Analysing Ireland: The unembroidered value of tigerish James McCarthy
It consisted of a clip of McCarthy making a tracking run and clearance, another chasing down a breakaway and another basic track-and-tackle. If that makes them all sound fairly low-key, yet important plays, well that would be typical of a player who was expected to produce great things but who’s disappointed with less obvious contributions instead.
McCarthy was an influence that night in many ways, but it wouldn’t be immediately clear what he did different against Germany to the home qualifiers with Scotland or Georgia, after which he got an amount of stick.
He’s not a highlights reel sort of footballer is McCarthy. It’s always tempting to think perceptions of what he does or doesn’t do in a particular game change with the type of game, the expectation and the result.
Roberto Martinez explained earlier this year that it’s important to look at stats with McCarthy. The midfielder does seem a player more easily understood through numbers.
When McCarthy came back into the Everton team in the spring after 12 games out, they immediately kept three clean sheets and before their collapse towards the end of the campaign, Everton have always missed his protection and balance defensively (In 2014-15, they won 16 of 34 with McCarthy playing, 2 of 17 when he wasn’t).
His most effective games for Ireland in this Euro 2016 qualifying campaign were those two massive wins over Germany and Bosnia, and if there’s a clear link in how Ireland have approached those games, there’s one area McCarthy’s been outstanding too. Against Germany, he made more tackles (seven) than anyone else on the field, along with five clearances. Against Bosnia, again he made the most tackles on the pitch (five) and generally set the tone with his energy, discipline and pressure on the ball.
This trend is the same at club level. His best game for Everton all season was an all-action, high tempo game in the FA Cup win over Chelsea at Goodison; McCarthy hounded their midfield with 9 tackles. In a 1-1 draw with Liverpool in the Premier League, eight tackles stood out as his key contribution.
There’s a pattern: McCarthy’s best displays come in games where strong, tactical, defensive work is of greater import than possession triangles. His gig for Ireland is to be aware of danger and fill spaces intelligently, to stop others playing rather than play himself.
But doesn’t Glenn Whelan do a lot of this already in a slightly less dynamic way. By having both in midfield, is Ireland essentially trading off possession for defensive stability.
Whelan isn’t a YouTube player either. Trevor Sinclair attempted to explain Whelan’s influence over Stoke’s 0-0 draw with Arsenal on MOTD2 earlier this season — Whelan had been his usual disciplined self in a really decent performance - but the clips, an assortment of short videos of Whelan making runs into position, harrying and making basic passes, might have been the most underwhelming package you’ll find on television. Like McCarthy, it’s not always easy to put a finger on what exactly he’s done even when you can tell he’s played well.
McCarthy and Whelan are adequate passers of ball but they don’t tend to do it very often and that adds up to lack of control for Ireland.
McCarthy completed just 15 passes over the 90 minutes against Germany, 18 in the 2-1 loss in Poland, and they produced just 32 combined in the win over Bosnia, a genuinely low total for the two central midfielders who’d traditionally be expected to link play. By comparison Toni Kroos had 104 passes and Miralem Pjanic 52 for Bosnia.
A lot was made of Jamie Carragher’s comment earlier this year about taking McCarthy for Liverpool but he also made the point the player needs to add goals and assists.
McCarthy has four league goals from three full seasons with Everton and if his strike against Man Utd last season – where he drove into the box and finished cleverly – suggested attacking potential, there’s been little evidence since to confuse him with Frank Lampard. He’s not scored in 33 games for Ireland and the only memorable assist was a lovely slide pass for Aiden McGeady’s goal in Georgia, when McCarthy was actually pushed higher up the pitch supporting the striker.
Judging James on passes or assists seems harsh though. A remarkable stat emerged a few months back that of all players born in 1990 around Europe’s top leagues, McCarthy had played more elite level matches than anyone. If there’s a lot to be said for the game knowledge he’s accumulated in that time it’s also likely the player we have now is the player we’re going to have.
Yet there is a sense emerging of someone who can grab a game, even if it’s grabbing them in that unembroidered McCarthy style. As the game with Bosnia was getting nervy at 1-0, there was a passage of play in the 65th minute. The ball got played into Pjanic around midfield and even at that stage, McCarthy pressed him hard, forced a pass back and gave a little shove of attitude. Ball to Pjanic, again McCarthy pressed, tackled, foul. Ball to Pjanic, again the heavy press inside the opposition half and this time Pjanic made a tired nothing pass to open space that was gobbled up by Ireland.
A minute later from an Ireland corner, Bosnia began a dangerous looking counter attack but McCarthy rattled in a perfect tackle to stop the danger and win the ball back.
Then a Bosnia free dropped to the edge of the box and as their midfielder prepared to shoot McCarthy wrapped his left foot back for a well-executed block. One minute later Ireland won the free that led to the clinching Jon Walters goal.
It’s hard to put value on that sort of work: Of course there are valid arguments that the Whelan/McCarthy combo hardly encourages fluency but they must also get credit for the lack of goals conceded en route to France.
McCarthy might not give Ireland what supporters want, but he does provide something we need.
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