A section of our fans has picked a new whipping boy, and as frustrating as that is there’s a point to their griping this time because James McCarthy hasn’t yet proved himself worth a starting slot in the team.
Part of that is his being injured and fighting for fitness.
Part of it is that when he has been in the team he still looks well short of the pace and the level needed.
But there is no doubt that McCarthy does have the skill-set needed to be a top class player. In fact, when he’s on his game – when he gets back to that level – he will be the second best midfielder in the country after our own Callum McGregor.
McCarthy has played at a better level than this and proved himself a top footballer. With a little patience I expect to see him in this team. If Bitton is injured and Rogic is not yet fully fit he might well be the man in the middle on Sunday.
We are all entitled to expect a big performance if that turns out to be the case.
Because he needs one.
He must have his frustrations.
He must feel as if he’s not had much of an opportunity yet.
But James Forrest has been out for many months and when his opportunity came in the cup semi-final he seized it. He is capable of that. The reward he got was a place in the starting eleven in midweek, and he fully deserved it and in his work for the second goal justified it.
James McCarthy has to see things the same way.
He’s going to get chances, it is up to him to show us and the manager what he can do if and when he does.
For the fans the job is even more simple; to give him the space, and the support, that he needs.
Whatever talent he had has long since dried up.
A passenger we can ill afford even used sparingly as a sub.
Totally agree,his best years are behind him,,,
In my opinion , Mccarthy is at Celtic for a pension top up, the guy wasn’t fit last season and is not fit now.
Barkas is another in question, who sanctioned , scouted these moves, Ajeti also comes into the same category, did anyone ask the question at the AGM.?
Looks like PL got away with another balls up, and if I dug a bit deeper, I would find a few more.
He’s not yet proved himself to have anything whatsoever from the bench. Ange’s system needs one deep-lying pivot in midfield, with two energetic advanced 8s. James McCarthy is not and never has been either of those things. He’s unfit and is reportedly taking up quite a high wage. There absolutely should be conversations taking place about releasing him from his contract.
He seems a lovely person, he’s a genuine Celtic fan (not at all relevant to me, but still), and he was as excellent player in the not too distant past. If he can turn it around. But if he can’t do that soon, he should be released.
JMcC is a DD signing make no mistake. DD announced he would get transfers done after Ange “complained” about the slowness of movement in the transfer window. So what does DD do to show he is the ultimate “can do” guy – he brings in JMcC and Liam Scales forthwith. Neither have featured for Ange so it’s obvious he didn’t sign them. Remember he was stressing he needed players ready for action. Liam Scales is from Shamrock Rovers where DD is a major shareholder I think, if not the major shareholder. JMcC was an Irish internationalist so that would appeal to to DD’s sense of nostalgia for things Irish and he could be considered that old cliche – a marquee signing. Why 4 years? – only reasonable interpretation is that is the price DD had to pay to get JMcC’s signature. 1or 2 years would have been more realistic but I don’t think JMcC would have signed that deal. The court is still out on whether either play can do a real job for Celtic but I think it is obvious that JMcC is going nowhere, why would he? Who else would give him as good a deal? I only mention all this because of the questions some fans are still asking and because it shows how DD, someone who has no football management experience can dictate things and interfere or misalign with the manager’s plans.
I hope both of the players come good and make a major contribution under Ange, let’s not write them off or be overly critical of occasional errors.