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McCarthy Would Take 42 More Performances Like Norwich Display Saturday, 27th Aug 2016 09:06
Boss Mick McCarthy says he’d be happy with another 42 performances like last week’s display in the 1-1 draw with Norwich City or in the 0-0 stalemate at Wolves in the previous match. Town are again in home action against Preston North End on Saturday afternoon.
McCarthy was delighted with his side’s showing against the Canaries and would be pleased if the Blues could repeat it during the season’s remaining games.
“I would, I’d also take another 42 like the one at Wolves, to be honest,” he said. “We’ve had two good performances.
“I thought on Sunday it was an excellent performance. Probably a fair result, on reflection. I think we probably had more of it, the chances, certainly in the first 20 minutes, but they showed some real bits of quality that they’ve got.
“I think their goal was a real bit of quality. We made the mistake to start with but they did pick a hole in us.
“They’re a very good side, we had to play really well to get a result out of them and we did.”
He says supporters of both clubs will have enjoyed Sunday’s derby: “It was a great game. It was a terrific game of football and I think both sides contributed to that, to be honest.
“But the majority are our fans and it’s always great when there’s a good atmosphere, everybody said before the game in the warm-up that the atmosphere was great. It was a good game of football.”
McCarthy is a big fan of his Preston opposite number Simon Grayson, whose side recorded their first league win of the campaign at QPR last week, where they ran out 2-0 winners, having lost all three of their previous Championship games by a single goal.
“He’s a great guy, I really like Simon,” the Town manager continued. “He’s done the rounds, he’s done his badges, he’s got all his stuff and learnt the trade.
“Wherever he’s been he’s had an impact and done a good job. His teams are always well-organised, they’re disciplined, they work hard and they try and play their football off the shape of the team, whatever they’re doing and they’re a difficult nut to crack.
“We’ve had some really tough games against them and I think, especially being down in the capital and getting a great result at QPR, they’ll be coming here full of confidence.”
He says the win at Loftus Road will have given the Lilywhites a lift: “I would imagine - and I haven’t seen the games - that in the defeats that they’ve had they’ve had chances.
“They might feel it’s not been deserved, the results, the performances have deserved better.
“But you’ve got to get that win, and when you do get that win it tends to take the pressure off a little bit and you can relax and play. Hopefully that’s not the case here on Saturday.”
The game will see the Blues face Ben Pringle, who was on loan at Portman Road in the latter part of last season, making nine starts and one sub appearance, scoring twice before joining Preston in the summer.
McCarthy was pleased with the 27-year-old during his stint at Portman Road: “He was good for me, I enjoyed having him here.
“But he had a year left on his contract at Fulham. He’s gone there and he’s quite happy.”
The Town manager seems likely to stick with the 4-3-3 formation he has utilised in the last two games and probably virtually all the same personnel.
If that's the case, keeper Bartosz Bialkowski will play behind a back four of skipper Luke Chambers, Adam Webster, Christophe Berra and Jonas Knudsen.
In midfield Cole Skuse and Jonathan Douglas will be joined by either Teddy Bishop or Kevin Bru.
Up front, Daryl Murphy will be flanked by Grant Ward to his right and Freddie Sears to his left.
The former West Ham and Colchester man has now gone 31 competitive games without hitting the net - although he did score at Shelbourne in pre-season - but McCarthy is confident that the 26-year-old will be back in the goals soon.
“We all work towards that and try and help him, TC especially,” the Blues boss added. “I remember Didz also going 11 games one season and he didn’t score a goal, but he kept getting picked.”
Does Sears put in work which sometimes gets undervalued? “It does and it doesn’t. I think you’ll find that at the Player of the Year do I gave them my Player of the Year because he plays up front, he plays wide right, wide left, he does it selflessly and it is appreciated.
“It might go unnoticed by people that don’t understand the game as much but for people who do watch it and understand it a bit better, they’ll understand that he tracks back, he does his job, he does his shift and maybe he’s suffered because of it, but he’s had to do it, and he’s in a team.
“It’s not a game of golf this, it’s not one man on his own. He’s been a very good purchase.”
Conor Grant (groin), David McGoldrick (ankle), Luke Hyam and Giles Coke (both knee) remain on the sidelines.
Preston boss Grayson says he has a selection headache after last week’s 2-0 Championship win at QPR and then a number of fringe players impressing during Tuesday’s 2-0 EFL Cup win at home to Oldham.
"That's the way it has to be, the worst scenario for us is that players who are coming in are not doing their jobs or the team that has started on a Saturday not doing their jobs because it all becomes a mixed bag of what you try and pick,” Grayson told Preston’s official website.
"The last two results have been encouraging, we know we've still got to keep working hard, the players know what they need to do and it's just nice to have those options.
"By the time the window shuts as well it would be nice to have another couple of options for the long term of the season."
He added: ”We know what to expect, Portman Road is always a difficult place to go. But if we can perform like we did there last year, and like we did last weekend against QPR, being hard to beat but play when we get chance to play and be ruthless in both boxes, then it gives us a great opportunity so we are looking forward to it.”
Anders Lindegaard, who had a shoulder problem, and Jermaine Beckford, Paul Gallagher and Bailey Wright, who had minor knocks, all missed Tuesday’s game but are expected to be fit.
Ex-Blues loanee Pringle is a doubt with an ankle problem, but Stevie May and Calum Woods both remain long-term absentees, due to knee injuries.
The Lilywhites have had the better of the Blues historically, winning 13 games (11 in the league) between the sides while Town have been victorious on 10 (nine) occasions and eight (seven) matches have ended in draws.
The teams last met at Portman Road in January when Daryl Murphy’s eighth goal of the season seven minutes before the break saw the Blues to a 1-1 home draw with Preston North End, Daniel Johnson having put the visitors ahead in the seventh minute.
That result and the scores elsewhere saw Town, who were denied what looked a clear second-half penalty, drop out of the play-off places.
In August last year, Brett Pitman and Ryan Fraser netted as the then-top-of-the-table Blues won 2-1 to record their first league win at Deepdale since January 1966.
Pitman put Town in front with a header against the run of play in the 24th minute but Johnson hit back for the home side before Fraser sealed it with a brilliant strike on 65.
Saturday’s referee is Tim Robinson from West Sussex, who has shown 10 yellow cards and one red in three games so far this season.
Robinson’s most recent Town match was the 1-0 win at Derby on the final day of last season in which he booked skipper Luke Chambers and Adam McDonnell and two Rams.
Prior to that he was in charge of the 2-1 home victory over Reading in February in which he booked Christophe Berra and two visiting players.
Robinson’s only other competitive Town game was the 2-0 home defeat to Middlesbrough in December 2015 in which he again yellow-carded Berra and two visitors.
Before that he refereed the pre-season friendly at Crawley in the summer of 2013 in which he awarded the Blues a penalty, which was converted by David McGoldrick in a 2-1 victory.
Need more quality in squad to challenge over a whole season as cup game , pre season and under 23 games show a few injuries and we go from being a competitive side who could upset anybody to a lower half average side , take Ward and Bishop away and what do we really have left ?
Bongoblue91 - I'm being serious. Tell me where we've played well for consistent periods this season? We've become so detached from what good football is since Keane, Jewell and McCarthy that many appear to be happy with little spells or patches of play for their money.
Tell me something that was good about the Norwich game after the half hour mark (other than Knudsen's finish and Bishop's display). McCarthy heralds it like it's a great achievement to switch to a 4-5-1 and grid out a point. No doubt we'd have all taken a point before the game but a good performance to build the season on? Need to do better...
penguinblue, why do you actually bother supporting Ipswich?, you never have a single good word to say about the club about anything, so surely they are just a hindrance in your life. im sure a few of us here will chip in for your petrol money so you can drive down to carrow road for all of the home games instead.
if you cant see sundays performance as a good one then you are a complete moron. we did everything the fans wanted in a derby, players battling, surely passion, outfighting the opposition. Norwich are a better footballing team than us, no doubt about it, 100 % mick got it spot on with his tactics for that game. also as for the right back situation, chambers is no better or no worse than any of the other defenders we have at the back.
also the other whingers about McCarthy, daleyitfc for one, you get what you pay for, if McCarthy had the funds, and could attract better players we would play a better style, but sometime you have to play styles to suit what you have!
It looks like the daggers are out for anyone to speak out against McCarthy! After 2 recent draws it appears that the pro McCarthy lot have got some bravado to pile into those who don't fall for his strategy of a draw will do in every match.
Tomorrow's game could make them actually realise that this squad is only equipped for a bottom half finish and a top six is just a pipedream. Preston certainly have the squad to turn us over
Certainly if we continue with the same grit, determination and work rate it will stand us in good stead.
However, we will need to create more chances, just the one shot second half, and the overall quality will need to improve. We are certainly short of players and need to add a couple - which MM is working on.
Overall it's been an average start to the season with just one win.
As per MMs own stated points,system he works to fir playoff position 3 points at home and point away we are 3 points off the pace after 4 games all be it against sides I expect to see at top of table at end of season
Daleyitfc, you make a valid point that MM has assembled a squad in his own image but then doesn't every manager do that ? Surely it's human nature to put your trust in the character traits that you see in yourself. Mick is a pragmatist. Most of the squad are people he believes he can rely on not mavericks. If my job depended on other people's performances then I guess I'd do the same as he does. Think of the alternatives like Ian Holloway, Martin Allen, Steve Evans etc. Big expansive characters who like to talk a good game but would you really want someone like that in charge of ITFC ? I wouldn't.
As for Douglas, I can't understand why he gets so much criticism. Last season he was playing in an unfamiliar defensive role in a four man midfield. Hopefully this season we'll see him regularly appearing in a three man midfield with licence to get forward and support the strikers. If so, he'll be all the better for it. The real concern will be what happens when Hyam is fit. In my humble opinion he's not shown enough consistency to be considered a regular starter but there will be calls for him to be installed along side Skues to anchor the midfield. The two of them aren't mobile or creative enough to be in a three man midfield so we'd be back to a four which in turn means that one of Freddie or Grant will either be left out or asked to drop back and play a wide role.
And, what about Pitman ? Give him a run of games and he'll score goals. True, he doesn't look like an incisive striker but he has that lovely knack of getting on the end of balls into the box and now that we have a wide man in Grant who seems capable of delivering such crosses Pit's should be in the starting eleven.
McCarthy is the sheer personification of 'ambition', eh. 42 more performances like that will probably average out at 42 more points, which means we might just escape relegation.
Agreed it was a good workman like performance and an improvement...BUT one which was not over 90 minutes! how many times over the last season or so have we seen an Ipswich team only play one half or in a few cases neither.
The problem with this site is that most people that comment know F##K all about football and walk around with rose tinted glasses on. I've managed in local football for over 10 years, and I can see clearly that we need a RB that can get forward and get a decent ball into the box, I think MM is the only person in the whole of Ipswich that cannot see that!! oh and a creative midfielder that can actually feed our strikers. until that happens we'll have to make do with the odd win here and there and plenty of defeats and draws.
ArnieM and Cheshire-Blue - I would not usually resort to this but you appear to me to be a pair of prats. For those who think anyone who writes anything negative about McCarthy's mismanagement is some kind of troll or keyboard worrier, I would say I have directly sought both Milne's and McCarthy's response but have only got bland platitudes. ITFC could be so much better, even with the existing squad - it is McCarthy's tedious ways and the fact that no one seems to challenge him - that makes us the boring team with an unenviable reputation that we have sadly become.
Churchmanschild Chambers is more a right back than a centre half now as he has played rb more throughout his career, yes he can come unstuck by a pacey winger but there is more to his game.
If your so experienced why don't you apply for mm's job??????? Oh yeah vast difference a pro game.
I personally think our squad screams out for 3-5-2 but don't bang on about it as I am clever enough to know Mick knows a lot more than me, oh yeah and you and probably all of us on this site.
I don't post on here much but after seeing this headline just had to say my bit...
MM would want another 42 games iike Wolves!!?!?! I really do worry now what's ahead for us. We played ok against narwich but nothing amazing.
Time for a change. MM is to defensive and not the type of manager Ipswich want. I'd rather be mid table and see decent attacking football than this negative style he plays.
No Mullet, i could easily have counted the last 7 months of last season or pre-season this campaign as well. Post something with substance about our club rather than picking holes in points with zero argument of your own.
If you seriously think that because we're 5 games in we shouldn't be playing well or consistently then what on earth do you actually expect from a team? To turn up and try? To give it their best?? Plenty of sides have started well and are playing good football. Look what Hughton has done at Brighton.
McCarthy is on borrowed time for me after last season's drudgery and nothing has changed this time round. He's on borrowed time because of apathy from fans like you who are prepared to wait and see what happens...after 15 years in the Championship and into the 5th season of McCarthy's reign. What exactly are you waiting for?
You could have but didn't. You also forget that the last two games we've been very consistent and robbed of a total of 4 pts quite legitimately as well as putting in decent performances.
Plenty of sides well be nowhere near where they are now come the end of the season for better or worse. What you've posted is simply illogical and full of holes to get back to moaning about McCarthy, which you've made explicit now 3 posts in.
@essextractorboy93 quote " If we signed Messi, Ronaldo and Bale. If McCarthy signed Messi, Ronaldo and Bale he'd probably have them on the bench and then drop them for not "putting in a shift" and tracking back. Also I don't think they would appreciate McCarthy's aerial bombardment (lack of) style of play.
Keaneish - completely agree with your posts. People seem to think this is just about the here and now, when in actual fact we have been extremely poor since the back end of 2015. Pre season also saw poor performances and below average results. We will get the odd win - possibly tomorrow - and also the occasional great performance (Leeds springs to mind), but often that is followed by some utter rubbish as well. Our squad lacks the necessary quality and our style of play has driven many fans away, which is a shame, but hardly surprising. Guessing, it seems that more than 1,000 have turned their backs, and before folk say good riddance, we need every single one back and more. But until we consistently perform, with an attacking style, I simply can't see it. Sadly.
Mullet, who's the wind up merchant now? Illogical and full of holes? I'm basing my argument on 7 months of bad football (we could go back a lot further as Jas099 says) and if not that, then a poor start to the season and you're argument is that we've found more consistency as we have picked up back to back draws and our performances have been better???
I'll agree with you on one thing. Wolves and the Scum were a lot better performances but when you hold them up against Barnsley, Stevenage and Brentford, the argument doesn't hold much weight because those performances were pretty dire.
Here's the proof: name me a game under McCarthy where we have played well for 90 minutes, dominated and won the game? We cant't even do this against lower league opposition in the cup(s). Even Jewell managed this once in a while!
I give Mick where credit is due but there's not been much in truth. The signing of Ward and Grant looks like good business (not Webster yet - looks out of his depth). Other than that, i'm scratching around trying to think of positives about this last year. The loan of Fraser. Slim pickings....
As soon as I saw the headline, I knew the Fiddler's Elbow Society would be out in force to poison the comments as usual.
If we do actually get another 42 performances (performances, NOT results!) like the Norwich display, we'll probably be looking at automatic promotion. COYB.
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