Matt Holland: If Roy wants to play, good. Any top side would welcome him

So Mick McCarthy finally buckled under the pressure that the media had developed, even nurtured, against him and resigned. That is two managers I've lost within a month. Careless? Or just part of everyday life on Planet Football?

Why did he go? Performances? Apart from the last two defeats, which have been very disappointing, his record is excellent. He inherited an ageing squad and successfully altered the framework and style of our football by developing a group of youngsters alongside a few older, wiser players. This is never easy at any level, club or country, but Damien Duff, Robbie Keane, Ian Harte and others blossomed under his tutelage and the on-field guidance of people such as Steve Staunton and Niall Quinn.

Apart from the last defeat by Switzerland he ensured we remained unbeaten at home, a fortress mentality that went a long way to helping us qualify for the last World Cup and very nearly for the Euro 2000 tournament. Remember, we only failed then by the narrowest of margins, the away-goal rule benefiting Turkey after Macedonia had equalised against us with only 12 seconds remaining.

The World Cup was a success. We reached the last 16 and were knocked out only on a penalty shoot-out. I know we should have done better against the 10 men of Spain, but when we were drawn against Portugal and Holland in the qualifying groups, people thought we would never even make the trip. Some of those who have heckled him for our failure to beat Spain would have "ripped arms off" if they had been offered reaching that stage before qualifying actually started. So I do not think performances have done for him.

What about Roy Keane and the saga at Saipan? It never left McCarthy. Every interview and press conference was dominated by the ghost of Roy, and he knew that there were sections of the media just waiting to plunge their pencils into the fleshier parts between his shoulder blades. Accepting criticism is part of being an international manager but there has been a real frenzy against McCarthy that his side's performances do not justify.

Therefore it is probably no great shock he decided to step out of the firing line and pursue club management. Every Premiership or big club job that comes up now will be potential work for him, and deservedly so. The daily involvement that he enjoys and a much bigger salary look exceedingly attractive compared to the increasingly vitriolic character assassinations that he has endured since June.

I do, however, think it is really important that we don't let this issue become a Mick versus Roy one. It may be perceived as such, but down that path lies terrible division. Hyping up a battle between two personalities will not benefit the Republic's football, as has been proved in the past few months.

Who for the job then? Take your pick from the following list – Bryan Robson, Peter Reid, Niall Quinn, Reid and Quinn, John Aldridge and Joe Kinnear. Some have already ruled themselves out of contention verbally or by taking other jobs, such as John Toshack and David O'Leary. The FAI are not awash with cash, so money will be an issue as they try to make an appointment before our next Euro 2004 tie in February.

The first issue for whoever takes the job is: will Roy Keane play? I am not so sure he will, although if he did it would benefit us because he still is our best player and drives us from the centre of midfield. He did say that he would play again if McCarthy was not manager, but he is 31 years old, recovering from an awkward operation and injury, and is very loyal to Manchester United.

Paul McGrath, the former centre-half for the Republic, suggested earlier in the week that Keane would not play. He is supposed to be on speaking terms with Keane so maybe it was an insight into the man's private thoughts. Alan Shearer retired from international football at 30 because he wanted to devote his last good years to Newcastle United and maybe Keane feels the same way about Manchester and his mentor, Sir Alex Ferguson.

We will find out in due course, but the man himself has been silent on the topic so far. I don't know what the reaction in the dressing room will be if he does want to play. Most players are fed up with the whole ongoing saga from the summer and just want to get on with football, which I think neatly sums up why McCarthy resigned.

From my point of view, if Roy plays, all well and good. He is a top-class footballer and any side would want him. If he doesn't play, well that would probably be acceptable too because we have not played with him for five months and it will be up to the players who lost the first two Euro 2004 qualifiers to put matters right.

That is not a cop-out but rather indicative of my weariness about the whole issue. And as for McCarthy, I will not remember him as the man who sent Roy Keane home. I will remember him as the man who picked me for the Republic and brought me great success in the green shirt. His record will survive longer than that high-profile squabble and should be his monument to Irish football.

Matt Holland, the Republic of Ireland international, was talking to Iain Fletcher