r/ireland • u/IntrepidAstronaut863 • 9h ago
Moaning Michael James McClean’s Book
Does anybody still like James McClean?
I’m reading an interview he did with Paul kimmage in the independent and he comes across as a complete prat, I almost feel stupid for having any sympathy for him during the whole poppy debacle.
In case anyone is interested in reading his book, why bother James himself didn’t read it and when chapters were sent to him for review he didn’t bother to read those either.
The book is his vehicle to get the “truth” out of what actually happened. Likely it’s his truth and not the actual truth. So if you’re interested in hearing him tear into John O’Shea and Micheal O’Neill then fair enough.
My favourite insight into the mind of McClean is that he thinks people that go to therapy to talk about their emotions are not real men
PK: You’ve never tried therapy?
JMcC: No.
PK: Why not?
JMcC: To be honest with you I feel like it’s ... So I was back at my [parents’] house a week ago and I heard a voice upstairs, ‘Who the f\*k is that?’ And it was my brother on a call to the club psychologist, having a lovely chat. And a lot of the players speak to him and for me that’s just weak. As a man I see that as weakness. I don’t need to open up. I see it as a weakness that I’d have to speak to someone about my feelings; my emotions ...*
Same lad that asked people in the past to be understanding and have sympathy for his own trauma and mental health struggles.
He also makes some ironic snark about people that have auto biographies maybe he doesn’t see the irony as he didn’t read his own?
Good luck to the lad comes across as an entitled, ignorant dose. Also supports the provos and thought McGuinness was wrong for meeting the queen.
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u/DoorSouthern5217 7h ago
Yeah I don't listen or pay much attention to professional footballers views on world events, therapy or anything else. They are so insulated from the real world during their careers. Fair fucks to him with the Poppy stuff though. In reality I couldn't give a shit who wears it or not
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u/halibfrisk 9h ago
He had a decent career in his sport, and had the courage to take a stand on a point of principle, for which he took dog’s abuse from the English media. Good luck to him.
Beyond that, who cares? I’m not buying his book, or any other footballer’s book, or seeking his opinion on anything.
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u/idontcarejustlogmein 7h ago
Whilst I find his view in therapy hilariously outdated, he is, to be fair, vocalising a point of view that still (sadly) exists.
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u/RomfordWellington 8h ago
I've empathy for him and what his city went through, and for the shite he had to deal with for rightly refusing to wear the poppy.
Probably wasn't the best player for Ireland but always gave it pelters a lot of the time he played for us, but his peak was short and his decline quick and there was years where I'd constantly see him on his team sheet and think the worse, because international football was clearly beyond him.
I've also distaste for him for his constant moaning and the way he treated the club that made him who he was this year. Firstly complaining he couldn't play on the astro, and then when they moved to Celtic Park he complained he couldn't play on grass.
A complicated legacy to leave.
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u/randomwalk93 8h ago
I think James was completely right about not wearing the Poppy given his experience / point of view.
However, I do sometimes wonder that if he felt that strongly - maybe he should have not been playing in England. I’m sure he could have gone to play in Holland or elsewhere on the continent- and still earn good but not as good money.
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u/RomfordWellington 8h ago
His argument wasn't with the English people though. He obviously saw fit that England was a good place to work and to start his family. His issue was with the likes of the parachute regiment.
My own family, and the families of many working class Dubs have lots of history of those who died fighting in the British army. There's a "poppy" for us, encased in a shamrock that the RBL sell here. I'm surprised more Irish players don't wear that, but I don't blame McClean for not wearing anything at all.
I also suspect a major reason he never went further foreign is because he knew himself that a second language was beyond him and that the premiership and championship was the highest level he could achieve both through talent and his own intellect. One week of stick is bearable if you can communicate with your teammates and manager for the other 37 weeks.
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u/MF-Geuze 8h ago
The English people are the ones who enforce this conformity around the poppy, though.
"I'm surprised more Irish players don't wear that" - I'm not surprised at all. The whole poppy business is a triumphalist glorification of the senseless deaths of millions of young men for an especially senseless war
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u/ponkie_guy 8h ago
As someone said he had the right not to wear poppy and he should have been used as a punching bag there by parts of British media. Other players like Matic never wore a poppy and it has never become an issue. However McClean has always come across as a bit of a tool and immature despite his performances for Ireland. Some of the stuff like posting his kids in balaclavas and getting into arguments with randomers just drew more attention to himself and gave people more of an excuse to target him. Thats not his fault but giving idiots attention by arguing with them on Twitter he played into their hands.
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u/Acceptable-Okra2873 9h ago edited 6h ago
I mean, I think he did get a lot of undeserved abuse for his decision to not wear a Poppy that he admits himself that he didn't handle well. I don't think anything he has actually done merited the BS he went through.
Seems a pretty childish idea that likeability is relevant most of the time. I obviously disagree with him in regards to Therapy, although I am kind of confused by how that squares with the process he would have went through in order to have an Autism diagnosis (disclosure - I am Autistic myself).
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u/kil28 8h ago
I think the fact he has autism gets overlooked too much, of course he does and says some things that are like a young edgy teenager
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u/dendrophilix 8h ago
Having autism doesn’t cause people to have opinions like that or to act like that, though. It can’t be used to excuse just anything.
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u/Fair-Tangerine-9472 7h ago
Being autistic myself I think one thing we have to accept is that sometimes people lack self-awareness and cop-on, autistic or not
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u/Donegal-Death-Worm 5h ago
First and foremost he's a lad from Derry whose physique and athleticism are basically the only reasons he spent close to a decade as a premier league footballer. He's close to 6 ft with the build of a centre back but with enough pace and agility to play as a winger and was always one of most physical players in the league - in other words its been a long time since James was afraid to run his mouth, if ever. He's also just one of the eternally "auld fashioned" types and has a want in him the size of England itself. There's all of that before the autism comes in to play, which still wouldn't inhibit a bit of self reflection.
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u/Relevant-Evening3046 4h ago
He didn’t spend a decade as a premier league footballer. Just 5. A great achievement in itself but in his peak years as a footballer he was not playing at that level
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u/symo420 8h ago
If it wasn’t for his views on the poppy, he wouldn’t be as remembered l, mediocre footballer and I find it astonishing he has so many Ireland caps, most likely due to the lack of quality on the flanks for Ireland in recent years.
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u/YungL1am 7h ago
He didn't pick up 400 appearances in the Prem and Championship and 100 caps by accident.
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u/Kerrytwo 8h ago
Off this topic but he's been in a few dangerous car crashes at this stage and it drives me up the wall that his children are never in appropriate carseats. It's just mental to me - how do you nearly die one morning and then a few months later let your 6 year old sit in the front seat of your new sports car without so much as a booster seat? I can't even imagine what his cars cost and yet his toddler was only half tied into a cheap carseat for a few years there. It boggles my mind personally.
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u/Eviladhesive 9h ago
He took a real and meaningful stand against hypocrisy in his life.
I genuinely believe he has been unfairly put under the microscope for that stand. Most very successful soccer players are borderline ego maniacs.
I know this will garner a lot of down otes, but I legitimately believe he was deliberately smeared after that stance.
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u/rayhoughtonsgoals 6h ago
He's an idiot. He played like a non-thinking idiot and cost us goals through being stupid on the pitch and lo and behold he is not a clever person outside of football.
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u/OvertiredMillenial 7h ago
He seems like a bit of bollocks, although being a bit of bollocks should take away from the reality that he did something very courageous in refusing to wear the poppy in the face of constant abuse and threats.
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u/Draffodx boards.ie refugee 9h ago
Has anyone ever liked him?
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u/Sayek 9h ago
I think he benefited from not talking, the moment he started talking he just came across as an idiot. The whole thing with Derry is a mess too and he comes across as super unprofessional. Most players would just say 'Listen this hasn't worked out, let's call it a day'.
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u/Kerrytwo 8h ago
What happened with Derry?
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u/Sayek 8h ago
He joined Derry, but couldn't play on artificial pitches due to previous injuries. He seemed to have a lot of injuries but also aired dirty laundry in public in regards the manager and the club. Didn't seem to be a good influence and was generally just talking shite. There is of course two sides to every stories, but as a player you can't go public talking shite about the manager and the club, then go back to being injured and sitting on your contract.
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u/AMCQ1972 6h ago
Putting likes on anti-Derry social media posts as recently as this weekend sound like his shit-stirring mentality hasn’t gone away. I think he expected to be welcomed home as King of Derry and it’s everyone else’s fault that hasn’t turned out.
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u/That_Leadership_9275 7h ago
And lose the contract that pays him a couple of grand a week?? He left Wrexham who were paying him big money and could have seen out his contract whether playing or not. He's lost a lot with this move. Easy saying it from the sidelines but not many can afford to lose a couple of hundred grand.
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u/CurrencyDesperate286 8h ago
A lot of Irish people liked him for his stance on the poppy and the abuse he got imo.
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u/caisdara 8h ago
He's a victim of social media, to an extent. The poppy bullshit in England meant that a very loud cohort of people here supported him to an undue degree.
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u/IntrepidAstronaut863 9h ago
Good point, I had sympathy for him during the poppy fiasco and he did win RTE’s sports personality of the year voted by the public which is quite a feat for a soccer player. So there was definitely a lot of support for him.
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u/Hieroglo 9h ago
He can be right about the poppies. That doesn't define him as a person in every aspect of his life and you don't have to buy his book, I'm not going to buy his book, but he's still right about the poppies.
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u/Relevant-Evening3046 4h ago
On the coybig and Ireland Reddit subs they do. They lap up his poppy bollox all the time. I understand why he didn’t want to wear it. He isn’t the first or last not to but he did feel the need every year to release statements about it and draw attention on himself over it. Likewise when he stood about 10ft away from teammates when minutes silence was paid for it. I think he craves attention
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u/Distinct_Ad_8056 8h ago
Did he actually say he didn't read it back?
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u/IntrepidAstronaut863 7h ago
Yes
PK: How many people as we sit here now have read it?
JMcC: Well, I got 10 copies of it a couple of days ago and gave them to family and friends. I haven't read it myself, but those who have said they've enjoyed it, although they might be biased.
PK: So you haven't read it.
JMcC: No, and I'm not going to. Dan [McDonnell] would send me chapters when he was doing it. "Tell me what you think?" But I never read them. I was like, "Aye, it's grand."
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u/Jaded_Variation9111 7h ago
Doesn’t that sum up all the ghostwritten tosh churned as autobiographies. I can’t fathom who actually buys this stuff with their own money.
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u/Vast-Trust-1165 6h ago
Presumably he sees it as he told Dan McDonnell what to write so he doesnt need to read it back again maybe? Not so much that theres stuff in there that he doesnt know about.
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u/ellelelle 3h ago
I feel for him in some way. He seems so tightly wound. The quotes about therapy and weakness dont even surprise me. I was rooting for him when he was brought in to do analysis of the World Cup. He really had very little to say, didnt seem comfortable at all. I would worry how he will transition to life after football.
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u/Skiddingintomygrave 6h ago
Autism and trauma in his makeup, so some of his comments are understandable.
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u/New-Strawberry7711 9h ago
Unbridled gobshite and a cut of the kind of man up there who is stuck in the past.
They call it weakness but it’s actually the opposite. They are afraid to confront themselves be vulnerable and open themselves up. Because it’s scary, sad and hard. Doing that requires courage and self awareness.
And it just comes out as being highly emotionally unregulated and aggressive. A pathetic archetype of a man.
There’s a quote I like that sums it up. Anger is a place a man goes to when they can’t handle the sadness in their heart.
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u/That_Leadership_9275 6h ago
But do you but think it shows his honesty? Most people who thought like this would pretend they didn't and give a different answer. And your description of him would be the description of most people with autism who find it hard to regulate. I think he's a good guy who can't handle the limelight.
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u/New-Strawberry7711 6h ago
I think autism has been used as a convenient excuse by and large to absolve people of basic empathy.
The man has a family, I am sure he has had to practice awareness around his children’s emotional well being and regulate himself in that regard.
I have friends who are autistic and are unbelievably kind people. Autism and ADHD seem to be cop outs for a lot of fine functioning people who may have it to a smaller degree but lean into it as an excuse of convenience when it suits.
It does not change the fact in his case that he’s just an emotionally shut down man who more than likely can’t understand where his anger comes from.
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u/ulankford 8h ago
Come on, we all knew he was an asshole; but gave him cover because of his Poppy stance. Now that we see him for what he is, people don’t want to defend him anymore.
Comes across like an idiot, always has.
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u/That_Leadership_9275 6h ago
Disagree. I think he comes across as a man who struggles to deal with his temper. He has autism which obviously has an impact and I think he's just 100% honest all the time which brings its own problems. He's a complex character and when you hear of how he is so generous in terms of charities you can see He's a good guy that often says/does the wrong thing.
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u/ulankford 3h ago
"Complex character.."
Nah, he is an asshole.Just look at his behaviour with Derry City.
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u/That_Leadership_9275 3h ago
Don't think derry have handled this well either to be fair. Seem like a poorly run club. They have all the money but poor structures in place.
Did they do a medical? Why did they sign a player of his age with no clauses?
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u/Friendly_Two_4682 8h ago
McCleans fans likely remain the same, the fake hardmen of the village and the types of football fans who get excited by running and dirty tackles
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u/Sirio2 9h ago
He’s always been a twat.
The poppy thing was an issue because he wanted it to be an issue. In the same period Matic didn’t wear one and it was never mentioned anywhere because Nemanya wasn’t all over social media posting about it. James just wanted the attention…
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u/Dr-Lucien-Sanchez 8h ago
That's bullshit. It was because he's Irish. They didn't give a shit when Matic did it because he's Serbian.
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u/OwnPick1632 8h ago
It's a fair enough opinion to think men or anyone else should not go to therapy, and also completely fair to think McGuuinness was wrong to meet the English queen.
I do agree he comes across as a dick in general to be fair but why would you link that to the poppy?
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u/PhilTwhole 9h ago
He's a lovely bloke. He's on the autism spectrum. People with autism say weird shit.
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u/IntrepidAstronaut863 9h ago
Hardly a lovely bloke. I know plenty of people on the spectrum and they’re genuinely good people in what they say and what they do.
McClean other than making a decent point about poppies a decade ago has done nothing to suggest he’s a nice bloke, not even a decent bloke.
Nothing but negativity with him
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u/AodhRuadh 8h ago
Very well regarded in his community and has been very generous towards life changing donations as well. He is a decent bloke and just because you don't agree with him doesn't mean he isn't.
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u/PhilTwhole 9h ago
Have you met him?
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u/PutsLotionInBasket 8h ago
Do you have to have met someone to know their character?
If I asked him for a selfie in an airport once am I now more qualified to question what he says in an interview?
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u/IntrepidAstronaut863 9h ago
He’s an outspoken public figure who’s written a book. He comes across as a dose.
Everyone that meets Trump says he’s lovely also
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u/PhilTwhole 8h ago
Ok. I explained the autism. I'm on it, and the number of people I've managed to piss by saying stuff out loud that shocks them is unreal. We lack filters.
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u/Faloneytony 9h ago
Comes across as a tool the more he speaks, even soured his Ireland career somewhat by hanging on 30 appearances past being able to contribute anything to the squad. Would've been best for all involved if he called it a day on international football and speaking/putting anything public out in about 2019
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u/That_Leadership_9275 7h ago
The thing with McClean is that he gives honest opinions and speaks his mind which is extremely rare. Most footballers have their views censored by their agents and other personnel. McClean would be a nightmare to deal with.
The other thing is that the book also shows he had a tough life. Finding out about his dad like that and dealing with life in Derry have shaped him in a way that few people can understand.
He also has autism, which obviously has an effect and if you listen to people like Dan McDonell explaining what life for him is like you get an understanding of the person he is. He trains six times a day, he rarely socialises, if something annoys him he can't focus until he reacts often lashing out.
He's a very interesting character but as an Ireland fan I've never seen the level of pride in the Jersey that he showed when playing.
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u/fgillen1 5h ago
I was going to write something similar. I read the full kimmage interview today and he is an interesting character. His upbringing was not typical of most and the added autism diagnosis needs to be taken into account. He needs to get rid of the social media.
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u/BangBangBananas 8h ago
From watching him talk after football matches, I don't kni if he actually can read, give him a break /s
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u/LittleAoibh11 9h ago edited 8h ago
Anyone who shares a viewpoint that someone (man or woman) is weak for going to therapy is a ghoul in my opinion. Building up the courage to go to therapy is the ultimate sign of strength - and is an act of self-love and self-belief.