James McCarthy M Celtic b.1990

**tommy_c12000** · 29/05/2011, 9:31 AM

From today's Sunday Times:

McCarthy Father Slams Trap:
The father of James McCarthy has reacted angrily to accusations made by Trapattoni that he had left a number of messages on the Wigan player's mobile phone over the past month and had received no reply. The Ireland manager also claimed on Monday that he had heard nothing from the player or his club about his absence from international duty last week. It later emerged that Wigan had contacted the FAI about McCarthy on Sunday night and Willie McCarthy told The Sunday Times yesterday, "James went for a scan on Monday morning at St Helens hospital near Wigan. They found ligament damage in his ankle, which is swollen badly and has been for a couple of weeks. He won't be fit for three or four weeks. I spoke to James and he said there was no missed calls from Trapattoni, so we can't understand the reports that James wasn't returning his calls. James is committed to Ireland. I wonder really does Trapattoni want James in the squad? The communications side of things is a disaster."

**tommy_c12000** · 29/05/2011, 10:16 AM

First of all a meaningless friendly should not have been arranged 2 days after the close of the premiership season. Absolute shambolic decision on the FAI's part. McCarthy was never going to show up after Wigan's miraculous escape and expecially with the game against Scotland coming up which he would have been avoiding like the plague. Trap should have handled the situation with some tact and sensitivity and told him to take a break for a week and join the team after the Scotland game and things will be assessed then. Unfortunately that senile man is nothing but a self obesessed egomaniac who is doing his level best to burn as many bridges as he can with promising Irish players.

He needs to realise that he is not in club management anymore but in international management where managers are at the mercy of the clubs who pay his players their wages. The clubs call the shots these days and like it or like it not, the fact is that international football is not as an attractive prospect as it was say 20 years ago. Relationships between clubs and countries need to be fostered carefully and not burned in the manner Trap is doing. Just look at all the great players who retired prematurely from International football in recent years - Shearer, Nedved, Giggs, (Keane!), etc, etc.

Don't get me wrong, I admire Robbie Keane's passion and respect him from the way he came out and said all those things. I'm as passionate as the next guy about the Irish team. I've been obessed since my earliest memory of the 3-1 defeat to Spain at Lansdowne road back in the early 90s. Before each qualifying game I would stay up saying prayers every night 2 wks before hand hoping that God would help the Irish team to perform to their potential (I never asked for a win, perhaps that's where it has all been going wrong). Many an Irish loss evoked an uncontrollable tantrum in me that had my mother on her last thether. I look back on it now and feel genuinely sorry for all the hardship I put her true, she most definitely was more nervous than me during the Irish games, and she wouldn't even have known any of the players.

My point is club's call the shots now and international managers need to respect that to a certain extent and concentrate on developing strong relationships with club managers rather than confronting and questioning every injury that is purported.

To borrow the great man's line after he turned 70 last tuesday, The times are a-changin', but unfortunately you can't teach an old ignorant dog new tricks.

**Fixer82** · 29/05/2011, 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by tommy_c12000

Relationships between clubs and countries need to be fostered carefully and not burned in the manner Trap is doing. Just look at all the great players who retired prematurely from International football in recent years - Shearer, Nedved, Giggs, (Keane!), etc, etc.

Keane didn't retire prematurely.

Re clubs calling the shots i disagree. I think it's generally down to the player's character. If a player insists, especially early on, that playing International football is important to them, very few managers it seems stand in their way.
I think it's down to young players who take it for granted and don't appreciate the honour of being called up that is the problem. Not their clubs.

I'm not naming any particular players as I don't have the inside track. But I know back in the day, once fit, a herd of wild horses wouldn't have kept O'Leary, Moran, McCarthy, Aldridge, Quinn, Irwin, Bonner etc from turning up

**Stuttgart88** · 29/05/2011, 11:21 AM

It all depends on whose version of events you want to believe. McCarthy's dad, or Tardelli who says that Mary O'Brien of the FAI was in touch but got no response. (I'm not sure if it was said anywwhere that Trap himself sent the texts or whether it was Ms. O'Brien, or whoever).

If Mr. McCarthy is correct then it is a terrible case of mismanagement by the FAI.

If Tardelli is correct it's a sign of bad attitude from the player.

We don't know the truth yet and it's unlikely we will from the outside.

I don't think anyone is arguing that the timing of the game was daft and that anyone involved on Sunday would have been entitled to ask to sit it out.

**Stuttgart88** · 29/05/2011, 11:22 AM

Originally Posted by Fixer82

back in the day, once fit, a herd of wild horses wouldn't have kept O'Leary from turning up

A holiday might have though

**Drumcondra 69er** · 29/05/2011, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by tommy_c12000

First of all a meaningless friendly should not have been arranged 2 days after the close of the premiership season. Absolute shambolic decision on the FAI's part. McCarthy was never going to show up after Wigan's miraculous escape

Yet Kevin Foley, Stephen Ward and Stephen Hunt all managed to turn up after Wolves' miraculous escape.....

**Noelys Guitar** · 29/05/2011, 1:45 PM

The problem for McCarthy is he has previous. Its not a one off him not showing up. And he is nowehre near an established player in the Irish squad. If he had 15 caps and had done the business in say 4 or 5 qualifying games then he would have a little more leeway. But thats not the case.

**geysir** · 29/05/2011, 2:17 PM

"I spoke to James and he said there was no missed calls from Trapattoni, so we can't understand the reports that James wasn't returning his calls."
FAI officials say "seven or eight" attempts to make contact with the player were unsuccessful.

I wouldn't worry yet about McCarthy's long term future with Ireland, I still think he will be a big player for us.

**Fixer82** · 29/05/2011, 2:24 PM

oh yeah....touché

He certainly paid for it though. Though he wouldn't at that stage have been one of the players with something to prove like Walters, Stoke, McCarthy etc...

**geysir** · 29/05/2011, 2:57 PM

You're talking about O'Leary, Fixer?
I suppose O'Leary got the hump just as much as Charlton did, after that Iceland tournament.
O'Leary had nothing to prove as a CH at that stage but he also fancied himself as a certain starter for the Ireland team and probably would have expected Charlton to need him more than he needed Ireland.
Also, having Dunphy as a defense lawyer did little for O'Leary's case.

**paudie** · 29/05/2011, 3:05 PM

Originally Posted by tommy_c12000

First of all a meaningless friendly should not have been arranged 2 days after the close of the premiership season. Absolute shambolic decision on the FAI's part. McCarthy was never going to show up after Wigan's miraculous escape and expecially with the game against Scotland coming up which he would have been avoiding like the plague. Trap should have handled the situation with some tact and sensitivity and told him to take a break for a week and join the team after the Scotland game and things will be assessed then. Unfortunately that senile man is nothing but a self obesessed egomaniac who is doing his level best to burn as many bridges as he can with promising Irish players.

He needs to realise that he is not in club management anymore but in international management where managers are at the mercy of the clubs who pay his players their wages. The clubs call the shots these days and like it or like it not, the fact is that international football is not as an attractive prospect as it was say 20 years ago. Relationships between clubs and countries need to be fostered carefully and not burned in the manner Trap is doing. Just look at all the great players who retired prematurely from International football in recent years - Shearer, Nedved, Giggs, (Keane!), etc, etc.

Don't get me wrong, I admire Robbie Keane's passion and respect him from the way he came out and said all those things. I'm as passionate as the next guy about the Irish team. I've been obessed since my earliest memory of the 3-1 defeat to Spain at Lansdowne road back in the early 90s. Before each qualifying game I would stay up saying prayers every night 2 wks before hand hoping that God would help the Irish team to perform to their potential (I never asked for a win, perhaps that's where it has all been going wrong). Many an Irish loss evoked an uncontrollable tantrum in me that had my mother on her last thether. I look back on it now and feel genuinely sorry for all the hardship I put her true, she most definitely was more nervous than me during the Irish games, and she wouldn't even have known any of the players.

My point is club's call the shots now and international managers need to respect that to a certain extent and concentrate on developing strong relationships with club managers rather than confronting and questioning every injury that is purported.

To borrow the great man's line after he turned 70 last tuesday, The times are a-changin', but unfortunately you can't teach an old ignorant dog new tricks.

Ward, Hunt and Foley turned up after wolves equally miraculous escape. And I'm sure he wouldn't have been picked for the Scotland game if he talked to Trap about it.

I wonder will he want to play in future competitiive games against Scotland?

**Fixer82** · 29/05/2011, 3:08 PM

@geysir true true. But he certainly made up for it when Charlton allowed him back in. And his desire then was never really in question.
i wonder how Charlton would have reacted to the current crop.
The only real situation he had like this was Paul McGrath the odd time going off on one but Paul had his problems and Jack understood that I think

**Sullivinho** · 29/05/2011, 3:09 PM

"I spoke to James and he said there was no missed calls from Trapattoni, so we can't understand the reports that James wasn't returning his calls."

FAI officials say "seven or eight" attempts to make contact with the player were unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Wigan, James McArthur is perturbed by a series of mystery calls and texts..

**Fixer82** · 29/05/2011, 3:19 PM

ha ha like it!

**Noelys Guitar** · 29/05/2011, 3:36 PM

Originally Posted by Sullivinho

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Wigan, James McArthur is perturbed by a series of mystery calls and texts..

Some chick called Mary O'Brien wants to meet me in Ireland. I wonder if this is a News of the World set up thinks McArthur.

**Sullivinho** · 29/05/2011, 4:23 PM

The communication problems between the FAI and James must be addressed and resolved for the sake of future expediency.

I would like to propose 'the Mac signal'. A backlit silhouette of James that can be projected into the night sky from the rooftop of the National Sports Campus in Abbotstown on the eve of a squad gathering, thereby alerting the mercurial talent to Ireland's need.

**DannyInvincible** · 29/05/2011, 5:26 PM

Liverpool deal "90% done", according to Goal.com: http://www.givemefootball.com/premie...n-anfield-swit

Liverpool are on the verge of completing a deal for Wigan Athletic midfielder James McCarthy.

The 20-year-old has been the shining light in a struggling Latics side, who avoided relegation on the final day of the season with victory at Stoke City.

And with Chelsea also interested, Liverpool are keen to push the deal, which could be worth £10 million, through as soon as possible.

“It is 90 per cent done, all sides now seem to accept it is going to happen and it's a matter of everyone trying to get the best deal,” a source told Goal.com.

N'Zogbia has also been linked with a move to Anfield along with him.

And if his Ireland no-show wasn't bad enough, now he's been accused of driving without a licence; away off the rails entirely, young James is, God help us and save us!: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/sc...6908-23164942/

... But it has emerged that he was pulled over by police in Glasgow on Tuesday evening. He was quizzed about driving his £50,000 BMW X5 without a proper licence or insurance.

McCarthy was allegedly caught behind the wheel of the 130mph car in the city's Castlemilk area - as his Irish team-mates were about to kick off against Northern Ireland.

It is believed he was alone in the car. He only holds a provisional licence, for a learner driver.

McCarthy could face a fine and be banned from driving. His car could be impounded or rushed.

A Strathclyde Police spokeswoman said: "A 20-year-old male is the subject of a report to the procurator fiscal in connection with alleged road traffic offences."

McCarthy has been staying with his parents, William and Marie, this week at their terraced home in Castlemilk.

Or have the media gotten ahead of themselves again?

Yesterday, McCarthy could not be contacted for comment.

But a source close to the player said: "It is all a big misunderstanding. James has passed his driving test but has an Irish rather than a British driver's licence."

**BonnieShels** · 29/05/2011, 8:41 PM

How did he get an Irish licence? He was never resident here and I can't really imagine him putting up with the waiting times in order to drive around the streets of Raheny or Churchtown.
Tosh.