To nobody's surprise, Mick McCarthy was yesterday re-appointed manager of the national team for another two years. He will again be assisted by Ian Evans who will also continue to manage the under-21 squad.

Their existing contracts do not expire until February but by making the announcement before Saturday's critical European Championship game in Macedonia, the FAI wished to make a statement of faith in McCarthy's stewardship.

Talks on the matter began only three weeks ago and in making the announcement, Bernard O'Byrne, the FAI's chief executive, said the association was gratified that the process had been concluded, so soon.

"We are happy that we were able to reach an agreement so quickly and that the negotiations were conducted on such amicable terms," he said. "Essentially, there was never much doubt about the outcome for our minds had been made up over the last four years."

It means that the management team can leave for Macedonia this morning without, as McCarthy observed: "A gun being put to our heads".

"It's nice to know that we've done enough to please people, otherwise, I guess we wouldn't be offered the chance of carrying on with the work we enjoy doing," he said. "We've had our good times and the occasional disappointment as well, of course, in the last four years but generally, I think we've made good progress.

"If we win on Saturday and go through to the finals, I believe that we will have made wonderful progress. The players are now on the brink of the success they deserve and with decent luck, they'll get it."

McCarthy made it a condition of his reappointment, that his partnership with Evans would stay intact and he was quick to pay tribute to the man who has been at his side for so long - first at Barnsley and later, Millwall.

"I don't think we could have progressed as we did without Ian Evans," he said. "I am grateful for his assistance and encouragement - he has been an important part of the development of the squad over the last four years."

With his immediate future secured, McCarthy was able to hold court on Saturday's big test, with perhaps, even more authority than usual. And he lost no time in defining the battle lines.

"If both teams play to their limits, we'll win, for I believe that we're a better side than Macedonia.

"Likewise, I think Croatia will beat Yugoslavia in Zagreb and that the two results will combine to put us into the finals.

"That said, nobody should underestimate the size of the job in Macedonia. They are not going to lie down, anything we get out of the game, we'll have to earn."

On the last occasion that McCarthy took a team to Skopje, he returned disillusioned after the Macedonians, helped by two penalties, had recovered from the shock of conceding an early goal to Alan Mcloughlin, to win 3-2. Now, with the benefit of hindsight, he believes that a lot of positives came out of the game.

"Disappointing as it was at the time, I feel that in the long run, it made us a better team. For one thing, that game convinced me of the wisdom of reverting to a flat back four.

"It also changed my thoughts on certain players. I made certain alterations in the team for the next game in Romania and that was the start of a rebuilding progress that has taken us to where we are today."

With Robbie Keane's recovery from an ankle injury confirmed and Lee Carsley returning to Blackburn with a badly swollen foot, the manager confirmed that he will not be calling up anybody to fill the midfield vacancy in the squad.

Jason McAteer, out of football since sustaining an injury which defied all treatment for five months, returned to Blackburn's reserve team on Tuesday night, at least a month too late to give himself a realistic chance of playing in the last game in the group. "The loss of Lee, coming on top of the withdrawal of Roy Keane is, of course a big blow," said McCarthy. "But I'm still happy with what I've got. Now let's get on with the job of winning the game."

Meanwhile, McCarthy has rejected the opportunity to recall former captain Andy Townsend to his squad as a possible replacement for injured Roy Keane.

Townsend retired from international football two years ago but has always said he would be available in a crisis.

The former Middlesbrough and Aston Villa star, however, was not fit for West Brom's game against Wolves last Sunday and McCarthy said: "He's still not fit."

The under-21s final qualifier tomorrow in Macedonia is just an academic exercise and the FAI have warned that the job of manager will be reviewed at a later date.

Former Republic senior team boss Eoin Hand and ex-Ireland defender Chris Hughton, now on the coaching staff at Tottenham, are seen as likely future challengers to Evans in the under-21 role.