McAteer absolves McCarthy of blame

Jason McAteer insists Mick McCarthy should shoulder none of the blame for his nation’s World Cup row.

McAteer says the Football Association of Ireland have taken the easy option by accepting McCarthy’s decision to quit this week.

And the Sunderland star added that while he hopes to see Roy Keane return for his country, Keane himself must wholly accept the repercussions of his walkout.

McAteer, who became involved in his own row with Keane which resulted in the Manchester United skipper being sent off in an elbowing incident at the Stadium of Light, said: “Roy made the decision to leave the World Cup.

“Roy is not a fool and he’s not a nasty person, but he left Mick to pick up the pieces and fight the journalists.

“Now they (the journalists) have stabbed him in the back. A lot of journalists didn’t want Mick in the first place and he’s proved them wrong - what he’s achieved is unbelievable.”

McAteer branded McCarthy’s departure a “disgrace” and derided the “weak people” who let him leave.

Ireland have made a dreadful start to their European Championship qualifying campaign and lost their first two matches, but McAteer says it is hard to believe that those results forced McCarthy out.

“It is a great loss and a great shame, and a lot of people want some answers,” McAteer told TalkSport’s ‘No Nonsense Sports Breakfast’.

“It’s really disappointing that after losing two games he should get the bullet. It’s hard to realise what’s going on in the game at the moment.”