McCarthy: Not Pretty or Sexy But Dogged and Determined
Saturday, 10th Nov 2012 18:34

Manager Mick McCarthy admitted that his side’s performance wasn’t pretty or sexy — aside from DJ Campbell’s winning goal - but was delighted with what was a gritty win over Burnley in his first home game in charge of the Blues.

McCarthy said: “It wasn’t pretty or silky or sexy, but it was dogged and determined and all those horrible words that people don’t like, but are vital to winning games.

“The goal was silky and sexy, that was a good finish. What was nice was that having conceded a goal, I didn’t think we looked like conceding another one, whereas the other night we got a bit flaky.

“It looked like there were chances coming and then the guys who have gone on have made the chance. It’s a great finish, it was a great break.”

He was delighted to see his team hit back after Burnley’s equaliser, having lost from a similar position all too often this season: “I’m pleased with it. I’ve been stressing the importance of being hard to beat.

“It’s a league of teams that are hard to beat or try and make themselves hard to beat, try and be organised.

“I said to them beforehand, there will be times when we make mistakes and we lose goals and we lose games, but what we don’t do is we don’t give up and we don’t give in, and the performance today epitomised that.”

Before the Clarets equalised, Carlos Edwards passed to Campbell from inside the area when he might have shot, but his manager wasn’t too critical of his skipper’s decision: “I hadn’t got a great view of that. I thought that what he did was right, but he just didn’t do it properly.

“I thought Nigel Reo-Coker immediately afterwards, we had a good break there where we’d won it back and he didn’t execute the final pass, maybe that’s indicative as well.

“I’ll have a look at it Monday, maybe he could have shot. I don’t know. If you’ve got DJ Campbell on your right-hand side in a good position, I’d maybe roll it to him myself because I’d fancy him to score.”

McCarthy thought there was little to complain about in Murphy’s goal: “I didn’t think there was anything wrong with it, I thought he just stood his ground. He stood there and the keeper came and bumped into him, that’s all he did.

“I actually thought the one in the first half when he dropped it and the referee gave a freekick [wasn’t a foul], I was whinging like a drain because I thought he was giving a freekick unnecessarily.

“I can understand why Burnley are moaning about it. I haven’t seen it again, but I thought he stood his ground, and if he stands still and doesn’t back into him then I think it’s a goal, it’s legit.”

While delighted with the victory, the Blues boss did have one complaint, the way Look East portrayed his pre-match press conference.

“My press conference yesterday was full of fun,” he said. “And the bit I saw was just before it started and I was sat [slumped] like that, and they asked me the question ‘Is it a must-win game’ and I said 'Not really, but it would be nice to start like that'.

“I thought ‘What a negative perspective to put on the club’. On me, on the club. They didn’t show any of that when I was laughing and joking.

“I thought it would have been nice if they could have put a positive spin on it, we’d had three points out of six and we were coming into a home game.

"I thought they did me a disservice, I thought they did the club a disservice and made me look like I was dour and not looking forward to the game.”

Burnley manager Sean Dyche, who said Sam Vokes was claiming his side’s goal, felt his team deserved a point from the match.

Regarding Murphy’s goal, the former Watford boss was aggrieved if not angry: “I would say that I’m mildly disappointed. I’m not going to go over the top about it because I think referees have a really tough job.

“When there’s a coming together of that nature, then I think it’s fair to say in modern football that it gets given as a foul. We see them every week, even in the Premier League. I’d question the decision and I think it’s a soft one, which has gone against us."

He thought it was inconsistent given the first half decision in similar circumstances: “That was the disappointing thing.

"There has to be parity of decisions, especially key decisions. I thought the one in the first half, I was surprised, although Jason Shackell did great to react and clear it off the line. I thought that was a soft decision, but it didn’t matter because it was cleared and the game went on.

“The one the other end mattered because it went in, and they’re the big decisions which can change the feel of the game, and it changed the feel of the game, it wasn’t just the score. They suddenly believed.”

Photo: Action Images

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Tractamatt added 18:47 - Nov 10 MM 3 games 6 points 2 wins one loss, if it carries on at that rate we should be safe enough.COYB
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bluey123 added 18:51 - Nov 10 At last at last a real manager who knows how to set out a team good tactics good subs and great team selection . Exciting second half well done Mr McCarthy
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bluefeast added 18:52 - Nov 10 There was swo much thjat was good , not least Carlos in a wide right position. Smith coming back in determined and resolute. 3 points is all that matters in reality but a good gritty professional performance.
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Bergholtblue added 18:53 - Nov 10 E I E I E I O Up the football league we go!!!!! Back from match, hoarse with shouting, can't remember the last time I could say that. I know one swallow does not make a summer and I am not getting carried away, but it's not going to stop me breaking open the champers and celebrate. COYB
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floridaboy added 18:54 - Nov 10 Lets kick the so called 'Ipswich way' into touch as many on here keep banging on about and grind out results like today. Today was a grind. Personally I would be happy to watch that until the end of the season if it means points!
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stewartwonderland added 18:58 - Nov 10 The team looked more balanced today, especially down the right hand side, great to have a home win at long last and the team/fans deserved it. Good atmosphere today, the second goal was a superb move, looking forward to seeing that again on the box. And regarding Mick's comments about 'look Norwich', never watch that scum of a programme.
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Lightningboy added 18:59 - Nov 10 Look East's coverage of Ipswich Town is at best total crap..you'll grow to realise that very quickly Mick.
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StuartBrett8 added 19:00 - Nov 10 Look East are very biased in favour of Norwich... what else is new
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jas0999 added 19:03 - Nov 10

Well done ITFC and MM. Really enjoyed today's game - far more so than anything this season so far. Thought we played well at times and thoroughly deserved the win. Still a long way to go - and still a hell of a mess to sort; namely that 5 of the front 6 players today were on loan - not counting the keeper and a CB! BUT MM has installed some confidence whilst the work ethic is excellent. Lots of really tough games to come BUT some winnable one's to. Congtars to MM and the team - great result.

pazelle added 19:03 - Nov 10 The illuminati are trying to make McCarthy look dour!
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arc added 19:12 - Nov 10 "McCarthy: Not Pretty or Sexy But Dogged and Determined"–oh, come on, Big Mick is very pretty... ;-)
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bluelad7 added 19:15 - Nov 10 Dogged and Determined - That's what I normally get after 6 pints on a Saturday night....And I've never complained about that !!
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Sindre94 added 19:17 - Nov 10 BUZZING
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siebdykstra added 19:17 - Nov 10

I'd be very happy if we won most of our home games by the odd goal like today, whilst getting draws away from home. Boring, dour, who cares? The "Ipswich way" has been long gone, look at West Ham.
And lets remember that both "Look Norfolk" and that other one on ITV have always been Budgie fans. They are both based there, so no surprise. Let's just remember that Stuart White is a bag of.....well you know.

WhoisJimmyJuan added 19:18 - Nov 10 Main thing for me was coming back again to win. Before MM came, Burnley would have gone on to win 2-1. This is significant. But we must keep DJ at all costs.
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howdonblue added 19:18 - Nov 10 Love Micks comments about look Norwich oops I mean east . In Mick we trust ...... A real man
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bluemikey100 added 19:20 - Nov 10 2 goals and home win sounds like sexy football to me mick lol
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Mark added 19:25 - Nov 10

Excellent hard-fought win today, and it's a massive boost to be off the bottom of the table. A great start to the McCarthy era.

With Cresswell and Edwards not being the best defensively, I have often wondered why we didn't play them as wing-backs. Today we did and it worked, so that was pleasing. We suddenly look quite a tall side with the three centre backs, N'Daw in the middle and Murphy up front and that was an improvement too.

I am glad McCarthy spoke out about Look East. They are forever showing Norwich's success at every opportunity and making us look bad.

Stato added 19:28 - Nov 10 @keanish will be happy having finally got to see Edwards in right midfield. 2 up front as well. Why couldn't Jewell even try this (unless we were chasing the game) ? Perhaps Mick might even push Creswell into midfield ?
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Kuqicoo added 19:30 - Nov 10 I really like Mick. Tells it like it is. Just lately I've noticed more and more the bias against our club on Look East and the way everything has a negative spin. For what's meant to be a balanced news service its far from it. And working in the health service myself, their news items about me and my colleagues are much the same!
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Keaneish added 19:31 - Nov 10

Sssh Sean!

Why do some manager's hit the wall and go a bit mental when they're are clear and obvious solutions to problems that the fans can see? For months and months we've been saying Edwards is no good at right back and needs to play right mid.. For months and months we've been whinging about one up front!

Glad Mick is making players playing for their shirt by assigning people proper positions in the squad ie: Chopra needs to displace Campbell, JET needs to displace Murphy etc... it naturally creates competition and clear focus for players!

Great result. Delighted. Would love a similar performance against Leicester. Here's hoping a week on the training field can get a few ticking together.

Get Wellens back!

mathieshattrick added 19:45 - Nov 10 Well spotted Mick, Look Norfolk go out of their way to present the town in general and the football team in particular in a negative light.
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