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McCarthy: It Doesn't Matter What They Cost
Saturday, 29th Aug 2015 06:00

Town boss Mick McCarthy says it doesn’t matter what a player costs just that they’re good footballers. The Blues manager confirmed the addition of Polish centre-half or right-back Piotr Malarczyk yesterday, for a bargain fee understood to be in the region of £8,500.

Having previously brought in left-back Tyrone Mings for £10,000 and a reserves friendly from Chippenham Town, before selling him this summer for £8 million, and making innumerable Bosman free signings since taking over at Town, the Blues boss has a history of making astute additions for little or no outlay in terms of fees.

“He’s a good player, first and foremost,” he said regarding Malarczyk, while neither confirming nor denying the £8,500 figure, which is understood to have been the buy-out figure included in a new contract the 24-year-old signed in June, a nominal fee which would allow him to move to a foreign club if an offer came in.

“It doesn’t matter what they cost if they’re good players. I was just sat watching the sport this morning and I said to the lads that I’m not sure I’d like to be putting my name to somebody at 58 million quid [the reported fee Manchester City are to pay for Wolfsburg’s Kevin De Bruyne]! Wow!

“I bring them in on frees and I think ‘I hope they work out, I hope we’re not paying him for two or three years and he turns out to be a chump!’. Heaven knows what I’d be thinking if I’d paid 58 million quid.

“I’m not so sure you ever get a chump for that but you don’t always get what you think you’re getting.”

Having largely signed players from the domestic market since taking charge at Portman Road, more recently he has brought in Jonas Knudsen from Esbjerg in Denmark and now Malarczyk from Korona Kielce in Poland.


He says there’s been no deliberate change of approach: “I never made a conscious decision not to [look at the foreign market]. I’m of the view that if somebody recommends somebody to me I’ll have a look at him.

“If I get an email about someone I’ll have a look or if somebody’s seen somebody I’ll have a look and I’ll invite them in for a trial if I have to. Some I’ve won, some I’ve lost but I think I’m in profit on them, to be honest.”

Despite being without Christophe Berra and Jonny Parr going into today’s game with Malarczyk not expected to be available, McCarthy says he’s still got a number of defensive options.

“In terms of the experienced ones [we’re short, but] not really when I’ve had lads like Josh Emmanuel and Myles Kenlock play as well as they have, and Josh Yorwerth. I’m cool with that, we’ve got really good back-up.”

Another player who impressed McCarthy at Doncaster on Tuesday was winger Larsen Touré.

“He’s a good player, I’ve no doubt about him whatsoever,” he enthused. "He puts a right shift in as well. He’s a talented player, I’m delighted I got him, really pleased.”

After confirming that Malarczyk was signing McCarthy said there was one more deal he was looking to do before the transfer window closes on Tuesday, which was presumably winger Tommy Oar, who is set to put pen to paper over the weekend.

The Town boss expects a quiet deadline day, aside from loan interest in his fringe players: “Unless somebody wants one of mine on loan or something but even then I’ll be on the phone. I won’t be too busy.”

And he doesn’t expect to be in the market for loan additions when the emergency provision is open to him in just over a week’s time.

“I doubt very much I’ll be entering into that not when I get Christophe, Murph, Bish Kevin Bru and Jonny Parr back to go with the ones that we’ve got,” he said. “I’ll probably have a squad of 23. I won’t need anybody else.”

McCarthy says he's not yet giving the Capital One Cup tie at Manchester United too much thought, although he admits it means there'll be a lot of games in a short period.

“I was talking about having Josh [Emmanuel] and Myles [Kenlock] and all these lads because we play Friday, Wednesday, Saturday and we’ll need all the squad," he said.

“I think it’s a great tie for us. It’s one of those where you go up and if we win everybody thinks we’re great and if we don’t win we’re not expected to win.

“It’s not a great pressure game. If we were travelling up to Carlisle there’d be much more pressure to win.

“It’s a fixture we can enjoy and look forward to. But we’re playing Brighton, I don’t get involved in all that.

"We know what we’re at, that’s just a nice fixture coming up but we’ve got a few games before then.”


Photo: Action Images



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wkj added 07:09 - Aug 29
Some of the more negative amoungst town fans could really take a lesson from this article. If teams only ever signed known players for big fees, how would we ever discover the next big thing? Mick has the midas touch, trust him.
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BLUETEL added 07:14 - Aug 29
we have very grounded manager in MM
5

Kikapu added 07:55 - Aug 29
I don't think we should forget Evans and the rest of management. They are responsible for setting up and enacting the strategy. Much more business-like and sustainable now and their choice of MM has been central to that. MM has accepted the strict financial guidelines and adapted brilliantly. Good on all of them, I say.
3

hoppy added 07:57 - Aug 29
As I posted on the forum yesterday, but seems kind of apt for this article too, and I know a lot of people that comment here don't venture on the forum, I'd add it here too....

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Mark added 08:21 - Aug 29
I am in dreamland with how fantastically well McCarthy is doing in signing players on fee transfers or nominal fees. Not just any players, but quality players and internationals! Of course it is the right strategy, but most managers would not be capable of doing it.

On free transfers Keane brought in the likes of Brian Murphy, Aaron Lee-Barrett, Troy Brown, Colin Healy and Conor Hourihane. Jewell bought in Ibrahima Sonko, Lee Bowyer, Jimmy Bullard and Nathan Ellington. To go to that to getting the likes of the squad McCarthy has built for peanuts, including this week a 23-year-old Australian international who played at the world cup and a 24-year-old captain of a top league side in Poland...unbelieveable.

6

wkj added 08:29 - Aug 29
Credit to Ian Milne who is obviously worlds apart from Clegg on the negotiation table too.
9

essexboy added 09:02 - Aug 29
We have a very sensible owner who knows how to run a successful business and he is doing the same with our great Club.I'm sure he gives Mick all the backing he needs.Almost all the players Mick has brought to this club have been an asset,and all for nominal fee's.Why should he spend big.Very good posts on this topic,well said Lads.COYB,let's have a good win today and open the gap at the top..👍🍺
4

PJH added 09:17 - Aug 29
As always MM is talking sense.

As said above,us true ITFC supporters owe MM a lot-as we do ME and Ian Milne.

Let's continue the good news this afternoon.

COYB
5

Daleyitfc added 09:47 - Aug 29
Shame he can't count : he actually has a squad of 33 players, not counting Stewart and Clarke - way too many.
-2

VulpineBlue added 10:31 - Aug 29
It's good that we rely on scouting and a bit of shrewd nous these days to add to the squad. As we all too well know, bank accounts empty all too quickly, but these skills endure. Looking for TALENT rather than the NAME is vitalespecially if, as wkj rightly says, young players are to progress in the game.
1

cromwellblue added 10:52 - Aug 29
In a sport that is currently, to quote MM, Bonkers, when it comes to money it's a delight to support a club that is run properly.

Many on here have been demanding the club spend the £8M from the sale of Mings. Yet MM has hugely strengthened our team & squad for less than £0.5M

This article should be taken by many as a much needed reality check. Success comes from getting the right players at the right prices, not just splashing large quantities of cash on average players.

I urge you all to appreciate Marcus & Mick.

1

essex57 added 10:55 - Aug 29
I was really enjoying these posts until I got to Daley itfc I thought all the negative moaners had disappeared hey Ho well done MM and all the team and backroom staff really looking forward to today's match will show us how much progress we have made
2

hoppy added 12:06 - Aug 29
Hmm.. doesn't look like it worked earlier, as can't see the image... hopefully it will this time



(but if not... it was here: http://www.twtd.co.uk/forum/353771/mick-mccarthy...-is-he-really-who-he-says-he- )
1

Macquarie added 14:12 - Aug 29
G'day from an exile in the Cotswolds: just to say that when we appointed MM those Wolves supporters with whom I take the occasional drink were unanimous in telling me how lucky we were, and that we should give him time. I've never thought I'd write 'Wolves supporters' and 'intelligent' in the same sentence, but whoops, I just did. They weren't wrong.
1

blueboy1981 added 15:51 - Aug 29
Can't say I agree with many of MM's tactics / substitutions - but on this point I totally agree with him.

Good players don't necessarily have to cost mega-bucks - until, of course, you reach the very top when zero's are added to figures for fun.

That's when the World of Football gets totally crazy - and could you ever see our Club realistically being able to compete with that crazy world ? .......... as much as we all want success.
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