The Mick McCarthy era finally gets underway this evening, when the Republic of Ireland travel to take on Gibraltar in the opening game of their Euro 2020 Qualifying campaign. It is a game Ireland will be expected to win, with the hosts one of the minnows of European football.
McCarthy has managed to fit both Matt Doherty and Seamus Coleman into the starting XI, with the Wolves man playing wide right in a midfield four. Enda Stevens gets the nod at left back, while David McGoldrick and Sean Maguire will be called upon to provide the goals up front.
While Ireland will be expected to emerge with a comfortable victory from today's game, McCarthy is certainly not taking the opposition for granted. Speaking he ahead of the clash, he said:
I've just been watching them and I know what strengths they've got. I'm hoping they've got some weaknesses.
I respect the opposition, whoever we're playing. We have to be really on the top of our game and make sure we do everything properly.
I saw a really committed team. They've got games now at home, which is vitally important. They'll have a huge sense of pride.They're extremely well organised and there's some good technical players in there. They're a capable team.
After a long few months since McCarthy returned to the role he vacated in 2002, the Ireland manager admitted that it will be a relief to finally get back onto the pitch:
I’m just looking forward to get playing now, it’s been four months.
I seem to have been everywhere, spoken to everybody. I’m not sure there are questions you can ask me that I can answer any differently until we’ve had a game. So I’m really looking forward to playing.
