Please log in or register. Registered visitors get fewer ads.
McCarthy Looking for Final Push at Wednesday
Friday, 19th Apr 2013 11:49

Manager Mick McCarthy returns home to South Yorkshire hoping the Blues will confirm their Championship status once and for all at Sheffield Wednesday. Depending on results elsewhere, Town, who are 13th with 56 points, five from the drop zone, could secure their place in the division for 2013/14 if they beat the Owls.

A point may be enough in all but the most unlikely of scenarios if Barnsley lose at Nottingham Forest and Huddersfield are defeated at home by Millwall with the Blues having a goal difference which is currently 12 superior to the 22nd-placed Terriers.

McCarthy says people from his part of South Yorkshire are always warmly welcomed at Wednesday: “It’s all right for me because I’m from Barnsley and we love each other, people from Sheffield and Barnsley, as you can imagine.

“I’m still remembered for launching Terry Curran into one of the stands. It’s always a nice, happy place to go!”

More seriously he says he enjoys visiting Hillsborough: “I love it, it’s great. It’s a great ground. I’ve gone and watched semi-finals there and when I was playing at Barnsley, Sheffield Wednesday was the big club, the big ground we aspired to, I guess. So I’m looking forward to it.”

The Blues boss, who took over at Portman Road in the week following the Owls’ 3-0 defeat of Town in caretaker-boss Chris Hutchings’s only game in charge, says Wednesday have had an up and down first season back in the Championship: “They had a good start and they’ve had a couple of little rallies where if we lose one, they would win a couple and would suddenly look out of sight, but that’s happened to a lot of teams.

“Burnley looked to be out of sight, Leeds, although they are now, there were a few of them. Derby were talking about the play-offs and are suddenly beneath us. It’s been crazy.

“I watched Sheffield Wednesday at Millwall. They’re a big, powerful, physical team that you have to handle, but they’ve got some decent players in amongst them.

“One of them, Seyi Olofinjana, I had at Wolves. He's on loan from Hull, a nice, talented footballer. The wingers have got a bit of pace. It’ll be a difficult game for us there.”


He has great respect for his opposite number Dave Jones: “Dave’s a good manager, he’s one of my peers, one of my ilk, my era, same sort of age, that’s managed to teams, got teams promoted.

“He’s had fair success wherever he’s been. He’s very experienced. A good guy Dave, I’ve a lot of time for him.”

McCarthy, who reported no new injury problems, is likely to stick with the team that beat Crystal Palace on Tuesday.

Scott Loach will be in goal with Aaron Cresswell at left-back, Richard Stearman on the right and Tommy Smith and Luke Chambers in the centre.

In midfield, Luke Hyam and Guirane N’Daw will be in the middle with skipper Carlos Edwards on the right.

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas seems likely to keep his place on the left, although Jay Tabb is another option having recovered from the knee injury which forced him off in the Hull match. Two-goal Frank Nouble again looks set to start alongside Daryl Murphy up front.

Lee Martin will be left behind to train having missed a lot of football over the last month or so due to suspension, illness and most recently an ankle injury. The midfielder will play in Monday’s U21 game at Colchester United.

Owls boss Dave Jones is expecting a difficult match: “They’re a team who want to be in the Premier League. They have been hanging around the bottom in this division for a few seasons. If you asked a lot of people, they’d be a bit surprised about that.

“The club have had a couple of changes of manager. They have good players. It’s a strong club. We expect nothing but a strong game and a difficult game, as we always would do.”

The Owls, who are currently 18th on 54 points, will give fitness tests to striker Gary Madine (hamstring), midfielder Olofinjana (knee), winger Jermaine Johnson (hamstring) and defender Reda Johnson (ankle).

Wednesday have just had the better of the Blues historically, winning 17 times (16 in the league), losing on 15 (14) occasions with eight (seven) matches ending in draws.

In October, in caretaker-manager Chris Hutchings’s only game as boss, Sheffield Wednesday left Portman Road having run out comfortable 3-0 winners.

The Owls, who were previously without a win in 10 games, went in front in the first minute through Ross Barkley, the then-on-loan Everton man added the second just before the hour mark, before Michail Antonio netted the third late on.

The teams last met at Hillsborough in February 2010 during the Owls’ relegation season. A Carlos Edwards thunderbolt took the Blues to a 1-0 victory at Sheffield Wednesday and out of the bottom three.

The Trinidadian - who has won and scored on all his previous visits to Hillsborough - struck just before the quarter hour with Town unlucky to have a late Jon Walters header ruled out for a push.

Daryl Murphy was on loan at Hillsborough for a month in 2005, making four appearances but failing to find the net.

Wednesday winger Jermaine Johnson spent time on trial with the Blues back in January 2001 but was unable to win a contract, while American midfielder Stuart Holden, who is on loan from Bolton, spent time on trial with the Blues in 2005. Keeper Stephen Bywater was at Portman Road on loan in 2007/08.

Young Canadian-born striker Caolan Lavery, a Northern Ireland U21 international, joined the Owls over the summer having turned down a professional contract with the Blues last season after coming through the Town academy. He is currently on loan at Southend.

Saturday’s referee is Geoff Eltringham from County Durham, who has shown 74 yellow cards and eight red in 31 games so far this season.

Squad from: Loach, Lee-Barrett, Stearman, Hewitt, Cresswell, Mings, Chambers, Smith, Kisnorbo, R Brown, N’Daw, Drury, Hyam, Wordsworth, Tabb, Edwards, Emmanuel-Thomas, Murphy, Nouble, Chopra, Mclean.


Photo: Action Images



Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.



wkj added 12:14 - Apr 19
Super Micks Blue n White Army- Come on the town!
0

NoCanariesAllowed added 12:18 - Apr 19
I might be wrong, but I think a draw might potentially be enough to mathematically confirm it, or at least make it a 6pt gap with six to play for - a number of the teams below us have to play each other and therefore can't all take maximum points to overtake us.

Tricky trip, this, but I think the important thing is not to treat it as a big deal if we don't win - those wins against Derby and Palace have given us the luxury of a margin for error. Still, let's hope they can pull it out of the bag - as much as safety is the priority, I'm hopeful that we can settle that ASAP and possibly start targeting a top half finish for the last couple of games. What better way to show we're heading out of this post-2009 malaise than to record our best finish since that season?
0

irishtim added 12:18 - Apr 19
3 points please lads. Best of luck.
0

Mark added 12:28 - Apr 19
I'd take a draw there, although it'd be great to take all 3 points.

Let's give Mick and Terry a real thank you by packing Portman Road on 27th April, then staying behind for the applause after the final whistle. Adult tickets from £20 and it's 'kid for a quid' so not an expensive afternoon out.
0

TownOnTheUp added 12:45 - Apr 19
I can't see us losing, and I'm confident we'll win. Reading HarryfromBath's briefing confirmed what I felt about them; they're physical, hardworking, but jaded, and with a bad habit of fading out of games. They collapsed against Leeds, and I think it'll be a struggle, but we'll come out on top, with a couple of goals.

Just for a moment think back to the 3-0 defeat at Portman Road. Jewell had just left, Hutchings was in charge, and we put in the most limp, pathetic, gutless, spineless, disgusting display I'd ever seen in all my many years as a Town fan. My sister, who was in town for a short visit and came to the match with me, tried to console me as I sat, head in hands. As she said to me, the players might as well have been sitting on the ground drinking tea. We were as good as relegated, with a team that lacked effort, commitment, and desire.

Fast forward to now, under Mick, and look at what is largely the same team. None of the words I just used could apply. Never forget how far we've come, whatever the result tomorrow, whatever else follows under Mick.
0

emergencylime added 13:42 - Apr 19
It is a nice ground...my last visit there was when Nicky Forster fired in a late winner in front of us. I believe that game involved a town player running into the back of another and pushing him onto all fours. The pair's compromising position caused a strongly-accented town fan to declare "i always noo!!", which my Sheffield-native gf found hilarious.
You had to be there i guess...
0

itsonlyme added 14:06 - Apr 19
Townontheup: spot on, whatever negative comments anyone has about our team today, has forgotten what it was like 5 months ago - dire and relegation fodder. What MM & TC have done has been nothing short of miraculous. In a division where the top teams have failed, for the most part, to dominate, it would seem to me that MM should be given the Manager of the Year award for what he has achieved. Of course he wont, but in terms of the sheer scale of his achievement he ought to! A draw will do nicely tomorrow!
0

Wussinwhiteboots added 14:10 - Apr 19
In the home game Ross Barkley, I think he was only 18, was very muscular and strong and he tore Hyam to shreds, luckily he was soon recalled by Everton. He was the difference between 2 teams full of loan players. Now we have settled in to MM style and the defence has become confident, I feel we should seek to win and put in an attacking display rather than the abysmal draw achieved at Huddersfield.
0

Toepunt added 14:36 - Apr 19
Looking at the table we have a buffer of Barnsley, Huddersfield, Peterborough and Wolves.

Barnsley and Huddrsfield need 6 points to go past us (GD considered) WWD or WWL (can't WWW as playing each other).

Peterborough and Wolves need 5 points (WWW, WWD, WWL, WDD).

Add to that the other 6 teams below us trying to avoid relegation.

I can't see the remaining results falling into place for all of those teams, can you?
0

yorksblue added 16:27 - Apr 19
Looking forward to the walk to the ground tomorrow.
0

BroskiBeen added 16:52 - Apr 19
Yes 3 points and stay up and then try out new things in the last two games like hewitt and could try playing new formations
0

Morgan added 18:02 - Apr 19
I was there when Edwards scored, i must have seen both his goals with the one v Bolton! ;-)
Couldn't get a beer in the ground though.

I agree with Mark on both points, happy with a draw and then an end of season party v Birmingham
0

ajs83 added 18:19 - Apr 19
Just to clarify, if we win tomorrow we are definitely mathematically safe regardless of other results. If we win at Sheffield Wed then Ipswich would have 59 points and Sheff Wed would have 54 points. Even if Peterborough win then they would 54 points. So it would be possible for either Posh or Sheff Wed to overtake us (as long as they win their last two games) but not both because they still have to play each other. In other words, one of them can't overtake us (it doesn't matter which). The same applies to Huddersfield and Barnsley. Even if they both win tomorrow then Huddersfield would have 54 points and Barnsley would have 53. Either of them could overtake us (as long as they win their last two games) but not both because they have to play each other. So, again, at least one of them can't overtake us. So that's two teams that can't catch us - Posh or Sheff Wed + Huddersfield or Barnsley). And the third is of course Bristol City who can't catch anybody. Note - if we were playing someone else - just say Leicester - then this wouldn't be the case because Sheff Wed and Posh could both win tomorrow as well and then it would be still possible for both to overtake us as long as Posh beat Sheff Wed and then they both win on the last day. Incidentally I don't think we can be mathematically safe with a draw even if results go our way because we'd only be 2 points clear of Sheff Wed. So even if Posh lose they'd be six points behind so it would still be possible for both to catch us. Equally Wolves and Burnley could both lose and they'd be 6 points and 3 points behind respectively but they can still both finish above us as long as Wolves beat Burnley and they both win on the last day. I think that's right anyway!
0

NoCanariesAllowed added 18:24 - Apr 19
Re Morgan - I was up at Hillsborough that day too. Think it was the same weekend as my birthday. A similarly cracking goal to the one Edwards got at Derby, if I remember rightly!
0

Morgan added 18:25 - Apr 19
It was a belter!
0

TimmyH added 19:46 - Apr 19
The headlines makes it sound like our players are in the First World War - hang on the Championship IS football's equivalent of it. C'mon lads at least a point tomorrow should do us!
0

ManningtreeBlue99 added 20:49 - Apr 19
even a point tomorrow will keep us up if Huddersfield and Barnsley lose. It is mathematically impossible to go down. (Unless Huddersfield win 9-0 on the last day of the season)
0

ITFC_Frosty78 added 21:05 - Apr 19
come on town lets stay unbeaten till the end of the season
0

ajs83 added 22:08 - Apr 19
ManningtreeBlue99 - sorry to be picky. If Ipswich draw and Huddersfield and Barnsley lose then Barnsley at 7 points behind can't catch us regardless but Huddersfield at 6 points behind can still overtake us. I know they've got a lot of ground to make up in terms of goal difference but they wouldn't have to win 9-0. Our goal difference is currently 12 better than Huddersfield so if Ipswich draw and Huddersfield lose by a single goal tomorrow, that would make it 13. In the last couple of games Ipswich could lose 3-0 and 3-0 and Huddersfield could win 3-0 and 4-0 then they would finish above us on goal scored. It's obviously not that likely but it wouldn't require any ridiculous scorelines.
0

IvorFeeling added 23:28 - Apr 19
Team are on a high, on a great run, Sheff Wed will be nervous as they have now been dragged into it. I can see it be level at half time and us winning 1 or 2 nil. COYB
0

riley26 added 02:51 - Apr 20
Hoping to see some quality tomorrow and really put Wednesday to the sword, or Blade should I say. Easier said than done, Wednesday scrapping themselves and thrashed us at our place but I think with the confidence we have now I'd like to see an impressive win. Big win to put us in the top half and really show how far we have come with Mick, a loss wouldn't be the end of the world but would be a dampener at make the final games that bit more edgy.
0

riley26 added 02:53 - Apr 20
15 clean sheets, incredible considering the goals we shipped under Jewell. Must be our best tally for a long time, even in the days of Royle and Burley we used to ship a few, just scored 5 or 6 to make up for it!

Opposed to Bristol City's paltry tally of 5 clean sheets, the defence have really made the difference between safety and relegation.
0

ManningtreeBlue99 added 07:49 - Apr 20
Oh i see, I didn't think of that thanks @ajs83
0

Norwichbeater added 08:01 - Apr 20
Give it a rest you lot! Even if we lose the last 3 games we would probably stay up! We are ok now! Lets have a party against Birmingham. Big crowd and great atmosphere! Roll on next season!
0

bennyitfc added 09:38 - Apr 20
When have Town ever had a solid defence?! So impressed with it now, just hope we can keep Stearman and Chambers. Defence could be what gets us promoted next season, especially as we're now starting to score goals. We just need a positive goal difference; anything around 10 should see us in the play offs
0


You need to login in order to post your comments

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls

About Us Contact Us Terms & Conditions Privacy Cookies Advertising
© TWTD 1995-2024