Tony Cascarino on a bleak future, going direct, a curveball boss, and Mick v Roy

“I have to be careful, because everyone will say, ‘oh, you're being Casosaurus’. You're being a dinosaur, because I'm talking of the past. But am I going to compare it to the future? I think the future is really bleak, so I have to look backwards.

“We just haven't had the players for a long time... the demise of Irish football from when we could rub shoulders with the very best and not get beat by them...

“I mean, 2002 feels like a lifetime away. I’d just retired from football and written a book. I was with Mick McCarthy this weekend, I was chatting to him, and you sort of think, 2002, how long ago does that feel now?”

The swift unravelling of another campaign in Armenia stunned him.

“I was shocked by how easily our midfield was dismantled. And then it's compounded in defensive areas.

“Straight balls are the easiest balls to defend. And there were at least three occasions in the second half where a straight ball has caused us an enormous amount of problems. That’s a really big problem, at any level of football. It's just not on, and midfield, to me, is really concerning.”

Could it be karmic? Might the midfield generals in the sky be punishing us for once bypassing a lavishly stocked engine room, en route to men like Cas?

“I realised quite early on in my international career that Irish sport, whether it's hurling, whether it's Gaelic, is all about passion, desire and taking it to the opposition. And you know what? Everybody hated playing our era, everybody.

"I can remember being on the field with Michel, playing for Spain. He was literally pulling his hair out because he couldn't get the ball. He was actually laughing on the pitch. Butragueno, all these great players.

“I loved being part of that. That doesn't mean you have to play that way every time. Because we had Liam Brady, we had Mark Lawrenson, we had great players. We had Aldridge, Staunton, Whelan, Houghton. All played for Liverpool and they're prepared to do the things that Jack wanted to do. And none of them complained. I mean, Ronnie would complain probably a little bit more than most, but he's still prepared to do what was required. He played bloody full-back for Ireland.”

Now even with some kind of uneasy ceasefire in our long culture war about playing style, Cascarino feels we may still be slipping between two stools.

“Maybe Hungary felt it on Saturday. Oh, playing Ireland, it's so difficult.

“In the second half we got cross after cross, and we had two centre forwards and we caused havoc. They really didn't like it.

"Against Armenia, I wanted to see Idah alongside Ferguson. People might criticise me for this, but I think this team's only way of winning is by trying to play a bit more direct football.

“Now, in an era when no one wants to play two up front, I actually think it’s our best weapon. I don't see another way. I don't think we're good enough, technically, physically in midfield, but the idea is always to get that extra body in midfield.

“We are in a place where we aren't quite sure what's our best way of playing.

“I was very open about Stephen Kenny's idea. I thought it was a flawed idea because we didn't have the players to play that way.”

Heimir Hallgrimsson doesn't seem unduly wedded to a playing identity, but Cascarino feels he should stay married to Ireland, for now at least.

“I'm not a fan of someone offering their resignation so early in a group. I think you owe it to everybody involved that you have resolve, show resilience as a manager.

“I think he has to relay that message that I don't want to go. I really want to see this campaign out. If others choose differently, that's out of my control, but I'll do my utmost to make sure that we have a real hell of a go. That there's a fighting chance in us.”

And if he doesn’t?

“Chrissy Hughton is quite an interesting one, for what he's done in his career, and I think he'd love it. I know he was in the frame last time.

“And I keep thinking, would I dare say this manager's name? Because if you're looking for someone who absolutely has overachieved with players, it's Chrissy Wilder.

“I've known Chris since he was at Northampton, and know what he's capable of. Thinking of his age, he's actually right for international manager.

"Would he be a bad option? I wouldn't rule out a curveball type of manager, because that's what Jack Charlton was. It was a complete curveball."

Drawn once more to the consolations of the past.

Those salad days when we qualified for World Cups weren't without their hassles, as if we could forget. When himself and Mick chatted last weekend, of course the movie we're all waiting to see came up.

"Saipan. I'll go and see it. I asked Mick about it, and he's had nothing really to do with it. There's a million, a billion versions of Saipan. And one thing I totally agree with Mick on is what a great tournament that was for us and how well the team did under extremely bizarre circumstances. We forget that.

"I know he spoke on a video call with Steve Coogan, which was really weird, because he was trying to get Mick's accent. He wanted to perfect it.

"Mick's actually going to be doing a film himself next year, where he plays a manager caught spot fixing, so I said to him, you better get your acting boots on there, Mick. Typical Mick, he's looking forward to it.

"It split the nation in 2002, so I'm pretty sure the film won't be any different.

"I don't even know how Roy will feel about it. I'm sure, on reflection, I'd like to think he'd have big regrets over that time, but you know, like most things in life, other things were probably going on in his head at that particular time anyway."

Cascarino played his last game for Ireland in 1999, so had three years up close with the precarious Mick and Roy double act. He still speaks to one of the two.

"I know Mick. Mick lives very close to me, and Roy... Roy is Roy.

"We didn't fall out in any shape or form. Just something happened along the way, you know.

"The feeling of divide between Mick and Roy was incredible. It was like 50-50, coin flip on everything. And I was part of that squad when it was happening.

"So it was always quite on an edge. Half of Ireland would think it's Roy and others would think from the manager's perspective, that Roy shouldn't have done what he did.

"He was obviously aware of it, Mick, that when he became manager, his best player wasn't, you know.... Roy's feeling of Mick, that he wasn't his cup of tea. And Mick done everything he could, because all he was interested in is getting Ireland to play their best football and get the best out of Roy and play.

"Mick tried to deal with making the best of the relationship, but the relationship was never really there. So it was always tricky for Mick. So I always felt for him. And sometimes, you know, you'd look at Roy and Roy would have that glee on his face, like, 'Yeah, I'm a naughty boy, and what are you going to do about it?'

"I enjoyed him because I thought he was funny. He always made me laugh, but he could be intimidating and difficult. He could be that. I say, 'could be', he was that."

Tonybet brand ambassador Tony Cascarino was speaking to mark Tonybet's sponsorship of the Solonaway Stakes at Leopardstown, one of the racing highlights on day one of Irish Champions Festival at the Dublin racecourse which takes place this weekend.

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