Town boss Mick McCarthy believes Blues centre-half Christophe Berra is the best defender in the Championship. The Scotland international and the rest of the Town back four, the joint-tightest in the EFL, will have to be at the top of their game if the Blues are to take anything from Saturday’s trip to take on Championship leaders Newcastle United.

“Berra’s the best defender in the league for me, without a doubt,” McCarthy said. “Is he the most subtle on the ball, with the ball? No, but I hold a lot of store in keeping the ball out of our net and he is just outstanding.

“He’s big and powerful, he wins it in the air, he’s quick, he blocks things, he’s good at defending corners.”

McCarthy believes the 31-year-old centre-back, who he brought to Wolves from hometown club Hearts for £2.5 million in 2009 before signing him again on a free for Town in 2013, is the ideal foil for the more ball-playing Adam Webster as he makes a promising start to life in the Championship following his summer move from Portsmouth.

“Adam’s playing with, I think, the best defender in the league and they’re left and right-sided,” he added.

“I think Adam has been terrific in the last two games and then he adds that bit of something else that is Premier League standard - when he’s got the ball he can use it as well as anybody.”

McCarthy believes a strong defence is a vital element in any successful team with the Blues having conceded only nine goals this season, jointly the lowest in the EFL along with Brighton and League One Bradford. Town have kept five clean sheets in seven and seven in their last 11.

“I think more experienced and better managers than me have announced their intentions to be solid and not give goals away," he said.

“And if you do give goals away you’ve no chance, you’re always playing catch-up. I know we can’t win games 0-0, I fully understand that, I don’t set off not to score and just being good defensively doesn’t mean we’re just sitting back, far from it.

“We attack and we leave two centre-backs and a sitting midfield player to defend, which means we have seven players attacking.

“And that’s all the time when we’ve got the ball, so we don’t try and be defensively-minded, but we are good at defending, or we have been and I’m hoping we’ll be good on Saturday at Newcastle. I think we’ll have to be.

“I just watched the Burton game back this morning and I thought our back four were outstanding and, considering Burton were good and had some chances, Bart never made a save really.

“That’s maybe because they missed the target a couple of times when they had their chances but we had far more chances than they had even despite them having a few.”

After the run of five games without a win or a goal, McCarthy isn’t underestimating the significance of Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat of the Brewers, for the club as a whole rather than him personally, despite some pre-match speculation regarding his future: “It was an important victory for the club.

“Forget about me. I was sat here on Monday discussing my job which I thought was nonsense, but I discussed it.

“Whatever happens over the course of time with me and my job, I’ll go and get another job if I end up leaving here, so that’s not going to affect me too much.

“But it affects the club far greater if we’re not getting results. So yes, it was more important for the club and the players and everybody and the fans because we just started to be a bit dull and a bit negative, then suddenly after the game we’re three points off the play-offs.

“We’re only six points off the bottom three as well, by the way, that’s how nuts it is, but it was a big win for all of us.”

He says the victory was a boost for everyone: “It’s a lot easier to come in with a smile on your face when you’ve won the game. Had we come in and we’d drawn it would have felt really dull and not particularly nice. Had we lost, it would have been doom and gloom.

"We’ve just come in and we’re kind of normal, you’re not worried about the result or the performance or the next game, you’re just looking forward to it.

“That’s how it gives you that bit of confidence and that bit of a lift, rather than suddenly us all dancing on the tables, that’s far from it.

“It just enables you to be normal and not be fretting about the last performance and about the next one.”

Freddie Sears will have felt the benefit of the Burton game more than most having scored his first goal in 38 matches.

“We’re all delighted for Freddie,” McCarthy continued. “I didn’t realise it was 38! He looked about 38 until he scored, he looked about 24 this morning, it was weight off his shoulders. There’s a loyal manager, what about that!”

During tough runs such as the recent spell McCarthy says assistants and other members of staff play an important role.

“TC’s top, top class,” he added. “I’ve achieved in the game what I have because I’ve had really good assistants and coaches.

“Ian Evans, Taff as he’s known, was great for a long time [with Millwall, the Republic of Ireland, Sunderland and Wolves] and TC took over when I was at Wolves and we’re a good partnership, it works well.

“It is a huge benefit to have good staff. Not just TC, Lids [fitness coach Andy Liddell], [keeper-coach] Malcolm Webster and [physio] Matt Byard, they’re just consistent all time, they don’t get too up, they don’t get too down and I think that runs through the club.”

Photo: TWTD

shakytown added 07:06 - Oct 21 Lets not forget that Douggies a different class. Which one it is is hard to tell.
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Suffolk_n_Proud added 07:13 - Oct 21 I thought it was a good honest little read to be honest. Can't see where this bit of hate for this article is coming from
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ChrisFelix added 07:22 - Oct 21 Next we will hear that Chambers is the best full back in the league
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hoppy added 07:24 - Oct 21 Suffolk_n_Proud. If McCarthy had said "Tell you what, if every fan that was there Tuesday wants to come up to Playford Road today, I'll personally give each of them 20 quid, because I'm bonkers, me.", there would be people moaning and slating the man.
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OwainG1992 added 07:37 - Oct 21 I get the negativity when we lose by why are people moaning at this? I thought it was a good read.
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Brownie added 07:41 - Oct 21 To be honest sat here eating my toast & I can't think of a better centre-half in the championship. Similar to the criticism from some of Skuse I think some people perhaps think more about what he can't do rather than what he can. He is big, strong & heads it which is handy for a centre-half. Webster looks better every game beside him. Hope they continue as a partnership this season. Still think we should play Emmanuel though..

9

poldark added 08:08 - Oct 21 Berra the best in championship says everything about the idiot of a manager I suppose you think McCarthy is wonderful after a win you. I don't understand people on here one minute calling for his head the next hailing every bit of rubbish he says is wonderful. Remember he thinks Dougiie is brilliant and Chambers a terrific RB. Ipswich were very poor Tuesday night against an average Burton side who dominated for long periods. We were still unable to display any attacking passages of play in all same rubbish. McCarthy OUT

2

TimmyH added 08:15 - Oct 21 Berra is a good defender particularly for this league but lets not forget his form wasn't that good last season which was surprising...MM probably only saying as he knows he off at the end of the season.
2

Gooders7592 added 08:50 - Oct 21 I don't personally believe Berra is the best in the league, but he's certainly near the top. Him & Webster will get stronger the more games they play. If we keep a clean sheet tomorrow, it will be a brilliant result!
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cleggo added 08:56 - Oct 21 Berra is a top class championship defender, no doubt about it. Let's not forget the ready and willing, blue to the core, Tommy Smith waiting in the wings as well!
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vanmunt added 08:59 - Oct 21 I am not hating on MM for the sake of it, I just cannot stand the negative anti football 'hoofball style' and playing poor players week in week out like Douglas and our super 'Skip' at RB. When MM took on Ipswich he justified playing this negative style by saying it was necessary to keep us up and promised that the style would change for the better. Even the most head in the sand ostrich supporters have to admit it has not progressed in 4 years and it would be hard to argue that it hasn't got worse.

7

Brownie added 09:11 - Oct 21 Poldark I have to disagree with you.. I think MM has taken the club as far as he can. I do think he should be replaced & disagree with a lot of what he stubbornly sticks too - Douglas, Chambers at RB, Sears out of position, no creativity etc. However I don't see the point in slating everything he says for the sake of it. Berra is a good solid championship centre half. He is not Kevin Beattie - not many are! - or big Butch but I can't see MM is wrong in what he said about him. I just feel it is better to comment on what people are saying & doing rather than a blanket condemnation as soon as he opens his mouth.

5

Surco72 added 09:55 - Oct 21 I believe Berra is a very good championship defender and looking better know that Webster is alongside him and that Knudsens positional play has improved and he is not having to cover everyone . Would like to see MM praise Bart a little more though as many of the clean sheets have been more down to Bart than the defence rather than bigging up the favourites all the time . As for Tuesday nights comments and" Bart hasn't made a save really "again wasn't down to defending Bart made 2 really good saves and Burton missed 2 one on ones because of very poor finishing

5

TR11BLU added 09:58 - Oct 21 Well hopefully you will take him with you then. Dino Out
-3

Tomairyn added 10:28 - Oct 21 Best defender in the championship ? I'd be shocked if he's the best defender in his family. For a professional footballer, his ball controll and passing ability is virtually non existent.
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BackTheBlues added 10:42 - Oct 21 Gave Berra some stick earlier this season - thought he was past it... But last few games he's been excellent - sh1t with the ball mind you that is frustrating - but defend first !
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Cakeman added 10:44 - Oct 21 vanmunt, well said. I fully agree with your concise post.
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Dolly2.0 added 10:47 - Oct 21 Hoppy - I'd be moaning and slating the man because it would cost me more than £20 to get to Playford Road. Typical Mick, cares only about the local fans but doesn't spare a thought for us further afield. Mick Out!
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Swn98 added 11:30 - Oct 21 Brownie people on the news site look at all the negatives to justify there narrow minded view of the club and to justify their dislike of anyone who has anything good to say about the club
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Gcon added 11:35 - Oct 21 "United we stand, divided we fall" - Just saying...
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TimmyH added 11:36 - Oct 21 Well Micks certainly not holding back when it comes to 'bigging up' our players already so far this season, anybody would have thought we were sitting comfortably in the top 6 the amount of praise he's dosed out. Somebody must be doing something wrong in this squad of players...their not all as good as Mick points out.
0

Burnzee1991 added 13:58 - Oct 21 to all the negatives on this page, spoke to a Norwich season ticket holder at work today who said he'd give a right arm for our defence and agree's that Berra is certainly well up there as the best defender in this league. COYB
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surgery added 16:28 - Oct 21 Well tell him he can't have 11 of our players
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Warkys_Tash added 17:52 - Oct 21 On his day Berra is a top 'defender', let's not mistake that with a ball playing CB before some people on here start bemoaning MM. He didn't have a good season last year by his standards but he is on it this year & long may it continue. 31 is no age for a CB.
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