James McCarthy M free agent b.1990

**Colbert Report** · 02/10/2010, 4:18 PM

Originally Posted by Razors left peg

I dont agree with that at all, Ive seen him do very well defensively in some games

Not to come off as a *****, but Trap agrees with me, and that's all that matters!

**Razors left peg** · 02/10/2010, 4:19 PM

Originally Posted by Colbert Report

Not to come off as a *****, but Trap agrees with me, and that's all that matters!

doesnt mean either of ye are right though

**Colbert Report** · 02/10/2010, 4:21 PM

Yeah, but Trap is one of the best managers in football history, so I'll have to go with his opinion. Know'm sayin'?

**Razors left peg** · 02/10/2010, 4:23 PM

Originally Posted by Colbert Report

Yeah, but Trap is one of the best managers in football history, so I'll have to go with his opinion. Know'm sayin'?

I do, and I agree with him on most things... but that doesnt mean hes infallible

**greendeiseboy** · 02/10/2010, 5:12 PM

I'd be interested to know if any of the management team attended any of the games today given that they were in Dublin yesterday.

Wigan is about half an hour from Preston. In these two matches we had:

Wolves : Foley, Ward and Doyle
Wigan: McCarthy

kick off 12:45pm

Preston : StLedger, Treacy
Reading : Long and Noel Hunt (came on) (Also Ian Harte)

kick off 3:00pm

Could have taken in both games no bother

Total 9 players

Or even the Stoke v Balckburn match - takes less than an hour

I'd hazard a fair guess that none of them were at any of them.

**co. down green** · 02/10/2010, 7:42 PM

Originally Posted by greendeiseboy

I'd be interested to know if any of the management team attended any of the games today given that they were in Dublin yesterday.

Wigan is about half an hour from Preston. In these two matches we had:

Wolves : Foley, Ward and Doyle
Wigan: McCarthy

kick off 12:45pm

Preston : StLedger, Treacy
Reading : Long and Noel Hunt (came on) (Also Ian Harte)

kick off 3:00pm

Could have taken in both games no bother

Total 9 players

Or even the Stoke v Balckburn match - takes less than an hour

I'd hazard a fair guess that none of them were at any of them.

Tardelli was at the Stoke game, does that disappoint you?

**greendeiseboy** · 02/10/2010, 7:46 PM

Originally Posted by co. down green

Tardelli was at the Stoke game, does that disappoint you?

No, I'd say it disappointed him tho' - considering that only Walters and Delap got any meaningful playtime and neither of them are in the squad.

But fair enough if he was there.

**Sullivinho** · 02/10/2010, 7:51 PM

Originally Posted by joe_denilson

At the time of writing

Code:

McCarthy    619
Whelan        236
Fahey        114
Andrews        25
Gibson        3

That's one hell of a statistic.

It strikes me that the player Trap was recently 'encouraging' Darron Gibson to become...bears some resemblance to the one McCarthy already is.

**greendeiseboy** · 02/10/2010, 7:55 PM

Originally Posted by Sullivinho

That's one hell of a statistic.

It strikes me that the player Trap was recently 'encouraging' Darron Gibson to become...bears some resemblance to the one McCarthy already is.

He's had more time than the 4 put together - but cant get in the squad - ridiculous.

**Paddy Garcia** · 03/10/2010, 7:53 AM

He is our most established Premiership midfielder this season. It should be a no -brainer!!

**third policeman** · 03/10/2010, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by co. down green

Tardelli was at the Stoke game, does that disappoint you?

I would not be totally surprised to learn that Tardelli didn't know Walters was one of ours. I think the average poster on this site knows more about our playing resources than our international management team and the entire hierarchy of the FAI. Walters has been a much more consistent performer and Championship goal scorer than Best, Long, Folan, Sheridan (Plymouth bench warmer last season). His exclusion can only be down to sheer perversity or simple ignorance. Let's hope Tardelli took notice, as we desperately need credible striking options.

**Razors left peg** · 03/10/2010, 1:03 PM

Amazing how every player thats left out of the squad suddenly becomes the saviour that we are missing.I remember a few months ago people were calling for Leon Best to start a friendly that that Trap was an idiot for picking Robbie ahead of him. Where is Best now?

Walters has 1 goal in top flight football and suddenly he becomes indispensable to us in some peoples eyes

**greendeiseboy** · 03/10/2010, 1:18 PM

Originally Posted by Razors left peg

Amazing how every player thats left out of the squad suddenly becomes the saviour that we are missing.I remember a few months ago people were calling for Leon Best to start a friendly that that Trap was an idiot for picking Robbie ahead of him. Where is Best now?

Walters has 1 goal in top flight football and suddenly he becomes indispensable to us in some peoples eyes

Not the case at all - what most people on here are concerned about is that our most consistent player and potentially our best prospect at any level is being snubbed at the moment. The age, experience and system arguments dont stack up at this stage.

By the time the Euro's come around James will be 21/22. By including him in squads now will give him the experience of playing at international level that is vital in these tournaments.

Anyone that thinks that including him now is not worthwhile can explain why Cunningham, Long, Sheridan and Treacy are in the squad ahead of him.

**Stuttgart88** · 03/10/2010, 1:23 PM

I have no doubt the FAI & the management team are aware Walters is Irish.

For what it's worth, I think Whelan is currently our best midfielder, regardless of whether he's playing. I think McCarthy is very close, but you can't say a regular at Wigan is better than a bit part player at United, or a semi-regular at Blackburn. I'd prefer McCarthy over Green myself.

**Razors left peg** · 03/10/2010, 1:56 PM

Originally Posted by greendeiseboy

Not the case at all - what most people on here are concerned about is that our most consistent player and potentially our best prospect at any level is being snubbed at the moment. The age, experience and system arguments dont stack up at this stage.

By the time the Euro's come around James will be 21/22. By including him in squads now will give him the experience of playing at international level that is vital in these tournaments.

Anyone that thinks that including him now is not worthwhile can explain why Cunningham, Long, Sheridan and Treacy are in the squad ahead of him.

I was talking about Walters, replying to the post before mine that was complaining that the management team probably dont even know who he is.
I do think that McCarthy should be in the squad

**tetsujin1979** · 03/10/2010, 2:03 PM

Originally Posted by greendeiseboy

Anyone that thinks that including him now is not worthwhile can explain why Cunningham, Long, Sheridan and Treacy are in the squad ahead of him.

Cunningham's in because we have a dearth of options at left full
Long is in as alternative to Robbie, and is also an option at right wing
Sheridan is a target man, plan B if you like
Treacy is a winger, probably 4th or 5th choice depending on whether you classify Fahey as a winger or central midfielder
McCarthy is not the squad ahead of any of these players because he plays in none of these positions

**greendeiseboy** · 03/10/2010, 2:14 PM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Cunningham's in because we have a dearth of options at left full
Long is in as alternative to Robbie, and is also an option at right wing
Sheridan is a target man, plan B if you like
Treacy is a winger, probably 4th or 5th choice depending on whether you classify Fahey as a winger or central midfielder
McCarthy is not the squad ahead of any of these players because he plays in none of these positions

With 18 career goals to date I'm sure he's well capable of playing up front or sitting off the front two and creating chances.

At Wigan he has a roaming midfield role and could easily adapt to the so called system that Trappatoni uses.

Yesterday he was everywhere for Wigan getting in tackles, setting up attacks etc.

**SwanVsDalton** · 03/10/2010, 2:22 PM

Would you seriously consider playing him as a striker? I'm all for him being in the squad but Tets is right, no point sticking a square peg in a round hole.

**greendeiseboy** · 03/10/2010, 2:38 PM

Originally Posted by SwanVsDalton

Would you seriously consider playing him as a striker? I'm all for him being in the squad but Tets is right, no point sticking a square peg in a round hole.

He's played up front at Hamilton and did alright. I wouldn't have him there for us but he's well capable of putting them away.

My main point is his exclusion at the moment and the reasons behind it. He has a better chance of making the starting line up on current form in the near future if picked than Kehoe who is being deployed in a midfield role by Trappatoni.

**Closed Account** · 03/10/2010, 2:53 PM

Rightly or Wrongly, Il Trap has policies. Once the squad is in qualifier mode, the squad changes as little as possible. I'm perfectly comfortable with that. Novembers friendly is a different matter.
Here's the scenario. Trap has a week to work with the players before the biggest two games of this campaign. Without knowing the exact intricacies of a big match build up, I imagine, trying to assimilate new players into a squad, its formation, its tactics etc, is the last thing Trap wants to do. The more I think about it, the more I respect Trapattoni. He has a scenario where the squad will turn up tomorrow and every one of them(save Coleman) will know the inner workings of the squad, system, whatever. How frustrating would it be for Dunne, Duff, Keane etc, if every international meet up, began with the coaches teaching the same basics to every new member called up, especially in a competitive week.

And before anyone mentions Coleman as a precedent for a McCarthy/Walters call-up, I think Tets summised it prettly succinctly.