McCarthy left out of Ireland squad

Monday, 7 November, 2016 28comments  |  Jump to most recent
James McCarthy will take no part in Ireland's World Cup qualifier against Austria because of a hamstring injury.

The midfielder was considered by Martin O'Neill in his provisional squad in the hope that he would recover in time but, as Everton boss Ronald Koeman insisted last week, he is not fit.

McCarthy suffered his latest injury in training last month, a consequence, Koeman argues, of him being rushed back into full action prematurely by Ireland during the last international break.

In the ensuing war or words, O'Neill claimed that he listened to McCarthy who was adamant he was ready to play despite having only just recovered from groin surgery.

 

Reader Comments (28)

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Alan Bodell
1 Posted 07/11/2016 at 21:15:13
I'd love to see Duncan in the ring against Roy Keane, now that would be a sell out and I would love to see an ambulance arriving to take out the cocky twat. (I'm half Irish so nothing nationalistic meant.)
Jay Wood
2 Posted 07/11/2016 at 21:20:41
Seems our Dutchman knew better than their Irishman, in the final reckoning...
Colin Gee
3 Posted 07/11/2016 at 21:31:50
Alan (#1)

I'm 99% certain that Roy Keane said in his autobiography or in an interview sometime ago that the only player he was ever scared of was Big Dunc.

Tony Abrahams
5 Posted 07/11/2016 at 21:38:03
He needs to show his metal, to go and prove his doubters wrong.
Shane Corcoran
6 Posted 07/11/2016 at 21:40:06
Alan, what a bizarre comment. Are you posting from the playground? Maybe "Big Dunc" would get injured when he went for Keane. Keane isn't even mentioned in the piece is he?

What on earth will we fill our time with over the next fortnight?

Maybe Coleman will get injured so we can have a good moan.

Shane Corcoran
7 Posted 07/11/2016 at 21:43:12
Colin, Keane said “I used to stay away from him. We're talking about characters earlier and he's certainly that. He was a top, top player and he's obviously been promoted up the last two or three weeks to work with the first-team and no doubt the strikers at Everton will learn a lot from him.“
Christy Ring
8 Posted 07/11/2016 at 22:46:19
Hopefully McCarthy gets fit now, and shows Koeman he can play alongside Gueye.
James Stewart
9 Posted 08/11/2016 at 08:06:25
Koeman is the boss. No way McCarthy was able to defy him again and have an Everton career.
Tony Abrahams
10 Posted 08/11/2016 at 10:47:51
A midfield three of McCarthy, Gueye and young Tom Davies would certainly do for me at the minute, Christy.

Put Lennon and Bolasie, on the flanks, and suddenly we would have a team full of energy?

Chris Williams
11 Posted 08/11/2016 at 10:52:06
Good call, Tony. Given the state of the competition, what does Lennon have to do to get a start?

God work by Koeman on this. He sorted it out privately with McCarthy and cut soft arse out of the loop.

Chris Williams
12 Posted 08/11/2016 at 14:02:13
I see Keane has had a right go at Koeman and Everton. What a total prick this bloke is. Shithouse of a player, failed manager, and tolerated for some reason by Ireland despite walking out on them.

I suppose it plays well with the Irish media.

Shane Corcoran
13 Posted 08/11/2016 at 14:18:52
Chris, I just saw that and Keane is talking awful shite.

Shithouse of a player though? The greatest midfielder of the last 20 years in the UK and Ireland in my opinion.

Chris Williams
14 Posted 08/11/2016 at 14:38:50
Shane, I wasn't questioning his ability, which was great, merely his attitude and some of his behaviour on and off the pitch which sadly he is still continuing.

He behaves like a spoiled brat, has to have the last word and had a propensity from time to time to mete out revenge as a player.

Kevin Tully
15 Posted 08/11/2016 at 14:39:07
To be quite honest, I love the fact Keane has called out some of our players. Here's his latest, and the last line is just what needs to be said.

"We’ve had a problem with Roberto Martinez previously – I always felt the Everton players were going to turn up on crutches,” said Keane.

“They shouldn’t be so quick to stop Irish players coming to play for Ireland.

“(Darron Gibson) misses a hell of a lot of games for Everton… so maybe they need to look at their own training schedule.

“I’m not sure when they last won a trophy, so maybe as a club, their players need to toughen up a bit.”

Jay Harris
16 Posted 08/11/2016 at 14:39:26
Real putdown of Everton from a bitter guy who totally failed at club manager.

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/12020/10650022/roy-keane-lashes-out-at-Everton-after-james-mccarthys-exit-from-ireland-squad

David Barks
17 Posted 08/11/2016 at 14:42:30
I think he knows a little bit more about winning trophies than just about every single one of our players, minus Barry for a couple of years. Nothing he said was incorrect.
Shane Corcoran
18 Posted 08/11/2016 at 14:47:04
Chris and others, Keane talks an unmerciful amount of shite. I'm not sure what his failings as a manager have to do with things though.

In this latest tirade he actually praises the club as well as knocks it. His criticisms make no sense whatsoever and he gets more air time than any other assistant manager because there's no bigger draw for the media. Roy is box office.

I agree with a lot of what he says but not on this occasion. But a legend of the game he will always be in my mind.

Shane Corcoran
19 Posted 08/11/2016 at 14:49:00
I know it doesn't add to the drama but, for a more accurate view of what Keane said you can read this Link
John Hughes
20 Posted 08/11/2016 at 15:01:12
Keane asks when did Everton last win a trophy?

It was 1995 — when we beat a team HE was playing for.
Patrick Murphy
21 Posted 08/11/2016 at 15:02:46
If I was Ronald, I'd recruit Keane to my coaching staff and let go of Duncan. 'Sacrilege' I hear you cry – one of them is a serial winner; the other just happened to be at Goodison Park when we were crying out for a hero.

Our players are mostly soft and lack the stuff that is required to become winners; in fact, apart from the usual soundbites that they spout after every poor result or performance, their body language very rarely shows us that they are passionate about the club or their team-mates.

A few horrible types at Finch Farm might sort one or two of the current squad out, but more likely we'll have to wait until their replacements are found.
Ray Roche
22 Posted 08/11/2016 at 15:05:44
"One of them is a serial winner" and a failed manager.

Just sayin'...

Eugene Ruane
23 Posted 08/11/2016 at 15:06:16
Keane was a superb footballer; I believe he would have been great in any area. A perfect combination of work and skill (knew the game was simple so kept it simple).

Box to box to box to box to box — work work work work.

Always available to receive a ball because he always passed and moved – immediately (none of this pass then... stand there like a prick).

He dragged those around him to greater effort and wouldn't tolerate team-mates slacking. His influence on (and importance to) Man Utd's success, was proven a thousand times.

However, as a feller, imo, there are obvious problems (taps temple) up here. I see him as a 100% inflexible, tight knot of boiling frustration and anger who sees everything that doesn't go his way as an injustice.

As a player, he only had to deal with himself. As a manager (or 'coach'), things are very different and I believe he will never truly succeed because he can only deal with problems in a stupidly aggressive, irrational and confrontational manner.

And as second in command with ROI, others in the game (players, managers, clubs) can ignore him or tell him (polite-ishly) to 'fucking do one' (without him having the option of crippling them).

Imo, he is the victim/prisoner of some deep-seated macho bollocks that makes empathy with others genuinely impossible, and that is a problem for him as a coach.

A Pundit: "Some players need a bollocking Roy, but Ronnie Flache-Gette is one of those who probably needs an arm around him?"

Koeman: (stares hard at pundit for 7 minutes) "An arm around him? Which arm? An arm for what? Are we talking about men? Ridiculous... Ridiculous nonsense."

Goes home, weeps under duvet for an hour.)

David Barks
24 Posted 08/11/2016 at 15:06:26
John, you realize he would laugh in your face if you tried telling him that, right? More than 20 years without a trophy, compared to the countless trophies he won as a player. Sometimes it's best to realize that you don't have an argument and just not try.

He's right, we've all said it numerous times that our players lack the passion and commitment that is required to compete at the top. We don't compete at the same level that you see Liverpool competing, or Leicester last season.

Our players have grown comfortable with losing, it doesn't bother them. And going by a hell of a lot of posters on here, it doesn't bother many supporters either. It seems a lot of people are still happy to just wait and see for a couple of years.

Kevin Tully
25 Posted 08/11/2016 at 15:14:36
Precisely my thoughts, David B. I don't think any of our players get angry when they take a pasting. A shrug of the shoulders and on to the next game. Like it or not, players across the park are under far more pressure to perform. It's all about expectations.

Our mob (and owners) are just content to be in the Premier League.

Shane Corcoran
26 Posted 08/11/2016 at 15:17:58
Brilliant Eugene. Agree almost 100% with your post.

I think Keane has long realised his impatience with average players is his major managerial downfall but knowing it and dealing with it consistently is another thing.

He does come out with some cracking lines over the years though.

I also agree with David Barks.

Martin Nicholls
27 Posted 08/11/2016 at 15:35:54
Keane was a great (often dirty) player but, even allowing him the benefit of a my doubt, no better than unproven as a manager. Too much to say for himself.
Ray Roche
28 Posted 08/11/2016 at 16:09:31
Good post, Eugene. I wish he'd played for us.

Last season, I was by the players' car park, looking at the cars and wondering just WTF is going on with football these days, and Roy Keane walked towards me and the exit. I mentioned to him as he passed that I had just finished and enjoyed reading his autobiography.

He stopped for a few minutes and thanked me for the complimentary comments and was the opposite of the persona we would normally associate with him. Polite and courteous, he apologised for having to go but he was wanted in the commentary box.

(Okay, he may well have just wanted to get away from a scouser, albeit one who had at least read his book, but he did it the right way)

And then we see the comments in the press about EFC and McCarthy...

James Hughes
29 Posted 08/11/2016 at 17:09:23
Just watched that interview ― pure box-office and you can't argue with much of it.

Everton players always being injured has been well discussed on here and training regimes questioned.

When was last time we won something and EFC need to toughen up mentally, again debated many times on here.

I reckon Keane is a visitor to TW...


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