McCarthy’s taking centre stage at last
ALEX McCARTHY has been on the Wembley bench four times without ever getting on the pitch; for Reading, England and twice for current club Southampton.
Today’s FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea should be fifth time lucky, as he bids to become only the third English goalkeeper to win the famous trophy this century.
McCarthy has played the last 18 games for Southampton, conceded only one goal in four FA Cup ties and was part of Crystal Palace’s team when they upset Chelsea 2-1 in the league at Stamford Bridge in 2015.
‘Part of the plan was to wind up Diego Costa because he had such a short fuse,’ he says. ‘There was an altercation between him and Damien Delaney and Costa lost his head straight away.’
The tactic is unlikely to work against the more placid Olivier Giroud, who came off the bench last weekend to score twice in Chelsea’s 3-2 win at St Mary’s. Southampton had led 2-0 before folding but McCarthy saw enough to be encouraged.
‘We dominated the game for 70 minutes,’ he says. ‘I felt comfortable because we moved the ball well and created chances.
‘But we conceded the first goal, we sat back and tried to soak pressure rather than pressing high. It didn’t work for us and we’ll make sure we don’t do that on Sunday.’
Marcos Alonso, who set up Giroud’s first goal, will miss the rematch after being found guilty of violent conduct for a challenge on Shane Long.
‘It’s obviously a big advantage for us,’ says McCarthy. ‘I like Alonso as a player. He is a good defender and has that delivery going forward. I didn’t see his challenge at the time, it was only watching a clip afterwards that I realised how bad it was.’
McCarthy has waited a long time to be centre stage at a Wembley showpiece. There is no thought in his mind it could distract from Southampton’s relegation fight, with the team in the Premier League’s bottom three.
Tipped for the top, McCarthy played three times for England Under-21s with Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck before his progress was slowed by injuries.
His relationship with Wembley has been particularly frustrating. He was on the bench when Reading lost their 2012 Championship play-off final against Swansea and again the following year as England drew with the Republic of Ireland.
At Southampton, he watched Fraser Forster play in last season’s League Cup final against Manchester United and against Spurs this season but replaced him for a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford on December 30 and has been ever-present since.
In an unusually turbulent season at St Mary’s, with Mark Hughes replacing Mauricio Pellegrino as manager and new Chinese owners coming in, the mystery is why they have done so well in the Cup but have not won in eight league games.
‘It’s hard to put your finger on it,’ admits McCarthy. ‘People might think it’s to do with pressure but I don’t think so.
‘The league hasn’t gone as well as we’d want but beating Chelsea will give us a massive lift for the last four league games of the season, and mean we have a cup final to look forward to as well. If we can stay up and reach a final, that’s an unbelievable season.’
The 28-year-old is aware that English goalkeepers winning major trophies has become a rarity. Only David James and Joe Hart have won the FA Cup since 2000.
‘Playing out from the back has become a real big part of the game, managers want a sweeper keeper like Ederson or David de Gea, and maybe foreign keepers have played that way from a younger age,’ he says.
‘It’s down to English goalkeepers to meet the challenge.
‘I know from our training at Southampton [under former England coach Dave Watson] that distribution has become a massive part of our work in the last few years.’
It is just a pity Saints do not have a striker on their books with the calibre of Hughes, whose illustrious playing career included a spell on the south coast where he is still remembered for his blistering volleys.
‘I am just waiting for the gaffer to join in shooting practice and smash in a few,’ says McCarthy.
Before this year, McCarthy had won only one FA Cup tie, back in 2011. Now he is at Wembley, about to influence a Cup semi-final rather than being stuck in the dug-out.