McCarthy: Performance Deserved Win
Saturday, 15th Oct 2016 18:28

Town boss Mick McCarthy felt his side deserved to win their 0-0 draw at Blackburn and was pleased with their performance, despite the Blues now having gone five games without a goal or a win. The Blues manager admits that Town are going through “a tough time” in front of goal, while his backline has picked up their fourth clean sheet in six.

“The way we’ve been at Blackburn for the last four visits, we’ve been awful so I would have taken anything from Blackburn,” admitted McCarthy, who is still to win a game in October as Town boss.

“We needed a performance. I thought I got that, I thought our fans got that performance.

“I’m disappointed, I thought we should have won the game, to be honest with you. Jason Steele got the man of the match and probably deserved it.

“Could we have been better, more clinical? I don’t know. But I don’t know what they’ve really contributed in the second half, certainly.

“I thought we were the better team and if any team was going to win it, it was going to be us.”

Are some of his players disappointed not to have taken their opportunities? “I think players always feel like that. I always say to them, I never think I’m more disappointed than them. I have a collective disappointment for them, for the team, for the club, for fans and players - I was a player - are quite insular, you’re disappointed for yourself and your team-mates.

“Of course they’ll be disappointed, but that’s the hardest thing in the game, putting the ball in the back of the net, but if we play like that more often than not we’ll win games.”

Despite the improved performance, fans who weren’t at the game might judge the match on the continued lack of goals.

“I can’t do anything about that,” he added. “I would really love to get our fans back on side with me and with the team and be excited by us.

“That was a start today. We’ve had more shots, more crosses, more attempts at goal than we’ve had in the last two or three games probably.

“And I’ll hear everybody screaming, ‘He should play 4-4-2 all the time’. Yeah, I know, good one.

“Maybe I’ll be the judge on what tactics we should use because we’ve had chances whatever we’ve played in the past.

“I can’t do anything about people who haven’t been here. I would hope that the ones that were will go back and say, ‘They played well today, we enjoyed it, should have won, but didn’t’.”

He says switching to 4-4-2, Freddie Sears joined Leon Best - who McCarthy believes is getting better with every game - up front, made the game more open: “They were two up as well, so it did leave it pretty wide open.

“I thought, except for the first 10 minutes when I thought they started well, we were equally as good as them and better than them in the second half.

“But every game’s different and I haven’t had two strikers to put up front anyway. You can pick the bones out of it, I’ve had one striker and one striker who has come in and not had a pre-season, and he’s done particularly well, Besty.

“So, to put two up and get one injured, then I’d be knackered and I couldn’t do it again. That’s really the first time I’ve had two fit strikers for a while.”

Regarding the five-game goalless run, he added: “I think there have been plenty of others that have gone through that, teams. I think the problem is the more you make it a problem the bigger it becomes.

“I remember David McGoldrick going 11 games without scoring and I didn’t drop him, I didn’t worry about him because I knew he’d get them. Maybe others were scoring. We’re just having a bit of a tough time, but we believe we’ll get out of it.”

At the other end of the field, the Blues’ defence has now kept four clean sheets in their last six matches.

“And then I’ll get that that is maybe how I operate and I don’t at all," McCarthy reflected. "Predominantly through my career I’ve been 4-4-2 with two flying wingers.

“When I was at Sunderland, when I was at Wolves, when I was with Ireland, whether it was Duffer [Damien Duff] and Kev Kilbane, that’s the way I’ve played. And I’d like to do that on a regular basis, but it has changed a bit, the game.

“Nevertheless, and I said what we’ve got to try and do is create chances, which we did, but still maintain that solidity because if you lose that it doesn’t matter. If you concede and you’re playing catch-up it’s very difficult.”

Blackburn boss Owen Coyle believed a draw was a fair result: “I thought it was a very hard fought Championship game, as we expected.

"I thought we started the first 15 minutes well, looked to get our passing game going, looked to get wide and create them a number of problems in the first 15 minutes."

He added: “I don’t think there were many clear-cut chances in the game. Did we create clear-cut chances? No. That was my disappointment.

"I think we got to the final third in wide areas many times and normally we’ve got players that can produce a little bit of a spark, a little bit of creativity in that respect, and we didn’t do that.

“On the other side of that, that’s our first clean sheet of the season, which we’ve been craving for a long time and they showed a real character and a real resilience to stand up and deal with a lot of aerial balls.

“You want to win every game you’re at home and we all understand that.

“The important thing I think that we showed is that we’ve learned a number of lessons. There was a real resilience, a real mentality to get that clean sheet.

"Could we do better in terms of being more aggressive in terms of our early passing and then quicker and sharper? Absolutely.

“But how they stood up to a real test I think in terms of defending your box, I think they stood up to that well.

"I think if we can continue, as always it’s stating the obvious, but clean sheets have so much importance because we do believe there’s goals in the team.

"If we can get that platform with the clean sheets, it’ll result in instead of one point being three points because we know we have that, so that’s something we have to continue to aim."

Photo: TWTD

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Swn98 added 08:19 - Oct 16 MRG very distasteful comment.
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martin587 added 08:23 - Oct 16

To drive all that way with a full car of supporters and watch that utter crap is a disgrace to ITFC.I have never seen such and inept performance from professional footballers in my life,and it hurts me to say it about a club I love.Blackburn were there for the taking and you MM set out a team to Draw at the best.Dropping Josh was a very BIG mistake and may well come back to haunt you.Your remarks on leaving him out because Chambers is the captain is B..l S..t.He has played c..p all season and you are still stubborn Enough to play him.The midfield Has not one iota of vision and the strikers are only as good as the service they get,which quite honestly is NOTHING. MM!you have now run your course and it's time to go.Looks like another washout of a season.Dread to think of the consequences if we loose on Tuesday.

raycrawfordswig added 09:16 - Oct 16 Do your job sort it out you plank.
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franco added 09:23 - Oct 16 GET THE DISONAUR OUT NOW !!!!!! MICK THE MUG YOU ARE SO FULL OF SH!T
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Swn98 added 10:01 - Oct 16 Jas009 so you agree that people who suffer with Alzheimers should be dragged into the banal and insignificant rubbish posted on this site Marvelous.
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martin587 added 10:35 - Oct 16 Swn98. If your so anti with posters,why do YOU still post on here then.!! Just a thought though.I don't mean to be offensive !
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classicblue added 11:03 - Oct 16 Well said heathen66 !!!
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jas0999 added 11:24 - Oct 16

Swn98 - no. But I down marked your post as it was yet another comment directly addressed to a poster and importantly was irrelevant to this actual thread. Perhaps you should report the comment as abuse if you felt it was inappropriate. I'm sure the administrators of this site would support.

You will note that I haven't down marked any of your other posts, as I respect your opinion, albeit don't agree with it!

bobble added 12:01 - Oct 16 We have a good keeper good defence ,so it shouldnt be hard to turn the results around. We need some dutch players in midfield with a scot and a big nosed striker up front with a fancy haircut and we should start winning again.
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TimmyH added 12:07 - Oct 16

'We need a performance - I thought I got that' - 'Could we have been better, more clinical?' - I dont know'.

That about wraps up the match, Mick seems to be indecisive about these major points...so just reading those 2 short paragraphs tells you all, we were maybe the better team but the attempts we did get must have been half chances against a poor Blackurn team who will no doubt be battling relegation this season. An Ipswich team under him a few season s back against this outfit would have taken 3 points, so much for progression!

yorksblue added 12:21 - Oct 16 Pigs on pitch
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dirtydingusmagee added 12:55 - Oct 16

any team we play has only to score one goal and we are f~~d,we cant respond to it.0-0 is as good as it gets McCarthy PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE GO SOMEWHERE ELSE, enough is enough,I hope the £10 ticket backfires big time,its actually a good opportunity for the supporters to show that we have had enough ITFC SUPPORTERS ,PLEASE STAY AWAY to make your point , booing and chanting wont mean a thing to McCarthy or Evans, empty seats would be harder to ignore

Swn98 added 13:12 - Oct 16 Martin587 I post on here as I don't agree with the rabid views of the majority of news site posters, Anybody can put forward views on team selection team tactics transfer policy etc etc when they don't have to stand by the result of their actions.
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martin587 added 13:38 - Oct 16 Swn98,Thanks for your reply.!
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Surco72 added 16:13 - Oct 16 Exactly SWN 98 ... Only one person has to stand by his decisions and actions and results and that us MM who is failing badly we are 17th and dropping , continued support for MM who is continually failing at getting points , scoring and entertaining by fans is what is . dragging this club down
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Seasider added 16:31 - Oct 16

Yes Ipswich did play more offensively yesterday;but the performances have been so negative recently,it was difficult not to.
Have given my opinion on Josh'being dropped so wont repeat.
Said a couple of weeks ago that Mick is beginning to talk the talk;but will he walk the walk.
Well clearly not by his team selections and substitutions.Its not who he brings on,but those he takes off.By leaving his two dour defensive mids on yesterday,he clearly wanted not to lose over going for a win,which sums up this ultra cautious Yorkshireman.

Add to his comments like- it is important to keep a clean sheet,as your playing catch up which is difficult;and admitting his 4-4-2 was set up to match the opposition,belies any positive thoughts we hope he might have following recent criticism.

All Managers have to put a positive spin on things;but the fact that Town are 17th and have not scored since 13 th September,added to the criticism he is now receiving must have dented his enormous ego a bit I feel.

But this man is stubborn as well as being arrogant;so I know that Luke Chambers will be playing at right back but will he drop 35 year old Douglas,as he previously said that he would not expect to play him twice in a week regularly.A few weeks ago he used the injuries as an excuse to include him;but with a plethora of midfielders now available Dougie is already keeping out Conor Grant,Bishop,Dozzell,Kevin Bru,and now Jonny Williams,hopefully soon to be followed by Didsy,who can of course also play up front.

I shall be interested to see the crowd numbers on Tuesday,and the team Mick puts out.
If its still sideways Skuse and Dozy Douglas,then actions will speak louder than words.

martin587 added 16:48 - Oct 16

Seasider. Your spot on with your post.when you play defensive midfielders across the middle and set yourself up for a draw at least,then the strikers will never score.Surely MM should understand by now that the reason we are not scoring is down to the service they get.Both strikers Saturday were deep in defence at Blackburn as the service to them was abismal, and that's putting it mildly.You cannot play both Skuse and Douglas together,one defensive player is enough.Play 4.4.2 this should give you more scope to play a more forward game.Drop chambers and play Josh,his attacking ability down the right will give us that extra edge.But,having said all that I expect the stubborn man will play the same boring tactics set up to draw.Just not looking forward to Tuesday,but being a season ticket holder I will be there.

dirtydingusmagee added 21:15 - Oct 16 according to Mc Carthy [Sunday Mirror] that performance should start winning back the fans, he is deluded beyond words .
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brittaniaman added 22:49 - Oct 16 You can say that we should have won all you like McCarthy, BUT WE DID NOT WIN !!!!!!!!!!! I cannot say any more because 99% of fans have said it all for me on here !!!!!!!!!!!!
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brittaniaman added 23:05 - Oct 16 ALSO more sickening is that the CANARIES SIT ON TOP OF THE TABLE Laughing at us and our DINOSAUR MANAGER !!!!!!!!!!!
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norfolkbluey added 23:13 - Oct 16

Moved up to Norfolk two years ago. What a relief. Felt guilty giving up my season ticket but no regrets now the Mick seems incapable of getting any creativity into the team. Again this week against Blackburn who are in the basement folks, the team still are incapable of scoring. I thought this was the idea of the game. Score more goals than the other side! What could be more simple. There is no leader in the team and PLEASE don't say Chambo is. He is just not good or inspirational enough. The whole team looks disconnected and unbalanced and that is down to the owner and the manager. I just wish that ME had the B***S to say goodbye to MM and thank him for initially saving us but it is time for a new face. Shame we didn't get Bruce before Aston Villa and maybe then we may have challenged our arch rivals up here. I have to put up with daily jibes about how gutless our owner is! "Somewhere over the rainbow..."

Bluroo added 09:24 - Oct 17

On the plus side we're one game nearer to Dinomick getting the sack.
On the downside, I've minimal faith in Marcus' ability to pick a good manager next time, or back him.
We need to go the Southampton, Norwich, Bournemouth & Leicester route of a young dynamic manager building a team of lower league bargains and kids, developing a fast, energetic, contemporary style of play. If it took relegation to reset the club and start again on a new, ambitious and upward trajectory, I'd take that in a beat.

Razor added 10:43 - Oct 17 If we had a decent striker and MM had done his job properly when we sold smurf we would not be in this muddle. Occasionally you DO have to pay over the odds if you want to compete and I can not forgive him for going home at 8.30 on transfer deadline night and giving up------I have given up on him.
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