McCarthy a Fan of Elland Road Atmosphere Wednesday, 4th Mar 2015 06:00 Boss Mick McCarthy is looking forward to visiting a ground with the type of atmosphere he relished during his playing days when the Blues face Leeds United at Elland Road this evening (KO 7.45pm). “I think the intimidating places are the best places to go and play if you want to be a top footballer,” said McCarthy, a boyhood Leeds fan. “I’ve never been applauded on by the opposition fans but I’ve always preferred it when there’s a really good atmosphere. “Certainly as a player, getting a bit of abuse gets the hackles and the senses up and you have to play. If you can’t play in those places then sadly you won’t be a top player.” Despite sitting in 16th in the Championship, nine places and 19 points behind the seventh-placed Blues, Leeds have beaten some of the division’s big hitters this season, recording a double over Middlesbrough and victories against Derby and Bournemouth. “That’ll be OK because according to some we’re not one of the big teams, so we’ll be fine!” McCarthy joked, making reference to Norwich manager Alex Neil’s omission of the Blues when he listed the Championship’s top teams last week. “Leeds are one of the big teams, as are Sheffield Wednesday. Some of the big teams are languishing in mid-table. “Elland Road on a Wednesday night under lights, it’s never an easy place to go. I think whatever team they put out, whatever’s happened, with Neil Redfearn there they’ve got a bit of consistency. “I think they’d lost a few on Saturday, they seemed to have a couple of injuries, so I’m kind of OK with what team they’ll be playing but there’ll be a couple of different players. “It’s Elland Road, it’s Leeds United. Going up there is never easy but we’re fine. We’ve had some great results on the road.” Leeds boss Redfearn is a fellow Yorkshireman: “I know him but [not very well] despite the fact he played for Barnsley. That was a good time after me and he was a really good player for Barnsley. “I know him, I spoke to him after the game here. We’re from the same area so we speak the same language. I know him but he’s not someone I played with or managed. “He’s gone back to a British team. They had a lot of foreign influence and a lot of foreign players came in and it’s not easy for all those guys to come in and do it immediately. “He seems to have put in one or two of the more tried and tested ones who have done it in the Championship and they’ve been tougher.” Redfearn was at one-time head of the Leeds academy and a number of young players have become regulars since he took over as first-team boss in October, having been caretaker-manager on a number of previous occasions. “Sometimes it’s needs must," McCarthy said. "He was working with the academy, so he’ll know the kids and I think if he’s thinking about longevity he’s got to get some kids in this season to think about what he’s going to be doing next season. “Alex Mowatt and Lewis Cook and Charlie Taylor, the left-back, they’ve all come through the academy.” On Saturday, the Whites lost 3-2 at home to Watford having been 2-0 up before a storming Hornets comeback, which impressed the Town manager. “They were 2-0 up against Watford, but I’ve watched the game and it could have been eight or nine in the second half, Watford were fabulous in the second half,” he continued. “How are they going to react? I don’t know, but they’ll be wanting a reaction for their fans.” McCarthy will be similarly looking for a reaction from his players - “We’ll be like two wounded animals!” - after the defeat at Norwich with the Blues still the only side in the Championship yet to lose two consecutive league games. Town beat the Whites 4-1 at Portman Road in December and their players will also be looking to avenge that defeat. “I think it’ll be in their minds that they got a bit of a doing down here, so they’ll want to repay us in kind,” McCarthy added. “I don’t think when you’ve won you go up there thinking ‘We won and we had a good victory and it’s going to be similar’ because it’s going to be nothing like that. “I personally don’t do that. I treat every game as an individual game, which is what it is, of course. “I always go back to what I was like as a player. If I’d lost 3-0 the week before I was even more determined not to give anything away. I didn’t worry, thinking we might concede four. I was the opposite mentality. “I guess not everybody’s like that. There might be some [in the Leeds team] who are worrying about it. Let’s hope there are.” McCarthy believes that the points total required for an automatic promotion place this year will be lower than last season when Leicester amassed 102 and Burnley 93. “I think it’ll be fewer but probably more for the play-offs because Wolves are pushing, Brentford are pushing, Nottingham Forest, unbelievably, are pushing. “It’s all concertinaing up. I think it might be more for the play-offs and fewer for the top two.” He fully expects the fight for the play-off places to go right to the end of the season: “Without a doubt and it’s not written in stone by any stretch of the imagination. “Wolves are on a bit of a run. Nottingham Forest are on a bit of a run and I would think they would probably think they can still get there.” McCarthy is without Teddy Bishop (ankle), David McGoldrick (thigh), Noel Hunt, Luke Hyam (both knee), Stephen Hunt and Darren Ambrose (both hamstring) but has said he is considering making changes with matches coming thick and fast. Bartosz Bialkowski is set to keep his place in goal but McCarthy has options at the back. The Blues boss could stick with his regular back four or he could return to the quartet he used earlier in the season, bringing Jonny Parr in at right-back and moving skipper Luke Chambers to the centre of the defence with Tommy Smith dropping out. Alternatively, Parr could come in at left-back for Tyrone Mings, who the Town manager has previously rested for the occasional game during busy periods of the season. In midfield, Cole Skuse is likely to continue in the holding role with Kevin Bru or RIchard Chaplow, who played the first 45 minutes at Norwich before being replaced, in the centre. Jay Tabb will probably be on the left with Paul Anderson perhaps returning on the right. Up front Freddie Sears is again likely to partner 21-goal Championship top scorer Daryl Murphy. McCarthy feels the Irishman hasn’t been hampered by his broken nose, despite the not having found the net in the last three games. Having worn a mask for two matches, Murphy discarded it for Sunday’s derby. “I don’t think he was affected at all, except that he busted his nose and had to wear some protection,” he said. “He wasn’t affected by it.” New signing Chris Wood, a late sub at Norwich, is likely to play a part from the bench. Leeds will be without midfielder Rodolph Austin, due to a thigh strain, but central defender Giuseppe Bellusci is back from a ban. Striker Steve Morison could return having been out with a groin injury, however, midfielders Granddi Ngoyi (thigh) and Tommaso Bianchi (knee) are again expected to miss out. Historically, Leeds have the superior record in the fixture, winning 29 (28 in the league) clashes between the teams. Town have been victorious on 25 (20) occasions and 20 (17) games have ended in draws. In December at Portman Road, Daryl Murphy scored twice and David McGoldrick (pen) and Christophe Berra once each as Town came from behind to thrash the Whites 4-1. The visitors went ahead via Mirco Antenucci in the fourth minute but Murphy struck back on 12, then McGoldrick netted what’s still Town’s only spot-kick of the season on 26. Murphy added his second just before the break and Berra added the fourth three minutes into the second half. The sides last met at Elland Road in January last year when McGoldrick netted his 14th goal of 2013/14 in a 1-1 draw. The Irish international opened the scoring on 57 but the home side equalised five minutes later via a Ross McCormack penalty, Luke Chambers having fouled Cameron Stewart, who was then on loan with the Whites from Hull City. Blues winger Stewart - who is still to make his league debut for Town - made nine starts and two sub appearances for Leeds during the second half of last season. The move was expected to be made permanent in the summer but the Whites pulled out of the deal and the 23-year-old subsequently joined Town. Injured Blues striker Noel Hunt made 14 starts and six sub appearances without scoring in an unhappy 17 months at Leeds prior to his move to Portman Road earlier in the season. Recently signed loanee Luke Varney was at Elland Road between 2012 and 2014, scoring eight goals in 42 starts and eight substitute appearances. Blues assistant manager Terry Connor was with his hometown club between 1979 and 1983, scoring 22 goals in 108 games. No current member of the Leeds squad has played for Town, although the Blues made an unsuccessful loan approach for striker Billy Sharp in January. Tonight’s referee is Mark Brown from East Yorkshire, who has shown 52 yellow cards and five red in 25 games so far this season. Brown’s most recent Town match was the 2-0 win at Huddersfield last April in which he booked one player from each side. Squad from: Bialkowski, Gerken, Chambers (c), Parr, Mings, Berra, Smith, Clarke, Skuse, Bru, Chaplow, Benyu, Anderson, Tabb, Stewart, Connolly, Murphy, Sears, Wood, Varney.
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