O'Neill plans to include McCarthy in Ireland squad

When he was a club manager, he was the biggest whinger on the planet.

O'Neill has come out today and said that, if the game was this weekend, McCarthy wouldn't make it. The player is training so he can't be that far off being able to play in 10 days' time.

So while he is still under treatment at Finch Farm, Koeman should be having a word with McCarthy about his career at Everton, that has stalled due to injury problems. And in no uncertain terms, Koeman should tell McCarthy to say no, when asked to play for Ireland.

McCarthy has been perennially injured for the past year or so and I suspect, if he wants a future with Koeman, then he needs to sit this one out.

That said; this injury came more than 7 days after he was with Ireland and during training with Everton. If the coaching staff were worried about stretching him, then he should've been used sparingly in training.

Would it involve a tour of Ireland with a kick-around in every county?

McCarthy will be going nowhere until the club says so, whether playing for his country or offloaded.

He knows that the club were willing to let him go and, regardless of who pay his wages, he will always be an Ireland player. He will not always be an Everton player.

If he hopes to make an impression on his new manager, then rushing back again from injury will do him no favours. Therefore, if he does, I suspect it will mean that he doesn't see himself here much longer.

Still cannot believe we paid £13M for him when we were skint.

Yeh, that Moshiri message to that plank Jim White was a strange one which still hasn't been properly explained. Not that it would probably make much sense if it was. Strange stuff, that was!

McCarthy's a solid pro and seems a nice lad but Gana is showing what's really needed in the role. Once he's back fit I wouldn't be sorry to see him moved on with well wishes and a good fee that we put towards a high class playmaker.

He played the last half-hour against Man City, after playing for Ireland, so I don't think Koeman can blame O'Neill totally for the injury, but because it's his hamstring, there's no way he should have included him in his squad.

If he is fit enough to play for his country, let someone else pay his wages and move him on.

He does not appear to have a future at Goodison, bye bye, cut and run, get what we can for him.

But what happened in the Norwich game? He had his best match for about 18 months, and was applauded off the pitch. He was definitely part of Koeman's plans getting games until he was injured.

I don't like him playing so much for Ireland while injured and should put his employer's first, but as a player, he leaves everything on the pitch, and like Mr Muscle, he does all the jobs the others hate. I wouldn't want to lose him, just as he's approaching his peak in terms of age/experience.

He has picked up or worsened a number of injuries while playing for Ireland and that just isn't fair to the club that is paying his wages while he is unavailable.

Yes, Jay, I actually remarked on that in my post: he really needs to put his club first, and make sure he's 100% fit before playing anywhere. His style of play makes him a cert for injuries, but to say he got crocked at Everton is just speculation: playing 2 almost full games for ROI in a few days, then coming back for training, allegedly fit but breaking down again, tells me that he was pushed too hard on international duty.

Two of the most despicable characters in football are bullying young men and holding clubs to ransom by playing the Nationalism card. What a hypocrite that bearded bully Keane is, after leaving his national teammates in the shit in Korea, he now tries to portray himself as an Irish hero – absolute scumbag. I wish McCarthy had chosen Scotland.

Gueye can't play against Chelsea, but I don't think McCarthy is an option; more likely he will pick Cleverley. Sooner McCarthy finds another club, the better for all.

With regards to his near successor at Goodison – the 'I went to A Bigger Club' – Ha Ha – Sissoko.

All I can say is thank god we saved 㿊m, thanks to his bad manners in not accepting Koeman's calls to his mobile. Just watched him play for Spurs, if you can call passing to the opposition, crossing badly, and not covering his full-back 'playing'. He was that bad, he made Walker's night a nightmare – The Geordies were right about him.

I doubt he's injured. If a manager doesn't like or want a particular player, it's convenient to throw the injury excuse in.

McCarthy will be gone in January. I won't be surprised if he's not included in the squad for the next 8-9 weeks. Either we'll be told he's building his match fitness or has picked up another knock.

The player who Martinez ran into the ground, wanting him to be a defensive midfielder one minute, and an attacking midfielder the next.

That doesn't make me think he can't do a job but, like others on here, I believe he will be sold to the likes of Stoke, Sunderland, West Brom etc.

If Koeman has already made his mind up that he can't make McCarthy better, he will be on his way.

"literally twice the player" ... literally? Are you sure?? Has Gana put on a lot of weight recently???

It seems fairly simple to me but instead we have a selection of gems:

Les Martin: "O'Neill – always a good talker but vastly overrated manager who will not get the better of Ronald". Are they in the same debating society?

Jay Harris: "He has picked up or worsened a number of injuries while playing for Ireland". Which injuries are you referring to? He may have been overplayed by O'Neill but he came back and played for Everton and then did his hamstring, a completely new injury.

Geoff Evans: "Ireland are a joke". It's the way you tell 'em, Geoff.

By the way; for all those saying McCarty should be gone in January or the summer; Gana is not available for Saturday so expect to see and axis of Barry and Cleverley.

I've nothing against Cleverley myself but he'd not be near any other top 6 teams first team; a fit McCarthy, on the other hand, I would argue – would.

“Remarkably, he actually trained with Everton on the day his manager was bleating about it.”

"Trained" or went to Finch Farm and took part in some light training to temper the risk of his hammies/groin going? ...

MON is and always has been an arrogant, petulant and truculent egotist. A man who collected players like Panini stickers at Aston Villa despite just using a core of 13 players – creating a ridiculous disharmony and devaluation of Lerner's investment. A man who scarpered when the purse strings were finally pulled tight after being told to "sell the deadwood".

I'm made up his name is continually brought up when people bring up the demise of Aston Villa – the man was trusted with top 3 expenditure and gave them 6th place whilst saddling the club with players sat earning mega money, like Harewood, Shorey, Reo Coker, Heskey, Sidewell, Beye, Knight... they never quite recovered from that. He made Walter Smith look like a transfer magician.

Anyway, what does it matter – he got Ireland into the knock-outs at the Euros... he can do no wrong.

Surely that means, for now at least, Koeman does rate him in some form, moreover, he is someone we will definitely need whilst Gana is away at the African Nations. (Unless a significant, but unlikely signing is made.)

Point being, I don't want him risked for Ireland, if it is at the detriment of Everton. Contrary to the opinion of some of the people on this forum, I would quite like to have James McCarthy as an option available to us.

Not that this has anything to do with McCarthy's inclusion in the squad.

I don't really like O'Neill. He would argue that a black bird was bloody white. (He and Shearer often seemed to be watching two different bloody football matches.) But he has to do what is best for his team. And Everton (if they see fit) need to challenge all that.

Now .regarding McCarthy having a good 2013-14. Thats debatable IMO. A number of players where playing well back then. Did McCarthy really make a difference. Or was the difference Lukaku. Was the difference Coleman and Baines . Was the difference Mirallas. Was the difference Barkley..Was the difference the Moyes drilled defence. How about Stones. How about Barry. Naismith was playing a bit part. Oviedo was playing well... But to read some comments where would we have been without McCarthy.

And as for our so called great season .we still won nothing. And we were thumped by Liverpool. And Arsenal. Also , when it mattered , beat by Palace Not blaming McCarthy. But he was part of the problem ( no creativity). Was he really an asset to Everton.

And he's been shite for the last two seasons. He drags out a decent performance now and again for the ROI. But I cannot remember the last time that he played a blinder for us...

And what if this was Coleman in this position? O'Neill would have by now been told to take a big long running fucking jump. I have no doubt.

Methinks that McCarthy is going to be moved on in January. Do we really need him? Does he add anything to our squad? Can we live without him?

Barry (at least one more season). Cleverley. Gueye. Gibson (maybe). Davies (will surely get a chance). Besic?? Where does McCarthy fit in? Sell him, and put that money towards the creative midfielder that we all crave.

As for the Chelsea game, let's not write off a Barry-Cleverley combination just yet. Barry the seasoned old head and Cleverley with something to prove. Writing them off before a ball is kicked in earnest. Let's wait and see...

I would go with a back three. With two wingbacks. And with Barkley playing in front of Barry and Cleverley. Boliasse and Lukaku up top. Mirallas is out.

Negative I hear you say. Well yes. Become hard to beat. Maybe nick a goal. Stop Chelsea playing. Would love for us to take all three points .but a point would be great ,come Saturday evening.

McCarthy and O'Neill and the ROI .who cares. I don't. COYBs.

PS O'Neill once withdrew Larsson from a Swedish squad then played him a few days later in a top of the table game. Check it out. It happened. But I suppose that all managers play that game.

Joking aside, James is an important player to us and I hope he gets over this injury nightmare. It might be prudent for him to drop out of the international scene for a month or two to help him get fully fit. I'm sure O'Neill would understand if he asked to be omitted this time round so that he was fully fit for the rest of their qualifying capaign.

Same for Koeman. I know Everton pay his wages but, if he felt the player had just been so overworked, why would he play him on the Saturday?

I haven't offered any answers, except it proves to me that James McCarthy must be a valuable player for both club and country and, for the sake of the player, I hope this gets sorted out for the lad, before it gets totally out of hand, as John (#51), has just said.