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McCarthy Delighted But Relieved
Saturday, 2nd Mar 2013 18:28

Blues boss Mick McCarthy was delighted with his side’s 1-0 victory over Leicester but admitted that he was relieved that it was over. Leicester manager Nigel Pearson was unhappy with a couple of off the ball incidents involving his skipper Wes Morgan, who subsequently made an error for the vital goal.

McCarthy said: “I’m delighted and relieved and glad it’s over, I have to be honest. It was a real well-organised, gutsy performance. We defended well. All the things that [Foxes assistant manager] Craig Shakespeare said in his interview on Thursday, that you know what to expect from a Mick McCarthy team.

“Someone asked me whether I took it as a compliment and I do when they defend and work as hard as they did today. It was good.

“We weren’t the best team by any stretch of the imagination, but we’ve got a clean sheet and when it was required we had that bit of composure, that bit of brilliance from David McGoldrick to get the winner.”

Pearson admitted his team weren’t at their best but was unhappy with a couple of incidents: “We did have some great chances but unfortunately we weren’t at our best today.

"But I think we still had enough chances to get something out of the game. But, of course, there were other incidents which had an effect on the result.”

Asked whether Morgan should have kept his composure, he added: “Do you not think that the incidents off the ball contributed to that?

“You can write whatever you want,” he continued. “But as far as I’m concerned my captain has been fantastic for us this year and all you have to do is have a look at the two incidents.

“I’m not a sour grapes person because I think Mick’s doing a really good job here and I don’t want it to turn into me looking for excuses, but unfortunately today there were a couple of very unsavoury incidents off the ball which have possibly contributed to what’s happened.


“The officials have a difficult job, but I’ve seen his position and I think it’s appropriate for people to ask the right questions.

“I’m not going to come in here and make excuses, but I think it could have contributed to what happened afterwards.”

Pearson thought his skipper was caught by Blues sub Murphy shortly after he came on at a throw-in: “He got booked for complaining about somebody elbowing him in the face. I think everyone can see that.

“And Chopra kicked him off the ball just prior to that. It’s unfortunate that I’m talking about things like that rather than football. But that’s life.

“The officials have got their job to do and all I’ll say is that I’ve seen the incidents again and it’s unfortunate that they weren’t dealt with and I can understand Wes feeling a bit hard done to about that.

“All in all it was a bit of a scrappy game, we’ve had our chances, we haven’t taken them and it’s a disappointing result for us.”

McCarthy believes that Morgan had been rattled prior to the Murphy incident: “First and foremost I think he blocked Chopra, ran across in front of him and there was a tangle of legs. Whether Chops caught him or not, I don’t know, but that upset the applecart a bit.

“I think Chops jumped with his arm up at a corner kick and didn’t make contact. But that would be the last of my worries if I was playing against Chops, I’d be kicking the sh--- out of him all over the place. I’d be worried about him putting the ball in the net.

“That all got a little bit fractious and I thought there were lots of things, I thought there were some pushes in our box at the end and I’m screaming for fouls, they’re screaming for fouls, there were words between us, only just the usual, all that intellectual intelligent stuff that goes on in the dug-out.”

A central defender in his playing days, McCarthy believes those sorts of situations come with the territory: “I think the reality is as a centre-half you have to keep your composure because that’s what people do.

“As a centre-half I went out with the sole intention of upsetting the two f---ers I was playing against and anyone else that came anywhere near me.

“And when you’re playing against Mick Harford and Tony Cunningham and people like that, their sole intention is to smash me across the nose and upset me. And it’s the one that gets upset less and whoever made the mistake at the end of the game, and he did.

“So, while all that’s going on, boot it out, have a clean sheet. I’ve no sympathy with Nigel and I’ve no sympathy with the player because it ends up in the back of the net.

“If it was my centre-half I’d be saying so and he probably will be, although he’ll come in here and say something different. If it was Tommy Smith or Chambo I’d say ‘You let him upset you, you let that little s--- upset you and it’s cost us the game’. And that is the case. That is what happened.”

McCarthy had praise for sub Murphy, who created the goal for McGoldrick: “Murph’s been great. He’s been unlucky because I’ve had him in the team, out of the team and he’s remained focused and trained well and positive with his attitude. It’s nice for him.”

The Blues boss was pleased with his goalscorer, who is unavailable for Tuesday’s game at his parent side Nottingham Forest: “It was a lovely finish. I took Chops off and left David on as he can’t play on Tuesday night and I need Chops to go again on Tuesday night.

“I think he’s been excellent, he’s played really well. There, you’ve got one striker for Tuesday, Michael Chopra, he’ll be playing.”

Overall, The Town manager thought it had been a feisty encounter: “We started well, we got the crowd going, it was quite an open game. The pitch wasn’t the best but there were good challenges, good blocks, good tackles, it was a good aggressive game.

“You’d expect that from Mick McCarthy and Nigel Pearson, to be fair, because he was no shrinking violet himself, let me tell you. He wouldn’t have let Chopra upset him.”


Photo: Action Images



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HighgateBlue added 18:46 - Mar 2
McCarthy is an absolute legend. Great insight into the wiles of central defending!
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Dragon_Blue added 18:52 - Mar 2
This is the manager we needed four years ago. Anyone who questions or criticises him at this precise time is without question stupid.

This time next year were going up!!!!
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Bluetone added 18:58 - Mar 2
As his manager told Jackie Charlton "your job is to find out how fast their centre forward can limp.
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northernblues added 18:59 - Mar 2
highgateblue- steady on pal, an absolute legend,save commets like that for bobby robson!
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Dragon_Blue added 19:00 - Mar 2
And the s@@@ lost as well!!

Perfect day !!!
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Marcus added 19:03 - Mar 2
Popcorn anyone?
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suffolkpunchdrunk added 19:11 - Mar 2
I would love to listen to these post match comments on the Football League Show! These comments give you a great insight into how MM gets his players to play and fight to the end and woe betide a player who does not put 100% into a game.
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jas0999 added 19:13 - Mar 2
MM has done a very good job for us. Although I disagreed with his tactics last week - thanks to a great win today, the away point is looking an even better one!

Thought the first half was poor today, but second period much better - very entertaining and as against Blackpool - a very good finish for the winner. In fairness, I thought we edged it and deserved the win.
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bluey123 added 19:17 - Mar 2
awesome 2nd half great win they defended as there lives depended on it GREAT GREAT
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Dragon_Blue added 19:23 - Mar 2
Although alcohol may be playing a part, Ipswich town f.c is the best club on the planet and makes me so proud to be a true blue!
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bohslegend added 19:24 - Mar 2
MM has a job to do: keep us in the Championship this season. And he is doing a fantastic job considering what he came in to.
Our job (fans) is to get behind him and the team and support. Even when the results don't go our way.
Today is a great day. Other results went our way to for the most part. Who knows, the bounce of a ball next week could bring a different outcome but we should not let our manager and players down by jumping on their backs. We are not fair-weather fans; we support the best club in the world - Ipswich Town FC - that makes us the best fans in the world. Sing your hearts out boys!!!
IPSWICH TILL I DIE, I'M IPSWICH TILL I DIE!!!
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shoopdelang added 19:25 - Mar 2
I would love a night out on the booze with Magic Mick! Bet he's a good crack
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blueherts added 19:27 - Mar 2
Pearson - never far from a little whinge , Morgan is a physical player capable of mixing it up with all - He totally lost the plot and got done by Murph - great to see
Lovin the commitment from all - lasting 95 minutes !!
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Mark added 19:28 - Mar 2
Absolutely massive 3 points today, fantastic result! That's 3 wins at home from the last 4. A hard fought win again today and we made up for the quality we lacked with work rate, endeavour (and a little bit of luck). Well done Mick and the team!

For once the other results were not too bad today, considering Peterborough were 3-0 up away at half-time! Defeats for Barnsley, Huddersfield, Sheff Wed and Birmingham; and a draw between Blackpool and Bristol C.
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BLUEBEAT added 19:28 - Mar 2
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TractorBoy666 added 19:28 - Mar 2
So pleased with the result and performance today! This could end being a very vital 3 points, and it was much needed. I was biting my finger nails at the end. Really happy we got the job done, and a great block from JET at the end too. Forest will be difficult, but the Peterboro game could be a big one depending on how the next game goes. Still concerned by our midfield, N'Daw is not playing well at the moment. Martin tries, but doesn't do enough attacking wise. Good 3 points though!
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chippyblue added 20:09 - Mar 2
Great result today and a good to watch " Saturday nights feel so much better with a win COYB ""
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NoCanariesAllowed added 20:09 - Mar 2
Absolutely delighted today. Probably the seventh or eighth meeting between these sides I've gone to in recent years and it's the first one we've won - which is especially sweet when I've travelled down with a bunch of Leicester fans...!

I was pretty underwhelmed by the first half - our refusal to just commit a ball into the box was very frustrating. But we came out much better after the break and the finish was really tidy, which should do McGoldrick's confidence the world of good. Admittedly that was probably as bad as I've seen Leicester for quite some time, though despite their poor display, I was a bit fearful of us being our own undoing - as we very nearly were at one stage.

Not pretty but this is what we need to do this season. I feel we have the right management and coaching team in place now and this might well be the last bad season that we just need to ride out however we can. Stay safe, then Mick can do what he really wants with us next season.

On another note, it's a shame we never get the good quotes on the Football League show - but Mick's humour is just a bit too colourful for the Beeb!
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h32 added 20:13 - Mar 2
Tommy Smith has always had what it would take to be an excellent centre back (check my very early posts when everyone was knocking him) - what he needed more than anything was to play for someone with the 'pedigree' of MM.

Now watch Tommy continue to shine - and MM characteristics develop within his game.

A future colossus, and captain for ITFC for many years.

Baxter, Hunter, Mowbray, De Vos - he will join them all.
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Talbs77 added 20:16 - Mar 2
I thought it was a very tight, nip and tuck game but overall, I think we just about deserved it, we were without doubt the better team in the 1st half and first 20 minutes of the 2nd.

We fought, scrapped and battled for win, it may not be sexy, but its what we need to get out of trouble.

I was actually moaning about McGoldrick who then produced the best bit of quality in the game so shows you what I know!

My one worry is were still not exactly creating tons of chances and the midfield feels a bit one dimensional with Hyam/N'daw scrapping in midfield, Martin and Edwards need to do more than they are currently.

Its another 3 points closer to safety and thats all that matters, well done boys.
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Good_Evans added 20:19 - Mar 2
Wes Morgan was whinging like a big girl's blouse throughout - so glad it was Murphy who nicked it off him in the lead up to the goal. COYB!
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bluemingood added 20:25 - Mar 2
I love big uncle Mick. Thats about it.
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Maverick_Mitch added 20:34 - Mar 2
Never known such a subdued atmosphere before a game but at the end I was buuuuzzzziiiing! We showed confidence and if the final ball wasn't always there you can't fault the guys for their effort. Chops did everything a striker should do apart from score and his tenacity unsettled their defence which led to our goal by super MacG - who was that bloke DJ?!? We showed some good touches as well as 'houff' ball.
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Taricco_Fan added 20:34 - Mar 2
Mick knows what he's doing. He's made us hard to beat and when we're not conceding goals like we were earlier in the season it means we can nick games like this and Blackpool.

Our form at Portman Road is much improved which is vitally important to survival. As long as we try not to get beaten on the road and open up a little bit more at home I think we will be fine. It won't be pretty but Mick will see us across the line.
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Kikapu added 21:04 - Mar 2
If you haven't twigged it by now you need to be told, there isn't any chance that Mick will risk an open expansive game as long as there is any risk that we will be demoted. Clean sheets has to be the way forward with the occasional win considered a bonus. An average of one point a game will be enough.
And don't think the beginning of next season will be any different. A solid start will be the aim. Something to build on.
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