James McCarthy

[blulouie]

Said this for ages,similar role that Bracewell used to have back in the day

I remember being told back then "the only time you notice Brace is when he's not playing"
Didnt understand it at the time,but watching McCarthy brings it all back now .
The lad is immense even his work off the ball closing covering & pressing is top draw.
Again this lad is immense...so key to everything we do well.

 

[Dario Terracotta]

I remember being told back then "the only time you notice Brace is when he's not playing"
Didnt understand it at the time,but watching McCarthy brings it all back now .
The lad is immense even his work off the ball closing covering & pressing is top draw.
Again this lad is immense...so key to everything we do well.

He was my favourite in that great side,loved Brace,king of cool he was as welllol,how we've missed McCarthy though,his contribution to us is immense.

 

[rochdaleblue]

Was smiling as he come off. Don't think he would be smiling if it was an injury, like others have said just a precaution I think.

 

[blulouie]

He was my favourite in that great side,loved Brace,king of cool he was as welllol,how we've missed McCarthy though,his contribution to us is immense.

We have all blamed anything & everything for the downturn this season.
No coincidence how much better we are since McCarthy & Stones came back.
Get Barkley (last night was a start) back firing again & we're half way there

 

[toffeeblue9]

McCarthy makes everything better. Stones just sorts the defense, Mccarthy just sorts the midfield, genuinely think we're one world class number 10 away from having a trophy winning spine with Lukaku up top (providing Howard is not in goal). The improvement in everything when McCarthy plays is just so evident, he sucks opposition players in then releases the ball to Barry or Barkley in acres of space moving us forward, a far cry from the panic panic backwards backwards 'passing' we were doing without him in the team. Also its so good watching Coleman or Tones surging forward and McCarthy just dropping in effortlessly. The lad is a tactical machine and along with Stones is the foundation of this side. He's making Barry look like a decent player for goodness sake.

I honestly think Barry will be the main beneficiary of having McCarthy back. Barry has immense quality on the ball but zero pace. Having McCarthy in the side gives him more time on the ball and he looks a completely different player. Plus McCarthy covers so much ground that it allows Barry to not need to desperately get back and foul people so much.

Not a coincidence at all for me that McCarthy played against Liverpool and Young Boys and Barry had really good games in both.

I'll go as far as to say that I think our best midfield pairing there may end up being, at least in the short term, McCarthy and Barry. Besic is a brilliant prospect but lacks Barry's vision and passing ability and I think, for now, a midfield pairing of Besic and McCarthy (whilst it will be the axis we build from in the future) might lack a bit of quality as far as distribution is concerned.

McCarthy is the key for me, absolutely indispensable to us and everyone else in the team plays better as a result of him being there.

 

[Dario Terracotta]

We have all blamed anything & everything for the downturn this season.
No coincidence how much better we are since McCarthy & Stones came back.
Get Barkley (last night was a start) back firing again & we're half way there

Also for once in a Cup competition,lets hope the gods are smiling on us

 

[tommye]

Said this for ages,similar role that Bracewell used to have back in the day

I said last season he's the best Everton midfielder since brace


Always remember my dad telling my mum he would leave her for Bracewell....
he was the heartbeat of our greatest ever team.

 

[Dario Terracotta]

I said last season he's the best Everton midfielder since brace


Always remember my dad telling my mum he would leave her for Bracewell....
he was the heartbeat of our greatest ever team.

I'd still chin that Billy Whitehurst to this day if I met him matelol

 

[tommye]

I'd still chin that Billy Whitehurst to this day if I met him matelol

snap him.


Right across his knees

 

[GaryM]

McCarthy was brilliant last season with Barry in the middle and for me the best partnership we've had since Reid & Bracewell. This season like with Bracewell we've found out just how good he is by him being out of the team. There aren't too many players whose value increases when they are out of a team but McCarthy is one.
Like other posters have said Bracewell was immense. I remember going to Wembley in 84 for the charity shield against the RS and Bracewell made his debut, him & Reid looked like they'd played together for years. He was a big part in turning us into a championship winning team.

 

[Goat]

I'd still chin that Billy Whitehurst to this day if I met him matelol

He would laugh at you and then take your head off.

 

[Dario Terracotta]

He would laugh at you and then take your head off.

Is he a swordsman?

 

[maccavennie]

Brilliant 2nd half performance from James yesterday. Not sure what's happened to his compatriot Coleman, never seen him shirk out of so many 50 50 challenges, looked like he's lost his appetite for a battle.

 

[blukaku]

I forgot how relentless he was.

 

[thirdmantackle]

Brilliant 2nd half performance from James yesterday. Not sure what's happened to his compatriot Coleman, never seen him shirk out of so many 50 50 challenges, looked like he's lost his appetite for a battle.

Roy Keane has been in the media encouraging Seamus to go to United