LET’S BRING BACK THE FANFARE
Mccarthy determined to get Boys in Green onside again
GIBRALTAR won more games than Ireland last year. They also scored more goals than Ireland. Just let that hang there for a moment.
It’s not quite like for like, of course. Sandwiched between Brunei and Guam, the minnows sit 194th in the FIFA world rankings.
The two teams were competing at different levels last year but after stirring Nations League campaign that yielded two wins, minnows Gibraltar are a team on the up.
Ireland registered just the one victory in a grim 2018 – against the USA – and their measly return of four goals was eclipsed by Gibraltar’s six.
Mick Mccarty version 2.0 is now tasked with proving that this is not an Irish team in freefall.
It was an utterly forgettable year that concluded with Martin O’neill getting the sack but the beginning of a new campaign marks the beginning of a new dawn. And the returning boss last night vowed to entertain Ireland fans in his one and only campaign before Stephen Kenny succeeds him.
“I’m delighted with the good will shown to us by the fans and I just think that people are looking forward to getting back to watching games,” said Mccarthy.
“And I’m looking forward to trying to entertain them.”
While Mccarthy has added a sprinkling of fresh blood in the shape of Jack Byrne, Josh Cullen and Mark Travers, the rest of the squad remains the same.
The challenge facing him is to get a better tune out of those familiar faces than O’neill did at the tail end of his five years.
The belief is they are better players than they showed last year – not least in front of goal which is an area Mccarthy has worked hard on this week.
“What have we done? The first training session, I wasn’t happy with the amount of chances that we were creating, or players getting in the box,” he said.
“TC [Terry Connor, the assistant] put a great session on exactly for that, on the third day, and we gave them them the feedback on the night.
“We showed the difference between how you can do it. We’ve got to do it in a game of course, doing it in training is one thing.
“But we’ve worked on it, and that’s pretty much all you can do, give players information in terms of wanting people in the box, putting crosses in the box.
“However you get in there, just try and create more chances and have more bodies on the move, trying to score if we create the chances, and hopefully we do.”
Mccarthy had more or less settled on his starting team before the players gathered in Dublin last weekend – but left himself scope to change his mind.
Quizzed on his starting team last night, he said: “Some have really stood out and impressed me. I’m really pleased with them all, but
Terry Connor put on a great session and we got some very good feedback
some have been a standout.
“Has anything changed my mind? Probably made my mind up, that what I was thinking was right. Have I changed my mind? No.”
On paper, this doubleheader – with Georgia to come in Dublin on Tuesday – is a great chance to put six points on the board early.
But Mccarthy has been careful not to sound so bullish – and was mindful not to fall into that trap when a local reporter asked him last night if this was ‘the ideal first game’.
“I get the question, but I respect the opposition whoever we play and we have to be top of our game. Whatever comes we’ll deal with it,” he said.
“I’m really looking forward to a game.”
“The butterflies are starting. I’ve got that feeling and I’m glad I have because if you lose that there’s something wrong.
“It’s been with me since the first game I played.”