James McCarthy

[ijjysmith]

I would think Brands would go even younger. Wilmar Barrios, maybe. If you wanted to go with an PL player, Mario Lemina is decent. Brands was after Badou Ndiaye from Stoke at one point. Really wish we went in for Tyler Adams from MLS, although he was already roped into RBL. Be nice to help with US marketing and revenue generation - Weston McKennie is pretty good, but he'd probably be expensive.

Diawara is an interesting shout. He's still very young, but he wouldn't be cheap I wouldn't think.

God. I forgot that. Jesus Christ.

 

[Loz]

We want to compete with top six and people are saying keep McCarthy. Give me strength.

You’ve clearly forgotten that our best season in the last decade and a half had McCarthy playing in the centre of midfield.
Sadly since then he’s missed a lot of game time through injury.
How have we fared with the likes of Schneiderlin and Davies since then? Or how are we doing with Gana and Gomes? Top 5....no. Top 6....no.
Hopefully once rested Gomes might find a bit of form again and he and Gana may stay the first choice pairing, but I’d have McCarthy before any of our other central midfielders if he’s fit.

 

[jackyboy]

Still think he's better than Gueye.

 

[dublinbluenose]

Still think he's better than Gueye.

Does the same job but is a better passer than Gana

 

[Stephenlloyd]

Does the same job but is a better passer than Gana

That’s why he’s got loads of assists and goals fir us. Bang average journeyman who runs around throwing tackles in. Get rid ASAP

 

[vinvinvin]

Against Gor Mahia he came on and looked mobile etc and that was back at the start of November. Assuming he's been training since then with no set backs, and considering we've had issues in midfield, it's probably fair to say Silva doesn't fancy him.

Is he's on £50k a week and has 18 months left to run that's around £3.6mil in wages, he has a bad injury record but he's only 28 and has a lot of prem experience, so I'd hope we could recoup at least that for him on the open market.

 

[ArtetaMoney]

You’ve clearly forgotten that our best season in the last decade and a half had McCarthy playing in the centre of midfield.
Sadly since then he’s missed a lot of game time through injury.
How have we fared with the likes of Schneiderlin and Davies since then? Or how are we doing with Gana and Gomes? Top 5....no. Top 6....no.
Hopefully once rested Gomes might find a bit of form again and he and Gana may stay the first choice pairing, but I’d have McCarthy before any of our other central midfielders if he’s fit.

He played next to one of the best CMs the Premier League has seen. McCarthy is a very limited footballer.

 

[COYBL25]

Does the same job but is a better passer than Gana

Nowhere near as mobile as Gueye and that was before his many injuries.

 

[Strikinglyhandsome1]

He played next to one of the best CMs the Premier League has seen. McCarthy is a very limited footballer.

Is right. Thinking McCarthy is part of our future is ridiculous.

 

[jtl60]

None of us no what condition he is in. I for one would love to see him play on Saturday

 

[Big Neville Southall]

His name feels like a blast from the past. I forget he's still with us. I wonder if it's like that for him in Finch Farm. One of those colleagues who's part of the furniture, past his peak, just turns up for his wages and no one really notices. Like that fella off Office space. I think I've just described myself actually.

 

[Eggsyblueskin]

I think it is generally accurate observation that the amount of debate around a players abilities is a good indicator of their true standing. A truly outstanding player elicits little such debate although there will always be detractors especially during periods of poor form, they will be securely in the minority.
In latter years not many people would demur on the outstanding qualities of Arteta or Cahill for instance. McCarthy and Gana have been constantly debated however, and I think that is evidence that neither is entirely convincing because both are good but distinctly average players.
For me, I prefer Gana. He has the ability to not only tackle and harrie the opposition but frequently disposses them cleanly which allows a faster transition to attack, something McCarthy does not do as effectively. Offensively both are lacking, unfortunately ,but for me Gana edges it because he can play a forward pass far more than McCarthy who by contrast habitually prefers to pass sideways or backwards something that was noticeable in his Wigan days as well.
It’s all fine margins but perhaps the truth is that both are good enough for where we are but for where we aspire to be. In the end I would prefer to have a more rounded player in their position.
Given that McCarthy hasn’t played much more than 20 games in the last two years or so I won’t miss him if he leaves this window.
For me McCarthy will be defined by what may be his last action in a blue shirt, when he delivered a gut busting run followed by a brave and personally damaging tackle to save a certain goal. Unfortunately the reason it was necessary was due to his own poor passing in the first place.

 

[polish]

A natural Scott Brown succesor at Celtic.

 

[Strikinglyhandsome1]

I think I've just described myself actually.

McCarthyism - deep down we are all McCarthys. In our heads we are Messi but a foot taller.

 

[Lanolin]

I think it is generally accurate observation that the amount of debate around a players abilities is a good indicator of their true standing. A truly outstanding player elicits little such debate although there will always be detractors especially during periods of poor form, they will be securely in the minority.
In latter years not many people would demur on the outstanding qualities of Arteta or Cahill for instance. McCarthy and Gana have been constantly debated however, and I think that is evidence that neither is entirely convincing because both are good but distinctly average players.
For me, I prefer Gana. He has the ability to not only tackle and harrie the opposition but frequently disposses them cleanly which allows a faster transition to attack, something McCarthy does not do as effectively. Offensively both are lacking, unfortunately ,but for me Gana edges it because he can play a forward pass far more than McCarthy who by contrast habitually prefers to pass sideways or backwards something that was noticeable in his Wigan days as well.
It’s all fine margins but perhaps the truth is that both are good enough for where we are but for where we aspire to be. In the end I would prefer to have a more rounded player in their position.
Given that McCarthy hasn’t played much more than 20 games in the last two years or so I won’t miss him if he leaves this window.
For me McCarthy will be defined by what may be his last action in a blue shirt, when he delivered a gut busting run followed by a brave and personally damaging tackle to save a certain goal. Unfortunately the reason it was necessary was due to his own poor passing in the first place.

The most I've agreed with a post on here in a long time, think you've nailed it there.