Return of Big Mick as boss
Safe pair of hands Mccarthy beats form horse Kenny
OUT of the stable and into the parade ring with the spotlight shining, Stephen Kenny’s late push for Ireland was under starters orders.
But as he broke from the stalls with a sense of determination, Mick Mccarthy was already down the back straight, turning for home with the finishing line in sight.
This two horse race turned into a procession and
Mccarthy is about to gallop into the history books as the first person to manage Ireland twice.
The 59-year-old was never off the bridle in fact, despite the too-late-in-theday swell of support for his rival yesterday.
It took eight weeks for the FAI to land Martin O’neill when they dispensed with Giovanni Trapattoni five years ago.
It took two days to replace O’neill. After all, European football’s head honchos are having a bit of a party here in Dublin on Sunday week.
And after a barrage of fresh criticism, the host of that Euro 2020 shindig, John Delaney, had no intention of showing up managerless.
Delaney may have spent some time yesterday with his finger in the wind, assessing the public opinion on Kenny after various supporters reared their head.
But not for too long, because ultimately none of it mattered. Not the well-received interview he gave in one newspaper yesterday morning, nor the curious backing from St Pats later in the day and later again from his old club Derry.
Kenny spent much of yesterday with club officials from Dundalk planning various aspects for their title defence.
All the while, the Mccarthy deal was being hammered out behind the scenes in England before the news broke at tea-time.
While Kenny was an intriguing candidate, no PR campaign was going to win this fight with the association in tunnel vision mode.
From the outset, the FAI were briefing that they wanted a quick appointment with next weekend’s draw in mind.
With four games in Dublin at those finals, they wanted a ‘safe pair of hands’ which suggested Kenny was viewed as not being experienced enough.
He baulked at that very notion yesterday in the only sizeable interview he gave this week.
“I am qualified to do it,” he said. “I am absolutely qualified,” he said.
“It could be argued that I haven’t played in England.
“But it could be argued that the majority of the [Irish] players haven’t played in the group stages of a European competition.
“Which is more relevant for international football? It could be argued either way, it’s subjective.”
O’neill and Roy Keane were ushered in five years ago as just that and for threeand-a-half years they worked well in tandem. But whatever ‘magic’ they had, they lost over the last 18 months and Mccarthy is now tasked with picking up the pieces and bringing a unity and togetherness to the camp.
That is one of his strengths. Mccarthy is a good man-manager, a good motivator. Some fans will be concerned that we heard the same when O’neill was appointed.
Kenny’s backers would have pointed to his clear knack for improving almost every player under his watch.
What is needed more right now?
Mccarthy is perceived to be a better manager now than he was the first time around in the Irish hotseat where he is still haunted by some obvious regrets.
Mccarthy may be deemed old school but in club management since leaving Ireland in 2002, he has shown a willingness to move with the times.
The problem is, it feels like 2002 again.
Ireland have gone back to the future with Mccarthy and his curious game of revolving doors with Roy Keane continues and Saipan – which is always lurking in the shadows – will soon to be in the headlines again.
If social media is ever a reliable barometer of the public’s mood, the FAI are taking a massive punt with this appointment.
But they were doing so regardless of whether it was Mccarthy or Kenny, whose time will come.
Euro 2020 is the only show in town and Mccarthy does represent the safe pair of hands the association craved.
And yet there remains a feeling they have dropped the ball by simply kicking the can down the road.