Everton boss Koeman ‘categorically wrong’ on Irish handling of James McCarthy
McCarthy, who had been nursing a hamstring problem when he arrived in Dublin for Friday’s World Cup qualifier, had apparently recovered in time to be named in the side only to then pull up during the warm-up, his place in the team at kick off being by David Meyler.
Yesterday, Everton manager Koeman rounded on both O’Neill and McCarthy over the player’s selection, making the provocative charge, in particular, that the decision had been taken against the advice of the Irish medical staff.
Said the Dutchman: “It was a final decision against the medical staff of Ireland and also against the medical staff of Everton.
“And there are two people responsible for that. One is the player himself. Finally, if he says, ‘Yes, I’m fit’, okay, but even the player needs protection from the manager and, once again, they didn’t give that protection to the player.”
However, that accusation has been denied by the Irish side in no uncertain terms, with Sky quoting one insider dismissing the comments as “rubbish” and “nonsense”.
“The medical advice was that he was fit to play and the player felt he was fit to play,” a source told the Irish Examiner, adding that the final decision to select McCarthy had only been only being taken on the basis of discussions involving the manager, player and the medical staff.
Speaking after the friendly against Iceland on Tuesday, Martin O’Neill also stressed that McCarthy had “wanted to play and was fit to play” against the Welsh, although he went on to say that, in terms of the player’s “proper” match fitness — as distinct from how he’d performed in training — the manager had always been alert to the possibility of having to review the situation at half-time and would have been ready to substitute the player if required.
“I wasn’t thinking he was going to pull up in the warm-up,” he said, “but he overstretched himself.”
As he was giving that explanation, O’Neill had only just been made aware of the first appearance in the English media of a report suggesting there was deep unhappiness in the Everton camp about the situation. At the time, O’Neill professed himself “surprised” at the news but, now, the Ireland manager is understood to be livid at Koeman’s accusations.
Despite having received no response to his initial attempt to contact the Everton manager about the dreadful injury suffered by Seamus Coleman in the game against Wales, O’Neill had also indicated earlier this week that he would be willing to try again. However, any such approach is now considered unlikely in the wake of what are regarded as Koeman’s inflammatory comments and their negative impact on the already strained relations between the Irish and Everton camps over the recurring issue, in particular, of McCarthy’s fitness.
Meanwhile, following confirmation yesterday that Seamus Coleman was released from hospital in Dublin on Wednesday, it emerged that Fifa has opened disciplinary proceedings against Wales’ Neil Taylor in relation to the tackle which left the Irish full-back requiring surgery to repair a double fracture of his right leg. Taylor, whose red card in the Aviva Stadium means he is already suspended for Wales’ World Cup qualifier in Serbia on June 11, could now see his ban extended to three games, which would also rule the Aston Villa defender out of his side’s games against Austria and Moldova in September.
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