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James McCarthy - I'm not impressed

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Boss_Blue said:
I know lid, he kept the receipt and the 50% off voucher you handed in.

'Ah Boss Blue son, let me tell you, I've never been loved so tenderly in all my years as I was by 4 inch (he affectionately called you)'.

God bless you for making my arl man so happy

*wipes away tear
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Damnit. I know when to give up.

*getting had off*
 
He was brilliant in the Arsenal game up until he picked up that knock in the 80th minute and ran out of steam. Surprise surprise Arse scored soon after as he was the one stopping them from playing. He set the bar high last season - but he hasn't been bad at all so far this - Chelsea apart where the whole defence had a shocker bar Coleman.

he's not the most creative, so when it's a routine victory like WBA turned out to be, he doesn't really stand out - although no one did really except Stones.

I'm not saying he should be immune to criticism, but i can't see what he'd done wrong to warrant it. He is prone to the odd slack pass, but he'll always recover, and is usually covering for most other members of the team when they bomb forward.
 
banno said:
Mate I do not know what you are trying to imply. Is McCarthy your boyfriend or something because your defence of him is admirable if a little spooky. He is off form simple as that. He has not impressed simple as that. Yes other players form has not been great but this is an open thread about McCarthys form so if I choose to comment I can. Have a pop at the others who have said things that have seemingly offended you about McCarthy. He is off form...you have admitted it and nearly everyone else has and that's as far as it goes for me but obviously you want to drag it on like you are on a mission.

He is off form....that's it in a nutshell....accept it and let it go.
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That it's a case of moaning for the sake of moaning. This week's scapegoat is McCarthy. I've admitted he has been average. Gash and terrible are not words i would describe his performances.
 

It was a difficult 'water carrier' job vs Chelsea, Barry didn't shine that time out either. Think Jose had a point to prove from the fixture the season last. What has been of note is that a couple of players have played through injury, Lukaku for one, and I think Mirallas another. Could there be underlying knocks and scrapes that we are not aware about re some of the others in the starting elevens.
 
Eggs said:
.....like others he's getting up to speed. He's the type who covers every blade and it might just take him a bit longer. There's also an indication that he's playing with blistered feet, we just don't know if he's carrying a knock but still prepared to put a shirt on. He's great as far as I'm concerned.
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Good shout that. Didn't he take a really heavy knock in the Leicester game, when we all feared the worst when he got clobbered in that game and stayed down a while.
 
mythbuster said:
50-50 implies that he only had a 50% chance of winning the ball.

Fuming over those 'lost' corners though mate.

:red:
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lol


I wonder what exactly a "lost" corner is.

Would it be like if one of Stringer Bell's guys was chased away from his pitch on a Baltimore project by Omar?
 

Khalekan said:
lol


I wonder what exactly a "lost" corner is.

Would it be like if one of Stringer Bell's guys was chased away from his pitch on a Baltimore project by Omar?
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"Brilliant cross from Ronaldo. Great defensive work by Jagielka to block the cross, but he's lost a corner" lol
 
mawders said:
He's not the only player to have average / poor start
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Chapter 1 - Jagielka, Distin & Stones
Chapter 2 - Distin
Chapter 3 - Jagielka & Distin
Chapter 4 - McCarthy
Chapter 5 - Baines/ Coleman / Barry / McGeady ? one of these i reckon next week. Probably McGeady as the whispers have started already.
 
Could be down to a change in our team structure. Last season Martinez favoured Pienaar and then Osman on the left flank with one of Mirallas or Deulofeu on the right. It worked quite simply, Baines would go on the overlap, Barry would drop into the back three, Barkley would come into the middle of the park, and Pienaar would drop infield providing cover for Barry and Baines and a passing outlet for both. On the other side McCarthy would drop in when Coleman went. That means when teams got it they had Barkley and Pienaar to run through before getting to Barry in the central area then the back two.

Now we are effectively playing two up front and two out and out wingers. So in the same scenario Baines goes, McGeady hangs out wide, Barry then has to cover left back, Naismith is making a run upfront and who is left manning the fort if we lose the ball? McCarthy, who has the entire middle of the pitch and right hand side to cover. Did I mention that Coleman's also bombed off in attack as well? This is why we are seeing so many goals come from that right hand side that was absolutely locked down with McCarthy and Coleman last season. We're seeing Hazard taking a run at McCarthy in the penalty area-an impossible situation for any holding midfielder to deal with.

In my opinion he was magnificent in the Arsenal game when our backline squeezed up (first 80 mins) and he could singlehandedly obliterate the space for their midfield. When our backline ridiculously dropped back it just allowed players like Ramsey Cazorla and Ozil 20 yards more space that McCarthy found impossible to cover, hence another two goals from the right side.

If we stick to this attacking formation we have to accept our defensive players will suffer. If Pienaar and Barkley come back in and we go back to 4231 rather than 424 we will see McCarthy back to his absolute best.
 

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