James McCarthy

[Shipped]

Leave your knees alone - you'll go blind.
McCarthy's best at high tempo, closing players down, pressing, harassing.
Defending against City is all about deneying space and positioning.
That's Barry's strength and why he was so much better today.
Between them they did a decent job and while James did slow things down when he was on the ball it was far from a mare.
Step back.

 

[The Esk]

I heard Martinez shout "Quicker Jamie" a few times too.

Interesting, City get their players back behind the ball so quickly, possibly quicker than any other team, you have to break quickly against them, albeit then being vulnerable to the counter attack.

 

[Rook]

To be honest, I've never thought he was that good a player and was surprised when I joined the forum to see how highly the majority of people on here rated him. He's not a great passer of the ball and he doesn't chip in with many goals or assists. I know his job is to protect the back 4 but I don't see why he's so highly thought of.

When we are in the attacking end he moves the ball a lot better than say Fellani would and has been good-very good defensively the past 2 years. However it looks like he caught whatever Barkley and Coleman were affected with last year. In his defense he's always moved the ball to the flanks pretty well and we have had no real true wide players to distrubute too (Coleman excepted).

 

[DanEFC92]

Garbage today

 

[Carlito]

Out of his depth against Silva, and less than impressive in the other two games as well.

I wonder if certain players wouldn't benefit from knowing that it's possible for them to be dropped if their form dips. Too many untouchables in this side.

 

[Joey66]

Awful game so ineffective, an ageing Barry was head and shoulders ahead of McCarthy - he needs dropping if he performs like this totally out of his depth!

 

[Pabbers]

He is allowed a bad game.

 

[argietoffee]

Is he allowed two really bad and one meh out of three?

Johnny Giles marked his card well and proper.

 

[ilikecheese]

He was vital in his first season with us. Huge help to the defense. He was always popping up sniffing out danger.

Maybe my memory blurry, but he seems to have lost a step.

 

[ToffeeDoug]

A muscle in McCarthy's leg clearly went twang with just a couple of minutes left yesterday, could hardly run after that. He had sprinted forward in support of a quick counter-attack (that then fizzled out).

 

[maccavennie]

He was anonymous again yesterday. His first thought is never to take the ball and turn facing the opposition goal, it's always to pass it backwards.

He either has to play the Barry role where he can use his discipline to good effect or has to be dropped because him and Barry together are completely useless and have been now for going on a year.

 

[quasi modo]

I'll keep saying it but it should be him or Barry playing not both, them two together offer nothing from the middle of the pitch and everything goes backwards.

 

[Raino85]

Anyone else noticed last 3/4 weeks he has been wearing those cycling shorts (don't know what they call them now) underneath his shorts.

They always used to be worn if someone had a tight hamstring or a slight groin strain, you think jamesey is playing with an injury?

 

[Eggs]

Anyone else noticed last 3/4 weeks he has been wearing those cycling shorts (don't know what they call them now) underneath his shorts.

They always used to be worn if someone had a tight hamstring or a slight groin strain, you think jamesey is playing with an injury?

....he had a few hamstring problems last season and once they start you have to manage throughout your career. The cycling shorts will give him a bit more support and warmth. A hamstring injury is not something you can usually play with.

 

[Eggs]

....remember how Jagielka started last season. Folk were saying he is finished and needed to be dropped but he came through fine.