McCarthy lets young lions off the leash

BillGeorge
Olomouc
THREE of Mick McCarthy's 'young lions' will play their first senior international in today's friendly against the Czech Republic.
Alan Maybury, the Leeds full-back, and Charlton midfielder Mark Kinsella were yesterday told they are joining Damien Duff in a team selection that must qualify as the youngest in history. The average age of the Irish team that starts the match is 23 and McCarthy made it clear he will introduce other uncapped players like Robbie Keane (Wolves), Rory Delap (Derby) and Tottenham full-back Stephen Carr if the opportunity arises.
"I asked for permission to introduce as many subs as we want" said McCarthy, "but I don't want to dilute the experience we have available to us too much at the start."
Carr must be considered unlucky for of the newcomers in the squad he is the one with most experience in the Premiership, being in his second season in the Spurs' first team.
It is not a complete surprise, however, that Maybury was given preference over him on the strength of his performance against Northern Ireland in the recent "B" International. Maybury was outstanding then, a very live candidate for the Man of the Match award, and while currently out of the Leeds first team he has played regularly this season.
The match will be a huge test of them and of the entire Irish team for the Czech Republic must be rated among the top teams in Europe even if they missed out on qualification for the World Cup finals in France.
They probably suffered in the World Cup because of their exertions in the 1996 European Championship finals in England, when they lost the final on a 'Golden Goal' to Germany.
While this match is of no consequence in a strictly competitive sense it will be the Czech's first under new manager, Jozef Chovanec, and they are sure to be motivated by that. The importance of the game to the Irish is self evident as well and McCarthy summed it up when he said: "This is a great opportunity for the younger players.
"I'd be daft if I didn't think that some of them have not got a better chance of getting into the squad, if not into the team then certainly into the squad."
This is the incentive for the youngsters quite apart from the desire any professional will have to play at the top level and improve his standing in the game, his reputation and, of course, his earning power. And McCarthy made it clear he is looking for new additions.
"I still feel the squad needs to be built up," he said. "Some of the older ones are coming to the end, some have already left during my managership and their places have got to be filled. I want to win the game but at the end of it I won't be too concerned about the result if we get good performances."
There is the rub, of course, for it can be virtually impossible for an inexperienced player to make an impact in a team that is struggling to cope. But McCarthy has confidence these youngsters can pull it off.
"We have done this before," he said. "We went to America with a bunch of youngsters, hoping we might get one or two out of them, and they did great; we ended up with three or four who are regulars now."
Maybury has looked a top class prospect this season, every bit as impressive in his own right as the excellent Damien Duff. And McCarthy's hopes for him were obvious.
"Maybury was excellent in the 'B' International," he said. "He was a late addition to the side and he was played at left-back, while he is naturally a right-back, but he looked completely at home."
McCarthy took the precaution of placing the team carefully to offer the newcomers as much back up as possible, which is why he switched Jeff Kenna, also a regular right-back, to the left.
Maybury will have his Leeds colleague Gary Kelly in front of him on the right of midfield, while Duff, playing left of the front three, will be backed by Kenna. McCarthy was careful to avoid having both newcomers on the same side of the pitch.
His selection of Mark Kinsella as partner to Lee Carsley in the centre of midfield is also an interesting one for it is obvious he is searching for a replacement for Ray Houghton, now close to retirement.
Kinsella can play himself into the European Championship squad as Houghton's replacement if he impresses in this match and in the upcoming friendlies against Argentina and Mexico.
"They all have a chance," said McCarthy, "but it is expecting too much to think they will all be ready for the European Championships.
"It would be a pleasant surprise and a very welcome if that happened, but obviously if we get one or two new additions to the squad this summer then that is progress.
"They're all playing in the Premier league or with prominent First Division clubs and they're playing to a high standard every week, but obviously it is a step up again to international football.
"They are very good young players and if they come through then I'll have a nice headache in selecting the team. When you think of it the more experienced players we have like Gary Kelly, Babb, McAteer, Stan (Staunton), Irwin, are not more than 30 or 31, so it means that in two years time we could have a very strong team."
Whether the Czech Republic will facilitate that process remains to be seen and much depends on their attitude to the game.
They are such an experienced group, so technically good and talented that Ireland's newcomers could face a baptism of fire.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: (4-3-3) Shay Given (Newcastle), Alan Maybury (Leeds), Kenny Cunningham (Wimbledon), Gary Breen (Coventry), Jeff Kenna (Blackburn), Mark Kinsella (Charlton), Lee Carsley (Derby), Gareth Farrelly (Everton), Gary Kelly (Leeds), David Connolly (Feyenoord), Damien Duff (Blackburn).

Hoddle turns up heat on World Cup wannabes

England hopefuls are running out of time to stake claim

by Martin Lipton
GLENN HODDLE yesterday wound up the World Cup pressure on his players as he finally admitted he has already picked more than half his squad for the finals in France this summer.
The England coach always insisted he was keeping his options open, wary of committing too many eggs to one World Cup basket. But yesterday he conceded that "12 or 13" players had already booked their places on the flight to Nantes on June 9.
And Hoddle will send out a clutch of World Cup wannabes into action in the Wankdorf Stadium tonight with the simple order to show him they should be included too.
While the snow and ice of Berne seems a million miles away from the burning sun of Marseilles on June 15, the first group game is just 83 days away.
Hoddle is left with just five games, 450 minutes, until the roll-call of 22 is unveiled on June 2. But his admission that, fitness-permitting, he has booked seats for a dozen already, will set the cat among the proverbial pigeons as his squad try to second-guess the boss.
The "certainties" are headed by skipper Alan Shearer, with David Seaman, Tony Adams, Paul Gascoigne, Sol Campbell, Paul Ince, Teddy Sheringham, Graeme Le Saux, Gareth Southgate, David Beckham, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and David Batty all pretty secure. With two other keepers to be named, Nigel Martyn and Tim Flowers lead the pack, that leaves a maximum of seven outfield places up for grabs.
But Martin Keown and Phil Neville must already be in the departure lounge, with Michael Owen - despite Hoddle's airing of possible doubts - showing his passport too.
Maybe just four places left then, and with his hand for tonight's game with the Swiss forced by a crop of injury absentees, Hoddle will give some of those possibles the chance to show him he should write their tickets out as well.
Blackburn's Flowers will earn his first cap since the Tournoi win over Italy last June, with Rio Ferdinand poised to make his first start in the heart of the backline.
Paul Merson and Steve McManaman will also see action at some point, with young Owen poised to play with skipper Shearer, although possibly alongside either Merson or McManaman behind the captain.
Hoddle explained: "Nothing is cast in stone, and there are quite a few players I want there, and hope they will be fit.
"The squad has to evolve, and it does all the time. Anybody in the squad now has to think they are in with a chance.
"Exactly who will be in the 22 is always at the back of your mind but what I've learned from all the injuries we've had over the last 18 months is that you mustn't disappoint yourself, mustn't get too uptight.
"If I put 22 down on a bit of paper now I'd only be disappointed in May when five or six might not be available.
"These games are about finding out who's going to deal with it. If everybody is fit that would be a difficult decision, but a nice one to have."
With the clock ticking loudly in the background, Hoddle says he has noticed an extra degree of enthusiasm, an extra "edge", in training over the past five days, players desperate to catch his eye.
"They're all aware that as one door shuts for somebody else, it might be opening for them, and it's up to them to take advantage," said the coach yesterday. "There aren't many opportunities between now and the summer. The players who play tomorrow are in control of the shirt and have to go and play.
"I've had to re-shape, and I've picked six or seven sides since I named the squad of 26 last week. It might be a good game to throw in a few people and see how they handle it."
The precise shape of Hoddle's team against the Swiss — new coach Gilbert Gress is in charge for the first time — will depend on Andy Hinchcliffe's Achilles injury, the Sheffield Wednesday wing-back due to start on the left if fit. McManaman could be given the right-sided role he filled in Euro 96, allowing room for both he and Merson to play, a formation which might see Robert Lee preferred to Newcastle team-mate David Batty.
Swiss coach Gress, without striker Kubilay Turkyilmaz, has a major doubt over Kaiserslautern midfielder Ciriaco Sforza, who will have a late test on a calf problem. Hoddle's biggest problem, however, is crystallising his thoughts for the summer after the problems that have put his plans on hold.
"It was always going to be my intention to play the team I want to put out against Tunisia and it may have been this game that I did it," he said. "That's been taken away now. In comparison with the situation Brazil have had in the past two years, we're motorways behind, because their players are always released and never seem to get injured.
"We're swimming against the tide, but Brazil are ahead of everybody. It's no use crying over spilt milk — we have to find another cow."
Possible teams:
SWITZERLAND: Corminboeuf (Neuchatel), Henchoz (Blackburn), Yakin (Stuttgart), Vega (Tottenham), Vogel (Grasshoppers Zurich), Wicky (Werder Bremen), Sforza (Kaiserslautern), Fournier (Servette), Sesa (Servette), Grassi (Cannes), Chapuisat (Borussia Dortmund).
ENGLAND: Flowers (Blackburn), Keown (Arsenal), Ferdinand (West Ham), Southgate (Aston Villa), McManaman (Liverpool), Lee (Newcastle), Ince (Liverpool), Hinchcliffe (Sheff Wed), Merson (Middlesbrough), Owen (Liverpool), Shearer (Newcastle, captain).

Gascoigne heading straight for Wembley debut

PAUL GASCOIGNE could step straight into a Coca-Cola Cup final clash with Chelsea following his £3.45million move to Middlesbrough.
Gascoigne has wrenched himself away from Rangers to join Boro's quest for Wembley glory and an instant return to the Premiership.
And the England midfielder could make his Boro debut at Wembley on Sunday, providing he passes a medical and proves his fitness.
Boro boss Bryan Robson hinted as much as he celebrated clinching a three-and-a-half year deal for the 30-year-old Geordie.
"I've got to assess Gazza's fitness and see what he's done with Rangers," Robson said last night. And asked if Gascoigne might be facing Chelsea, Robson replied: "He could be."
Gascoigne was Lazio-bound when he suffered a self-inflicted career-threatening knee injury while playing for Tottenham against Nottingham Forest in the 1991 FA Cup final. That was his last appearance in an English cup final but the stage is set for him to banish those memories and, with one eye on the World Cup finals, prove his fitness to England coach Glenn Hoddle.
Robson reckons Gascoigne will capture the imagination of Boro fans who have seen foreign stars Juninho, Fabrizio Ravanelli and Emerson leave Teesside in the wake of last season's relegation to the First Division.
"I'm delighted Gazza is joining us," said Robson yesterday. "He's a great player and our fans will be really excited about watching him. He'll travel down tomorrow from Scotland and join the lads in training. He'll go for his medical in the next few days."
Robson said Gascoigne's arrival underlined Boro's determination to clinch an instant return to the Premiership.
Boro are currently second in Division One and Robson said: "We want to keep trying to improve as a football club.
"When you bring quality players in like Paul Gascoigne, you're hoping you can improve. Paul should give us that little extra in midfield, which hopefully should help us achieve the ambitions we are setting ourselves.
"I've admired him for many years. His vision, control and passing are pure class and as good as anyone else in the world. Gazza had an offer from Crystal Palace and he had our offer. It was up to him to decide what he wanted and he felt he could enjoy his football with Middlesbrough. He enjoyed the challenge of trying to get us promotion."
Gascoigne's advisor Mel Stein revealed quitting Rangers was one of the toughest decisions the England midfielder has had to make in his career.
"He is very, very sad to be leaving Rangers," Stein said. "It's an enormous wrench. Paul said to me 'I've left clubs before, but I've never been so sad about leaving a club'.
"But he's looking forward. He's looking forward to the cup final on Sunday, he's looking forward to the promotion push, he's looking forward to the World Cup and he's looking forward to playing in the Premier League next year."
Stein also revealed Robson played a large part in the negotiations, just as he had done previously when it came to enticing the likes of Juninho, Ravanelli and Emerson to the Riverside. He added: "The deal has been discussed for well over a week. I can't really discuss the terms, but Bryan Robson was enormously influential as far as Paul was concerned and Rangers were very, very supportive.
"There have been meetings today with David Murray and Walter Smith and it was a very hard decision for them to let him go. I don't think there will be a problem with his medical. He's probably a bit rusty, probably not quite match fit, although he is available for the Coca-Cola Cup final."
Stein believes Gascoigne could play well into his late 30s, possibly finishing his career in the United States.
Gascoigne's move will come as a tremendous shock to Rangers fans who gave him a rapturous reception when he appeared as a substitute in last Saturday's 2-1 win over St Johnstone.

Victory for fan power over men of arrogance

by Frank Malley
FOR nine long days they clung on brazenly through all the humiliation, like desperate men hanging from a cliff with their trousers around their ankles.
Then finally, and appropriately in the twilight hours, they fell - and the football world says good riddance to disgraced Douglas Hall and Freddy Shepherd.
Call it fan power, call it a victory for values, call it the money men protecting their investment as the share price tumbled. The main thing is they are gone and football has been reminded of a valuable truth — the fans care, the fans matter, the fans are all-important.
Shepherd and Hall may own 67% of the Newcastle's shares — but they don't own the club. They are merely the custodians of the traditions, the memories, the glories, the hopes and dreams of generations.
Ultimately the club is owned by the fans and they have far more power to make and break it than any egomaniac director.
It has been all too easy in the money-mad world of the Premiership where players earn £30,000-a-week, directors cash in share options worth millions and fat cats feast on endless corporate junkets to forget where it all comes from.
Without the unswerving loyalty and blind passion of tens of thousands of people prepared every week to travel the length of the country to support their team football would die. Without the fans there would be no lucrative TV deals — no-one would be interested in screening matches, however big, from sparsely populated stadiums with no atmosphere.
Without the fans there would be no merchandising or replica shirts or club memorabilia. Without the fans there would be no cash through the turnstiles, though even with today's inflated ticket prices that is less crucial than it was.
But, most of all, without the fans the clubs would possess no heart.
The Newcastle heart this past week was kept beating by the members of the club's Independent Supporters' Association who within minutes of the first sleaze revelations had their fingers on the pulse of the club they love. Men like John Regan, the association's secretary, a proud working-class Newcastle fanatic who can only afford to let his three children share his season ticket on a rotational basis.
To Regan the situation was as black and white as the team's shirts. He was the first to demand resignations, the first to suggest Sir John Hall be restored to the helm, the first to urge fans not to protest at St James' Park but get behind the team and the first to sum up the mood of the whole of Tyneside.
"They have shamed the club, shamed the area, they are not fit to run the club," he said.
Ironically, Regan's association was never recognised by Hall or Shepherd. The arrogant directors refused to meet fans' officials, once intimating 'Why do we need you, we've got more supporters than we need.'
How ironic then that it was the association's views, the voice of the real fan spouted from almost every media outlet in the land, which sealed their fate.
The sex allegations, the drunken debauchery in Spanish brothels, made titillating reading. But that did not bring down Hall and Shepherd.
No, what really caught Hall and Shepherd in full frontal stupidity was their utter contempt for the hard-working, hard-playing people of the north-east. Their insulting dismissal of Geordie women as "dogs" and their sneering contempt at ripping off parents with the sales of replica shirts went right to the core of the fans' disgust.
You can insult some of the fans some of the time and get away with it. Most clubs do, but you can't insult all the fans all of the time.

New boy Kinsella is keen to take his chance

Charlton midfielder makes senior Irish debut with eye on Euro 2000 place

by Bill George
MARK KINSELLA, one of Ireland's three new internationals today against the Czech Republic, outshone the Premiership stars when he was voted London's Player of the Week recently on the strength of his good form with Charlton Athletic.
Kinsella's first instinct when told of his selection for Ireland was to ring home with the good news.
And he said: "Playing away from home takes a little bit of the pressure off us. There are four or five of us who have not been involved at this level before and we are all looking forward to it and hopefully we can get a good result."
Kinsella is 25 and his selection for the senior team means he has now won an international cap at every level from schools through youths, Under 21 and Senior.
He is one of eight Irish-born players in today's team and five of them played for Home Farm.
He played well in the recent 'B' International against Northern Ireland before he was forced off by injury and he said: "I had hoped to finish the match but Mick McCarthy said not to worry, that I had a good first half and that I should be pleased with myself.
"It was the first 'B' game I had played and it was nice to get back in there and get into the swing of things again, because I had not played for four or five years since the Under 21 matches."
He spoke of the opportunity being presented before the European Championship and said: "There are three games to go and it's up to us now to stay involved. We play Argentina and then Mexico and then after the summer if Charlton keep doing well they will keep looking at us."
He has played all his club football in midfield and said: "I don't mind where I play if I'm asked to play for my country and I'd be happy to play down the right if needs be."
He joined Charlton in September, 1996, and after a good first season he has blossomed this campaign and helped Charlton into a position challenging for promotion.
He scored in a 3-0 win over Crewe last Saturday and said: "This has been a very good week for me, first a goal for Charlton and now picked for my country with the seniors."
Just as excited about his elevation was Alan Maybury, the 19-year-old Leeds full-back.
Maybury could have been in the Irish team that finished in the bronze medal position in the World Under 20 Cup in Malaysia last year, but he cried off the squad.
"This was the last year of my contract with Leeds," he explained.
"I had played 55 games up to last summer and as I knew I had to make an impression with Leeds this season I thought it best to rest during the summer. Obviously you wonder when you look back, but had Ireland gone out in the group stages nobody would have questioned my decision. So you do what you believe is best at the time."
His decision was probably the right one because he has been excellent in his first team appearances and he was a brilliant success for Ireland in the 'B' match against Northern Ireland.
He joined Leeds just before his 17th birthday and actually played in the first team in his first season. Leeds' relegation struggles last year halted his progress temporarily.
"I had a look around a couple of other clubs but Paul Hart as coach was excellent and I felt Leeds was the best chance I had of making my name," said the teenager, when giving his reasons for opting for the Elland Road club.
He explained the background to his late call-up for the 'B' International by saying: "Mick McCarthy rang on the Sunday night and I wasn't in at the time and one of the other lads took the message.
"I thought it was some of the lads winding me up and even when I was talking to Mick on the phone I still felt it was someone putting on the accent, because Barnsley (McCarthy's home town) is not a million miles away.
"I didn't even tell anyone about the call-up until I got the message by fax," admitted Maybury.
He started playing football at 11 with Home Farm and was with St. Kevin's when he transferred to England and Leeds.
"This time last year I was playing Under 18, so a lot has happened in a short time," he said. "And this is a great honour."

Returned Newcastle boss urges fans to back crisis club

RETURNED Newcastle chairman, Sir John Hall, has backed Freddy Shepherd and son, Douglas Hall, and issued a rallying call to fans urging them to stay loyal despite the recent controversy.
Sir John has returned to the helm at St James' Park barely four months after he was replaced as chairman by Shepherd.
But Shepherd and Hall, a senior director, quit last night nine days after revelations about their private life were published in newspapers.
They also launched personal attacks on fans, but Sir John has defended them.
''They were the ones who got me back into football. They were the ones that brought Kevin [Keegan]. They're responsible for the stadium and all the new development, so let nobody forget what they've done for this club and the region in the past," he said.
''It's great that so many people have rallied round to carry us through this difficult time.
''The vilification of Freddy and Douglas is terrible to watch," he added. "Yes, it's been self-inflicted, but the question has to be asked, why were they targeted? Why were they set up? Why were they the subject of such an elaborate and expensive scam?"
Sir John has returned as chairman just 114 days after he stood down — handing over the reins to Shepherd.
The 65-year-old businessman, born into a mining family in North Seaton, near Ashington, is estimated to be worth over £70m.
Hall, fulfilling a lifetime goal, became chairman of the club in January 1992.
During that time he led the Magpies to a most remarkable renaissance in which they regained a place as one of England's elite clubs.
He will go down in history as the chairman who made the biggest impact on the football club.
Acting very much as a visionary and strategist, Hall guided the Newcastle club from a modest single figure turnover to a highly successful business with a turnover approaching £50m.
He has also completely redeveloped St James' Park and set up the Newcastle Sporting Club.
A Millennium Commissioner, Sir John resides at Wynyard Hall, the former estate of the Londonderry family, but he also has property on the continent.
He's married to Lady Mae and received his knighthood in the Queen's Honours List during July 1991.
He has rescued the club from the scrapheap in the past, but now he faces another challenge to very quickly restore the name of the club so damaged over the last ten days.
He'd certainly deserve a seat in the Royal Box if the club win their FA Cup semi-final a week on Sunday against Sheffield United.

Two late goals Czech-mates experimental Irish U-21 side

Czech Republic U21 3
Republic of Ireland U21 0
by Bill Pierce
WEST HAM'S teenage striker Lee Boylan survived a broken cheekbone scare after he was stretchered off unconscious following a collision 20 minutes into his Republic of Ireland U-21 debut against the Czech Republic in Drnovice yesterday.
Boylan, on the brink of breaking into West Ham's first team, was laid out when Czech goalkeeper Jindrich Skacel caught the striker flush on the chin with his knee while trying to clear a long, high through ball down the middle.
An x-ray later on revealed Boylan just suffered bad bruising.
The impact, however, was so great that goalkeeper Skacel had to limp off shortly afterwards with a damaged knee.
By the 14th minute Ireland were trailing by a goal from lively Czech winger Libor Sionko.
But they should have cleared the danger from a free kick that bounced inside the six yard box before it was forced home.
Sub Baker, from Shelbourne, was a lively menace after replacing Boylan but the Irish failed to create clear cut chances and spent much of the time on deep defence against the fast-breaking home side.
Even so it was not until seven minutes from time that the Czechs increased their lead when the ever dangerous Martin Vozabal broke through a yawning gap in the centre of the Irish defence and beat substitute goalkeeper Alex O'Reilly with a firm right foot drive.
Right at the death substitute Jan Zakopal added a third, hooking home fiercely when a corner was only half cleared.
But it might have been a different story had the Irish been awarded an obvious penalty just after the break when Alan Mahon's near-post corner was clearly handled by Czech captain Martin Cupr.
Irish manager Ian Evans, despite his side suffering late double strikes, will be happy at having blooded 11 new caps.
Aston Villa's Alan Kirby, Rotherham's Paul Dillon and Barnsley's Sean McClare all came on as substitutes as well as O'Reilly, another West Ham find, who took over from Huddersfield's Derek O'Connor after 70 minutes of play.
Although Glen Crowe battled hard up front to give the lively Baker some support the best Irish performances came in midfield and defence with Crystal Palace's wing Tony Folan always trying to be creative on the right and Brighton's Paul Armstrong showing great determination to anchor the midfield.
Czech Rep: Skacel (Raska 27), Svejnoha (L. Dosek 46), Petrous, Cupr, Lengyel, Vozabal, Jankulevski, Jarosk (Papousek 46), Pacanda (T. Dosek 46), Sedlacek (Zakopal 85), Sionko (Simak 62).
Rep of Ireland: O'Connor (O'Reilly 70), Folan, McKeever (Dillan 46), Whittle (McClare 64), Boxall, Darcy, Inman (Kirby 46), Armstrong, Boylan (Baker 22), Crowe, Mahon.

O'Brien may face surgery

by Conor George
CORK City's Colin O'Brien will meet with a surgeon in Cork today to determine whether or not he will need an operation to repair damaged cartilage in his knee.
The 23-year-old injured his knee in last Sunday's Premier Division clash with St Patrick's Athletic and could be out of competitive action for anything up to four weeks — throwing his FAI Cup dreams into turmoil.
"We are 98% certain that it is a cartilage problem and that I will need to go under the knife but I will meet a surgeon to find out just exactly what the next step will be," said O'Brien.
"The swelling has now gone all around the knee which is a bit of a worry but the next 48 hours should tell a lot.
"This is possibly the worst time to get injured with all the big games coming up.
"It is now a case of waiting and seeing and hoping for the best but I would be hopeful of being back sooner rather than later," added the Cork City player.
This latest injury blow to Cork City comes at possibly the worst time of the season for the club with Friday night's crunch league match with Shelbourne and the FAI Cup semi-final both on the horizon.
Ironically, O'Brien's injury and subsequent withdrawal from the action last Sunday gave returning midfielder Dave Hill just his second outing in the first team since he injured his knee back in November 1997.