Blue brigade avoid Bridge to force Sarri’s exit

Revitalised Doherty felt unwanted in O’Neill’s time but says McCarthy has Ireland camp buzzing again

CHELSEA fans are voting with their feet against Maurizio Sarri’s dour reign with hundreds of season-ticket holders selling their seats for their upcoming Premier League matches. There were empty seats at the last home game against Wolves and more are now expected when Brighton, West Ham and Burnley visit Stamford Bridge next month. It puts further pressure on Sarri as Sportsmail understands a mutinous showing from supporters or boycott would alarm the board and push him closer to the sack. More than 400 season-ticket holders were last night listing their seats for sale on the club’s official exchange service for their game against West Ham. That is despite the clash on April 8 being a London derby. Close to 700 were also selling tickets for the visit of Burnley on April 22. Chelsea lost 2-0 to Everton on Sunday, leaving them sixth in the Premier League. They remain in the fight for the Champions League spots, with four points separating them and Tottenham in third. They are also in the Europa League’s quarter-finals, where they will face Slavia Prague, and have a favourable path towards the final in Baku.

It’s a lot more friendly now, people enjoy it much more

YESTERDAY evening in the Castleknock Hotel, Matt Doherty had to remind himself that Mick McCarthy, the manager who signed him for Wolves, and his current Irish manager, was exactly that – the manager.

Not a fellow player, or a member of the staff. But the boss.

How come? ‘We’re all in there signing shirts and we’re talking about the Madeleine McCann programme on Netflix that we’ve been watching, and Mick’s obviously given his little point on it as well, what he thinks.

‘It’s a general chat but you’re all standing there comfortable with it. You’re not thinking “Oh he’s the manager, he’s talking to us.”

Being distant from his players was a charge that could have been levelled at the previous Ireland managers Giovanni Trapattoni and Martin O’Neil.

As for McCarthy? ‘No, not at all,’ said Doherty. ‘He’s good like that and that’s the way it should be.’

‘The atmosphere is definitely different, not just around the players but around the whole place, and better.

‘Everyone seems to be just a bit happier, enjoying it more, training is a bit more fun. Mick is getting involved in a bit of banter with the lads as well, which is good.’

Chatting comes easy to Doherty, and he calls things as he sees it too, which is refreshing in an era of clichés and staid sound-bites.

(If Premier League players had to put a fiver in a charity box every time they said the word ‘obviously’ they’d be soon out of pocket.)

Doherty never quite hit it off with O’Neill, who overlooked him for so long.

After Seamus Coleman’s horrific injury two years ago which left Cyrus Christie as the only rightback in the squad, the Wolves defender asked aloud if his ‘face didn’t fit’.

Even when he picked up five caps under O’Neill last year, Doherty didn’t seem comfortable in the work-place and it’s probable that he shed few tears at O’Neill’s departure.

Recently, the Wolves wing-back predicted there would be less ‘tension’ in camp under McCarthy than before.

Asked to clarify, he explained, ‘Maybe it was about people not enjoying training as much as they should do and a different type of management personality now. It is a lot more friendly and people are enjoying it more.

‘Man-management needs to be right or else you can have a bad changing room somehow, if you’re not speaking to the lads in a proper way or getting your point across in a proper way.

‘Some players need a different type of love from a manager. My manager at Wolves (Nuno Espirito Santo) and Mick from my time at Wolves and even now, you can see their man-management skills are on point.’

Also on point is Doherty, who is having the season of his career at newly-promoted Wolves, helping the club to seventh place in the Premier League and into the FA Cup semi-finals, where they play Watford next month.

‘Yeah, my confidence is sky high and has probably never been higher,’ he said.

‘I always had the inner belief, I’ve always backed myself. It’s taken a bit longer than I would have liked.

‘Once I got there (Premier League) I always believed I could cope with it and make an impact. And I think so far this season I’ve contributed.’

Prompted yesterday as to how many goals he has, he replied, ‘I’m not keeping track, but I’ve got six goals and seven assists!

‘Of course you keep track of it, I want to know how I’m doing and contributing. That’s something you do keep track of in your head and if anyone says they don’t, then they’re lying.’

Doherty’s form has him shortlisted for right-back on the PFA Team of the Year. If selected, he would become the first Irishman to be voted by his fellow pros since Seamus Coleman in 2013-14.

The two men share similar profiles, early League of Ireland backgrounds, on-loan stop-overs, before nailing down regular places in the No 2 jersey.

Donegal’s Coleman, 30, is closing in on 300 first team appearances in his 10th season at Everton, while Dubliner Doherty, 27, has passed 250 games in his ninth season at Wolves.

They are two of Ireland’s better players and to find room for both against Gibraltar on Saturday, McCarthy may deploy Doherty further up the park

Would playing on the right side of midfield be an issue for Doherty?

‘My view would be that I’d be really comfortable and fine with that,’ he said.

‘I am up and down the right wing a lot at club football. When I was younger I played there so I don’t think I’d be uncomfortable playing there.

‘It would take a bit of getting used to, in the defensive phase. But I’d be totally happy to play there.’

Doherty is enjoying his involvement under McCarthy but as a pro, he knows that smiles will be replaced by scowls if Ireland don’t land running in the Euro qualifiers.

‘At the end of it all you’ve still got to win games. I know we have Gibraltar first and Georgia might be a bit harder but who knows how things turn out. In football, you have to win games.’

Where Ireland has been concerned, Doherty has played the long game.

Now is his time to shine, and to smile.