Mick McCarthy has told his Ireland players not to lose sight of the bigger picture as their immediate focus switches to fun in the sun.
The regular Championship season is already over and Sheffield United’s Irish contingent of David McGoldrick, Enda Stevens, John Egan and on-loan Scott Hogan are part of a squad holiday to Las Vegas later this week.
Premier League players will also be getting some time away once the league campaign concludes this Sunday.
But key Euro 2020 games lurk around the corner in June with Ireland off to Copenhagen to face old foes Denmark before hosting group minnows Gibraltar in Dublin days later.
And this day two weeks, McCarthy’s squad will gather in Portugal for a week-long warm-weather training camp that serves as preparation for those games.
McCarthy is no fan of having such vital games well after the season finishes and said: “It’s not ideal, it should be earlier but that's what it is.”
Ireland giving James McCarthy time to get career back on track
But he won’t slap demands or restrictions on his players’ fun in the meantime, but is asking that they knuckle down when they return and maintain their high levels.
“The Sheffield United lads are going to Vegas on Thursday, coming back Tuesday,” he said last night.
“The way I manage it is ‘go and enjoy it because you've had 46 game in the league to get into the Premier League’.
“Me telling them to do anything else will not make a blind bit of difference. I might as well embrace it and tell them to go and enjoy it.
“I've got to trust them, haven't I? Sheffield United got promoted so they're going to go away and enjoy it. What am I going to do?
“I can’t imagine for one minute that two or three of them are going to be in the gym doing a bit while the rest are out doing what you do in Las Vegas!
“That’s counterproductive in terms of managing them. I spoke to Didsy (David McGoldrick) today and we've got plenty of time when they come back.
“His quote was 'Don't worry gaffer, I won't be wanting to do anything else when we've had four or five days in Vegas - I'll be ready to come back and train and get ready for playing'. That's what I'm hoping will be the case.”
McCarthy continued: “What I don't want is any of them to come back and play beneath what they did, certainly Didsy with what he did in Gibraltar and Georgia, and Enda.
“Scott Hogan probably scored the goal that saw them getting up and I said to them, you have to be careful that you play like you did prior to that.
“Just because you got promoted, you’ve loads of games, loads of career in front of you, it can't just end there so make sure you’re ready to come back.
“And when they do come back, make sure the legs are ticking over because the other problem is if they do nothing then they get injured when they come to us.”
Meanwhile, James McCarthy won’t be involved in the Portugal training camp or the qualifiers against Denmark and Gibraltar.
The Everton midfielder has not played for Ireland since late 2016 and only returned for the Toffees this year following a double leg break. Ireland boss McCarthy revealed his namesake is being given additional time to sort out his immediate club future.
McCarthy said: “He’s just not been playing and I did speak to him. He wants to sort his own career out, his own future out this summer.
“Other midfield players who are in the squad, I’m hardly likely to leave Jeff Hendrick, Conor Hourihane or Glenn Whelan out for him at this moment in time.
“Had he been fully fit for the last 12 months things might have been different because I think he’s one of our best players - but that’s not been the case.
“He wants to just sort himself out this summer.”
Cyrus Christie was a favourite under Martin O’Neill but is snubbed again by McCarthy who has yet to pick him. Asked why, the Ireland boss merely said: “Matt Doherty and Seamus Coleman.”
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