James McCarthy

Status
Not open for further replies.
evertonfootballclub said:
I'd like to find a formation where he sits in front of the defence and his only job is to protect them, get the ball and pass it to our new midfield playmaker. No bombing forward, no drifting out wide, just sit in the hole and get the ball, then give it to a team mate.

Goalie
Back 4
McCarthy
Two wingers and two central midfielders
Lukaku
Click to expand...
Like I mentioned in a previous post . We are getting strongly linked with a holding midfielder. And according to some people on here. There is serious interest in schneirderlin So where does that leave McCarthy
 

BlueToff said:
I see him a bit like that as well mate. I'm not saying he's the complete package, but he's very good at doing what he did yesterday.

Our issue in the past has been we've had him alongside Barry (very good player) and neither are exactly 'creative'. Barry keeps the tempo ticking over but isn't one for an incisive pass, and McCarthy is somebody adept at breaking up the play.

He needs to get his pressing game back, but a fully fit/on form McCarthy gives the entire side a lift because of his energy.

He also gets an undue amount os stick for his forward play as well. Yes, it could certainly improve, but when he gets in forward areas he's not bad (see some of his assists and goals for us) - but they all come from well-timed third man runs.

It's not like he's a player who can skip past two or three defenders or pick out a 50 yard throughball - that's not his game - and we shouldn't expect it to be. If he's played right he's a great asset for us.
Click to expand...

I just don't know if its down to Martinez the last two seasons, for me its hard to think its purely down to that because Martinez was his mentor and he would always play for him.

The MF set up at the moment is too defensive, we need someone who is a playmaker and a enforcer. Mascherano and Alonso like. Right now, i haven't seen enough to convince me that McCarthy is disciplined enough to do that job, and i just don't think he has enough to his game to be the playmaker - but thats not his game so we shouldn't expect it.

If he can get back to the high energy pressing game, and tidy up parts of his game which i see as rough, then he could do it. I do think there could be better options out there - but who knows Koeman might love him there, might hate him and go balls out for someone he wants.
 
chazzle_dazzle said:
I just don't know if its down to Martinez the last two seasons, for me its hard to think its purely down to that because Martinez was his mentor and he would always play for him.

The MF set up at the moment is too defensive, we need someone who is a playmaker and a enforcer. Mascherano and Alonso like. Right now, i haven't seen enough to convince me that McCarthy is disciplined enough to do that job, and i just don't think he has enough to his game to be the playmaker - but thats not his game so we shouldn't expect it.

If he can get back to the high energy pressing game, and tidy up parts of his game which i see as rough, then he could do it. I do think there could be better options out there - but who knows Koeman might love him there, might hate him and go balls out for someone he wants.
Click to expand...

Definitely don't blame it all on RM mate. Injuries haven't helped and I think McCarthy also has been poor compared to his own standards - but this idea that he has been awful is also ridiculous.

But yes it is. We don't definitely need a 'traditional' enforcer, though, but somebody who can sit and do the job of breaking up play, either in a 4-2-3-1, a 4-1-4-1 or a 4-3-3.

McCarthy has had his best games playing the role, but can alos be effective when he makes those darting third-man runs from deep. However, he isn't what we need when we're looking to break a team down.
 
BlueToff said:
Definitely don't blame it all on RM mate. Injuries haven't helped and I think McCarthy also has been poor compared to his own standards - but this idea that he has been awful is also ridiculous.

But yes it is. We don't definitely need a 'traditional' enforcer, though, but somebody who can sit and do the job of breaking up play, either in a 4-2-3-1, a 4-1-4-1 or a 4-3-3.

McCarthy has had his best games playing the role, but can alos be effective when he makes those darting third-man runs from deep. However, he isn't what we need when we're looking to break a team down.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't say he has been awful mate, he set a high bar in his first season and has come nowhere near to hitting that standard again.

Injuries and fitness definitely been an issue - I think i just want to see more from him, especially in the defensive 3rd where he is meant to be doing his job - no more standing off players 20 yards from goal.
 
chazzle_dazzle said:
I wouldn't say he has been awful mate, he set a high bar in his first season and has come nowhere near to hitting that standard again.

Injuries and fitness definitely been an issue - I think i just want to see more from him, especially in the defensive 3rd where he is meant to be doing his job - no more standing off players 20 yards from goal.
Click to expand...

Totally agree mate.

He was excellent last night and I believe that's down to O'Neill/Keane giving him a specific role that he filled (the same as he did in their qualifier vs Germany). Pressed anything that was coming into Ireland's half but didn't venture past that - allowing the more attacking players to get forward.

When the time came for Ireland to really press, he was the right player to take off, but that's when (an albeit second string) Italy managed to create and look dangerous (simply because McCarthy wasn't there).
 



Status
Not open for further replies.

Welcome

Join Grand Old Team to get involved in the Everton discussion. Signing up is quick, easy, and completely free.

Register

Shop

Back
Top