One of the main talking points from Ireland's 1-1 draw against Poland last night was the performance of James McCarthy.
The Everton midfielder's ability to stamp his authority on a match has been questioned, including by John Giles on Off The Ball but Liam Mackey of The Irish Examiner feels one must look at the Everton midfielder in a truer light.
Speaking to Off The Ball tonight about the match, he said: "I'm not convinced by the portrayal of McCarthy that comes from the Premier League that a lot of people here have bought into. I think he's principally a defensive midfielder and that's what he is for Everton. Sometimes when people talk about McCarthy, particularly in Ireland and his role at Everton, it's almost as if they're talking about Ross Barkley when Barkley was playing really well. I don't see McCarthy as that kind of player. To me he's a defensive midfielder, who breaks up play and should be able to keep possession. I've not seen a huge amount of evidence of him being a progressive passer of the ball in the way that Wes Hoolahan is."
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
