James McCarthy

Needs some more game time and he will be a great signing.

 

Looked very assured when he came on. The midfield three at the moment look difficult to displace but McCarthy will have a lot to offer.

 

At last we have a viable option that will allow us to give Mcgregor a rest from time to time.

 

I know people keep saying about how he will struggle to get into the team ahead of Rogic, Turnbull and McGregor.

They seem to forget that we'll play more than 50 games this year and players will need resting (more so now than ever with our pressing style), injuries and that players go in and out of form.

McCarthy will get plenty of game time.

 

Just putting it out there, people said Kyogo was slow after his first game

Think it’s the heavy workload that makes for heavy legs.

 

Also I feel like CalMac has won the ball back more than anyone over the last few games and he never has to press like a mad man because his starting positioning is so good. I'd expect the same from James.

I also think people who just see him as a destroyer mustn't have watched him under Martinez at Wigan and the early years at Everton. We'll have to see if he's lost a step of pace but he was a vey good box to box midfielder for a good while, very capable of playing at both ends.

 

Is he injured again? Noticed he wasnt in the squad against St Mirren

 

Don't think he will be a regular starter with the way we play now tbh

 

Seems to be a common theme with new signings at Celtic. The number that get an injury in training in the first few weeks is alarming. What the fxck are we doin differently.

 

To be fair he's been constantly injured for years. It's no a big shock

 

Will give him the benefit of the doubt and hoping he's not fully up to speed yet but fear he could be keeping Mikey Johnston company in the treatment room all season .

 

Probably become “the closer”.

When the engine room(CalMac, Turnbull, Rogic) have done the business, our man McCarthy comes on to close the game out.

 

This.. As seen against AZ

I wouldn't read too much into yesterday, McCarthy is a few weeks behind the rest of the squad in terms of fitness I'd say.. With his injuries Ange is probably reluctant to throw him in untill he's fully up ta speed.

 

My understanding is he was training by himself when he signed for us so he probably is a a decent bit away from been fully match sharp and fit.

 

Ok but he went from being on the bench and appearing as a sub to not being on the bench at all despite us not having a heap of options in there.

I hope he is being rested but part of me is worried he is injured again.

 

This was pretty much his role at Palace under Hodgson, especially last season. Jairo Riedewald would often start and be subbed for McCarthy around the 70 minute mark. Always did a solid enough job, whether that be offering solidity if we were winning or getting stuck in when we were looking to push on. I remember one game last season when he won the ball high up the pitch with a slide tackle, and then set up Wilf Zaha for a shot on goal. Good player to have as a back-up, if that's going to be his main role this season.

 

Imagine him coming on at Ibrokes and rattling in goal number 7 of the afternoon off the crossbar from 25 yards.