McCarthy has got it all to do

THERE is a theory Mick McCarthy has it easy compared to the man who replaces him in 2020. McCarthy is tasked with reaching a bloated Euro 2020 with a playoff place all but guaranteed, compared to incoming boss Stephen Kenny’s task of reaching the World Cup, a tournament Ireland have not been to since 2002. But as McCarthy discovered here in Gibraltar, nothing is easy with this team. Jeff Hendrick’s 49th-minute goal, Ireland’s first in nearly seven hours, spared them humiliation against the team ranked 194th in the world. McCarthy said: ‘I was nervous because this was a horrible game,’ and Brighton defender Shane Duffy added: ‘It wasn’t very enjoyable to play in.’ Matt Doherty, a star for Wolves, was hooked on 56 minutes with his body language having hardly screamed enthusiasm. ‘He always plays like that,’ said McCarthy. ‘Maybe there’s more room on the pitch when Wolves have it, they’re more expansive.’ It is McCarthy’s job, of course, to make his team more expansive. This was their first competitive win since 2017. Easy, it is not.