James McCarthy joined his boyhood club Celtic at the start of the 2021/22 season. McCarthy spent the previous two seasons with Roy Hodgson at Crystal Palace.
This resurgence in form had seen him return to the Irish fold for the first time since Euro 2016.
However, since moving to Celtic, McCarthy had trouble securing a place in the starting XI. In recent weeks, he struggles to be on the team sheet on game day. McCarthy appeared as a substitute in four games in mid-October. However, he was unable to make an appearance off the bench against Shakhtar Donetsk and Hearts. Still, before that, he played a big part in Celtic’s eventual triumph against St. Johnstone.
The midfielder is approaching 32 years old. Playing time is winding down, as is his playing career.
less game time
The reason McCarthy wants to move to Celtic is obvious. He grew up a Celtic fan and is from Glasgow. He had trained with Celtic when he was young and played a couple of games here and there. James McCarthy mentioned that during his debut press conference with Celtic. Celtic fans found humor in that given his vocal similarity to former Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers.
Looking from the outside, it seems that the 31-year-old was never a signing for Ange Postecoglou. Instead, the board signed McCarthy purely out of the interests of the board and Dermot Desmond. Despite his obvious talents, he never seemed like a player to fit the style of football that Postecoglou was implementing at Celtic.
Upon arrival, McCarthy competed directly against Calum McGregor for playing time. These two differ in many ways. However, it’s clear why Ange prefers McGregor in that role.
Both players’ injury records are key here. Despite suffering a knee injury in the Champions League, McGregor has been available for club and country selection on a regular basis. McGregor played 30 or more league games in each season from 2015-16. Then he played just 27. McCarthy reached that mark just once since 2013/14.
McCarthy’s injuries in recent years include breaking two legs in 2018. Unsurprisingly, this seriously hampers his mobility, something absolutely key in Celtic’s midfield. Ange’s mantra ‘we never stop’ is something that is evident in Celtic’s midfield in every game. High-intensity football no longer suits McCarthy. Instead, he is more suited to the style of play found on the other side of town.
McCarthy is a player similar to Steven Davis and John Lundstram. Both players performed well under Giovanni Van Bronkhorst last year. That is particularly true in European competition.
James McCarthy finds competition at Celtic
Since joining Celtic, the club have signed Matt O’Riley, Reo Hatate, Yosuke Ideguchi and Aaron Mooy, all in positions similar to McCarthy’s. These signings show a lack of faith in his ability. Furthermore, these arrivals support the argument that the Irishman was never an Ange Postecoglou signing.
Ideguchi has barely made an appearance since joining the club, despite clearly being a Postecoglou signing. The levels that must be reached to play in the current Celtic midfield are very high. Right now, neither Ideguchi nor McCarthy reach those levels. His cameo against St. Johnstone showed that he still has the quality to play at a high level, but such examples of quality have been far too rare.
During the most recent summer transfer window, there was speculation of a loan to the English Championship. Both Sunderland and Stoke emerged as possible destinations for the midfielder. Both failed to materialize.
McCarthy is reportedly on a good salary and long-term contract with the Scottish champions and perhaps this salary was not attractive to potential suitors, but with his experience and undoubted quality it would surely have been worth taking a gamble on one of the sides mentioned above. . Any of these moves would also have caught the eye of Irish boss Stephen Kenny, who is currently crying out for a midfielder of McCarthy’s caliber.
At the moment, there are no Irish midfielders playing at a level higher than the Championship. Jayson Molumby (West Brom), Josh Cullen (Burnley) and Jeff Hendrick (Reading on loan from Newcastle) are plying their trade in the championship, with Jason Knight and Conor Hourihane both in Derby in League One.
McCarthy and the Ireland team
So if McCarthy was playing at that level as well, he would certainly be in Kenny’s plans. If salaries were an obstacle for McCarthy, then he is solely to blame for the lack of football he is currently enduring at both international and club level.
A transfer or loan move could still see McCarthy rejuvenate his career. He has an example to look to in his international teammate Robbie Brady. Brady had struggled for minutes towards the end of his Burnley spell and also had a poor injury record, like McCarthy.
An ill-advised move to Bournemouth saw this bad luck continue for Brady, but his summer transfer to Preston has brought his club career back to life and called him into the Irish fold, even starting against Armenia in their last league game. of nations.
It’s up to McCarthy now to look to get away from Celtic Park. Football is a short career and McCarthy has already missed a lot of time due to injury, now that he is in shape, he needs to play.
PHOTO: IMAGO/PA Images
