Town boss Mick McCarthy says it’s important for his side to put on a show for fans at this afternoon’s final friendly of pre-season against Belgian second tier side Royale Union Saint-Gilloise (KO 3pm). The season proper gets under way next Saturday when McCarthy’s hometown club Barnsley, where he started his playing career, visit Portman Road.

“It’s important that the people who come and see us are excited by it,” the Blues boss said. “I heard all the fans [at Thursday’s open day] saying they’re excited the season’s coming, as we are.

“But we need to entertain them, to enthuse them, to get them back and wanting to come through the door to watch us.

“It’s important from that point of view and it would be nice to go into the Barnsley game on the back of a win.”

McCarthy, who has been keen to get his side to play a more possession-based game during pre-season, the Blues having been criticised for their style of play last term, admits he knows little of today’s opponents.

“Absolutely nothing,” he said. “Not being disrespectful to them, but I don’t. I don’t watch the Belgian top league too often, to be quite honest, [let alone the second division].

“I don’t but I will respect them just like everybody else. It’s up to us to play how we want to play and to get at them.”

Brussels-based Royale Union finished sixth in their division last year and are a club with a strong history behind them. They have won 11 Belgian league titles, however, the last of those was in 1935.

Les Unionistes were involved in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup during the 1960s but in recent years have played their football in the second and on occasion the third tier.

Striker Brett Pitman (toe) and midfielder Luke Hyam (knee) are not expected to be involved this afternoon but are thought likely to be fit for the Barnsley game. Dean Gerken has missed the last two friendlies with a hamstring problem and wasn't involved in Thursday's open training session at Portman Road.

Midfielder Giles Coke was training with fitness coach Andy Liddell at the open day but is unlikely to be ready to be involved today having undergone knee surgery at the end of last season.

Trialist left winger Roland Lamah could again be given a chance to impress having played in the 0-0 draw at Charlton on Tuesday.

As at The Valley, McCarthy will look to give many of his starting XI - a side which probably won’t be too far from the team which lines up against the Tykes next week - the full 90 minutes.

Tickets are priced at £10 for adults, £8 for concessions and £1 for under-16s.

Photo: Action Images

battyblue added 09:56 - Jul 30 We should be able to play these off the park and score four or five goals then and if it happens all the In Mick we trust brigade we be cock a hoop and believe we will finish top six no problem...completely underwhelmed by pre season nothing happened yet to be excited about I am afraid Mick.
8

vanmunt added 10:01 - Jul 30 Good post arnie, last year we started playing good football then that freak game at reading MM went to full hoof mode..
2

phillo added 10:33 - Jul 30 So Mick's never heard of this lot (like the rest of us) & by all accounts they are not exactly challenging opponents (or an exciting re-season draw for fans tbh) ..... so who the hell arranged this game as our only home friendly !! Once again some odd stuff & confusing statements about what goes on at our club ... surely Mick sets out what sort of opponents he wants to play pre-season to build ready for the first game or at least is part of that processes ? Yet once again when their is "moaning" - as there has been about this as the only/flagship home friendly - he sort of distances himself from the whole thing !!!! If your such a great manager Mick - which you keep telling us you are - sort it out & get what you want !!!!!!

6

onthehoof added 10:37 - Jul 30 Terry Butcher summed up todays match nicely on Radio 5 "playing the dog and duck". I hope MMs excite promise extends beyond todays opposition and takes a rest May 2017. We live in hope but this promise has been like waiting for London busses...hopefully they will turn up!
8

TimmyH added 10:42 - Jul 30 The word 'Excite' and McCarthy hardly go hand in hand, anyway haven't a clue who Royale Union Saint-Gilloise are!? we can't even get decent opposition in on our pre-season friendlies anymore. A win is a must this afternoon not a game with no goals!
6

Foreverdon_Blue added 10:46 - Jul 30 Well said ArnieM! I think we could actually surprise a few people this season as long as the quality players stay fit.
4

runningout added 11:10 - Jul 30 we should be surprising every 'blooming' body
0

Tractorboy1985 added 11:48 - Jul 30 ArnieM 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 hit the nail on the head my friend!
1

Seasider added 11:57 - Jul 30 Agree SirBob. Think the 1000 or so season ticket holders that didn't renew plus the negative reaction to the football last season,has at last got through to McCarthy,who admitted that he wasn't too pleased with the football in the second half of last season either. Mick is talking the talk;but will he walk the walk.They have certainly been playing more passing football on the ground;but in the games I have seen pre-season,a lot of the passing is in front of the opposition with little incisiveness especially through the middle. I am pleased however that Mick has mentioned entertainment, which as Sir Bob said he rather down played last year. Ipswich did well however to finish where they did last year,and hopefully with one or two additions,and the sicknotes back, the desire to play entertaining football will last beyond 11th September this year;that was the day Mick reverted to type after a 5-1 thrashing by Reading.

3

ArnieM added 12:01 - Jul 30 C'mon guys let's really get behind Our Team. The Euros have already shown the underdog can have his day.. BELIEVE.....show it at the ground and the team , especially the kids in the side will respond. We don't have a bad side when they are all fit and MM will bring in some players for sure. And thank you for the supporting posts some of you. very much appreciated. Now let's all pull together and drive our team on. I'm down there today....just for the he'll of it. COYBs

2

ArnieM added 12:01 - Jul 30 C'mon guys let's really get behind Our Team. The Euros have already shown the underdog can have his day.. BELIEVE.....show it at the ground and the team , especially the kids in the side will respond. We don't have a bad side when they are all fit and MM will bring in some players for sure. And thank you for the supporting posts some of you. very much appreciated. Now let's all pull together and drive our team on. I'm down there today....just for the he'll of it. COYBs

1

Penguinblue added 12:12 - Jul 30 Some of you guys are so easily pleased it's untrue. You judge McCarthy by such low standards and overlook the appalling tedium, team selections and hoofball we were subjected to all last year. You cling on to the 'turnaround' from the Jewel/Keane era which was so bad any one with half an idea could have changed. Go on shout his name and sing that stupid song if we manage to score a goal and make him think he's the tactician he isn't. He does not get his story straight one week to the next. Don't forget the minute you pass any negative comment he will show his contempt to you loyal fans. The best way to support ITFC is to encourage a change of 'manager' to enable football to return to Portman Road

4

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 12:13 - Jul 30 I hope "Dog and Duck" don't get a draw or that we only win by the odd goal (I'm not even comtemplating a loss); otherwise, the negative reaction will go through the roof!
0

blueboy1981 added 12:53 - Jul 30 .......... I cannot believe some of the garbage this man spouts - need to excite the fans ? ...... maybe the penny has at last dropped - after how long ? I wouldn't hold my breathe on that tho' because he only knows how to bore the living daylights out of players and fans alike. Never mind - another stiff test in terms of a pre season friendly to look forward to ......... !!!!!! Can anyone really see the point in arranging a pre season friendly against such opposition ? - MM has even admitted he knows absolutely nothing about them. The players shouldn't even need to break sweat in this one - so what's the point ... ??? No doubt the opposition will be 'world class' by the end of the game - as usual.

3

blueboy1981 added 13:00 - Jul 30 ......... best not to have a friendly against the 'Dog and Duck' - far too much face to lose. And the Dog and Duck anyway would probably prefer a friendly against a team who would at least attack, and possess a bit of flair about them.
0

Gcon added 13:18 - Jul 30 Penguinblue & Blueboy. You guys should get together - I think you would make a lovely couple.
0

MicksZzzTactics added 15:56 - Jul 30 Personally I couldn't less if we win 20-0 .... "EXCITE" :-) like never before under Dinosaur Mick .... and Lamah scores 15 of them and Stewart 5!!! This is a handpicked very feeble team, on paper incapable of putting up any sort quality "parrying", just to use some (fixed) boxing-bout terminology! I'm certain that PART of the objective -- as it in general with soooo many of these pre-season games against notably weaker oppositions now "standard" during the MM years -- it's clearly to install a "false" (as in on a close to outrageous CHEAP background!) sort of confidence, buzz, and hype! around the whole team, as well as in Micks in his own words often more or less : "excellent" this...., "excellent" that, both old & new "favorites". In other words -- and surely by some level of design imo -- it CONVENIENTLY helps immensely to not only keep overall criticism against the club at a minimum, but also particularly the MM skeptics mostly quiet and instead the "In Mick we (blindly) trust" brigade going ape, and it might even help to lure a some doubters to suddenly renew their season-tickets after all .... ALL PROVIDED we thrash all these lower level teams comfortably of course! Which oooops!!!! so far we haven't! lol

1

carsey added 17:33 - Jul 30 I love the unbridled optimism of ArnieM and others and wish I could share in it. I acknowledge the fantastic job McCarthy did when he arrived as I always have BUT that is history and there has been little evidence of trying to play decent football since then. I also acknowledge the lack of investment by Evans since McCarthy arrived BUT this doesn't excuse the manner of the football on offer when it is plainly possible to not play hoof ball. Other clubs do it (see Portsmouth) so it has to be the managers philosophy. I really do hope I am wrong and things are better but I don't believe McCarthy is capable of changing his approach. Either way I will be there to see it and that gives me the right to have an opinion that may be different to every one else.

0

Bluetone added 16:16 - Jul 31 The only way for McCarthy to excite the fans is by resigning.
0

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls