James McCarthy uses the head and ignores Caldwell

James McCarthy has ignored the advise of Gary Caldwell and will make his full international debut for Ireland against Brazil tomorrow night.

The long road from being rejected by the Scotland u-16 squad to becoming a full internationalist for Ireland will be completed when Giovanni Trapattoni gives the Wigan midfielder his first full cap.

Despite the many obstacles that were put in front of him and hostility throughout the country Caldwell thought that he might be able to sweet talk the 19-year-old into an international u-turn.

McCarthy listened, smiled and ignored Caldwell and will be welcomed warmly into the full Irish set up against Brazil tomorrow night.

"He had a chat with me but nothing was going to change," McCarthy admitted about the Caldwell approach, apparently made with the approval of Craig Levein.

"He (Levein) spoke to Gary about it, as I say, because Ireland have done so well for me in everything they've done for me, I was delighted to be part of it.

"It's a bit frustrating when it keeps coming back now and again. I don't know where it's coming from, I don't know who's saying it, I just have to block it out and just get on with my own game. 

"I got a couple of phone calls from Ireland asking what's happening but I told them from day one that nothing was happening and it's just paper talk."

"Liam Brady was on and I told him nothing was happening and he said to keep working hard at my club and see what happens.

"Scotland said I wasn't good enough, Ireland came in and I was delighted to go and represent Ireland especially for my granddad who was so proud.

"I was told by my advisor at the time that he asked Scotland to put me in a squad, but they said we'll leave him now, he's not better than what we got. 

"Ireland came over and watched my first game and put me in. It was Seán McCaffrey who came over himself and he is a really good fella, he looked after me and my family."

McCarthy won't be a fully fledged internationalist in the eyes of Fifa until he plays a competitive match but even the persuasive powers of Caldwell will find it tricky to turn the situation around.

Portsmouth's Marc Wilson will also be making his full international debut for Ireland after turning his back on Northern Ireland.

The Belfast based association are far from happy about the number of players from the six counties who are opting to join up with the Football Association of Ireland with Everton's Shane Duffy following the example of Derry born Darron Gibson in moving south to experience international football.

With attention turning towards McCarthy the Duncan Ferguson of Irish football, Stephen Ireland, continues his international exile at Manchester City where he regularly pops up questioning the important and purpose of international football.

Paul Hyland of the Evening Herald has produced a great article on the background and politics involved in these decisions CLICK HERE to read it.

Dublin Diary: Trapattoni's high praise for James McCarthy

by Joe McHugh Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni has spoke in glowing terms about James McCarthy and gone as far as comparing the teenager with two of the greatest players that Italy has ever produced.

The midfielder from Castlemilk, overlooked by Archie Knox for Scotland, has been named in the full Ireland squad for next week's Emirates Stadium friendly against Brazil alongside Aiden McGeady and Robbie Keane.

Despite the overtures of Craig Levein, and attention of Gary Caldwell, McCarthy has never wavered from his decision to play for Ireland and has respected the FAI's decision not to fast-track him into earning a phoney cap to prevent him from changing his mind.

Trapattoni hasn't even attempted to win over the Irish media or public in the manner of Jack Charlton and has been criticised for failing to attend a single Eircom League match despite being international manager.

The former Juventus manager has remained at his base in Italy and avoided the networking that countryman Fabio Capello has put in attempting to build a squad to lift the World Cup.

McCarthy has started just seven Premiership games since moving from Hamilton to Wigan, all of them since the turn of the year, but has done enough to earn the praise of his international boss.

Trapattoni said: "McCarthy can play right, left. I saw him two or three times. I'd like to ask him which position he likes. He can play behind the striker, sometimes left, sometimes right -- we need to look at his quality and personality.

"Sure he has talent -- like Rivera, Mazzola, they became very great with experience. They had good quality. It's important when this personality develops. He's fast and confident on the ball. He could be important for us.

"Yes, there was a danger that he could go to Scotland. If we speak too much about players, the other countries would be there waiting." 

McCarthy is one of three new faces brought into the full international squad as Ireland attempt to move on from their controversial World Cup exit to France.

A rigid 4-4-2 formation throughout their World Cup qualifying campaign made Ireland hard to beat but was perceived as being inflexable by many supporters.

After difficult campaigns under Brian Kerr and Steve Staunton the Irish have got high hopes of qualifying for the 2012 European Championships with the development of McCarthy crucial to Trapattoni's plans.

He added: "We try the players, they change the system. I have an idea that it's possible to change when players can adapt themselves to the change. 

"It's not the system, it's the players. I can't put it in practice unless I have the players. At this moment, no, it's not possible to change. 

"Maybe with (James) McCarthy when he becomes experienced, it's possible to change. Before me, the system was different, but Ireland lose. For me, it was important to look at a system and adapt it to the players. I have used many, many systems, not always 4-4-2."

Elsewhere in Dublin there is speculation that Portsmouth's on-loan midfielder Jamie O'Hara could be thinking over electing to play for Ireland.

The decision of Everton defender Shane Duffy, a regular for the Northern Ireland u-21 side, to switch to Ireland has been greeted with some delight.

Nigel Worthington was forced to admit at his squad announcement that Duffy had chosen to move south to further his international career, following the example set by Darron Gibson of Manchester United.

Sadly, but not surprisingly, Cork City have been denied a licence to play in the top division but a supporters group has been set up to continue football in the city and are hopeful of kicking off the new season in Division One against Derry City.

The Cork supporters have been working closely with the 400 Group at Shamrock Rovers who have revived the club from the ashes with Neil Lennon's development squad visiting Tallaght Stadium tonight in front of a sell-out 6,500 crowd.

Big Mick gets the result as Wolves hit mid-table

Mick McCarthy had the last laugh on the amateur assassins that had been ready to pounce if Wolves had lost to Burnley.

A 2-0 win over Owen Coyle's side sent Wolves soaring up the table into 12th place just days after being slaughtered for his selection policy against Manchester United.

Making ten changes for the trip to Old Trafford had provided an instant talking point as the Wolves boss virtually handed over the points when he posted his team-lines.

McCarthy's logic was that he needed his main players fresh for the Burnley fixture which as today's result has proved was indeed a genuine six-pointer with Wolves ahead of Burnley on goal difference.

Since announcing his team to face Manchester United the former Celtic centre half has been constantly questioned on the decision and even joked that he'd received text messages from Tiger Woods and Thierry Henry thanking him for deflecting attention. A contract from Gillette however is unlikely for big Mick.

Straight-talking is McCarthy's middle named as he confirmed after today's win.

He said: " Did the win justify my midweek team selection? I'm not looking for it at all, justification or vindication.

"It is all about results. People's opinions of my decisions, I'm not bothered with. One or two people's opinions of me, and my character, I might have trouble with but I'm not going to appease people just because we won. I'm not really bothered.

"I have to be able to manage the club, manage the players, maximise my resources, pick teams and be trusted with it by everyone concerned.

"The day I'm not trusted is the day I get out of the door, isn't it? So I have to be allowed to do that. We've had nine points out of 12 since the Birmingham game and people who were here when we played Birmingham would never have thought that.
"I am delighted but I kind of expected it because of the decisions I made. The nice part was the players believed in me and trusted me and let me get on with it.

"They were 100% behind the decisions I made and they played well today and won the game."

Anything less than a Burnley win and it would have been open season on McCarthy, especially after the way that Fulham turned over Manchester United.

In season 2005/2006 McCarthy was in charge of Sunderland who were relegated with a miserable 15 points breaking various Premiership records along the way.

The attention of the Premiership circus will move on from Wolves this week, leaving big Mick to get on with his job of establishing Wolves, and himself, in the top flight.