Aldridge favourite to follow McCarthy
McCarthy stressed this week that he had no intention to resign from the position he has occupied since 1986, but there are grounds for believing that he and the FAI are moving towards closure.
McCarthy's contract with the FAI is set to continue until February 2004 but it is expected that private talks between the two parties to cancel the contract will bring a resolution next week.
Sources close to McCarthy say that the reaction of some spectators at Ireland's match against Switzerland at Lansdowne Road was the last straw for the manager.
Ireland's loss to the Swiss was their first defeat in 18 competitive matches in Dublin in McCarthy's time and the crowd's booing shocked the manager.
The negative reaction was hugely disappointing for a man who rebuilt the team and took them to play-off matches for the 1998 World Cup in France and the 2000 European Championship in Holland/Belgium and,
finally, qualification for the World Cup finals of this summer in Japan and South Korea.
He stamped his mark via the type of football Ireland played, with exciting players like Damien Duff, Robbie Keane, Stephen Carr, Steve Finnan, and Matt Holland developing a pattern that was much different to the tactical approach of the Jack Charlton years.
The booing at Lansdowne Road brought it home to McCarthy that forces besides football were at work and criticism from the
media over the Saipan and Roy Keane affair had influenced public opinion.
A source close to McCarthy said yesterday: "When you look at his record in terms of results, you have to be impressed and there is no way you could claim the booing was justified.
"So what if this was Ireland's second consecutive loss what right have we to think that because we are Ireland, we must beat Russia and we must beat Switzerland? We are not Brazil after all," they said.
The gap between now and Ireland's next competitive match against Georgia in Tbilisi on March 29 will give any incoming manager a chance to
assess his options and effect a plan.
After playing Greece in Athens on November 20, Ireland will play a friendly match in February against Scotland in Glasgow, so there will be a chance to experiment.
Several names have been touted as possible successors, such as Dave O'Leary, the former Leeds manager, Kevin Moran, who was interviewed for the post at the time of McCarthy's appointment, and Aldridge.
Aldridge is viewed as the favourite, not least because it is likely that he will bring with him, as his assistant, Ronnie Whelan or Ray Houghton, two of his former colleagues at Liverpool.
Meanwhile, McCarthy said yesterday on BBC radio that he was prepared to accept Roy Keane back into the World Cup squad at any time, had the Manchester United captain made a phone call.
He said: "If the phone rang on my way home, I'd be more than happy to speak to Roy about any issue.
"Failure to discuss anything really causes problems and resentment, and it's not something I really thrive on deep resentment, loathing and dislike for people.
"It shouldn't be done via the radio or television that fundamentally was the problem at the time.
" ... the way to resolve the matter is for somebody to pick the phone up and do it. Whether either of us can do that remains to be seen."
McCarthy pointed out that Keane could not have played in the defeats to Russia and Switzerland, but conceded that a reconciliation was unlikely.
"He said categorically he will not play for Mick McCarthy, but Roy's had a hip operation and wouldn't have been available for the last two games. But it isn't going to happen.
"Maybe we are the two most stubborn people in the world. If that's the case, that is the case."
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