenjr]

Pun threads are one of the things I hate the most about other forums.
Read into that what you will


All puns deleted, you were warned.

Ah come on, Tets... Joe Denilson's cuckoo clock comment wasn't a pun - it was a classic movie reference, which I had to applaud - please put it back up - it's one of the best posts we've had on the forum

[tetsujin1979]

post restored, I didn't get the reference

[DeLorean]

Maybe you should restore all the others too, but move them to the designated pun thread - https://foot.ie/threads/144052-Conor-Sammon/page26

[tetsujin1979]

maybe not

[Real ale Madrid]

The only sensible way to live is without rules.

[seanfhear]

The only sensible way to live is without rules.
Is that a rule ?

[Eminence Grise]

Rules matter.

And some mods have the Matterhorn.

Enjoy this till it disappears.

C'mon Tets - of all the reasons to delete posts, that is the least valid. With the downright OTT tone of of some of the posts on this site recently, I'd have thought a few yowser puns might have lightened the mood a bit. Restore the posts.

[Real ale Madrid]

Is that a rule ?

Its just a quote from the Joker - Tets' avatar - thought it was ironic but maybe not - The Joker probably hates puns.

[liamoo11]

Starts today. Be nice if they brought him into squad cant see whelan doing 2 games in 3 days. Great to see McCarthy get a start

[Olé Olé]

What a day.

[liamoo11]

Was very good. Switched for Townsend with 10 mins left. Certainly was more impressive than rice was for west ham. Would love mick to call him in .