James McCarthy M free agent b.1990

**tetsujin1979** · 23/05/2008, 9:02 AM

Originally Posted by portland

The facts are that no club has made on offer to buy McCarthy, if he was really as good as people are claiming - he would not be playing for Hamilton - as celtic or rangers would have bought him by now like they do with any good young player playing outside the old firm - as for talk of barcelona well thats just tabloid talk.

Hardly "tabloid talk", one quick google of "James McCarthy" +Barcelona throws us these articles, amongst others
From the times: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/spo...cle2774683.ece

The teenager, coveted by Liverpool and Celtic, has been watched by Barcelona for the past year as he has become the outstanding young talent in Scotland

From http://forum.fcbarcelonaweb.co.uk/lo...php?t6615.html

The second player is two years older and comes from closer to Catalunya, although from the less-fished footballing waters of Scotland. Manchester United, Liverpool, Bolton, Blackburn, Deportivo de la Coru�a and Barcelona are all following an attacking midfielder by the name of James McCarthy who plays for Scottish second division outfit Hamilton.

**portland** · 23/05/2008, 11:20 AM

And Have Barcelona mad a bid for him - NO - so its paper talk - dont you think that a small cash strapped club like hamilton would accept any decent bid for a player

Sean Scannell is the same age as McCarthy hes been brought into the Irish Squad - McCarthy hasnt i think theres a reason for it - hes not some new Genius as some a making out.

**livehead1** · 23/05/2008, 11:35 AM

Originally Posted by portland

And Have Barcelona mad a bid for him - NO - so its paper talk - dont you think that a small cash strapped club like hamilton would accept any decent bid for a player

Sean Scannell is the same age as McCarthy hes been brought into the Irish Squad - McCarthy hasnt i think theres a reason for it - hes not some new Genius as some a making out.

How come you seem to know so very much?

**portland** · 23/05/2008, 11:40 AM

Originally Posted by livehead1

How come you seem to know so very much?

What ? Just stating some obvious points -

Hamilton havent had any serious bids for McCarthy

Sean Scannell is in the irish squad and is the same age

**livehead1** · 23/05/2008, 11:47 AM

Originally Posted by portland

And Have Barcelona mad a bid for him - NO - so its paper talk - dont you think that a small cash strapped club like hamilton would accept any decent bid for a player

Sean Scannell is the same age as McCarthy hes been brought into the Irish Squad - McCarthy hasnt i think theres a reason for it - hes not some new Genius as some a making out.

A) You don't know who and who hasn't made a bid for him. If they so wish they could have gone straight to the player before he reached the age of 17, without even contacting the club. The could have signed him that way and then the fee decided by tribunal. He may have chosen to stay; you or I don't know, but only one of us professes to.

B) Do you really believe Scannell has a chance of playing at the weekend because of his current form? If you do then you're kidding yourself, I feel along with many others that they want to 'tie him to the cause'.

C) Finally, I don't think you are in a position to say whether McCarthy is a genius or not. I don't think many people here have described him as a 'genius.' What I would say however, is that it appears clear that he has exceptional talent for his age.

So back to my original question, how do you know so very much?

**portland** · 23/05/2008, 12:09 PM

A1) i know that hes still playing for Hamilton - and hasnt gone to Barcelona, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Liverpool, Celtic or Rangers - this despite all these clubs being "interested" in him for the past 3 years

B1) No i dont think Scannell will play - but the facts are that hes been promoted to the First Team Squad - McCarthy Hasnt - as for your quote of "tie him to the Cause" well why wasnt McCarthy brought in for the "cause" if he was so good dont you think they would bring him to the senior squad

C1) People have quoted that McCarthy is a genius / prodigy - on forums and in newspaper reports - and were has he shown this exceptional talent - have you actually seen the guy play - i have and i wouldnt describe it as exceptional.........

So Why hasent James McCarthy been brought into the senior Squad - if you think he is such a good player ?

**Razors left peg** · 23/05/2008, 12:12 PM

Originally Posted by portland

What ? Just stating some obvious points -

Hamilton havent had any serious bids for McCarthy

Sean Scannell is in the irish squad and is the same age

The is no disputing the fact that every week he plays there are scouts from all around europe watching him and thats were the Barcelona link comes from, not tabloid speculation.Even his own manager said that when Sky Sports News did a feature on him a few months ago.
As for serious bids for him, didnt Liverpool make him a firm offer that he turned down and thats just one that we know about.

**tommy_c12000** · 23/05/2008, 9:44 PM

Originally Posted by Razors left peg

The is no disputing the fact that every week he plays there are scouts from all around europe watching him and thats were the Barcelona link comes from, not tabloid speculation.Even his own manager said that when Sky Sports News did a feature on him a few months ago.
As for serious bids for him, didnt Liverpool make him a firm offer that he turned down and thats just one that we know about.

Your dead right there. Hamilton rejected a FIRM bid from Liverpool. Benitez was present at a training game where McCarthy was playing in......on trial. He scored an absolute screamer on Jerzy Dudek and apparently Benitez told the powers to be at Liverpool to sign the player at all costs.
For the sceptics among you (IE PORTLAND) heres the evidence

[COLOR=#008000]news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/h/hamilton_academical/6638285.stm[/COLOR]

**tommy_c12000** · 23/05/2008, 9:49 PM

Apologies the link isn't in blue so that u can just click on it but I'm afraid I'm severely technologically impaired.

Interesting point to note is that his agent Bill McMurdo has extensive contacts in Spain......this is where all the apparent interest from Barcelona and Deportivo comes from........whether there is any substance there is an entirely different matter

**SilkCut** · 24/05/2008, 3:05 AM

If the interest in him is genuine then I reckon he has a fairly simple choice - another year or 2 in a team that is gonna struggle in the SPL where he will only learn how to avoid getting kicked exept for the odd game against McGeady, Nakamura, Novo, Darcheville and the other 1 or 2 very good players in the SPL v's a year or 2 in (hopefully) a La Liga reserve side training and learning every day from the likes of Ronaldinho, Messi, Eto, Deco, Dos Santos, Bojan, Henry, Puyol the list goes on.. - Where is a 17 year old gonna learn and develop more??? Have any of you seen Scottish league 1 football?? If he isnt hard enough now he never will be. No offence to SPL fans there are some good players there but there are absolutely no world class players for him to learn from which is what he needs or else he will go the same way as so many other promising youngsters with more loyalty than ambition.

**tommy_c12000** · 24/05/2008, 8:45 AM

Originally Posted by SilkCut

If the interest in him is genuine then I reckon he has a fairly simple choice - another year or 2 in a team that is gonna struggle in the SPL where he will only learn how to avoid getting kicked exept for the odd game against McGeady, Nakamura, Novo, Darcheville and the other 1 or 2 very good players in the SPL v's a year or 2 in (hopefully) a La Liga reserve side training and learning every day from the likes of Ronaldinho, Messi, Eto, Deco, Dos Santos, Bojan, Henry, Puyol the list goes on.. - Where is a 17 year old gonna learn and develop more??? Have any of you seen Scottish league 1 football?? If he isnt hard enough now he never will be. No offence to SPL fans there are some good players there but there are absolutely no world class players for him to learn from which is what he needs or else he will go the same way as so many other promising youngsters with more loyalty than ambition.

Don't think it's quite a simple decision as that. At 17 if he decides to join a really big club he runs the risk of just becoming another rat in the rat race of the football academy. Fair enuf he would benefit from playing with better players and learning from top class coaches but with such a fine line between making it and being a failure at these cut-throat top clubs.........he cud just as easy fall by the wayside as he wud be to make it to the top......probably a better chance of falling by the wayside.

My ideal scenario would be for a big club to buy him now but to loan him back to Hamilton for next season. The big club in question could always give him special coaching throughout the yr and bring him back for training matches at their club during international breaks, Scottish Cup breaks, etc......so he will be getting top class tutelage. At the end of next season he would have a solid season and a half of SPL1 and a solid season of SPL experience under his belt. We all agree that there is no substitute for first team football so this would place him at a considerable advantage to any other similar youngster at the big club come the 2009 season. Agreed that the SPL is hardly the ideal learning environment for a gifted youngster like McCarthy but that would be my ideal scenario anyway.

There was talk that sumting like that wud happen but hes after signing an extension to his existing contract recently which commits him to Hamilton for another 3 yrs.

**micls** · 24/05/2008, 9:58 AM

Originally Posted by tommy_c12000

There was talk that sumting like that wud happen but hes after signing an extension to his existing contract recently which commits him to Hamilton for another 3 yrs.

I wouldn't rule it out yet. Maybe eh just wants the club that gave him his chance and developed him getting proper money for him

**SilkCut** · 25/05/2008, 11:43 PM

[quote=tommy_c12000;948997]Don't think it's quite a simple decision as that. At 17 if he decides to join a really big club he runs the risk of just becoming another rat in the rat race of the football academy. Fair enuf he would benefit from playing with better players and learning from top class coaches but with such a fine line between making it and being a failure at these cut-throat top clubs.........he cud just as easy fall by the wayside as he wud be to make it to the top......probably a better chance of falling by the wayside.
quote]

No disrespect Tommy but this is exactly the kind of thinking that could ruin his progression. He needs to show some ambition and take his chances when they come. He could just as easily fall by the wayside by stagnating in the SPL. If he was to join a big club even if he did fail there the chances are he would still be able to return to the SPL or Championship. At the very worst he would discover just what his level is. Look at Ronnie O'Brien he went to Juve and discovered his level (MLS) what did he lose by taking a chance. I do like your loan idea but if he was to be loaned out I think it would be better for him to go to a bigger club than Hamilton. He needs to get out of his comfort zone and challenge himself. Terrifying for a 17 year old but it is the only way he will grow. Few players go to a club like Barcelona, Liverpool or Man Utd. and fall completely out of football even if they fail at that particular club.

**Razors left peg** · 05/06/2008, 4:31 PM

James McCarthy has picked up the Scottish First Division Young Player of the Year Award

http://www.hamiltonadvertiser.co.uk/...1525-21024094/

Cant help but compare his situation to that of Aaron Ramsey,both are a similar age.Ramsey looks like he is on his way to the Premiership while McCarthy looks like he is going to stay where he is.Ramsey has already made his full Welsh debut while McCarthy is yet to get a cap for our U21s. Admitidly Wales have a very very poor pool of players to choose from and McCarthys failure to get an U21 cap is probably more to do with Don Givens being an idiot as usual, but maybe are we hyping him up too much just because names like Barcelona have had a look at him

**irishultra** · 05/06/2008, 4:34 PM

So it appears some of the crap about people saying he's not actually done that much is bull****.

**SilkCut** · 06/06/2008, 7:15 AM

Originally Posted by Razors left peg

James McCarthy has picked up the Scottish First Division Young Player of the Year Award

http://www.hamiltonadvertiser.co.uk/...1525-21024094/

Cant help but compare his situation to that of Aaron Ramsey,both are a similar age.Ramsey looks like he is on his way to the Premiership while McCarthy looks like he is going to stay where he is.Ramsey has already made his full Welsh debut while McCarthy is yet to get a cap for our U21s. Admitidly Wales have a very very poor pool of players to choose from and McCarthys failure to get an U21 cap is probably more to do with Don Givens being an idiot as usual, but maybe are we hyping him up too much just because names like Barcelona have had a look at him

Ramsey is playing in a much tougher league than McCarthy and just played in an FA cup final which probably has more to do with him playing for Wales and looking like going to the premiership than anything else. I saw him in the cup final and it was obvious he is very very talented. He proved himself in the championship so therefore is not as big a gamble as McCarthy would be. I would be very surprised if McCarthy does not get a call up next season if he performs well in the SPL (Still think he needs to leave Hamilton) and then the firm offers will follow. Fletcher at Hibs is a good example, apparently Real Madrid have been watching him for some time and now that he has proved himself to be a good SPL player it looks like he is on his way to Spain!!
All that said though, Givens must have been drunk not to at least give him a run in the 21's. I think he takes them too seriously, countries like ourselves should not worry about u21 comps too much we should use them as a testing area before fast tracking those good enough to the seniors. We will never have the pools of talent that England, Italy, France etc.. have so we need to filter our best players through as quickly as possible and not let them stagnate in the underage teams.

**jmurphyc** · 06/06/2008, 12:32 PM

Originally Posted by SilkCut

All that said though, Givens must have been drunk not to at least give him a run in the 21's. I think he takes them too seriously, countries like ourselves should not worry about u21 comps too much we should use them as a testing area before fast tracking those good enough to the seniors.

If that's the case I'd hate to see what our record would be like if he didn't take them seriously.

**Scooby Doo** · 12/06/2008, 8:08 AM

Palermo claim they are ready with a bid for 17-year-old Hamilton Accies midfielder James McCarthy. (Daily Record)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/foot...rs/7449848.stm