JOHN GILES SAYS he’s yet to see any evidence to suggest James McCarthy can develop into the dynamic midfielder many believe he has the capacity to become.
The Ireland international was linked with a move to Manchester City during the summer while his club manager, Roberto Martinez, rates him as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.
But McCarthy’s performances in the green jersey are continuously under the spotlight and now Giles has joined his fellow RTÉ pundits Liam Brady and Eamonn Dunphy in raising serious questions about his mindset.
Ireland collected six qualifying points from six over the weekend but back-to-back victories failed to spare McCarthy of yet more criticism as he once again failed to take a stranglehold of proceedings.
“I don’t know what goes through James McCarthy’s head,” Giles said at the launch of the Westport Sea2Summit race in Dublin on Tuesday. “He’s got terrific ability but he doesn’t impose himself.
“Trapattoni talked about personality but the game passes him by. In midfield you go out there and demand the ball and make things happen.
“I don’t know what it is. He has the ability but if you don’t demand the ball, the game passes you by. Demanding the ball means making the making come to you. Most players will wait until the ball comes to them and it doesn’t – you need to make things happen.”
It’s not the first time a former international has raised doubts over McCarthy’s attitude.
Last March, Brady questioned whether the 24-year-old was passionate enough to player for Ireland while Dunphy labelled him a ‘terrible flop’ and ‘overrated.’
Martinez was quick to launch a staunch defence of his player while Jamie Carragher had previously stated the Glasgow-born midfielder would be the one player he’d bring to Liverpool from Everton.
But Giles insists he’s not convinced by McCarthy and the player has done little to justify the hype surrounding his potential.
“Sometimes he goes through 45 minutes without touching the ball,” Giles continued. “He’s not demanding the ball in positions he should be and I don’t believe in the defensive midfielder anyway. I think it’s a myth.
“Have you ever seen a player that can protect the back four? How can you with the width of the pitch? I always believe that if the midfield player got more on the ball than some of them do, then you don’t need to defend as much.
“The only time they come into play is when you don’t have the ball but if they don’t show when you have the ball, you’re going to lose the ball and then they have to make a tackle whereas if you get up to the ball, you wouldn’t lose it in the first place.”
The booking picked up by Glenn Whelan on Monday means he’ll miss the penultimate Euro 2016 qualifier against Germany next month. Dunphy believes Stephen Quinn should deputise in the Stoke midfielder’s absence and Giles tends to agree.
Giles would prefer if McCarthy assumes the deeper role but that doesn’t mean he has to play conservatively with the RTÉ pundit making no secret of his dislike for a ‘designated holding midfielder’.
“I don’t believe in the holding midfielder – go and score a goal,” he adds. “It’s become a cliché over the years.
“Stats are one of the worst things that happened to football. If you keep passing the ball sideways, you’re not going to give it away.
“I think this has crept into the game for players now. I think they’re aware of their stats and instead of getting on it and sticking somebody through you go for the easy option instead of tasking a risk and perhaps losing it.
“The priority isn’t passing it to the fullback or backwards. You shouldn’t have stats in football, you just have goalscorers.”
