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McCarthy: Midfield Must Score More
Saturday, 30th Aug 2014 06:00

Boss Mick McCarthy admits that Town's midfield players need to contribute more goals but isn't panicking at this early stage of the season. Town’s midfielders are yet to net this term having been outscored by the Blues’ defence during 2013/14.

While Paul Anderson was credited with five goals last season - one in the early home victory over Millwall somewhat fortunately - Luke Hyam, Jay Tabb, Anthony Wordsworth and former skipper Carlos Edwards scored one each, while Cole Skuse and Stephen Hunt are still to open their Town accounts.

Loanees Jonny Williams (one) and Paul Green (two) added three more to the overall midfield total of 12 late on in the campaign.

Last season’s regular backline contributed four more with Christophe Berra - this year’s current top scorer on two - netting five, Tommy Smith six, Luke Chambers three and the now departed Aaron Cresswell two.

Up front, main strikers David McGoldrick and Daryl Murphy - who have each scored once so far during 2014/15 - hit 16 and 13 respectively, while a further three came via Frank Nouble and one more from Paul Taylor.

“We don’t actually go out to rely on [the strikers and defenders] to score,” McCarthy said. “We expect the midfield to get goals and they haven’t done it.

“We’ll just keep practising and making sure we’ll try and get some goals out of them - Ando, Tabby, Luke Hyam, Skusey, anybody that plays in the middle of the park. We’re well aware that there was a dearth of goals from them last season.”

Despite the Blues only taking one point from their three games since beating Fulham on the opening day, McCarthy feels his side has played better than their points total of four and early league position of 17th suggests.

“We’ve had four league games and I felt we played really well against Fulham, I thought we played really well against Reading but didn’t manage to score,” he added.

“I thought Birmingham was a scrap and we gave two really awful goals away. And Norwich, I think they’re a good side and the difference between us was a sloppy goal from us.”

He says there’s no sense of panic about the start to the season or the lack of midfield goals: “Let’s get a bit further down the line before I start concerning myself that everything’s wrong, there’s no goals from midfield, there’s no creativity or we’re relying on somebody else. Let’s go a bit further into the league before I start panicking on that score.”

McCarthy knows his Derby opposite number Steve McClaren well and says the pair of them learnt valuable lessons from their spells as international bosses with the Republic of Ireland and England.

“It gives you experience of playing in bigger games and dealing with bigger players. I certainly did playing with them and then managing them as opposed to managing in the Championship,“ he said.

“The games are completely different. I think it makes you a bit more tactically aware because you have to be, a bit shrewder.

“It certainly makes you a bit more patient because you only get a game every six weeks. I’d like to think being an international boss makes you a better manager. I’ve got to say that though, haven’t I, because I’ve been one.”

He added: “And it makes you a bit thicker skinned. I think the further you go in your career and the higher you go you get more profile and with more profile you get more criticism, you get more exposure and I think you have to learn to be thicker skinned.

”And certainly Steve, having been England manager, I’m sure that’s one of his qualities.”


Photo: Action Images



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rambohambo added 06:14 - Aug 30
Sorry but have u watched our midfield mm they don't move off the half way line. Wonder how many goals he's giving them to score, skuse 0.5 hyam 1
6

bluefeast added 07:07 - Aug 30
Movement is key. Skuse ,pass sideways or backwards and does not move to receive it again. Hyam , same with the occasional forward pass , but does not move to receive again. So the middle is easy for the opposition to play , ie no runners to track. Kind of things that are learnt at under 8s onwards. Terrible centre two pairing. Personally i think we should play with a 3 ,and have skuse and hyam as pure defensive pairing and then have flair players in front of them
6

Smithy added 07:33 - Aug 30
and the Moon is in the sky
2

Harlowtractorboy added 07:46 - Aug 30
Why is it saying this I think we all know. But we always bypass the midfield with the ball. If we played a bit of football they would score more goals. I watch the man City Liverpool Monday it was great seeing the passing of the ball. I know our players aren't as good but we can play like that
1

Stato added 07:56 - Aug 30
We were lucky to salvage a very late draw with Birmingham and if Fulham had turned their possession into goals they could of beaten us comfortably. Most on here disagree with Mick's claim that the only difference between us and Norwich was a scrappy goal and plenty of us reckon it could of been 4 or 5 nil. I think we're lucky not to be going to Derby bottom of the table. That is not moaning but an honest assessment of games so far. I can only imagine Mick is close to bringing in some new blood and if that includes Williams, a decent keeper, and a bit of midfield sparkle then things would look so much brighter. I just hope he doesn't leave it too late before bringing in reinforcements.
5

WorcesterBlue added 08:00 - Aug 30
Bang on Bluefeast - basic midfield play but speak to Wolves or Sunderland fans and they'll say the same about MM teams. No fluidity, no flair, goalie rolls ball to FB back to CB etc etc until someone thinks 'this ain't going nowhere / no-one showing for it so BOOOSH up in the air it goes. Genuinely think if Hyam spent a spell in a midfield with an attack minded CM he has the materials to become a really decent midfielder but with MMs coaching and poor players around him I fear the worst.
As you say basic U8s coaching - I am all for thick skinned but thick I'm not so keen on...
2

kevlowestoft added 08:13 - Aug 30
MM cant blame the personnel we have now for the movement and forward play as this is now his team.
As a player in lower level football i was always taught to receive and play forwards if possible, the sideways then last option backward.
Sadly this doesn't seem the case with us at present and is very much vice versa.
the only time we look comfortable is if we get our noses in front and the confidence flows.
Sadly this doesn't happen enough and i see no more than a draw if we are lucky today.
1

RegencyBlue added 08:13 - Aug 30
No sh1t Sherlock!
0

MicksZzzTactics added 08:23 - Aug 30
"Midfield Must Score More"???!!! ROFL
Micks have always said plenty of hmmm mind-boggling things to put it mildly, especially in his post-game interviews, making you sometimes wonder if Mick has a Stand-In or is really watching the same game as the rest of us or the commenting crew (A crew which often gets accused of being subjective and anti-this and anti-that but in reality none of them including the former captain of this club have zero incentive to be NOTHING but objective towards ITFC and their employees.... the problem is rather that some of them don't subscribe or condone of MM's and TC's dire football philosophy - something that greatly annoys part of hardcore TWTD - which of course they aren't contractually or otherwise obligated too!!!).
However this latest quote "Midfield must score more" surely beats everything else Mick has said lately by a country mile!!! It's akin to demanding of an intoxicated blind man who accidentally bumps into you on the street "to watch where he is going!".......... Especially since Dinosaur Mick adores starting the most UNCREATIVE (and also offensively unskilled) midfield core in the league in Brother Hyam, Brother Skuse and Brother Tabb! This spectacular trio, like most ITFC players not named McGoldrick btw, will predominately only be able to score as the result of set-pieces or the resulting "fall-out" of plenty of HoofBall from the back.... or on the very odd occasion just by plain old luck! I'm sorry to apparently NEED to inform you Master Mick :-) LOL (-:
3

strikalite added 08:48 - Aug 30
With players being so fit now and able to get back behind the ball quickly, you need your midfielders to be able to shoot from 20-25yrds. Skuse and Hyam simply can't shoot, Anderson isn't great either, nor is Tabb...too many simple passes when we get within range, not one can do an Eric Gates and drop a shoulder and put a shot in...rebounds, deflections result from this too....watch the football League show and watch goals flying in from this range, the ball is so light now that this is a must for a midfielder.
1

Michael11 added 10:17 - Aug 30
HE FINALLY GETS IT?!
2

TimmyH added 11:20 - Aug 30
yawn! ...heard Mick spouting the same thing back end of last season. Talk is cheap.
2

Steve_D added 11:48 - Aug 30
Midfield must score more because without did say we have no forwards
1

BrettenhamBlue added 11:56 - Aug 30
Skuse, Anderson, Tabb etc...not known for their scoring ability. Along with Hyam they are known for their defensive midfield play and hoofing the ball forward.

Only player who doesn't hoof is MCgoldrick...
2

yorksblue added 12:25 - Aug 30
What midfield?
2

yorksblue added 12:46 - Aug 30
Try taking a leaf out of MK Dons' book
2

Superblue95 added 12:50 - Aug 30
Well done mick about time you noticed this. We have the worst midfield in the league
2

jas0999 added 13:01 - Aug 30
The midfield isn't good enough to score goals, nor does it have the quality or attacking intent. Will only happen if we overhaul the entire midfield.
2

bluelodgeblue added 13:08 - Aug 30
Midfield is one thing, how about the forwards??????
2

tractorfact added 13:08 - Aug 30
blimey its woke up and smelt the coffee !!!!

dont play skuse and hyam together and make a reverse the charge call to Ipswi, sorry Rotherham, they have got a creative midfield player, Words , Yeah Wordsworth I think his name is ......................

1

whittonite added 13:19 - Aug 30
no actually we'd like to see the forwards score,a midfield that is capable of passing, creating and scoring goals,and defenders who defend.if we are going to rely on anyone other than the forwards to score then we going to struggle.we are not very good at running beyond defenders,hyam has only just staring to get that in his game.i can only assume we wont be playing the rigid 4 4 2 if he wants the midfielders to score.for that your mid field must have a minimum of three players,skuse in front of the back 4 with hyam and bru( i assume) being able to make tackles higher up the pitch.we dont score a lot by putting the ball between defenders.our forwards dont read those kind of passes much.they dont seem to know what ball to play.when their back is facing goal.though mings has been the exception, he looks more alert than most of our forwards do,looks more prepared to take players on,put some lovely crosses in, which our front men dont seem to be taking advantage of. when stewart comes back i think the next man mm will show the door is anderson,wordsworth didnt get much of a chance and he has been cut(perhaps it was because the rest of the team did'nt know what to do when he played the ball forward!)this guy has more than had his chance he refuses to take people on!and after saturday we really,really need to put the right pegs in the right holes.yes chambo is our leader but how much longer are we going to have right backs and not use them.and nobody can tell me we haven't suffered for it,which means hewitt will be going soon if this keeps up,so if we did sign stearman who would be left out of the team.i dont know what we are waiting for.when mcgoldrick goes i dont think town fans will be too happy if we have the funds and mm still goes for loans and free transfers.many will tell you want we think of trying to go up on the cheap.come on evans give mick the tools to do the job properly.
1

Letchworth_Blue added 13:22 - Aug 30
Our midfield arnt good enough full stop, never mind banging in the goals. Unless it's a freak punt from the halfway line, Gerken has more chance of scoring than Skuse, Hyam or Tabb. Apart from our 2 centre backs we are a poor side, and if McG does go, that's the only class player gone too. Depressing times, but enough time for Evans and McCarthy to do something about it. But will they, that's the big question? Centre midfield playmaker, wide- pacey midfielder to play opposite Stewart and a centre forward are the minimum we need IMO.
1

whittonite added 13:25 - Aug 30
p.s. any chance of signing some midfielders with some height ...!
0

battyblue added 13:44 - Aug 30
Can anyone see us scoring today
0


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