When I jetwashed the jetwash, it was time to get back into football!
McCarthy ready for two-year Irish test
A MONDAY afternoon in late April. The night before, Chris Coleman had been sacked as Sunderland manager.
Less than five miles from the Stadium of Light, Mick McCarthy was spotted at a car dealership, later having lunch in the pub opposite, aptly named The Travelling Man.
All bets were off, the market on McCarthy taking charge of Sunderland was swiftly suspended.
After relegation to League One the previous week, supporters welcomed the return of the Mac, the man who led them to the Premier League in 2005.
‘I really was just there to buy a car,’ laughs McCarthy, seven months on and newly installed as Republic of Ireland boss ahead of today’s draw for the Euro 2020 qualifiers in Dublin.
‘Dave Bowman, my chief scout at Ipswich, had this BMW for two years which he’d leased. He had looked after it so I said I’d buy it, but the garage was in Sunderland.
‘So I jumped on the train on the Monday morning and they had sacked Chris Coleman the night before — talk about timing.
‘I was sat in this empty carriage and the cleaner came in. He was walking towards me, sees me, bends down in the bin and has a look. And then he has another look. He walks past and goes to the next carriage.
‘Then he comes back and, as he’s walked past me, he goes, “You’re Mick McCarthy aren’t ya?”. I said, “I am, yes”. He goes, “You’re going to get the Sunderland job aren’t ya?”. I said, “No, I’m not”. He said, “I don’t believe you”. I told him “I’m going to buy a car”. He leaves the carriage then comes back in after a while — “I’ve just had 100 quid on you at 11-1!”.’
With his odds tumbling and pictures soon circulating on social media, McCarthy’s phone was buzzing as he headed to the nearest pub for a spot of lunch before driving back down south in his new car.
‘I’m sitting in this pub in full view of everybody — can you imagine I would have done that if I was going to get the job?’ he says. ‘It was hilarious, but the poor fella still lost his 100 quid!’
It is a relief for McCarthy to smile after his return to Ireland made headlines for all the wrong reasons.
The 59-year-old was shocked when he sat down for talks only to learn that the offer on the table was a two-year deal before he would then be replaced by new Under 21 boss Stephen Kenny.
It is not often that a manager is served his notice before his unveiling and the bizarre nature of the appointments has dominated the news agenda.
But McCarthy had no choice but to accept the terms, so desperate was he to land the role after quitting Ipswich in April.
‘When you have jet-washed the jet-wash then you realise you’ve been out of work long enough,’ says the former defender, who won 57 caps for Ireland and managed them to the last 16 of the World Cup in 2002.
That team starred Robbie Keane, who will be alongside McCarthy as a coach this time. They have inherited an Ireland side who won only once in 2018 — a friendly against USA. Supporters are losing interest and players did not seem to enjoy the final months of the Martin O’Neill era. McCarthy, however, does not accept that this is a lost cause.
‘I remember when I went into Ipswich and all I got was negativity, it was unbelievable,’ he says. ‘I was doing the analysis, watching the last two games, and I’m thinking, “What the hell have I done?” We’re all passing negative comments on the players.
‘But our goalkeeping coach Malcolm Webster, to his eternal credit, said, “Gaffer, we’re not that bad. It’s all been negative but there’s some good players in this squad”.
‘I said, “Well, thank f*** somebody has told me that”. I was borderline thinking “I’m out of here”. So we trained and he was dead right, it wasn’t all bad. And I don’t think it can be all bad here.’
To that end, perhaps the pessimism that exists means McCarthy can only further his reputation during the qualifying campaign. He does not consider it a free hit, however, saying: ‘Because I know that I’m going, you think it gives me gay abandon to do whatever I want to do? Well how about me wanting to enhance my career and qualify for the Euros and do the best job I possibly can? It’s my professionalism, my pride. I’m not coming here thinking “I’ve got two years here, I’ll just have a flute around”.
‘The better I do here, it will mean the better offers I get to move on. Maybe then I’ll get a big job in China and retire on £10million a year!’