McCarthy’s balanced view

MICK McCARTHY is happy to offer an insight into the work that goes on behind the scenes as Wolves begin pre-season training but first a golf story that will ultimately make sense.

Promise.

Some years ago, when he was Irish manager and had more time for such things, McCarthy travelled to Wentworth to watch Paul McGinley attempt to win a big European Tour event.

Their paths had crossed years previously when McCarthy was a senior player with Celtic and McGinley was, as he is to this day, a season ticket holder with a burning passion for the Bhoys.

Seeing McGinley on the putting green before his big round, Mick waved at his fellow Irishman and was invited in for a chat as security men tried to keep him out.

Pleasantries had been exchanged and Mick introduced to the sports psychologist standing beside McGinley, when the golfer asked the footballer what it was like on the course.

“It’s very windy out there,” remarked McCarthy who was then stunned when the well known psychologist started to have a go at him. “You can’t say that to him, you can’t say that,” shouted the mind guru.

McCarthy enquired as to why he couldn’t state the obvious when he was told not to put negative thoughts into McGinley’s head. Thankfully, the Irish Ryder Cup hero thought otherwise and was happy for the advice.

Fast forward to July 2011 and Wolves are hard at work on their first week back training for the new season, a season they will spend in the Premier League once again after coming through Survival Sunday by the skin of their teeth.

They arrived at Carton House in Kildare with an entourage of 22 players and 14 backroom staff, everything from physical trainers to medical experts whose only purpose in life is to measure Kevin Doyle’s lung capacity.

But there’s not a sport psychologist in sight.

They had one last season. And he did offer to deliver some words of comfort when they were three down to Blackburn at half-time on the final day of the season. The offer was politely declined.

The psychologist may be gone but the huge back-up team remains. Looking in from the outside, it appears the game has changed beyond all recognition since Mick McCarthy was a player. Or has it?

Has it lost touch with reality when players can earn more in a season than an Irish bank now pays in bonuses in a year?

“I get a little upset at times when people go on about the money in football — was it ever real?” asked McCarthy after addressing a marketing seminar for Emerge Communications and his old friend Liam Gaskin.

“The money I earned at Manchester City in 1987 or at Celtic a year later wasn’t reality. It was nothing compared to what footballers earn today but it was nothing like what the ordinary man in the street was earning.

“It just wasn’t reality back then either but the difference now, I suppose, is that it is even further removed from reality. It’s not the only job like that — look at the movie industry, show business, actors, guys working in the City in London.

“Football is one of those jobs that enables you to earn a vast amount of money and do you know what? It gives a vast amount of people a vast amount of pleasure as well.

“It has changed but we all wish we were on it. I am still on the merry-go-round in a way because I am a Premier League manager but there are some former players out there who quit the game 20 years ago and never came close to what the big stars earn today. But I haven’t got a problem with it. You go anywhere in the world now and you will see Premier League football. Our games are shown in 280 countries.

“It is a huge, huge commodity and if you are good enough to be in it at the highest level, then good luck to you.

“Earn whatever you can for however long you can as far as I am concerned.”

As Wolves park the really physical work to start kicking footballs again on their second week back, McCarthy is adamant that many elements of his game have never changed. But some have.

“Nobody comes back overweight after pre-season training anymore, not like they did in my day,” he laughed as they packed their bags in Kildare yesterday.

“They come back at about 85% of where they left off on the last day of the season and we never did that.

“They used to get us fit to train at this stage of pre-season, now we just have to get them fit to play.

“If we had a Europa League game next week for instance, my players would cope with it. No problem.”

In McCarthy’s eyes, only the cast has changed as far as the Premier League drama is concerned.

“The game of football in England has changed a lot in certain respects but when you get down to it, it is still the same play going on with a different cast of actors. That’s all,” insisted the former Ireland boss.

“I still see good lads and great lads, hard workers, idle lads, fabulous players, good raconteurs.

“It’s the same group, the same play, the same movie being played out but just by different actors.’’