FAI reject charges of delay in McCarthy contract

FAI officials yesterday rejected charges of dragging their feet in the completion of a new contract which will keep Mick McCarthy is charge of the national team for another two years.

Stating that it was merely a question of arranging a suitable time and place to meet with McCarthy, Bernard O'Byrne, the FAI's chief executive, said that it was hoped to sign the new agreement within "a week or 10 days".

The original contract which McCarthy accepted on succeeding Jack Charlton in February of last year, expires at the end of Ireland's involvement in the current World Cup championship.

That could happen as early as next Saturday when the Irish must beat Belgium in the return leg of their World Cup play-off in Brussels, to stay in the competition.

In what was interpreted as a response to public demand, the FAI's senior management met in May to review the manager's position and at the association's annual general meeting at Athlone in July, it was confirmed that irrespective of whether qualification for the World Cup finals was secured, he would be offered a two-year extension of his contract.

No time limit was set for the completion of the necessary documentation and after a lapse of some months, there was a growing suspicion that the association had changed tack and was now awaiting the end of the qualifying programme before acting. That theory is emphatically rejected by Bernard O'Byrne.

"It was made clear at the annual general meeting in Athlone, that the association had full confidence in Mick McCarthy and that he was being offered a new contract. That is still the situation," said O'Byrne.

Originally, there was criticism that a two-year term was too short for a new man coming into the job. McCarthy accepted it on that basis but earlier this year there were indications that he required a public show of approval by his employers.

Questioned last month on why the new deal had not been formally signed, he accepted that the blame was as much his as the association's but given the current fraught state of Ireland's World Cup qualifying programme, the indications are that he will now be seeking to have the matter expedited.

Curtis Fleming, the Middlesbrough full back, yesterday followed Denis Irwin out of the World Cup play-off against Belgium after testing his fitness in a training session at the club.

Fleming reported a hamstring problem following the game against Portsmouth on Wednesday but was hopeful that the injury would respond to treatment in time for the Brussels assignment.

Medical opinion is, however, that he will not play again for at least another 10 days and in that situation, an early announcement on his withdrawal was deemed advisable.

It catches the mood of a difficult year for Fleming who missed a number of important games in the spring before returning for Middlesbrough's eventful end of season programme.

If his chances of getting into the starting line up against the Belgians, were never better than slim, his withdrawal will have the effect of further reducing the cover available to the manager in the full back positions. It was also confirmed yesterday that Irwin sustained extensive ligament damage during Manchester United's European Champions League win over Feyenoord on Wednesday and will be out for a minimum period of six weeks.

That was no more than either Alex Ferguson or Mick McCarthy expected but in the meantime, they both face the demanding challenge of replacing a defender who is widely acknowledged within the trade, as one of the most dependable full backs in Britain.

At club level, Ferguson has several options and if McCarthy, too, will be looking at a number of permutations in the coming week, it shouldn't minimise the sense of loss which followed the announcement of his official withdrawal from the squad.

The Ireland manager is planning a trip to Elland Road today when Leeds United are hosts to Derby County. Both of Leeds' current Ireland players, Gary Kelly and Ian Harte would seem to be assured of playing in Brussels if not necessarily in the roles they filled in the first game.

McCarthy will be interested also in Lee Carsley, the Derby County midfielder who won his first cap in the 1-1 draw with Romania and then replaced Andy Townsend in the closing stages of the first Belgian game at Lansdowne Road. At this point, a place on the bench, may again represent the summit of his ambition.

Enzo Scifo suffered a reaction to a groin injury when playing for Anderlecht in their European game against Schalke 04 in midweek and now joins Eric van Meir and Lorenzo Staelens on the list of players unavailable to Belgium's manager, Georges Leekens.

Leekens plans to name his squad tomorrow.