Ireland manager Mick McCarthy is praying for a drop of rain before his side take the field in Lisbon tomorrow night.

Mick believes that the ground is too hard at the moment in the Stadium of Light and rain is the only thing that would remedy that.

Ireland travelled to Portugal yesterday to ready themselves for the challenge ahead - but they are not being given the full backing of the Irish media.

McCarthy believes that people are trying to start trouble between Roy Keane and himself, but as far as he is concerned there is not a problem and there will not be.

Roy Keane said that he was disappointed that Phil Babb and Mark Kennedy were not back in the squad because he believed that they had been punished enough.

That is Roy's opinion and Mick McCarthy has never been the dictator of the Irish team - just the manager.

But McCarthy believes the adverse publicity might actually have a positive affect on the team.

"We had a major distraction before the last match and had a great game. I know the lads hear it and then dig their heels in," insisted McCarthy.

Kickin' has not got in on the stupidity that is being shown by the media in general. Ireland are building up to a very important match and they are being provoked from every angle.

It is about time the people who are paid inflated wages to write about football did what they were paid for, instead of disrupting the Irish team in their build-up.