McCarthy's authority boosted by new contract offer

FAI attempts to persuade manager to reverse decision to step down in 2004 as Northern Ireland look to end long scoreless run

Critical knives may have been sharpened in the wake of a 4-2 defeat by Russia last month, but the Republic of Ireland manager, Mick McCarthy, still has overwhelming support from the most important people in his professional life. With the exception of a former captain up before the beak yesterday, Irish players have been queuing up to express their backing for him; and now the Football Association of Ireland wants him to stay on beyond a self-imposed deadline of June 2004.

The anti-McCarthy faction among the Irish media – surprisingly strong, given a record of two defeats in 21 competitive matches – have had five weeks of field days since the retreat from Moscow, and a gap of five months until the next qualifying games makes a good victory against Switzerland at Lansdowne Road this evening imperative. The knives would then have to be sheathed, at least until the package-tour-from-hell takes the team to Georgia and Albania in the space of five days next spring.

"When you've had a defeat, there's five weeks til the next game in which you can't work with the players and there's five weeks in which the media can go wild," McCarthy said yesterday. "I wouldn't want five months of it." To that end, he reminded his squad as soon as they met up this week of what had been achieved in the past, and warned against allowing "that worm of doubt" to make its wriggly presence felt. The players appear to have responded positively. "For some reason, people seem to be jumping on our backs," said Robbie Keane yesterday. "Mick's done a tremendous job."

McCarthy has always intended to move back into club football at the end of the current European Championship campaign – at the latest. Yesterday, however, the FAI's general secretary, Brendan Menton, suggested the possibility of matching Jack Charlton's 10 years in charge by insisting: "Mick may have his own ambitions, but we'll certainly sit down with him before the expiry of his contract." The FAI president, Milo Corcoran, added: "Our record over the past two years or so stands up to any scrutiny. And we should be proud of it."

There is justifiable pride in not having lost any of McCarthy's 17 competitive home games, a record that the rejuvenated Switzerland are in the mood to challenge. They have scored eight goals in three games this season following the return of Stéphane Chapuisat, a striker who, at 33, hardly qualifies these days to play for Young Boys of Berne.

In opposition to him today, Gary Breen is likely to remain Kenny Cunningham's partner, despite his moderate form in a struggling West Ham side. With five right-sided players missing, including Jason McAteer, Everton's Lee Carsley could well be given a first start in a competitive match for three years. The Swiss may be on a roll, but Ireland's homecoming after an unforgettable summer should still be a successful one.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND (probable, 4-4-2): Given (Newcastle Utd); Kelly (Leeds Utd), Cunningham (Birmingham City), Breen (West Ham), Harte (Leeds Utd); Carsley (Everton), Kinsella (Aston Villa), Holland (Ipswich Town), Kilbane (Sunderland); Keane (Tottenham), Duff (Blackburn).

SWITZERLAND (probable, 4-3-1-2): Stiel (Borussia Monchengladbach); Haas, Murat Yakin (both Basle), Muller (Lyon), Magnin (Werder Bremen); Cabanas (Grasshoppers), Wicky (Hamburg), Vogel (PSV Eindhoven); Hakan Yakin (Basle); Chapuisat (Young Boys), Frei (Servette).

Referee: R Pedersen (Norway).