Big Mick McCarthy
Former Celt Derek Whyte believes that his old team-mate Mick McCarthy was the forgotten hero of last season’s Premiership campaign.
Roy Hodgson, Harry Redknapp and Carlo Ancelotti were all praised and amongst the end of season honours with big Mick largely ignored despite keeping Wolves up following promotion from The Championship.
Reading striker Kevin Doyle was McCarthy’s biggest investment costing £6m with his value trebling on the back of scoring 9 of the club’s 32 Premiership goals.
Whyte has become an expert on Premiership football hosting coverage from Dubai alongside Rob McCafferty on the Showtime Arabia network.
A seven day week tracking every story, transfer, angle and rumour culminates in two marathon weekend shows featuring every Premiership fixture with special guests joining the show such as Kenny Dalglish, Ron Atkinson and Peter Reid to add their know-how and insight.
With Dubai as his base Whyte is never short of former team-mates looking for a get together and was delighted to see his old sidekick from Celtic’s Centenary season keeping Wolves in the top flight.
He admitted: “Mick has been a big pal of mine ever since we played together at Celtic and I’m thrilled by his success with Wolves, he had a magnificent season without a big budget.
“There are no sides to Mick, he tells you as it is. He’s very honest and experienced and did a great job taking a team of Championship players up and staying in the Premiership.
“There were a few times when I was getting worried about them but they changed their formation a couple of times and it paid off.
“Kevin Doyle was fantastic, he played on his own a lot and the amount of running that he did was incredible.
“Wayne Rooney sometimes plays a similar role, obviously he’s better at it, but Doyle did fantastically up front on his own, working the back four and getting a great return in front of goal.
“A lot of times last season I’d listen to Mick’s interviews and he’d been asked ‘another draw, another point’ and he’d reply that it was another one closer to safety. Again it’s an honest answer and it worked out for him.”
Wolves’ season wasn’t without controversy with McCarthy hung out to dry after fielding a shadow team away to Manchester United ahead of a crucial home match with Burnley.
On the back of a surprise win at Spurs McCarthy was slaughtered by critics and supporters for raising the white flag at Old Trafford with the club getting a suspended fine for their troubles.
The home win over Burnley, making it six points out of nine, did little to quell the criticism of the team selection against Manchester United but Whyte believes that the Wolves boss was perfectly entitled to do whatever he felt was best for his side.
Whyte added: “I was a bit annoyed with the fuss over the side he picked at Old Trafford. He’s the manager and it’s his choice.
“I heard supporters saying that they paid good money to watch their team have a chance of winning at Old Trafford because Manchester United might be resting a few players but that’s rubbish.
“When do Manchester United ever play a weakened side in the league at Old Trafford? They very rarely lose there.
“The players that Mick selected were part of his first team squad, he didn’t do anything wrong, the criticism was absolute nonsense.
“If he’d went with his strongest team would they have won? Probably not. He had every right to field that team at Old Trafford.”
Whyte added : “The other Premiership managers appreciate Mick and get on well with him. We had Dennis Wise on our show and he said that Mick would always phone him back straight away, a lot of managers don’t bother returning calls.
“He’s did a great job at Wolves, it’s difficult keeping them up.
“What he did with Ireland in the 2002 World Cup was remarkable as well, they got out of a tough qualifying group ahead of Holland then there was all the pressure with Roy Keane.
“Mick is a top manager, Wolves fans won’t be happy to hear it but he could go up to another level.
“He’s vastly experienced and for me was one of the nominations for manager of the season on our show. Roy Hodgson and Ancelotti were there as well but it’s easier when you have brilliant players but Mick was right up there.”
Whyte’s Celtic career was over by the time that Martin O’Neill revitalised the club and travelled as a supporter to the UEFA Cup Final in Seville.
That period gets Celtic supporters misty eyed as they recall the great night’s supplied by the team built around the inspirational Henrik Larsson.
O’Neill has taken a similar philosophy to Aston Villa but after four years of progress without silverware some Villa fans are getting restless for the mythical next level.
Finishing above Liverpool in the Premiership, a final and semi-final appearance in both cup competitions would keep most fans happy but the relationship between the former Celtic boss and the Villa faithful has gone stale.
What’s next for Villa and O’Neill is up for debate but from his vantage point in Dubai Whyte believes that it would be suicidal for Villa to part company with O’Neill.
The former hoops defender added: “I found it remarkable when I heard that Villa had been booed off the park in some matches.
“We’ve heard the rumours that’s he’s fallen out with Randy Lerner and might be moving on but I think that some supporters are getting carried away.
“Consistently finishing in the top six or seven and reaching semis and finals is good going.
“We had Ron Atkinson on our show and he felt that they were missing a Dwight Yorke type player. They have a lot of good attacking players but no-one that’s tricky or can do something out of the ordinary to light the place up.
“Martin’s sides are structured and well organised, maybe there is something missing. That’s maybe why the fans get restless but I think that they’ve had a great season.
“He sticks to what he is good at, he was successful at Leicester and Celtic, he likes his centre backs to be big and to play the ball forward quick and direct. That formula works for him.
“Martin buys British players, he knows what he’s getting and I don’t see him changing. He’s been in the game too long to go trying to change formations or their style of play.”
After a short end of season break Whyte is gearing himself up for a World Cup special at Dubai’s Meyden racecourse alongside McCafferty.
Eleven World Cup roadshows will see the Showtime Arabia duo build up to the big matches with special guests such as Peter Reid and Steve McManaman making appearances as pundits.
As he enjoys his life in the gulf sunshine the former Celtic and Scotland defender remains full of admiration for his former team-mates involved in the day-to-day strife of management.
He added: “I love football but after a spell in management with Partick Thistle I know that that side of the game isn’t for me. It’s a 24 hour job, you can’t sleep and are always thinking about the next match, the next training session, the next opponents.
“The guys that can live with that have my admiration- they deserve the big money.
“I’ve got a great job in a nice country with a good lifestyle. I’m still involved with football and it’s fascinating to meet people in the game when they come out here and get to know them better spending a day together watching and discussing football.”
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