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He was a sharp operator, perhaps too sharp for his own good, but he spotted what was wrong with the game and had the guts to push through some reforms to deal with the problems. He has left a large gap and I’m terrified of the people who are jostling to fill it.Neck and cropperSports writing requires the frequent sticking out of your neck, and my nape bears too many scars for me to snigger at the misfortune of others in this respect.However, it is a struggle to suppress a smile at those of the breed who had to munch their way through a mountain of words after the second day of the First Test of the Ashes series in Brisbane on Friday.The Australian press particularly enjoyed dismembering England’s first-day struggles, as you would expect. But they were fortunate in that their words were read before the contrasting fortunes of the second day.Thanks to the time warp, the vitriolic verdicts of the English press appeared on our breakfast tables after Friday’s transformation. Some fared better than others because they were circumspect enough to allow for a freak occurrence, like England playing well.Others dived in with a strangely gleeful note, giving the impression that some of their condemnations had been carefully polished on the long flight over there. They will remember in future that no English ball team can be trusted to do anything predictable, as they may well have proved again by the time you read this.The Aussies won the sarcasm prize.

Under the headline “Is There Anyone in England Who Can Play Cricket?” one writer scoffingly suggested that Prince Charles had been asked to join the team but had replied: “I can’t bat, but Camilla Parker Bowles.” All very hilarious and all very egg-faced.. So Mick McCarthy finally buckled under the pressure that the media had developed, even nurtured, against him and resigned That is two managers I’ve lost within a month. Careless? Or just part of everyday life on Planet Football?

So Mick McCarthy finally buckled under the pressure that the media had developed, even nurtured, against him and resigned That is two managers I’ve lost within a month. He inherited an ageing squad and successfully altered the framework and style of our football by developing a group of youngsters alongside a few older, wiser players.

This is never easy at any level, club or country, but Damien Duff, Robbie Keane, Ian Harte and others blossomed under his tutelage and the on-field guidance of people such as Steve Staunton and Niall Quinn.Apart from the last defeat by Switzerland he ensured we remained unbeaten at home, a fortress mentality that went a long way to helping us qualify for the last World Cup and very nearly for the Euro 2000 tournament. Remember, we only failed then by the narrowest of margins, the away-goal rule benefiting Turkey after Macedonia had equalised against us with only 12 seconds remaining.The World Cup was a success. We reached the last 16 and were knocked out only on a penalty shoot-out. I know we should have done better against the 10 men of Spain, but when we were drawn against Portugal and Holland in the qualifying groups, people thought we would never even make the trip.

Some of those who have heckled him for our failure to beat Spain would have “ripped arms off” if they had been offered reaching that stage before qualifying actually started. So I do not think performances have done for him.What about Roy Keane and the saga at Saipan? It never left McCarthy. Every interview and press conference was dominated by the ghost of Roy, and he knew that there were sections of the media just waiting to plunge their pencils into the fleshier parts between his shoulder blades. Accepting criticism is part of being an international manager but there has been a real frenzy against McCarthy that his side’s performances do not justify.Therefore it is probably no great shock he decided to step out of the firing line and pursue club management. Every Premiership or big club job that comes up now will be potential work for him, and deservedly so. The daily involvement that he enjoys and a much bigger salary look exceedingly attractive compared to the increasingly vitriolic character assassinations that he has endured since June.I do, however, think it is really important that we don’t let this issue become a Mick versus Roy one.