James McCarthy

[RomanReigns]

 

[buskwhi2]

The fact we have McCarthy, Besic, Schneiderlin, Gueye and Davies in our midfield; and no creative midfield players, symbolizes everything of what is wrong with our play at the moment. That's not a criticism of those players, they are good defensive midfielders, but playing any combo of them as a midfield partnership is basically anti-football.

4-2-3-1 with two DM's worked brilliantly in Martinez's first season when we had Baines and Coleman in their prime and a striker who slotted for fun. For obvs reasons it doesn't work quite so well when you have Martina and Kenny at full-back and Calvert-Lewin up top.

Having McCarthy and Gueye as 2 holding midfielders allowing our full backs to push on and Sig to play further forward should work in theory. Both are athletic and if Silva can get them knowing when to sit and when to push then all good.

McCarthy is actually a decent passer of the ball despite what most seem to think. Problem for everton’s midfield players in general last few seasons is the lack of movement in the team as a whole. If Digne is making himself available, Richarlison is moving about and making himself available and Sig is finding space then passing options should be there.

Playing with one holding player whether that be Schneiderlen, Gueye or McCarthy isn’t going to work with the personnel we’ve got. None of them are right for the role. Schneidelen and Gueye doesn’t work for one reason or another so we need McCarthy and one of the other two in my opinion (unless we find money to get someone new in).

I like McCarthy.

 

[Moomin]

As soon as he plays a few games everyone will be saying " We need to sell him "

Why do we over rate players when they are out injured for a long time. We done it with Bolasie and Mori as well.

 

[dublinbluenose]

Out of himself Gana and Schniderlin he is the most effective, his problem has been his body was broken under Martinez and he was rushed back under Koeman.

He was unlucky to break his leg as our midfield was performing better with him back in the team, he brings a better tempo than our other midfield options. Hopefully he has Seamus Coleman-like recovery powers.

 

[toffeejack]

SOON.

That lag break looks like its taken years off him. He looks like a youngster!

 

[davek]

Out of himself Gana and Schniderlin he is the most effective, his problem has been his body was broken under Martinez and he was rushed back under Koeman.

He was unlucky to break his leg as our midfield was performing better with him back in the team, he brings a better tempo than our other midfield options. Hopefully he has Seamus Coleman-like recovery powers.

Completely agree with that. One of the few major criticisms I'd have of RM was his piss poor handling of that player.

 

[Saint Domingo]

The lad can barely pick a forward pass, stop pretending he’s going to come and solve our championship level midfield. His comeback will go something like this: 2 or 3 games of him being completely anonymous and his limitations on the ball exposed as he builds his fitness up, one 45 minutes of a decent performance where his athleticism has made up for his football inability before his hamstring then pings and it’s another 3 months on the treatment table.

 

[davek]

The lad can barely pick a forward pass, stop pretending he’s going to come and solve our championship level midfield. His comeback will go something like this: 2 or 3 games of him being completely anonymous and his limitations on the ball exposed as he builds his fitness up, one 45 minutes of a decent performance where his athleticism has made up for his football inability before his hamstring then pings and it’s another 3 months on the treatment table.

His development was shattered by our misuse of him. Befoere his major injury he was beginning to put a box to box game together. The goal against United at Goodison was a good indicator of what he was potentially capable of adding to his pressing/recycling game (and even in those respects when fit now he is still the best we have).

Basically: Everton and Martinez in particular ended his career.

 

[SiEdmo]

I recall the same, it was his own mistake when he got caught on the ball. All day over Schneiderlin for me though.

@Lanolin
@blueblue

he passed the ball forward to Morgs who lazily let it run though his legs with no awareness of what was around him, HE then lost the ball causing James to have to run back and save the day

at least watch it before castigating a lad who put himself on the line to fix MORGAN's mistake

 

[Toffe3m4n]

His development was shattered by our misuse of him. Befoere his major injury he was beginning to put a box to box game together. The goal against United at Goodison was a good indicator of what he was potentially capable of adding to his pressing/recycling game (and even in those respects when fit now he is still the best we have).

Basically: Everton and Martinez in particular ended his career.

 

[davek]

I have to be honest. He put his own job before the best interests of McCarthy (as did O'Neill).

 

[Lanolin]

@Lanolin
@blueblue

he passed the ball forward to Morgs who lazily let it run though his legs with no awareness of what was around him, HE then lost the ball causing James to have to run back and save the day

at least watch it before castigating a lad who put himself on the line to fix MORGAN's mistake

Just watched it again. Don't need to change my opinion at all, if you think that wasn't his fault you clearly have virtually no expectations of a footballer.

As I said, he ignores the opportunity to play an attacking ball to Bolasie, checks back and slows down. Realising he's in trouble he attempts to shift the ball to Schneiderlin, who is about 2 yards away from him and marked (this is one of James's favourite tactics in my experience, as if by giving the ball to someone else who will have to deal with the situation he can absolve him from blame. Although as people like you fall for it, who can blame him?). Schneiderlin doesn't cover himself in glory, the ball is slightly behind him but he's slow to react and it gets away from him, he bravely (making a tackle is brave, we've established that) throws himself at the ball to stop the attack but the west brom player gets there first and the ball breaks to Rondon. James deserves credit as he's seen the danger and runs back to cover it. He makes what is a very good but fairly standard tackle - it's not like he threw himself in front of a bullet, knowing he would get hurt - and due to a shocking piece of misfortune his leg plants and Rondon kicks him. It's 'brave' because he ended up getting hurt, but if he'd just stood there and watched i'd have wanted him lynching, there was nothing overtly dangerous about the situation, it was just unlucky.

 

[SiEdmo]

Just watched it again. Don't need to change my opinion at all, if you think that wasn't his fault you clearly have virtually no expectations of a footballer.

As I said, he ignores the opportunity to play an attacking ball to Bolasie, checks back and slows down. Realising he's in trouble he attempts to shift the ball to Schneiderlin, who is about 2 yards away from him and marked (this is one of James's favourite tactics in my experience, as if by giving the ball to someone else who will have to deal with the situation he can absolve him from blame. Although as people like you fall for it, who can blame him?). Schneiderlin doesn't cover himself in glory, the ball is slightly behind him but he's slow to react and it gets away from him, he bravely (making a tackle is brave, we've established that) throws himself at the ball to stop the attack but the west brom player gets there first and the ball breaks to Rondon. James deserves credit as he's seen the danger and runs back to cover it. He makes what is a very good but fairly standard tackle - it's not like he threw himself in front of a bullet, knowing he would get hurt - and due to a shocking piece of misfortune his leg plants and Rondon kicks him. It's 'brave' because he ended up getting hurt, but if he'd just stood there and watched i'd have wanted him lynching, there was nothing overtly dangerous about the situation, it was just unlucky.

to be fair I could only find a clip on youtube from the point the ball runs through Morgans legs, couldn't find one prior to that, so you may be right, but I wasn't having that he had given it away directly and totally his fault

 

[Brendan Janus]

The ref booked McCarthy for diving, then rescinded it laters !!

 

[Albro]

Much more of a productive player than Schneiderlin or Gueye or any midfielder we have. But, as others have said. Too often rushed back too quickly and the injuries have since destroyed him.