McCarthy won’t rule out winning a second term...
MICK McCarthy says he has accepted his fate with Republic of Ireland after being served his notice even before his unveiling. Yet, he still betrayed a slither of optimism that his tenure may yet extend beyond Euro 2020.
In what was a bizarre and unprecedented afternoon here in Dublin, McCarthy was confirmed as manager of the national team only for his successor to be announced at the same time.
Dundalk boss Stephen Kenny, it would appear, has told the FAI that he will only take on the Under-21s role on the promise of the senior job — and that means McCarthy’s time will be up as soon as Ireland’s Euros campaign expires.
The new boss tried his best to sound okay with the arrangement during his first press conference at the Aviva Stadium but it was not, he admits, what he had envisaged before talks began to replace the sacked Martin O’Neill on Friday.
‘Of course I thought I might get two terms — who doesn’t want two terms, come on?,’ said McCarthy, who led Ireland to the last 16 of the World Cup in 2002.
‘But (the succession) was put right at the very start. They could have said: “Take it or leave it”, and they might have gone and given it to Stephen, and I wanted it. And maybe if they don’t do it now with Stephen, he might drift away and do something else.
‘I’m happy enough with that. It’s for two years to qualify for the Euros. You know what, if we get to the final and we win it, there might be a push for me to stay, but there might also be a job for me in the Premier League.
‘And if we don’t qualify, then you won’t want me anyway!’
Every so often, however, McCarthy would allow himself to consider a scenario where his end date is not so definitive.
‘If it goes well, then I probably won’t want to give it up. I’ve got no option though, have I?’ said the 59-year-old.
‘That’s two years down the line. A lot can happen. What if Stephen comes in and rips it up with the 21s and a club from England comes in for him?
‘You might be right, I might have that feeling (of not wanting to leave) if we’ve gone to the Euros, but I’ve accepted it, that’s the way it’s going to be.
‘I might then go to China and get a job for £10million a year!’
One of McCarthy’s first tasks will be to persuade West Ham midfielder Declan Rice to declare for Ireland ahead of England — and a meeting is planned at which he aims to take Robbie Keane, the country’s record goalscorer, who is part of the backroom team with Terry Connor and could stay on under former Dunfermline manager Kenny. ‘I’ve had a really good conversation with Declan’s father,’ said McCarthy.
‘He was asked by Gareth Southgate to go to St George’s Park to see whether he could be enticed to play with them.
‘And, of course, there was a hue and cry then that he shouldn’t play (for Ireland) and lots of different opinions.
‘And Declan found it overwhelming. I am going to go speak to him in December and I will take Robbie with me, see if that has any bearing on it, especially if Robbie is going to be part of that system and transition all the way through.’
That is something McCarthy cannot guarantee of himself, even if he would like it to be otherwise.