McCarthy selected for Ireland Squad

The fact is that Ireland are overloaded with scrappy midfielders like McCarthy. They lack in every other part of the field. So why the constant battle to pick a half-fit McCarthy?

He's picking him because he's angling for another argument with Koeman.

I've always accepted he's a passionate manager and he's never really bothered me but O'Neill's actions over this season have been downright childish.

Using McCarthy as a pawn in his game, though the player should be big enough to just say bugger off, is pathetic.

You will no doubt see Roy Keane berating Everton on being difficult and hampering team selection.

Very clearly down to him, particularly if Koeman doesn't pick him for the Arsenal game.

Nobody knows what his motivation is in picking him, and I've been critical of the ongoing treatment by Ireland, but this is effectively giving James the chance to say "No thanks, I need to rest before pre-season."

Over to you, James.

Now, some may suggest he's being slightly underhand by shifting the emphasis to make a decision solely onto the player, but at least the option is there to sit these games out if McCarthy is prepared to speak up.

In McCarthy's case he has a chronic injury which severely limits his style of game and will ultimately either shorten his career or end it prematurely. Surely for him that must be his first consideration and hence find a specialist who can help him.

I have no real affinity with the player but he should be adult enough to look after his body, his ability to earn. To date, I cannot see any evidence of that. This just seems like international call-up groundhog day.

Or is it just that McCarthy is more loyal to his national team than his club? Some are.

The club will be lucky to recoup the £13 million odd.

Link

O'Neil: "Fit!"

McCarthy: "HUMMMPPHAH!!"

Keane: "What did he say?"

O'Neil: "Hurrah!...I think."

If he decides to join the Irish squad, it's bye bye, James.

He's back in training so more training and some competition will either tone him up or reveal that the hamstring remains a mystery problem.

In the first instance, we are assured that he is fit to return to pre-season training and so is any potential suitor.

In the second, it gives us an opportunity to get to the bottom of it rather than have to do so in July.

Win-win in my view. The irritating O'Neill and Keane duo is irrelevant.

I agree with Peter (#27) we have nothing to lose and everything to gain from seeing how he performs for Ireland.

Thanks, mate. I have been pissing myself for a minute over your comment. Just what I needed before getting ready to run the stairs. :)

Sorry, couldn't resist...

C'mon lads, although I did enjoy Charlie Lloyd's post claiming that O'Neill is only picking him so he can have a row with Koeman. Priceless.

Loved him in his first 18 months here but he's too dogged by injuries now and frankly I'm sick and tired of talking about defensive midfielders, and don't even get me started on the Ireland / Martin O'Neill saga!!

Koeman should simply announce that no Everton players will be released to play for the Republic of Ireland until further notice and accept the backlash. What happened to McCarthy and Coleman and for that matter Funes Mori are perfect examples of the Club vs Country conflict.

I'm still not convinced Coleman got the best medical attention after his injury. Everton should have been directly involved along with the FAI. I understand the FAI surgeon who operated on his double leg fracture is actually a hip and knee specialist!

What on earth are you talking about ? I saw Seamus Coleman walking around Goodison Park last Friday. I would call that remarkable, given his injury. What possible evidence have you got for such a comment?

While I am on here, we now have gobshites in the Irish Media, one Emmett Malone of the Irish Times in an article this morning, making more stupid comments and accusing Koeman and Everton of culpability in the injury situation under the heading:

"Injuries in football: No smoke without fire?"

"Everton have most absentees in the Premier League – including James McCarthy"

"Just now, premierinjuries lists Everton as having more players ruled out than any other club in England"

"Coleman's absence might count as bad luck but Koeman and co. are not, the evidence seems to suggest, in the wrong half of this particular table for nothing."

The evidence for Malone was a cursory glance at a website http://premierinjuries.com/ Link which has a table of Injuries showing Everton leading the way with 9. For Everton, our 9 includes Seamus Coleman and James McCarthy, both injured with the Irish team, the unfortunate Aaron Lennon and unbelievably Calvert-Lewin, Lookman and Connolly included due to their absence ayt the U20 World Cup. Even Joey Barton is listed as injured for Burnley, due to his ban. When we remove those 6 from our list of injuries, we are at 3, with only 3 clubs better off.

I am off to write a strongly worded letter to the Irish Times.

Coleman's surgery was performed by John O'Byrne and Gary O'Toole. Here is their bio info from the Irish Institute of Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery:

"Professor John O'Byrne, MCh, FRCSI, FRCS(Tr & Orth), FFSEM, FFSEM(UK), Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at Mater Private Hospital, Abraham Colles Professor of Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery at Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

He is founder and Director of the Masters in Surgery Degree (MCh) at Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. He established the first undergraduate Musculo-skeletal Module in Ireland, to introduce undergraduate students to Orthopaedic medicine and surgery. Professor O'Byrne supervises the education of in excess of 350 RCSI and 300 UCD Undergraduate medical students each year at Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital. Professor O'Byrne and research colleagues, has been awarded research funds from the EU in excess of €1.2m and Professor O'Byrne continues to innovate and research and also facilitate and supervise the research of his students."

"Gary O'Toole, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon specialising in Hip, Knee, Sports Injuries, Tumours. BSc (Hons) MB BAO BCh (Hons). BMedSci MCh AFRCSI FRCS (Tr & Orth), was appointed as a consultant orthopaedic surgeon to St Vincent's University Hospital in 2004.

He is a graduate of UCD (1996) and completed his Internship and basic surgical training in St Vincent's University Hospital (1996-99). His orthopaedic training was on the Irish Specialist Training Programme in Orthopaedic Surgery (1999-2004). He then completed two specialist fellowship training programmes. The first in adult hip and knee reconstruction in the Mater Hospital in Sydney, Australia; the second in orthopaedic oncology in Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, USA. He has an interest in adult arthritis (both hip and knee) and knee sports injuries. He also has a keen interest in musculoskeletal cancer (bone and soft tissue tumours). He is actively involved in teaching and enjoys a position of Clinical Lecturer in the School of Medicine in UCD. He is widely published in orthopaedics and is a member of numerous academic societies. Retired Irish Olympic swimmer."

Now, Peter, do be so kind as to post YOUR resume here. Can't wait to be dazzled with your qualifications for being "still not convinced Coleman got the best medical attention after his injury".

Geez Louise.

And Mike hasn't even mentioned the part about not releasing any more players to Ireland. Is he going to lock them up? I'd say he'd do well to hold Seamus back.

That Irish Times item is a very relevant example of the danger of spin, or bullshit if preferred, and how a little digging past the prima facie stage can reveal a very different truth.

From a general football perspective, it looks like O'Neill is trying to put pressure on the player. It's up to McCarthy to now make decisions about his career. Decisions he seems to have avoided so far.

We can't improve our position so it makes little sense to me to be using him, and others, considering Koeman's attitude to players being overplayed.

I still think he will be sold as soon as we receive the right offer and McCarthy proves his fitness.

Aged 26 and, at his best, one of the finest defensive midfielders in the premier league (and with untapped attacking capacity), I am baffled that he is so routinely underrated by our fans.

True, of course, his injury record is wretched and he has suffered in form accordingly, but he was fundamentally important to us in some games this season when his enforced departure caused us immediate problems.

He's a potential top man as far as I'm concerned; if he's decided to concentrate on his fitness for us, and can actually get fit, then that's great news.

I'm sceptical because of the dodgy hamstrings but, like Ronald, I'm hoping for the best.

He can be a solid player for Everton next season. There could be 50 to 60 games to play next season so he will be needed.

He could indeed be more to us than a defensive midfielder but sadly it seems running about makes his hamstrings go 'pop'.

If this guy had more rugged hamstrings, he could be one of the best midfielders in this league.