---
title: "Celtic: Kieran Devlin shares inside James McCarthy claim"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/celtic-kieran-devlin-shares-inside-james-mccarthy-claim/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Charlie Smith"
section: "Celtic News"
published: "2021-09-20T11:15:05Z"
modified: "2021-09-20T11:15:05Z"
---

# Celtic: Kieran Devlin shares inside James McCarthy claim

**Kieran Devlin, Celtic’s correspondent for [The Athletic](https://theathletic.co.uk/2834532/2021/09/19/celtics-midfield-is-too-porous-without-mcgregor-and-there-is-no-effective-plan-b/?article_source=search&search_query=devlin), has shared some inside claims on James McCarthy’s time at Parkhead.**

### The Lowdown: Livingston struggles

The 30-year-old was handed a [first](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/james-mccarthy/leistungsdaten/spieler/45333) Hoops start under Ange Postecoglou on Sunday, but he failed to impress in a [1-0](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58533921) defeat to Livingston.

The Irishman was the second-worst starter from both sides, as per [WhoScored](https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1548424/LiveStatistics/Scotland-Premiership-2021-2022-Livingston-Celtic), with a lowly match rating of 6.04/10. Only Stephen Welsh recorded a [lower score](https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1548424/Live/Scotland-Premiership-2021-2022-Livingston-Celtic), with McCarthy making way with just under 20 minutes remaining.

[Celtic updates!](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-13/)

### The Latest: Devlin claim

Devlin shared a story for [The Athletic](https://theathletic.co.uk/2834532/2021/09/19/celtics-midfield-is-too-porous-without-mcgregor-and-there-is-no-effective-plan-b/?article_source=search&search_query=devlin) on Monday morning following Celtic’s defeat to Livingston. He was informed by dressing room sources that McCarthy ‘has struggled in training with the pace and intensity of Postecoglou’s sessions and the demands of his midfielders’.

The report added that the manager and his scouting department didn’t have meaningful input in regards to the midfielder’s arrival at Parkhead.

\[freshpress-poll id=”374225″\]

### The Verdict: McKay’s mistake?

Dominic McKay recently [left](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58518854) his position as Parkhead CEO, but with neither Postecoglou nor his scouts seemingly contributing towards McCarthy’s arrival, it could well have been McKay who pushed that deal through over the summer.

Postecoglou is now left with a 30-year-old fish out of water who could well be on big money following his [£50,000-a-week](https://www.spotrac.com/epl/crystal-palace/james-mccarthy-22768/#:~:text=Current%20Contract,average%20salary%20of%20%C2%A32%2C600%2C000.) deal at former club Crystal Palace.

On that basis, the Celtic manager may need to make it work, or else risk having a big earner sitting on the sidelines and not contributing much.

***In other news: [Front runners: Celtic leading the way to land ‘brilliant’ free agent who Ange has spoken about.](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/celtic-transfer-rumours/celtic-robbie-brady-update-emerges/)***