‘We’re in no rush to go home’

By Bill George

MICK McCARTHY yesterday warned Spain that Ireland’s squad have not thought about making any plans to return home just yet.

McCarthy was addressing a media conference yesterday in Seoul appreciably bigger than those that were held in Japan over the past two weeks. Ireland’s exciting progress through the first phase and the attractiveness of their game against Spain meant there was a bigger international presence.

He said: “They are an exceptional team of fellows and they are always striking out to do better. They’ve not been stuck in different hotels for the best part of five weeks now, they’ve not come through the past three games, to come here and just go out.

“We actually want to come and win the game, to proceed and carry on in the competition and that’s what we’ll be endeavouring to do. The players are not making plans to go home, they’re not making plans to do anything other than to play the game and hopefully be successful in it.”

McCarthy pursued a familiar theme when asked to identify those players who had impressed him most and he said: “It’s been a collective thing with us but I have to be honest, I think Mattie Holland has been exceptional.

“And one guy, if I’m going to single anybody out, who I must mention is Gary Breen who has been outstanding. His contribution, his defending and especially when I didn't think we defended great in the first half an hour against Cameroon as a team, I think he’s been excellent.”

Breen was, of course, released by Coventry City at the end of the season and is currently without a club and McCarthy said: “Gary Breen, for a guy who is perhaps the first unemployed player to score in the World Cup has been outstanding. Maybe he is not the first unemployed, but …”

McCarthy showed impatience at times during a conference that was longer than usual and almost ran to 30 minutes. His irritation surfaced when he was asked whether Ireland could strengthen any area of the team.

He said ‘No’ and when the questioner persisted he added: “Why would I sit here and criticise my team. Let all you fellows do that, ladies and gentlemen. I’m not going to sit here and say anything about it, I’m absolutely not going to criticise any part of my team. If I decide that something needs to be done I will do it but I certainly won't sit here and discuss it with you or anybody else. Never have, not going to start doing it now.”

Instead he invited the media representatives to share with him the tactical talk in the Irish dressing room at half time against Saudi when Ireland led 1 0 and were a little lucky not to have surrendered an equalising goal. He said: “The discussion at half time was to get back and defend from 4-4-2.

“I also said that in the first half when we scored I think that we believed we could go ahead and score another goal quickly and we all got anxious to try to finish the game.

“My half time team talk was to get back to defending from 4 4 2 and not have Mark Kinsella going chasing it on his own, Mattie Holland, Kevin Kilbane, Gary Kelly, so we were being picked off individually as we had been in the first half.

“When we get solid and we become two banks of four we’re difficult to break down. But in the first half we were chasing the game to try and finish it too quickly.”

McCarthy has repeatedly spoken of the spirit of comradeship that exists within his squad and of the fact that there are no superstars or prima donna type players in the Irish squad. It is a theme that several of his players have echoed as well, particularly the articulate Dean Kiely.

He was asked whether there was a ‘delicious irony’ in the fact that some of the biggest names in the game had gone home and Ireland’s more modest side had thrived and he said: “Delicious irony Zidane and Veron gone home? Maybe when we’re talking about football teams being good and good teams — there’s a difference.

“Perhaps what I’m trying to suggest is that we do have a couple (of stars) but we’re not a team of well known, world stage stars that are adorning posters around the world.

“That goes for a lot of other teams as well, but we’re a good team and we've got good players and I fancy we can beat anybody.”

He conceded that Ireland, having come through a very difficult and highly competitive first phase had a worthwhile achievement already to their name and this would probably mean they felt less pressure now, even if a place in the quarter finals was the huge incentive against Spain. “Some journalists here have indicated that Spain are a more skilful team, and I think if I polled everyone in this room it might be 99% vote that would be the case.

“So suddenly we become an underdog in the game and the pressure is not the same, that pressure of having to turn out and win against a team supposedly not as good as you, which is horrible in football. We’ve all seen giant killings — France are out, Argentina are out and it is a difficult pressure to deal with. I think France coming here as World champions, that's pressure of expectation.”

McCarthy had a good day in front of the TV cameras, the radio mikes and the press corps even if he chopped one or two people off when they asked questions that inferred any weakness in his side.

But he finished on an up beat note: “All I know is if we play as well as we can we’re a handful for anybody.”