James McCarthy M free agent b.1990

**DannyInvincible** · 14/09/2013, 5:53 PM

McCarthy comes on for Jelavic in the 65th minute of Everton's game against Chelsea. Everton winning 1-0 at the minute.

**tricky_colour** · 14/09/2013, 6:11 PM

Came on on 66 mins, been fairly quiet.
Coleman has impressed with his defending against Eto and also nearly winning a penalty, instead free kick awarded on edge of area.
Just won another foul from Mikel who was finding him hard to handle.

**DeLorean** · 15/09/2013, 2:36 AM

I thought he was pretty involved in a subtle way. I feared for him when he came on to be honest as Chelsea were banging on the door big time at that stage. He got a massive reception from the crowd, although some of that my be attributed to Jelavic, who had set up the goal.

The ship steadied significantly after that and, if anything, Everton looked the more likely to do something on the break. I'm not saying McCarthy was responsible for this but maybe the slight change of system made them more solid.

There was one low ball played into the Everton box, from the right, shortly after McCarthy's introduction that I felt he should have done better to cut out. He also had a chance of a Hollywood pass that would have really announced his arrival but undercooked it badly, but it was a fairly difficult pass.

On the minus side for Mac, I thought Gareth Barry was immense so he'll probably have to be pretty patient before he hopefully becomes a regular starter. Coleman was fantastic defensively, and also offensively as the game got stretched.

As an aside, the young lad Barkley is going to be a serious player.

**DannyInvincible** · 21/09/2013, 5:47 PM

James gave away a 76th-minute penalty today against West Ham after coming on for Everton at half-time. Perhaps he was careless to enable the tumbling Kevin "Noble" Nolan to make the most of it. Can see it here around 00:45:

**DeLorean** · 21/09/2013, 6:36 PM

Delighted Everton came back to win the game, he could definitely do without costing them points at this early stage.

Does anybody know how he played otherwise?

**tricky_colour** · 21/09/2013, 9:56 PM

Not a great challenge, Nolan was always going to make the most of it, he earned his penalty, only say the highlights
so didn't really seem much of him after, however they were 1-0 down when he came on and won the rest of the game
1-3 making it 2-3 in the end, there were other substitutions as well, he was rated 6.2 on sky despite the peno
so it seems he had a positive effect as the score line suggests.

**youngirish** · 22/09/2013, 5:51 PM

I just don't see what the fuss is about regarding McCarthy. He's not particularly mobile, doesn't present much of a goal threat, doesn't put his foot in and his passing ability is decent but hardly top quality. Maybe I'm missing something and even if not he's still young and there's time for him to improve but I personally haven't noticed any great improvement since he first broke through with Wigan about 3 years ago.

It's a pity because Ireland are crying out for a really decent Premiership central midfield player but I don't see any on the horizon unless Hendrick makes the step up.

**DannyInvincible** · 22/09/2013, 6:05 PM

Originally Posted by youngirish

I just don't see what the fuss is about regarding McCarthy. He's not particularly mobile, doesn't present much of a goal threat, doesn't put his foot in and his passing ability is decent but hardly top quality. Maybe I'm missing something and even if not he's still young and there's time for him to improve but I personally haven't noticed any great improvement since when he first broke through with Wigan about 3 years ago.

It's a pity because Ireland are crying out for a really decent Premiership central midfield player but I don't see any on the horizon unless Hendrick makes the step up.

Trap always spoke of him needing to overcome his shyness. Perhaps he's a different player in training and we don't see the best of him in action when it matters.

**Crosby87** · 22/09/2013, 7:11 PM

Gingers are by definition shy. Perhaps you could all pool a few quid and mail him some hair dye.

**Stuttgart88** · 22/09/2013, 9:08 PM

Trap didn't mean he was shy, like some of us might have been shy at school. It was a Trap-ism for saying that he was not vocal or assertive on the pitch. It was a criticism I had of Gibson a few years ago, always happier to let Scholes or someone more established set the tone while he would just focus on doing the simple stuff. Now he's one of the main men and more confident. Trap wanted McCarthy to take more responsibility. That's what he meant by shy.

**Crosby87** · 22/09/2013, 9:57 PM

Come on you were not shy in school. You played Santa every year in the Christmas play if memory serves, to stellar reviews.

**DeLorean** · 24/09/2013, 10:51 AM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Trap didn't mean he was shy, like some of us might have been shy at school. It was a Trap-ism for saying that he was not vocal or assertive on the pitch. It was a criticism I had of Gibson a few years ago, always happier to let Scholes or someone more established set the tone while he would just focus on doing the simple stuff. Now he's one of the main men and more confident. Trap wanted McCarthy to take more responsibility. That's what he meant by shy.

I think McCarthy is extremely vocal on the pitch. He's forever pointing instructions and even giving out. It really is the assertiveness in his actual play that is holding him back though I feel. He needs to start taking more responsibility, demanding possession and influencing the game more. He just doesn't seem to possess that 'chest out' confidence or arrogance that some other young players such as Wilshere or Barkley have.

**DeLorean** · 24/09/2013, 9:04 PM

Bad start for the Mac-Gibbo partnership tonight in the League Cup. Lost 2-1 away to Fulham. Gibson came off shortly after Darren Bent's winner in the 67th minute. Everton were pretty wasteful by all accounts. Gibson, Coleman & McCarthy all booked.

**Grafter** · 24/09/2013, 9:51 PM

Originally Posted by DeLorean

Bad start for the Mac-Gibbo partnership tonight in the League Cup.

I have my doubts about that midfield....

**tricky_colour** · 25/09/2013, 12:36 AM

Saw some of the second half which of course the lost 2-0 as the struggled to to get to grips with Fulham, leading to the bookings of Coleman, McCarthy and Gibbo plus Stone, Colman struggling against Berbatov who is handful for any defender.
Coleman came close to scoring a couple of times.