sageyefc
Player Valuation: £90m
Id argue his levels dropped since his first year
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James McCarthy
- Thread starter GrandOldTeam
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Wasn't that the time we went on a run and beat United at Goodison, or was that April, and I think we edged out Burnley and Sotton as well around that time?
I was at the Newcastle game and he was superb, then again after that at QPR (believe that was the 22nd of March). I'll have to check. I remember he came back from injury around the middle of Feb (I think), and our results picked up from then on in.
May have been March and April.
orly
Please check with me for Blammo criteria
I'm afraid mate it is probably April in isolation - we win 3 of 4 that month... then lose 3 of 4 in May!
The Equaliser
Player Valuation: £50m
A few weeks ago: he is boss and what we have been missing all season.
Now: he's pretty crap really and offers little to the team.
Stop this nonsense immediately please.
Now: he's pretty crap really and offers little to the team.
Stop this nonsense immediately please.
Looking back...
March:
We lost to Stoke and Arsenal away.
Then Barry got injured/suspended and we started playing in a 4-4-2/4-1-4-1, with McCarthy at the heart of it.
We then beat Newcastle, QPR and then I think Southampton. Drew at Swansea, beat Burnley, hammered United and then drew or lost to a side we really should have hammered.
I remember at the time though McCarthy really stepped up to the plate in that run, which lifted us from 14th/15th up into 11th and away from any danger.
At his best, he makes us tick. At his worst, he still gets about and makes good tackles and interceptions but lacks some guile in possession that Besic has.
However, he's key to us playing well so gets my vote every time for now unless he really is in poor form. As it is, since returning from injury he's had two very good games, one average game and two (by his standards) sloppy ones but nothing majorly bad on the whole.
No need to rush Besic back and have him get injured straight away again. Fact does remain when McCarthy is in the team we win more games than when he isn't, no matter how he plays.
EFC78
Player Valuation: £25m
What do you put our recent good form down to then which has coincided with McCarthy's return? I'm not deluded enough to claim that's all down to McCarthy because it isn't and other players have contributed like Lennon, Jagielka and Robles, but McCarthy makes us a far harder team to score against and to beat.
I find it staggering that some of our fans can't see that. All of the evidence points to it as well when McCarthy is in the team.
royvernon39
Player Valuation: £10m
No question that mccarthy makes us a harder team to score against but the problem is that he is not much
of an attacker.
There was a time last night when in advanced position he turned around and passed backwards to a defender who was
pressurized and the ball ended back with Robles who cleared long and of course we lost the aerial battle. Also, his shooting is not all that. Against WBA he slashed widly at a fair shooting chance and he never scores.
Away from home it is not that noticeable but at GP he has to offer more going forward at laest as a shooter or a passer and we have yet to see that.
mcCarthy takes over the Barry role or possibly in the brave new Iranian world we sign a better player. Harsh because he is a good player, I know, but it is an area where we could improve.
of an attacker.
There was a time last night when in advanced position he turned around and passed backwards to a defender who was
pressurized and the ball ended back with Robles who cleared long and of course we lost the aerial battle. Also, his shooting is not all that. Against WBA he slashed widly at a fair shooting chance and he never scores.
Away from home it is not that noticeable but at GP he has to offer more going forward at laest as a shooter or a passer and we have yet to see that.
mcCarthy takes over the Barry role or possibly in the brave new Iranian world we sign a better player. Harsh because he is a good player, I know, but it is an area where we could improve.
People need to stop thinking McCarthy is something hes not, hes a superb DM, he excels at that role, further forward at CM hes below average.
We've scored 14 goals in the 6 matches he's started since coming back from injury. I don't think him being "not much of an attacker" is really a problem.
....probably better saying Reid and Bracewell formed the central midfield of possibly the most successful side we ever had. Neither was particularly offensive, neither scored goals. They hunted in a pair, winning the ball and giving it to the more creative.
Zatara
Player Valuation: £100m
Sounds potentially like Besic and McCarthy doesnt it?
I think alot of our fans must love to watch Real Madrid, you know the same team who sold Claude Makalele because he wasnt flash enough for them and "didnt score many goals".
I reckon Busquets would get heaps of stick here.
royvernon39
Player Valuation: £10m
No they were not great attackers but they played in a midfield of two; for goals we had Trevor Steven, Sheedy, Sharp and Gray/Lineker/Heath to knock them in.
We now have a midfield of three and ideally two of them should be able to offer a threat.
....I loved Makelele and often highlight him on here. Indeed i recall saying that perhaps Besic could be our own Makelele. I think the Reid Bracewell partnership was different to the Makelele role as they were busy across the pitch. As you say, Besic and McCarthy could fit that model.
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