James McCarthy M free agent b.1990

Here's what he said in full after the match:
“I’m delighted to have come on, but just as important is the three points,” said the 20 year old. “Hopefully now we can kick on and end up top of the group. They got the goal back, but we still dug in, and it was a real team performance, everyone was magnificent. I was a bit nervous on the bench, but the boss gave me a shout. I was delighted to get on the pitch, get amongst it, and get some game time under my belt. It’s great to get a big cheer from the crowd, I thought the crowd were magnificent tonight. The boys made me feel really welcome all week, and in training. I just went on and tried to do what I do for my club. A few [family members] came over and will be happy, and there will be a few back home watching too. The most important thing was to get the 3 points, and we went and done it, and we’re all delighted in the changing room.”
From : http://greenscene.me/2011/03/ireland...-match-quotes/

I don't see anything wrong from that. Seems like a guy who was happy to be involved.

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Originally Posted by Murfinator

How do people feel about his pre-planned substitution purely for the reason of getting him stuck with Ireland? Doesn't it seem a bit dis-trusting of the player to need to do something like this? Surely if he's committed to Ireland he'll wait however long it takes for him to break into the first team and if the management doesn't believe he has the commitment to do that maybe he shouldn't be here in the first place.

One of his post-match comments got to me a little. He said when he got on the pitch he "tried to do what I do for Wigan". And adding in his strange position and getting wires crossed with other players at times it felt like he wasn't in tune with the team plan at all, which is understandable given the lack of time he's been involved but it isn't understandable why Trap is playing someone in a competitive game unfamiliar with the gameplan IMO.

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I thought it made sense to take Keane off and bring on an advanced midfielder. If the move was at least a touch cynical, the furore parts of our own media, the hidden enemy, made last month made the change justifiable.

Linked with Liverpool and Chelsea in this mornings papers. Chelsea wee mentioned in the January transfer window, but the Liverpool link is new. The price quoted is £8 million

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Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Linked with Liverpool and Chelsea in this mornings papers. Chelsea wee mentioned in the January transfer window, but the Liverpool link is new. The price quoted is £8 million

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I've never wanted to see a team relegated more than Wigan this season - McCarthy should get a great move for himself, Martinez will hopefully **** off somewhere and Sammon would benefit from a season in the Championship. I also have a particular personal dislike for Gary Caldwell. Its a win, win, win, win!

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Originally Posted by Murfinator

How do people feel about his pre-planned substitution purely for the reason of getting him stuck with Ireland? Doesn't it seem a bit dis-trusting of the player to need to do something like this? Surely if he's committed to Ireland he'll wait however long it takes for him to break into the first team and if the management doesn't believe he has the commitment to do that maybe he shouldn't be here in the first place.

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Given how the media has run and run with the story I thought it made sence to play him. Plus the substitution was logical enough in terms of closing out the game. It may only have been 6 minutes but he looekd comfortable when he got on. I expect him to get a good amount of game time in teh next 3 games and think he'll be pushing for a spot v Macedonia in June. It's a myth that Trap doesn't introduce new player during a campaign, he will as long as he's seen them in friendlies beforehand. Lawrence, Andrews and St Ledger weren't in the team at the start of the last campaign for example yet were fixtures by the end of it.

Bad move to go to Chelsea, we need him to play week-in, week-out.

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Originally Posted by Murfinator

How do people feel about his pre-planned substitution purely for the reason of getting him stuck with Ireland? Doesn't it seem a bit dis-trusting of the player to need to do something like this? Surely if he's committed to Ireland he'll wait however long it takes for him to break into the first team and if the management doesn't believe he has the commitment to do that maybe he shouldn't be here in the first place.

One of his post-match comments got to me a little. He said when he got on the pitch he "tried to do what I do for Wigan". And adding in his strange position and getting wires crossed with other players at times it felt like he wasn't in tune with the team plan at all, which is understandable given the lack of time he's been involved but it isn't understandable why Trap is playing someone in a competitive game unfamiliar with the gameplan IMO.

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I didn't get that impression at all.

He was brought on to close out the game. Pretty straight forward I thought.
Bear in mind we were a little hamstrung by Doyle's early substitution so it was probably inevitable that he would have come on as late as he did in the circumstances.

Honourable mention to LFCSixty/Eighty by the way, really like that chant, a few of us were trying to get it going in the SS last night, hope it catches on! :)

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Originally Posted by Murfinator

How do people feel about his pre-planned substitution purely for the reason of getting him stuck with Ireland? Doesn't it seem a bit dis-trusting of the player to need to do something like this? Surely if he's committed to Ireland he'll wait however long it takes for him to break into the first team and if the management doesn't believe he has the commitment to do that maybe he shouldn't be here in the first place.

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McCarthy himself has on several occasions expressed a desire to put the issue to bed and get the monkey off his back. I reckon he's as pleased as anyone that he woke up this morning a confirmed Irish international.

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Originally Posted by AlaskaFox

Bad move to go to Chelsea, we need him to play week-in, week-out.

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Absolutely. He needs first team football to keep tapping his potential and I can't see him walking into that Chelsea team. I wouldn't be surprised if Liverpool were looking at him as a long-term replacement for Gerrard.

He did quite well when he came including a cheeky shot on goal and a solid tackle. It is clear that he wants to be here. All of the naysayers (myself included) were wrong. Let's just relax and enjoy the fact we have a potentially top class player committed to playing for Ireland!

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Originally Posted by amaccann

Was it just my imagination, or did I hear a couple of 'boo's from the crowd when McCarthy made his first few touches?

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Or maybe you heard shooooooot :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by Sullivinho

I wouldn't be surprised if Liverpool were looking at him as a long-term replacement for Gerrard.

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According to the Liverpoo' fans I know, Jonjo Shelvey is just as good, if not better than McCarthy and is already being touted as the successor to Gerrard.

Biggest cheer of the night when he came on. Delighted that all the crap over the last few months (none of which arose from James's own comments) is now put to bed. Heres to a big future with us, hope we see more of him on Tues night.

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Originally Posted by Predator

According to the Liverpoo' fans I know, Jonjo Shelvey is just as good, if not better than McCarthy and is already being touted as the successor to Gerrard.

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Every single young player Liverpool have had in the reserves over the last few years is the second coming of pele, maradonna and beckenbauer all rolled into one according to any of my mates who are liverpool fans. So I'd take that with a pinch of salt :)

In fairness Shelvey has been highly touted since his Charlton days. Remains to be seen if he'll make it though.

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Originally Posted by SwanVsDalton

In fairness Shelvey has been highly touted since his Charlton days. Remains to be seen if he'll make it though.

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Thats great Shelvey qualifies for us I believe maybe he can join young james in midfield for us and the pool

Shelvey turned down an invitation from Ireland a year or two ago and claims he was offered a full cap so it doesn't look like he has any interest in playing for us.

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Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

Shelvey turned down an invitation from Ireland a year or two ago and claims he was offered a full cap so it doesn't look like he has any interest in playing for us.

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Not interested until we start qualifying for tournaments I'd imagine.

He looks a decent enough player but the word I got from my Charlton insiders was that he was a stand-out at youth level because he was just enormous. They reckoned he didn't have much improvement in him. That said, I saw him in a Europa Leage game and he looked to have a bit about him, including a great delivery.

McGeady and Keane on James' competitive debut.

McGeady: "I was talking to him in the dressing room and he just said he was delighted that he came on and that's it put to bed now. He was getting phone calls from all sorts of people asking if he was going back to Scotland, but he said it was never in doubt and he was never going to do that. Now it's sorted."

Keane: "He's delighted more than anyone, to be honest with you, he's delighted just to get it out of the way. I was speaking to him before the game and he was desperate just to stop people talking about it. He's an Irish player now - there was never any question about it anyway because he always wanted to be. It was other people in the background slowing things up. But he is happy now because he was desperate to play for us."