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McCarthy Would Be Surprised If There Wasn't Interest in McGoldrick
Friday, 29th Jul 2016 06:00

Town boss Mick McCarthy says he would be surprised if there weren't clubs interested in Blues striker David McGoldrick. Sheffield Wednesday are amongst a number of Championship sides understood to be eyeing McGoldrick.

Dutch club FC Twente are also keen on the Republic of Ireland international, who is contracted for another two seasons, while a Spanish report linked Segunda División side CD Lugo last night, although neither side would appear to be in a financial position to make a move for the 28-year-old.

Asked whether there is any interest in McGoldrick, McCarthy said: “Probably, I haven’t heard anything. If there isn’t any interest I’d be surprised, he’s a good player.”

He added: “To be fair to us, we’ve not seen the best of him over the last couple of seasons because of injury.

“So I’d like to see that this year with us. I don’t want to see him going anywhere else.

“But I’m damned sure there’s somebody interested in him, I don’t know who they are if that’s the case.”

Having chopped and changed his four-man strike force - McGoldrick, Daryl Murphy, Brett Pitman and Freddie Sears - throughout last season, McCarthy says it’s up to his frontmen to establish themselves as regular starters in the season to come.

“It’s up to them to nail it down,” he continued. “I didn’t mix and match it because I wanted to, I mixed and matched it because perhaps we weren’t [scoring regularly enough].

“I wouldn’t have mixed and matched the year before when Murph scored 27 and when Didzy was flying. That was the team, although we didn’t have as many strikers of his quality. But of they’re scoring them and playing well, then they’ll stay in the team.”


While his quartet of strikers will be expected to net many of Town’s goals in 2016/17, McCarthy says he wants to see more from elsewhere in his squad.

“Midfield players need to contribute, certainly,” he said. “I think if Bish stays fit I’m sure he’ll score and he certainly creates them. Kevin Bru’s got to contribute, we’ve got to have more goals from them.

“The defenders have contributed over the piece, it’s midfield players I would say who have got to start contributing a bit more.”

Like McGoldrick, Teddy Bishop returned to action at the end of last season after missing much of the campaign through injury and looks a much more physically strong player than he did during his breakthrough 2014/15 season.

“That’s the benefit of being injured, you spend 16 months in the gym!" the Town boss added. "That’s your rehab. There’s not a lot you can really do, you end up being on a gym programme.

“And he’s better for it. He’s a good athlete now. Hopefully he’ll be more durable because of it, that’s the main thing.”

Returning to the squad having been an outcast for the last two seasons is winger Cameron Stewart, who McCarthy has confirmed is very much part of his plans.

What does the Blues manager believe has led to the 25-year-old’s improved attitude this summer? “I hope I’ve had some effect on him. I didn’t put him in the squad last year, he wasn’t in the team photograph. He’s been out on loan, he came back, he wasn’t fully fit. That’s down to him.

“And I would have thought me, maybe his girlfriend, maybe his advisors or maybe he’s just getting older and the penny’s dropped.

“He’s got something, Cameron, there’s no doubt. He put two great crosses in the other night. It’s up to him to stay that way and if he does, then I’ll keep him around, I’ll have him in the squad and I’ll make the best use of him.”

Reflecting on players such as McGoldrick, Bishop and 17-year-old Andre Dozzell, McCarthy says he has some exciting talent at his disposal, as long as they avoid injuries.

“I have but they have to be fit,” he added. “I can’t do anything if they’re sat in the physio room being treated for hamstrings, knees, backs, groins, calves, injuries, that’s an impossibility. If these lads are fit, then you can rest assured that they’ll be playing. The best players will play.”

The Town boss admits his side - who finished seventh in the Championship, missing out on the play-offs by four points - was under par towards the end of last season, particularly at home, but says they were approaching games just as they had a year beforehand when they were sixth in the table.

“I would just say that we didn’t play any differently at the back end of last season than we did at the back end of the season before when we got to the play-offs. Maybe we just weren’t as good.”

He says the Blues will be looking to start the season positively when they take on Barnsley at Portman Road on Saturday 6th August.

“That’s never changed, I’ve tried to do that every year I’ve been here and I think every year we have, to be fair, we’ve set off really well,” McCarthy continued.

“We lost some really key, influential players last year in Didz and Murph and Ryan Fraser and Bish.

“I don’t know anybody else with a squad like mine that would have coped and even finished seventh with it.

“There was a lot to be proud of as well, even having lost [out on the play-offs]. Had we kept them fit I think we might have got the top six.”


Photo: Action Images



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jas0999 added 07:28 - Jul 29
I would also be surprised if there isn't interest in him and one or two of our other players such as Murphy, Sears and Smith. Good news the latter has signed a contract but fully anticipating Evans cashing in on one of our assets. McGoldrick seems the most likely candidate as he is essentially worth the most, plus doesn't play half a season. I hope we don't sell, but I have my doubts.
3

yorksblue added 07:36 - Jul 29
Under par at home. Understatement!
1

Len_Brennan added 08:08 - Jul 29
@jas: How many players do you think we need in & where?
While I am once again frustrated with the lack of activity so far & we have let a few leave the squad/return to their clubs, it is a fair point to say that Bishop, McGoldrick, Murphy & even Stewart being fit & ready for kick off is a bonus that we hadn't last season even though they were here. Also the emergence of Dozzell as a genuine first team creative option is great news. You could even argue that having Berra fit & ready for action this season is a massive bonus. I cannot believe the number of posters who has dismissed him after one under par season by his standards, considering how outstanding he had been since joining us. He's only 31 & if fully back on form will again be one of the top centre halves in this league.
I agree we need players in & need them in now, but a right back (which won't be coming) & a couple of decent wingers, maybe the Belgian lad being one of them, wouldn't leave us too badly off if the rest stay fit, probably?
8

essex57 added 08:38 - Jul 29
Brilliant last three paragraphs Mick let's get behind the team and get this stupid idea that he makes decisions just to annoy the fans.
8

tractorboybig added 09:15 - Jul 29
Would selling mcgoldrick really make any difference to results or performance? I doubt it, probaly the most overrated player we have, surely selling him makes the best sense and throw coke in free.
-6

scottrock added 09:29 - Jul 29
Tractorboybig - McGoldrick overrated? He's frustrating due to his amount of injuries, but overrated ? He's probably our only player who can actually change a game.
1

prebbs007 added 10:43 - Jul 29
"I don't know anybody else with a squad like mine that would have coped and even finished seventh with it"

Really Mick ??? Blow your own trumpet a bit louder why don't you !!!!

Why then can't you attract any players to come and join your hoofball gang ???

You're not the superstar manager you think you are. You have no plan b when things don't work (Rotherham at home with effectively 7 at the back in a must win game), you pick players out of position all the time, you play your love children no matter how utter sh1t they perform.

Let other people praise your efforts, don't tell us how great you are/were and don't keep promising new recruits when we e heard it all before. Every other team in the division has significantly improved their squad by spending money and using the loan system. What have you done ???
-1

bohslegend added 14:10 - Jul 29
And you know what Prebbs? You're not the insightful, super-genius, tactical wizard you seem to think you are either.

Your ranting on here is at best OTT, but in reality totally laughable.

I do respect other peoples opinions here which are not the same as my own but your personal and vitriolic attacks on the manager and players are unacceptable. Allegedly you're an ITFC supporter, but not once have I ever witnessed you say anything in support of the club or its players.
1

prebbs007 added 15:19 - Jul 29
Bohslegend are you being serious ??? You think it's ok for the manager to tell us how great HIS performance was last season ??? That's laughable if you think that's acceptable. Where did I say I was "insightful" "super-genius" or a tactical wizard.

Wake up man / woman / boy and smell the coffee. You don't agree with my opinion whoops do dah. I don't care but don't start putting words in my mouth. How dare you question my support of my club. People like you who blindly say all is ok when it clearly isn't are deluded.

The emergence of our youngsters is magnificent and the academy is clearly doing some excellent work but I don't think any manager should turn round and be so big headed to think that no other manager could do what he did with what he had is basically criticising the tools he has or are you too dumb to realise that ????
0

Seasider added 16:37 - Jul 29
Essex57 thinks it is a stupid idea to think that Mick makes decisions to spite the fans,then how does he explain away our Manager saying last season that if the fans are calling for a particular sub;then he wouldn't put him on?
3

blueboy1981 added 22:00 - Jul 29
....... as you probably guessed bohslegend - I gave you a plus by mistake.

Would give me pleasure to do so correctly one day - but can't really see that happening unfortunately, due to the fact that you have such a passion for everything that happens at Portman Road - yet rarely attends, if ever, and in not doing so Ipswich Town is obviously far from being a drain on your pocket.

Correct me if I'm wrong, of course.
-1

DirtyOldNodger added 23:55 - Jul 29
@blueboy1981 - are you saying that because someone doesn't visit a town game as much as you do, they are less of a fan and don't have a right to defend the club they support?

climb down off that soapbox son!!!
2

phillo added 11:00 - Jul 30
Not sure that's what he said DON tbf - think he was really disagreeing with bohslegend (welcome back to new season bohs ...... look forward to some good verbal sparring this season again!!) just probably confused by bohs comment "I do respect others opinions on here" then proceeding to savage prebs for his !!!! 😊 ...... do agree with you EVERYONE'S opinion is valid as it is their opinion !!!
2


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