Media sculpted public’s apathy for McCarthy

THE underlying ambivalence of the Irish football public towards Mick McCarthy as manager of the international team was rooted in the unfavourable publicity he received in sections of the media.

McCarthy, who succeeded the hugely popular Jack Charlton as manager in March 1996, was never accepted with the same warmth by the Irish press corps and the unease that constantly coursed through their mutual activities always coloured the resultant publicity.

McCarthy's press conferences tended to be tentative affairs. It was obviously difficult for him to sit in front of an army of 50 or 60 media representatives and deal in a rational way with genuine and legitimate questions knowing there were people in the audience who never asked a question but who were capable of putting their own distinctive spin on his answers.