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McCarthy Frustrated Not to Land Striker But Not Through Want of Trying
Thursday, 2nd Feb 2017 17:04

Town boss Mick McCarthy says he’s as frustrated as supporters that the Blues were unable to add a permanent replacement for Daryl Murphy during the transfer window. The 33-year-old joined Newcastle at the end of the August window and an experienced similar striker was top of Town’s January wish-list.

However, the Blues - who eventually added Reading's Dominic Samuel on loan for the rest of the season on deadline day - were unable to land their man having been keen on a number of players including Rotherham’s Danny Ward and Preston’s Jordan Hugill, for whom the Blues had a £2 million offer rebuffed.

Meanwhile elsewhere clubs such as Sheffield Wednesday and McCarthy’s former club Wolves were spending fees in eight figures as they added to their firepower.

Does McCarthy believe it’s becoming impossible for the Blues to compete given the money spent elsewhere?

“It’s making it very difficult, isn’t it?” he admitted. “There was £13 million spent at Wolves [on Helder Costa]. I remember the conversation I had just before I got the sack, that the Premier League money was going to go down and people wouldn’t be buying or selling, wages were going to go down.

“We didn’t have that much to spend in the Premier League then and they’ve gone and spent it in the Championship.

“It’s really tough to compete, to try and get that top six. Sheffield Wednesday, did they get Jordan Rhodes in for £10 million? It’s pretty bonkers, isn’t it?”


Do the Blues need to change their approach to recruitment going forward? “That’s all well and good but I don’t see anybody walking into anybody’s house and telling them they’ve got to go and get the garden tidied up and get a nice new car and make the street look better just because the neighbour wants it to happen.

“It’s Marcus’s club, it’s Marcus’s money and I think he has to decide - well, has decided - that is what we do. And that is how I manage the club, that is how it is run.

“And, to be fair, up until this season we’ve been competitive, the last two seasons before, sixth and seventh, we’d done particularly well. But it’s proving to be tough this year.”

McCarthy signed seven players during the January window, but does he believe he was given sufficient backing?

“What do you want me to say to that? What answer would you like to that?” he responded.

Pressed further to give his thoughts, he added: “I’m pleased with the ones we’ve got but we did try to get others. I’m disappointed that we didn’t but that’s not through the want of trying.”

While the Blues didn’t land their targets, other clubs did sign players in the million-pound-plus market in which Town were shopping, Grimsby’s Omar Bogle joined Wigan, while Fulham’s Matt Smith moved to QPR, however, McCarthy says he wasn’t going to spend money for the sake of spending money.

“It’s easy to go and spend a million quid just to says we’ve spend a million quid,” he continued. “I think the ones you buy at a million quid have got to be better than the ones you’ve got.

“So, if we’d have been targeting those then perhaps I didn’t think they were value for money either, some of those deals which were done.

“You go an buy one now at a million quid just because you’re desperate to get one for a million quid and actually you’ve got him now for the next three, three and a half or four years and it perhaps wasn’t worth it.”

Given the money spent elsewhere, did he feel underpowered in the January market? “I always revert back to the fact that if the household has got a budget and we’re going to a restaurant, I spend my budget.

“I don’t go looking in the window of another one, that’s what we’ve got. If I’m going out to a decent restaurant I don’t go looking at the Michelin star one and think ‘I wish I could be eating there’, I’ll get on with it.”

Does he believe clubs were expecting bigger fees than players were worth having seen the size of deals elsewhere? “Do I think the market is unrealistic and bonkers? Yes, I do. Completely.”

Were clubs expecting everyone to splash out the big fees, not just those in the division with the bigger budgets? “What you’re saying is Ipswich fans would like to see more money being spent.”

Since Tuesday's deadline fans have expressed their frustration that no replacement for Murphy was signed - “We’ve not been able to get one, have we?” - and McCarthy says he’s equally as frustrated as they are: “Absolutely.”


Photo: TWTD



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Coco added 17:07 - Feb 2
Buuuuuuuulllllssssshhheeeeeeeeeeiiiiitttttttt
-2

CaptainObvious added 17:10 - Feb 2
Helder Postiga? Shurely shome mishtake.
0

midastouch added 17:10 - Feb 2
Love your profile picture Coco, had to laugh at that one!
2

Pumpee1980 added 17:13 - Feb 2
Has this just been copied and pasted from August's interview? Same old bull!
5

jas0999 added 17:15 - Feb 2
The problem I'm afraid is this very excuse is constantly used, and has becoming boring and predictable. What this boils down to, very simply, is Marcus Evans - the so called owner over the football club - failed. Frees, lomas and exceptionally small fees is his limit. We won't be progressing with this strategy.
19

ClausThomsen added 17:15 - Feb 2
“We didn't have that much to spend in the Premier League then and they've gone and spent it in the Championship."

Wasn't £35 million enough Mick?

http://www.thedaisycutter.co.uk/2012/02/taking-the-mick-mccarthys-transfer-deali
5

jpring89 added 17:18 - Feb 2
We didnt sign anyone because your not going to be here in the summer. Just hope you keep us up and we get somebody else in although id rather Evans was gone more than Mick. The only way is down now under this regime. We are in such a mess at the moment and the nightmare does not seem to have an ending in sight.
1

Ferguson added 17:19 - Feb 2
If It's not from want of trying it's from want of money.

He's been given b***** all, so spent b***** all.

Evans, you really need to get out of football if you don't understand the finances needed to compete at Championship level.

Assuming that you do want to compete at Championship level?

I had a nightmare that you'll get Robbie Cowling in as an advisor, and in two seasons we'll ground share with Col U.

League 1 ? .Could never happen of course....
3

bluelodgeblue added 17:21 - Feb 2
Who the hell wants to come to itfc at the moment!
2

tcblue added 17:22 - Feb 2
It's not 'bonkers' Mick, that's what it costs nowadays and you're not getting backed. Tell it like it is, as you famously are happy to do about your players, and the fans. Yes, Marcus pays you, but stop this relentless charade and faux outrage that we're unable to compete in the Championship on a League One budget
2

PhilTWTD added 17:23 - Feb 2
CaptainObvious

Yes, mine, Helder Costa, obviously.
1

therein61 added 17:24 - Feb 2
Complete and utter spin
2

grubbyoik added 17:24 - Feb 2
Evans obviously doesn't want to give McCarthy any money because he doesn't believe he is the man for the job.. He is too scared and tight to sack him.. so let's hope the gamble pays off and we don't get relegated and we can get someone fresh and new in the summer..
3

happybeingblue added 17:25 - Feb 2
WHO honestly believes we put in big bids for players, its just a smokescreen to continually mug us off , we are not all as stupid as Evans and his cronies like to think, what a crock of s.it! we never added the extra quality to the squad the year we made the playoffs,when we should have,so why do they come out with the same old PONY!
3

MickMillsTash added 17:31 - Feb 2
McCarthy is going and backing Evans so he can get his pay off in June
What he really wants to say is ''I've had a decent-ish record as a manager and am still good enough but Evans lack of spending is making me look a c@nt!,''

McCarthy should though have been asked about the defending for the third goal on Tuesday - there is no excuse in the world for that- what the hell do they do all week?
4

Kesgraveblue57 added 17:34 - Feb 2
Get to the facts Evans is the problem and we are stuck with him nothing will alter this, he owns Ipswich Town
11

Wickets added 17:37 - Feb 2
For me i think the biggest mistake was made pre season when for a bit more cash then we where prepaired to pay, at least one decent striker could have been brought in from Barnsley. Was that Marcus wanting to make a profit from the Murthy deal. The transfer market seems to be shouting wait at your peril.
0

blueblood66 added 17:37 - Feb 2
the market is the market. Is my house worth £350k, no? But the market says it is. If the club wants to run on a Rotherham type budget expect Rotherham type results.
21

howdonblue added 17:42 - Feb 2
Ferguson you are spot on!

Evans and cronies have given him NOTHING !

So we can only attract non league and not even championship fringe players .

Whatever mr Evans may or may not have done in his tenure .

PLEASE SELL OUR CLUB AND HOPEFULLY SOMEONE WILL BUY IT WHO HAS A CLUE
5

OwainG1992 added 17:43 - Feb 2
End of the day I blame Mick for the boring dull football. But if he was given proper money he could at least try change it. Marcus is tighter than a duck arssse.
-2

howdonblue added 17:46 - Feb 2
And yes league 1 could be on the cards especially if we lost 3 or 4 on the trot
2

martin587 added 17:48 - Feb 2
It's mostly down to Evans not committed in progressing with the club.This club will NEVER move forward until we have another owner and Manager.
The club is now a sorry state of affairs and it's sad to see it spiralling out of control.
55 Years a season ticket holder and now iv'e had enough.Even a proper business would not be run like this club is.When you see things are not running right you correct them,THIS club doesn't.!!
17

howdonblue added 17:53 - Feb 2
It's heartbreaking when we are seeing season ticket holders of 30 years plus talking this way on this forum !

#Wewantourclubback
17

NSL added 18:01 - Feb 2
He doesn't care if he's backed in the transfer market or not. He is getting paid £1m a year whatever happens and he knows this is probably his last job in management.
3

Knightsy added 18:02 - Feb 2
In Marcus and Mick we rust
9


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