There’s a term in sports psychology they call quicksand.
Everyone’s had it, everyone’s ballsed up at one point or another and everyone has seen a top-level athlete choking on the biggest stage.
Sometimes, there’s no real explanation for it. One thing goes wrong, and then another follows it before a whole series of mishaps and cock-ups take their turn to pull you down and make it feel like you’re caught in quicksand. The harder you fight, the deeper you sink.
‘The Catastrophe Theory’ falls in line with the analogy and it’s a simple case of small changes in circumstance causing drastic shifts in behaviour.
James McCarthy had a bad, bad day on Saturday. He had a stinker.
It seemed like he couldn’t put a foot right and, no matter how much ground he covered or how aggressive he got, it wasn’t going for him and it didn’t look like it ever would.
About a minute after Kevin De Bruyne left him on his arse and Belgium netted the opener, McCarthy took a touch in the middle of the field as if Robbie Brady had just drilled a ball off a sturdy brick wall. The opposition picked up the rebound and broke again.
In the first half, Stephen Ward played him a pass deep on the left with the Everton man in about 10 yards of space and it genuinely took around five seconds for him to get proper control of the thing. Amidst all the chaos, he wasn’t focused, he wasn’t on it, and he was switching off only to be awoken by the sight of Axel Witsel climbing unchallenged in the box to double the Belgian lead.
After the game, the players took an age to surface from the Stade Bordeaux changing rooms.
Marc Wilmots had already completed his press conference, Martin O’Neill’s appearance was delayed but the Irish manager eventually came and went too before there was any sign of his footballers passing the media mixed zone en route to the team bus. Whether they were having serious words in the wake of the 3-0 loss, whether they were eating food or just lying around the facilities, it took them an eternity to get mobilised and start making their way out.
When James McCarthy appeared, he was a picture of dejection. He was the embodiment of a man who had probably just experienced the quickest 63 minutes of his life and, through all the noise he must’ve heard during it, it looked like now he was simply trying to figure out what the hell had just happened.
His head was bowed, he didn’t look angry or aggrieved. He wasn’t even politely half-responding or mumbling to the cries for an interview. He just kept looking at his shoes undeterred until he had reached the safety of his seat.
It happens.
It happens to some of the best sportspeople in the world. It has happened plenty of times already in the careers of Rory McIlroy and Andy Murray – two of the greatest in their fields – and it will happen again to both of them. Circumstances play their part, they get on top of you, you collapse. You choke.
It’s no reason to write James McCarthy off as a bad player.
For God’s sake, we’ve spent the last five years talking about how good he is and how good he can be. We’ve spent longer questioning the automatic selection of Glenn Whelan and, because Eamon Dunphy said he had a bad game on Monday, because he genuinely had a bad game on Saturday, we’re suddenly ready to write James McCarthy off now? And we’re suddenly ready to unanimously embrace Whelan again?
A knee-jerk reaction like that would do nothing to rescue the situation and, in fact, if Martin O’Neill was looking for change or improvement, why doesn’t he just revert to what was arguably the best Ireland team he stumbled upon in October? Why doesn’t he let Ward keep his place at left back and let Brady, McCarthy, Hendrick and Hoolahan complete the midfield diamond off of Walters and Long?
Holding that quartet together, McCarthy absolutely shone for Ireland at the business end of the qualification campaign but he’s rarely been allowed to do that because they’ve always been accommodating Whelan. And they’re doing that at the expense of the 25-year-old.
When Whelan wasn’t there for the visit of the world champions, the number eight came to life in his best ever game.
When McCarthy was told in no uncertain terms to be the anchor – instead of this half-on-the-right, half-help-Whelan job he’s mostly been doing for Ireland – he starred against Germany as his player rating from that night reflected.
In the build-up to Poland, it was clear that Ireland should’ve stuck with that same team – especially for a game that they needed to win.
They didn’t stick with it but, during the Poland match, McCarthy eventually stepped up. Guess when.
At the minute, McCarthy doesn’t really seem to know what his job is. He’s holding back because Whelan is supposed to be doing the other half of his role but, actually, the Toffees man has been playing with way more conviction when he’s been on his own in that deep role.
Ireland have played with way more ruthlessness and way more assurance when the midfield diamond was Hendrick, McCarthy, Brady and Hoolahan and, against Italy, the Republic have nothing to lose. It’s win or go home.
McCarthy as the main defensive midfielder gives the team their best chance of winning.
McCarthy as the main defensive midfielder gives them a better edge in defence and attack. It gives them more hope than Whelan does, even if the latter has been better so far in this tournament.
McCarthy as the main defensive midfielder is what we’ve been crying for for years.
He’s a better player, a better option and Ireland are a better team with him as the anchor. On his own. Ireland are a more threatening team with him, Hendrick and Brady as the three behind Wes.
James McCarthy is a fine player – one of the few with genuine top club experience – and he has a lot to offer this team when he’s given the right role.
A couple of mistakes shouldn’t change that. A couple of mistakes don’t change that.
