Republic of Ireland international Jason McAteer has lashed out at the journalists who he believes stabbed Mick McCarthy in the back. McAteer has said McCarthy should shoulder none of the blame for the whole Roy Keane saga adding that it is Keane himself who must wholly accept the repercussions of his walkout in the summer.
Although McAteer has said he would love for Keane to return to the international set-up, he remains very sympathetic to McCarthy's involvement in the affair. "Roy made the decision to leave the World Cup. Roy is not a fool and he's not a nasty person but he left Mick to pick up the pieces and fight the journalists," explained the Sunderland winger.
"Now they (the journalists) have stabbed him in the back. A lot of journalists didn't want Mick in the first place and he's proved them wrong - what he's achieved is unbelievable," he added.
McAteer has also described McCarthy's sudden exit as a disgrace and claimed the FAI took the easy option by accepting his decision to quit. "It is a great loss and a great shame, and a lot of people want some answers," McAteer told TalkSport's `No Nonsense Sports Breakfast' programme. "It's really disappointing that after losing two games he should get the bullet. It's hard to realise what's going on in the game at the moment."
Filed by Amanda Fennelly
