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What Mick McCarthy must do to start reviving Republic of Ireland
Make Ireland fun to watch again
It has not been fun watching the Republic. Even though they did well to reach a World Cup qualification play-off against Denmark, the manner in which they got there left a lot of people feeling cold and the Nations League campaign was a disaster.
Martin O’Neill’s approach was pragmatic, and although you can argue he got the best out of limited resources, that is not how critics in Ireland saw it.
It was not just bad results, the brand of football also led to attacks on his management. The feeling is that Ireland have better players than O’Neill constantly bemoaned. It may well be wishful thinking.
Since beating Wales 1-0 in Cardiff in October 2017, Ireland have won just one of their 11 games – a friendly against the United States – scoring just five goals and conceding 15. In the majority of games, they barely mustered a shot on target.
Manager Mick McCarthy needs to turn Ireland into a team who attack as well as they defend. It will not be easy. Ireland do not have the players to play an open, expansive style, but they can at least try to play on the front foot. A shift in formation, with two strikers, might be the way forward.
“I wasn’t happy in my first training session with the amount of chances we created and the number of players we got into the box,” admitted McCarthy. “We have been working on it. Now we have to do it in a match of course.”
Remove the doubts over his appointment
When O’Neill and Roy Keane were appointed it instantly dispersed the negativity because of who they were. It will not be so easy for McCarthy, mainly because he has been Ireland manager before.
McCarthy had a lot of success, peaking at the World Cup in 2002, but he left because he was not wanted any more. All the same criticisms that drove O’Neill out were levelled at McCarthy before he resigned in November 2002.
The fact he has been given the job for only two years and will be forced to stand aside – regardless of how well he does – so that former Dundalk manager Stephen Kenny can take the helm, has not helped.
McCarthy needs a good start or people will inevitably start to question whether Kenny should have been in charge straightaway. At least the fixtures are kind. An away game against Gibraltar is the ideal start, followed by a winnable home match against Georgia.
“What happened to Scotland against Kazakhstan is a warning to us about what can happen if things go wrong,” said McCarthy.
Get the best out of Brady and Hendrick
When Ireland were at their peak under O’Neill, Robbie Brady and Jeff Hendrick were superb. Hendrick, in particular, was brilliant at Euro 2016. Brady was another creative spark, particularly with his dead-ball delivery, also scoring the winner against Italy that meant Ireland reached to the knockout phase for the first time.
Neither have been the same player since. Brady has had injury problems, while Hendrick’s international form dropped off a cliff. If Ireland are going to be a more attractive side to watch, McCarthy must find a way to get the Burnley duo playing well.
Find some new players
Ireland’s talent pool is small and the loss to England of their two best young players, Jack Grealish and Declan Rice, was cruel.
McCarthy will have to look closely at the League of Ireland in the hope of unearthing a rough diamond. He has already promoted Shamrock Rovers forward Jack Byrne who failed to do enough at Oldham and Kilmarnock to earn a long contract.
That is why McCarthy’s success in persuading Southampton winger Nathan Redmond (who has played in a friendly for England) and Leeds striker Patrick Bamford to switch national allegiance may define his reign. Both are yet to commit, despite a charm offensive.
“He [Bamford] is concentrating on playing in the league and seeing how that goes,” said McCarthy. “So, I won’t be meeting with him, not yet, maybe in the summer. I am disappointed because I think he is a really good striker and he will score for us, but I understand it.”
There is also a buzz around Tottenham youngster Troy Parrott, although the 17-year-old may be too young for McCarthy to consider before he is forced to stand down.