It’s been rumoured that James McCarthy (remember him?) has finally ended his three year stay at Celtic…
The former Republic of Ireland international was seen as a shrewd sighing by Ange Postecoglou back in 2021, but the decision to hand him a four year deal due to his age and injury history rightly raised some major red flags among the Celtic support. Those worries seem have been fully justified, sadly.
James was certainly a talented player, but he signed for the club at the wrong time. The time Celtic should have swooped for him was back when he was at Hamilton early in his career.
In those three years at the club James made a total of 27 appearances and failed to score a goal. He was either not fit enough or wasn’t deemed good enough by both Ange Postecoglou and Brendan Rodgers and no-one seems to know who sanctioned the transfer and the incredibly generous contract.
James picked up a hefty salary at the club, and that would have drained a lot of resources when they could and should have been spent on someone who could contribute to the side.
But James wasn’t to blame far from it. If you get a chance to sign for your boyhood club on a high salary at the end of your career you’d take it in a heartbeat, no doubt about it.
It’s the club’s fault for handing the player a long term deal. Why they gave a 30 year old with injury issues such a deal is anyone’s guess.
All the best James, we all wish you the best in the next chapter of your career or for your retirement if you decide to call time on your playing career. We’re all just as sorry as you it didn’t work out for you or Celtic.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
If McCarthy had any decency, he would have torn up his contract.
He has done nothing to earn the money and has basically just acted the part.
Agree 100,% To be good enough to play football still at a decent level -a Hibs or s Motherwell say and just dodge about training with the B team every day – embarrassing. Some Celtic lover that. Should have moved once he knew he wasn’t in the picture.
Taking every annual penny of about 20 season up ticket holders – every week !!
Why was he given such a contract ?
Simply really, he was an Irish International and that’s what our Board believe is all that is needed to placate our support. I await the day we will swoop for an Irish Setter on deadline day and pass him off as an inspired signing.
I now firmly believe that our fanbase have out grown our Board. Myopic individuals no longer fit for purpose.
As for the cost of James McCarthy’s contract, I believe any money saved from his contract would have been squirreled away with the rest of Smaug’s hoard.
There’s no way Ange approved the generous deal offered to James McCarthy. This has been another one of those Lawwell stunts and it has cost the club. Amazing, they waste this knid of money on a player who contributes nothing, yet shy away from offering similar money for proven quality players. As the Americans would say: “Go figure!”
Was a panic signing originally to help fill our homegrown quota required imo?
Would put that down to DD when everything was up in a heep when Ange first arrived?
Similar situation as we are currently in, regarding the time delays in getting signings into the club?
But the Mccarthy deal could be looked upon as a result of what potentially happens when board members, take it upon themselves to bring players into the club imo?
Just a reminder of what potentially can happen when pushing the panic button way to early also?
Still wouldn’t regard ourselves as anything close to the situation we found ourselves in, when Mccarthy arrived?
Yet mistakes made in the recruitment side within a Scottish team can be very costly, and we are no different in that regards either?
Can hardly blame Mccarthy for taking such an offer, especially with such an horrendous injury record at his age also?
But business men aren’t necessarily football men either, so should learn to stay in their own lane regarding our club also?
If a deal doesn’t feel right, then chances are it’s not right?
Certainly was the case regarding getting Mccarthy in the first place imo?
We’ve been plagued by non football people doing football deals for years now. Schved anyone……. embarrassing when the manager doesn’t know who the player is.
As for McCarthy, he signed on the 3rd of August so he was not an early signing in that window.
Scandal!, Desmond who doesn’t put his own money into the club ( which is fine), but decided he’d give an Irish international a nice retirement fund( didn’t think he’d need it), with no intention of him ever playing football. Using the club as his piggy bank.