Five challenges facing Mick McCarthy on Republic of Ireland return
Ireland face European Qualifiers against Gibraltar on Saturday and Georgia on Tuesday, with both games live on Sky Sports
Saturday 23 March 2019 17:14, UK
Seventeen years after his last game, Mick McCarthy takes charge of Republic of Ireland again this week.
Ireland face European Qualifiers against Gibraltar and Georgia, both live on Sky Sports, as they look to improve after a poor 2018.
What are the major challenges facing McCarthy? We pick out five, including goalscoring problems and improving the atmosphere…
Getting Doherty in the team
Matt Doherty was first called into the Ireland squad three years ago, yet he only has five caps to his name and was only a fringe player under Martin O'Neill. He expressed his frustration at his lack of opportunities last September when he said: "When I first joined up it was my defending that was the problem. Now it's my attacking. Maybe my face just doesn't fit."
Doherty, who spoke this week about his hope for a fresh start, will surely be a fit under McCarthy, who worked with the defender during his time at Wolves.
Doherty has been one of the revelations in the Premier League this season, but the challenge for McCarthy is fitting him into the side along with captain Seamus Coleman, another right-back.
Injuries could mean that Doherty plays in a more advanced position against Gibraltar.
"I'd be really comfortable and fine with that," said Doherty. "I don't play right wing now but I'm up and down the right wing a lot at club football. I know it'd be a lot different but when I was younger I played there so I wouldn't be uncomfortable."
Live Euro 2020 Qualifiers
Improving the atmosphere
McCarthy and Harry Arter have something in common: Roy Keane.
McCarthy famously fell out with the former Manchester United midfielder in the build-up to the 2002 World Cup and sent him home before a ball had been kicked. Arter also had a row with Keane last year in his role as assistant manager to Martin O'Neill.
That row, along with poor results on the pitch, a lack of goals, dour football and relegation from the Nations League, meant it was a year to forget for Ireland.
Arter admits that the "feel-good factor you associate with Ireland was lost and it was sad to see."
"There was an ill-feeling around the place and it was hard for everyone. Now we have a chance to start afresh…I'm sure a lot of that negativity will disappear now that Mick is in charge."
A couple of wins over the lowest-ranked teams in the group - which also contains Switzerland and Denmark - would certainly help lift the mood.
Live Euro 2020 Qualifiers
Solving scoring struggles
Easier said than done? Perhaps, although Ireland won't have to score many to improve on last year's showing in front of goal.
They managed just four goals in nine games and only one in their four UEFA Nations League matches.
With experienced striker Shane Long out with injury, the four forwards in McCarthy's squad - Sheffield United's David McGoldrick, Preston's Sean Maguire, Luton's James Collins and Millwall's Aiden O'Brien - have only scored one international goal between them, and that belongs to O'Brien, who didn't even make the initial squad.
But Collins is the top scorer in League One while McGoldrick is Sheffield United's second-highest scorer and Maguire has netted three in his last seven games after a difficult spell due to injuries.
"Can they bring that to the international team? Can I get it out of them?" asked McCarthy earlier this month. "Can I get them to score goals? Can we play a way that enables them to score goals? We'll find out but yes [we can]."
Ireland managed 11 goals without reply when they faced Gibraltar home and away during Euro 2016 qualifying.
Finding a spark
There's no denying that McCarthy's current squad does not contain as much proven quality as his first Ireland squad in 1996. Then, 66 per cent of the squad was made up by Premier League players, now that number is down to 33 per cent.
Injuries have also dented McCarthy's options, but his challenge is to get the best from the players at his disposal and ensure qualification for Euro 2020, after which he will hand over the job to Stephen Kenny.
It appears that, for now, McCarthy is putting value in results over performances.
"When you're winning games people tend to think you're playing better football than you really are," he quipped recently.
But after a dire 2018, Ireland desperately need to show signs of improvement in these first two Euro 2020 Qualifiers.
Perhaps Luton's Collins will provide a spark? Or maybe Shamrock Rovers youngster Jack Byrne?
The fact they are two of only three outfield players under the age of 25 in the squad highlights the lack of top-class youngsters coming through the system, but experience - which doesn't come much greater than with 35-year-old Glenn Whelan - also counts for something.
Making a winning start
The most obvious - and most important - challenge.
Ireland won one of nine matches in 2018 and that was a friendly victory against USA. They finished the year by failing to score in four games in a row, including a 1-0 home defeat to Wales after which former midfielder Keith Andrews said it had been "one of the worst years in living memory of Irish football".
Considering that comment, it appears the only way is up for Ireland. However, anything than victory over Gibraltar on Saturday would bring memories of 2018 flooding back.
