THREE points this afternoon would gladly do as a belated anniversary gift for Mick McCarthy. Forget about sending him a bunch of red and white roses or even a card from a local supermarket, all he wants is a home win.

It was 12 months yesterday when McCarthy was officially unveiled as the successor to Howard Wilkinson at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland were heading out of the Premiership and there was not a lot he could do about it.

Redundancies followed, and numerous big-earning star names were allowed to leave. Now it is a whole different ball game.

At 2.45 this afternoon, McCarthy will stand tall in the home dressing room preparing his players for a crucial fixture with West Ham United, knowing victory will push them back among the play-off places in Division One. A far cry from March 12, 2003, when the Yorkshireman arrived in the North-East and inherited a deflated bunch of millionaires.

Returning to club football management from a six-year stint in charge of the Republic of Ireland could have been difficult to wrestle with.

But McCarthy - whose final few months on the international scene were marred by a well-publicised row with Manchester United skipper Roy Keane - has warmed to life on Wearside and it has not taken much adjusting to.

"It feels like I've been here longer some days," says McCarthy, whose only other spell managing in the Football League was with Milwall between 1992-96. "I've enjoyed it; and it's got better since I started.

"I had some good times and bad times with Ireland and Millwall and now it's the same here, already. But I do enjoy being back among the lads and having daily contact with people and the players.

"At international level you don't get into a routine because there is so much time out. You tend to go and watch games around the country in international football, but you know your squad anyway if all the players are fit.

"It just hasn't got that same feeling which you get when you are involved on a Saturday afternoon. I don't miss being sat in the stands on a match-day."

It may be a year since McCarthy took over on Wearside yet he is keen to stress that, even now, he tries to discount his first couple of months in the job.

His first nine games in charge of the Premiership strugglers ended in defeat. Add to those the six lost during the Wilkinson regime and Sunderland started life in the Nationwide with a 15-game losing streak hanging over their heads.

Two more followed - to Nottingham Forest and Millwall in August - and Sunderland were one defeat away from equalling Darwen's 104-year-old record of 18 successive League losses.

A win at Preston spared their blushes and McCarthy and Co have not looked back.

"I would have dismissed the end of the Premier League had I been given the choice," said McCarthy. "I took the job with a view to starting the job properly at the beginning of this season.

"At the time I said we would try to stay up but the reality was I was in charge of a team going down. I don't beat myself up over the first nine games.

"At the start of this season, I just thought it was a legacy of everything that had gone on before. This season's results are my record."

Sunderland need to avoid defeat against the Hammers this afternoon if they want to keep their goal of a top two finish in sight.

West Ham are third and are five points ahead of Sunderland, who are a point adrift of the final play-off place occupied by Millwall.

Jason McAteer is struggling to recover from a couple of knocks picked up in the pulsating 3-3 draw with Preston on Wednesday.

McAteer is likely to join Julio Arca on the absent list today and that could mean a start for Sean Thornton, who curled in a superb free-kick against North End after coming on as a substitute.

Since Sunderland lost 3-2 at West Ham in December, McCarthy's side have lost just twice in 14 matches.

But Alan Pardew has steered the Londoners through a tricky spell and back on track and they are unbeaten in ten games.

McCarthy said: "They have signed a few more players since we played them last and they have got a settled group now. It was a turning point for both clubs that game.

"Alan has been able to spend a few quid and he has put his mark on that squad."

Ahead of Sunderland's second of three consecutive home fixtures, McCarthy added: "The crowd here have been fantastic and I have seen some of the reasons why I came to the club in recent games - the level of support, the passion.

"They appreciated what we did the other night when we went a goal up twice against Preston with ten men."

Promotion on the agenda, an FA Cup semi-final place and the prospect of possibly playing in the UEFA Cup next season. It's not been a bad 2004 for McCarthy.

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