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McCarthy After Repeat Performance Against Hornets
Friday, 20th Mar 2015 12:36

Boss Mick McCarthy says his Town side will have to replicate the performance which saw them beat Championship leaders Watford 1-0 at Portman Road in November to take anything from Saturday’s game against the Hornets at Vicarage Road.

Tommy Smith’s 83rd-minute goal saw the Blues take all three points against a Watford side McCarthy rates highly.

“They’re excellent,” he said. “I thought they were good down here. We had a really hard, tough, physically demanding game here and it was a really good technical game as well. We had Jonny Williams carted off in the end and he’s not played since.

“But that was a great game, I thought, and a really big victory for us. We’ll have to play equally as well to get anything there.”

He added: “They’ve got good players, that’s a really good starting point - Troy Deeney, Matej Vydra, Almen Anya, Daniel Pudil. They played well here. They’ve put together a good side and quite clearly the head coach at Watford [Slavisa Jokanovic] is doing very well.

“I saw Troy Deeney’s header the other day [in the 2-0 win at Wigan], it was a fabulous header, it took everybody out.

“And there’s Vydra up front as well, but they’ve also got very good midfield players. Ben Watson’s there, they’ve got Adlene Guedioura, who I signed at Wolves and has been at Palace, they’ve got him on loan. They’re doing well. They’re just a really good football team.”

In what’s been one of the closest Championships ever Watford and Middlesbrough have emerged as the teams to beat in the final eight matches. McCarthy expects the current incumbents to claim the top two spots but is looking to inflict a setback on the Hornets on Saturday.

“There are only eight games to play and everybody keeps asking me whether it’s the tightest I’ve ever known it,” he added. “I don’t know but I can’t remember it being any tighter.

“I think the results against us and against Derby have put Boro in pole position, and Watford. But we’ve got them on Saturday so we’ll try and put a dent in their hopes.”

Town are taking a sell-out 2,200 following to Vicarage Road - with many bringing along inflatables as was the case for the corresponding fixture last season - and McCarthy has been impressed with the club’s travelling support.

“It’s fabulous,” he added. “The away support is amazing because we’ve got nobody really that close. The support is really appreciated by us all.


“I thought Fulham was amazing, it was great. We had great support at Watford last year actually, that was a great day.”

With Dean Gerken not being risked until after the international break having been knocked unconscious at Middlesbrough last week, Bartosz Bialkowski will continue in goal.

McCarthy will stick with his usual back four with skipper Luke Chambers at right-back, Tyrone Mings on the left and Tommy Smith and Christophe Berra at the centre of the defence.

In midfield, Kevin Bru will join Cole Skuse in the centre with Teddy Bishop ruled out with painful shins.

On the right, Jonny Parr is a doubt having taken a kick during Tuesday’s 1-0 victory over Bolton and could be replaced by either Richard Chaplow or Paul Anderson.

Jay Tabb is likely to continue on the left with 23-goal Championship top scorer Daryl Murphy alongside Freddie Sears up front.

David McGoldrick continues to be hampered by his thigh niggle but is expected to be available after the international break, while Luke Hyam has returned to training following his knee injury. Darren Ambrose is still sidelined with his hamstring problem.

Mings and Skuse are both on nine bookings for the season and will face a two-match ban if they pick up a 10th before April 11th.

“I spoke to Ty and gave him the challenge ‘Can you get through to that second Sunday in April?’. It’s a big ask to do it,” McCarthy said.

“It is a challenge. I remember when I was playing myself and lasting months needing one booking before getting suspended and going without it.

“You just have to be careful. You can’t afford that lazy one, just tripping somebody up, a casual one.

“If you’ve got five left to get sometimes you can get lazy and risk it and it doesn’t really matter, you’re not going to get suspended.

“But at this moment they need to be very careful and let’s hope they don’t get suspended.”

Watford signed Cardiff defender Matthew Connolly on loan for the rest of the season earlier in the week and the 27-year-old could make his debut.

Midfielders Almen Abdi and Sean Murray remain sidelined with hamstring and knee injuries respectively.

The teams last met at Portman Road in November when Tommy Smith smashed home his second goal of the season from close range seven minutes from time as the Blues won 1-0 to climb to fourth in the Championship.

The central defender was first to a loose ball after a Kevin Bru shot had been blocked following a well-worked freekick.

In the second half then-Town loanee Jonny Williams was forced off with a groin injury - from which he is still to return - following a wild Joel Ekstrand lunge which might well have led to a red card rather than the yellow the Swedish defender was shown.

In April last year at Vicarage Road, Town’s 2013/14 play-off hopes suffered a blow as they were beaten 3-1 by Watford.

The Hornets, who were outsiders for the top six themselves at that stage, were ahead through Albert Riera at the break, but Anthony Wordsworth equalised five minutes after the restart.

However, two goals in three minutes from Gabriel Angella and Lewis McGugan sealed the three points for the home side.

Historically, the sides are very well matched with the Blues having won 26 games (23 in the league) and Watford 26 (25 in the league), while 17 (17) have ended in draws.

Watford goalkeeper-coach Alec Chamberlain was a youth player with the Blues but never made a first team appearance, while Town youth development coach Steve Foley spent time coaching at Vicarage Road earlier in his career. No current player from either squad has represented the opposition.

Saturday’s referee is Andy D’Urso from Billericay in Essex, who has shown 85 yellow cards and five red in 29 games so far this season.

D’Urso’s most recent Town match was the 2-2 home draw with Bournemouth in April last year in which he kept his cards in his pocket throughout.

Squad from: Bialkowski, Kenny, Chambers (c), Mings, Berra, Smith, Clarke, Skuse, Bru, Parr, Tabb, Chaplow, Anderson, S Hunt, Connolly, Henshall, Stewart, Benyu, Murphy, Sears, Wood, Varney.


Photo: Action Images



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braveblue added 12:44 - Mar 20
Think we played 433 without Skuse that day!!!
-1

TimmyH added 12:54 - Mar 20
Just like 'the repeat performance' Mick wanted against Boro last week - unfortunately for us a lot of water has gone under the bridge since then. Certainly would be surprised to see us keep a clean sheet.
Maybe 1 thing that might be in our favour, the teams that have generally gone to the top have then slipped up - just something I've noticed of recent weeks.
9

tractorboybig added 13:24 - Mar 20
O no, Mick is into dreaming now!
1

kidsurello added 14:17 - Mar 20
There is no point in anyone getting annoyed at MM, he has a style, like a sort of foreign Italian defensive style I guess, BUT at the end of the day we are currently 7th in league, 1 point out the play - offs with 8 games to go. This is best weve been in soooo long and the in this league we can go to Watford and get a result I believe. As fans we should be going to Watford tomorrow with the loudest support we've ever heard, get your inflateales, get your scarfs n make some noise for tractor boys haha
COYB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
10

gorse added 14:38 - Mar 20
Ohh no D'Urso
2

essextractorboy93 added 14:38 - Mar 20
Really difficult game tomorrow but our support at Watford is always amazing. They have some technically very good players, some of their players will try and go down easily though. Forestieri was a disgrace a few weeks ago when he got a Wolves player sent off for nothing.
3

hazelton added 15:18 - Mar 20
Watford 25 points from the last ten games ITFC 11 points
Watford 22 goals from the last ten games ITFC 11 goals

Who said it was going to be easy.

COYB's !!
2

bluefeast added 15:21 - Mar 20
we will win 2.0 ,just to shock everyone and ourselves.COYB
0

warkthelint added 15:45 - Mar 20
I have no doubt that he will play a massive blanket like defence with just the very occasional foray into the other half....to permit Chambers to toss the coin. It certainly won't be pretty and we will be lucky to get a look in if MM plays the usual way. Under no illusions as to the task ahead but playing the usual hoofball will invite only problems but it won't change against a naturally free flowing team and with our kick it anywhere sTyle advocated by MM. Hope springs eternal though...
4

finidi added 15:56 - Mar 20
The biggest home banker in the league! loved to be proved wrong though.
1

gorse added 16:18 - Mar 20
Glad Bishop will be rested, as his current shin pain would be nothing compared to the post-Watford kicking. Would much rather he played for the England U19's.
0

Seasider added 16:54 - Mar 20
football v hoofball
3

unknown100 added 17:09 - Mar 20
Bartoz
Chambers smith Berra mings
Bru skuse tabb
Sears Murphy wood

Not going to be a happy end to the season amd think McCarthys negative style and outright ridiculous interviews is going to piss a lot of fans off, I'm already there, even if we do get in the play offs I'm still not a fan of his playing style
3

therein61 added 17:36 - Mar 20
After falling away alarmingly in the last 2 months mainly due to negativity on Micks part let's at least(for our very strong away following who have spent a lot of money this season Mr Evans, you?!!) be bloody positive and go for 3 points instead of the pre kick off attitude we have a point let's keep it which has crept in(bad management!?) we have not benefitted from the strange loan signings up front when it was more than obvious the midfield and more so the back four needed refreshing, we fans(I am at Watford tomorrow with the rest of our fantastic away day fans who deserve more than is currently being produced on the road) deserve a positive blood and thunder let's have a go performance from all in a blue shirt!!! 3 points please boys makes my beer tastes better.
5

topguy added 17:51 - Mar 20
I really don't want us to be underestimated but I think we will and could surprise them, Sometimes we look dead on our feet and nick one like Bolton Tuesday we can do again and oh dear if we do the international break would make it interesting im really am loving this season so much looking forward to next season regardless of whether we go up or not I think with a bit of tweaking we would be strong next time and can do it
0

ShropshireBluenago09 added 18:27 - Mar 20
Not sure if the best way to beat Watford is to park the bus…
Maybe a 4-5-1, with counter attacking wide men would be best
my team;
Bartoz
Chambers smith Berra mings
Connoly Skuse Tabb Bru Hunt
Murphy
2

Markthehorn added 18:38 - Mar 20
SB - In a way we would like you to come out attacking giving us space to get in behind be it via passing or long ball!

Noticed you got caught a bit like that last weekend - going for a goal and then Boro broke on the break,

You'll probably get a goal at least - our record against the other top teams isn't great TBH.
2

ShropshireBluenago09 added 18:59 - Mar 20
Thanks for the insight Mark.
You are right, if we attack we are left exposed through midfield and especially at Right Back where we still have Chambers, a great Central defender in this league, but not great at right back!
1

Bluetone added 19:33 - Mar 20
Tabb has the ball in his own half turns passes it back to Chambers and Hoooof.
5

MHS added 20:44 - Mar 20
Probably the last place I'd choose to go to right now the way Watford are playing. Even back when we played them their attacking threat was clear to see, we definitely rode our luck at times.

Just hoping we can come out of the next two games still in the mix - I do think we'll need other results to go our way for that to happen though! Huddersfield, Cardiff and blackpool are all very winnable games.

I've tried to stay positive all season but I have to admit a slight feeling of 'rebuild and come back stronger next season' - please prove me wrong town!
0

warkthelint added 21:51 - Mar 20
This game in many ways resembles the build up to the Norwich match. In the local Derby, we know how it finished and we were second on all fronts and way MM played was highly predictable - the occasional break out on the hope of catching the opposition on the hop, sustained defence and kicking the ball anywhere.Unfortunately that is how we play and does not bode well for tomorrow, especially against a high flying team who love to attack and score goals. ...the opposite to us sadly, being tactically limited and another danger is that MM's style was rumbled by the opposition some months ago so no element of surprise there for them and they know that we struggle to attack potently. They will be coming for our throats so the best we can hope for is Watford leaving their shooting boots at home or having an off day.

3

blueherts added 21:53 - Mar 20
Derby are in free fall - Shocking no win in 5 and had Bent Ince and Lingeard on the pitch
Bonkers !!
1

Umros added 22:01 - Mar 20
Is this a cut and paste of last weeks pre match comments for the boro game?
0

bluesince84 added 23:30 - Mar 20
A repeat performance of the Bolton game, is he serious, the only reason we won was because the 6 clear chances they had they fluffed it. Any clinical team would have obliterated us on Tue. And yes tab scored, and was happy with it, but if the entire defense drops to the ground and the ball has to bounce twice before it hit the net, then its hardly clinical of us. God im dreading tomorrow, absolutely dreading it. Play hoof at our peril.
3

Mick_Thrills added 00:09 - Mar 21
I'd take a scrappy 1-0 win tomorrow over a tidy footballing defeat, thanks very much. Hope MM and the lads prove a few people on here wrong. COYBBBB
0


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