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McCarthy: First Thing I've Ever Stolen From Barnsley
Saturday, 11th Mar 2017 18:19

Boss Mick McCarthy admitted the Blues “burgled a point” as Tom Lawrence’s last-gasp injury time goal saw Town grab a 1-1 draw at Barnsley, his hometown club where he started his playing career.

“It’s the first thing I’ve stolen from here,” he admitted. “I was here a long time and I never took a paper clip, a pen, a piece of paper or anything else, but we’ve burgled a point today.

“But that’s part of the game, the game goes for as long as the referee adds time on. And we were poor today, they were much better, so much better once they got the goal.

“We could have scored from the corner and we conceded, which was nonsense, that was poor on our part.

“And the momentum was with them and Bart’s made a great save [from Adam Hammill] but the game does last until the referee blows his whistle.

“I thought Adam Hammill was outstanding for them today but they’ll be beating him up because he’s let Tom Lawrence run at the far post. It happens.

“Brett Pitman’s come on, he’s been out of the team and he made a difference with a quality ball. Did we deserve it? Did we hell. But I’m going to take it.”

Given the context of results elsewhere, McCarthy agreed that it was an important point with the gap to the bottom three now only seven points.

“Absolutely,” he said. “It’s a good point and I think it’s a good point coming here and getting a point. However we’ve done it, it’s nice to be going away with a point.’

The result extends Town’s unbeaten run to eight matches, albeit with only one of those games having been a win.

“I much prefer draws to defeats,” McCarthy continued. “I’ve never said for one minute that we’re home and hosed and we’re safe, that’s been quite the opposite. But if we stay unbeaten we’ll be all right.”

The Blues boss had praise for Pitman, who was making his first appearance since the 3-0 defeat to Derby on the final day of January, his 29th birthday.

“He’s been out of the team, he’s not been happy about it, he’s other people go on, he’s not had a sub spot,” the Blues manager added.


“When you get the chance to go on you’ve got to make a difference. There are so many that don’t and yet he’s had 10 minutes and he’s made a great difference with a terrific ball. I’m pleased for him, I’ve just said that in front of everybody else.”

McCarthy also felt his other two subs Grant Ward and Freddie Sears made an impact: “It is a squad game, they’re there to make a difference being on the bench, add a bit of energy to it. I was pleased with the subs today.”

Barnsley goalscorer Marley Watkins was the subject of a Town offer last summer and reportedly interested the Blues once more in January and the former Inverness Caledonian Thistle man again impressed the Blues boss, as did most of his team-mates.

“Yes, and so did their two centre-halves and Yiadom and the left-back I thought was good,” he added.

“And I thought the two midfield players were good and I thought the two strikers were different class. I thought they all impressed me today. A very, very impressive performance.”

Regarding his own goalscorer Lawrence, who had had one of his quieter games up until his goal, he added: “You can’t play well every week, but he’s scored the equaliser. Good luck to him.”

McCarthy said beforehand it would be a day tinged with sadness with his mentor and Barnsley legend Norman Rimmington having died at the end of last year, aged 93.

“It’s 42 years since I came here as a 16-year-old and he’s been in constant in that for all that time up until now,” he reflected.

“It was strange walking in and not going to the laundry and not getting a big hug off him and seeing him.

“As much as he loves Barnsley, I bet he’s delighted for me today if he’s looking down on us.”

"Would he have been giving him stick after the match? “I’m sure everyone in Barnsley would. I think my popularity is enough that at the end of it they’ll be bitterly disappointed but they’ll not be too unhappy that I’ve nicked a point if it means a lot to us.”

Asked whether he has an affinity with his hometown and whether he gets less stick at Oakwell than elsewhere in the country, he added: “I get more stick at Ipswich than I do anywhere else at the moment!

“Have I got an affinity with it? I don’t know if you can hear me but I haven’t lost my accent in the 30-something years that I’ve been moved out of the town.

“People might not recognise me but they hear me speak and they know exactly who it is.”

McCarthy has a lot of time for Tykes boss Paul Heckingbottom, who is also from Barnsley: “I’ve said before, he’s arguably the manager of the year for me, certainly in this league.

“It’s generally the one who wins the league, although it wasn’t last year, Chris Hughton won it and Dychey didn’t.

“I’ve thought if you win the league you should get the manager of the league but maybe I’m swaying this time.

“Somebody who has done as well as Paul and sold all the players he has done and is still maintaining the level of performance he’s getting, I think that’s remarkable.

“They better hold onto to him because they’ll be queuing up for his services, if that’s what he does.”

Barnsley boss Heckingbottom felt his team should have had the game wrapped up before Lawrence's goal.

“You get what you deserve and we didn’t kill them off, as simple as that," he said.

Ipswich showed what they’re all about and why they haven’t been beaten for so long - because they’re resolute, they keep going to the very end, which I think we do.

“Our disappointment from today is that we haven’t put the game to bed earlier.”

He added: “In terms of what we wanted from a performance we delivered it. Ipswich are very difficult to play against, they’re so organised and give nothing away no matter who they’re playing.

“We had to deal with what they threw at us. They've got a good threat up top, hard-working lads behind the ball who try and deliver, wing-backs who try and get forward.

“But they’re physical as well and they don’t give anything away. Sometimes it’s a bit like a war of attrition and they just try to grind you for that mistake. I didn’t think we gave them hardly anything today but we got punished when we did.

“But I think we should have been out of sight at that point and the last three minutes of injury time should have been easier for us.”


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rendoblue added 19:33 - Mar 11
Yes mick and first time in god knows how long we've had to keep looking up at Barnsley in the league! We literally play the worst football in the football pyramid and yet again we nick a point thanks to a player who isn't ours.
16

Palestine added 19:38 - Mar 11
It must be fun being McCarthy, he gets to watch a great team play well every week. Against us. Loves all there players. Good at admitting we play poorly, much less at offering any clue why.

Oh well, at least we got a point against Norwich - fans should be happy with that.
Smh
10

alfromcol added 19:41 - Mar 11
""I much prefer draws to defeats""

Very positive as usual! The a lot of us prefer "wins to draws"
12

LWNR2013 added 19:45 - Mar 11
IMO .... We sell 9000 Season tickets = they'll just budget accordingly. Whoever the manager will make no difference ... SERIOUSLY SAD DAYS. ... IMO
8

KMANSers added 19:55 - Mar 11
ME out
6

surgery added 19:55 - Mar 11
I've been giving this situation a bit of thought. As I'm sure you will have seen from my previous posts, I am no fan of MM (in fact I despise the arrogant Yorkshire g.t), but maybe we have to look at the grander scheme of things. Whilst we may hanker for the good old days when Messrs Cobbold were in charge and applied a gentlemens philosophy to the way the club should be run, I wonder if they were here today they would be able to compete and have the same philosophy in this day and age?
Although obviously very wealthy, they were not in the same league as some of this lot who are multi millionaires, billionaires
Completely pointless post. DINO OUT
8

LWNR2013 added 19:58 - Mar 11
18 months time could be home to Lincoln. If they are not above us, in league one.
5

jollyroger added 20:07 - Mar 11
So we have 9 games left of this God awful dross of a season if he plays for 9 draws = 9 points grow some balls man and play for a win or two one win is = to 3 bloody boring draws
12

carlisleaway added 20:14 - Mar 11
Once again we play a team who McCarthy reckons were a class act, any team at the moment is a better footballing team. Open your eyes McCarthy surely they are trying to tell you something !!!

Get out of our club
16

shakytown added 20:15 - Mar 11
Operation relegation is in full swing. This pathetic and sad excuse for a manager must be doing this deliberately as anyone with even lf a brain would be trying something new to arrest the rapid downward spiral the team are in. Muck must go now or we will be RELEGATED.
11

ITFCRealist added 20:31 - Mar 11
Hope we are relegated, it is about the only thing that would get rid of Dino and possibly make Evans cut his losses too. Win Win in my opinion.
Right now, any one who goes to games is not a true Ipswich fan. Boycott is the ONLY way forward.
-3

poldark added 20:36 - Mar 11
Just heard talksport radio commenting on ITFC and they stated that if things don't change quickly we are heading towards Div1 and worse Turning into a Coventry or Portsmouth heaven help us McCarthy OUT
16

blueoneness added 20:47 - Mar 11
What I don't understand is that ME is an accomplished businessman with great wealth, why has he bought a business (ITFC) and not made a strategic plan of success with it? It just seems half arsed with no plan of quality entertainment to even generate season ticket sales. My support of Ipswich will never dwindle just want ME explaining a plan of action eg stop being mysterious and be an owner.
5

Taricco_Fan added 21:35 - Mar 11
I feel like the club I love has been stolen from me.
11

Cakeman added 21:37 - Mar 11
surgery, not a pointless post at all and you make some very valid comments. We are in a different world these days to those of the 60's and 70's and you are probably right that we could not compete in these days of over paid players and a TV driven sport.
That said we have been unlucky to have an owner that also cannot or does not want to compete.
6

alfromcol added 21:41 - Mar 11
blueoneness

Did you miss the "five point plan"?
2

Talbs77 added 21:49 - Mar 11
I think everyone who watches town every week (me included) are finding it bloody hard work and have for a while.

I can't see any long term strategy and I worry for the future.

Where do the club including the manager see the club in 5 years as all I can see are fixtures against Colchester and Peterborough!!!

I have supported the club for 30 years (I can't believe that 30years!!) and will renew my season ticket renew my season ticket not out of any loyalty to McCarthy or scarlet bloody pimpernel Evans, but because it's my club, I supported them before this shambles and I will after.

4

Talbs77 added 21:50 - Mar 11
I think everyone who watches town every week (me included) are finding it bloody hard work and have for a while.

I can't see any long term strategy and I worry for the future.

Where do the club including the manager see the club in 5 years as all I can see are fixtures against Colchester and Peterborough!!!

I have supported the club for 30 years (I can't believe that 30years!!) and will renew my season ticket renew my season ticket not out of any loyalty to McCarthy or scarlet bloody pimpernel Evans, but because it's my club, I supported them before this shambles and I will after.

2

Kingfisher49 added 22:09 - Mar 11
What we need is for the manager to have a press conference telling the journalists about how he is looking forward to the summer transfer building exercise. Then the board to make an announcement a few hours later saying they unanimously agree to the manager was leaving with immediate effect. Well it could happen twice in East Anglia, well lets hope so.
6

ricardo55555 added 22:32 - Mar 11
I always enjoy Mick's post match interviews. He's always pragmatic, and entertaining.
He made some good signings in the January window for nothing, and the big picture is he has some decent and promising performances in this unbeaten run. You can't play well every match. He is doing about as well as anyone could with his limited resources, as a lot of other clubs these days in the championship are far richer. He hasn't got worse as a manager, he is doing the best he can. A change of manager could see us in division one. Watch what you wish for. Get behind Mick and the team... we have seen some good games in February, and there is promise of more...up the town!
-12

Beattiesballbag added 00:30 - Mar 12
ricardo55555

The only couple of decent games in February were when Skuse wasn't playing.
As usual we've struggled to get forward since he's been back in the team!
10

shakytown added 01:16 - Mar 12
Ricardo. Look at the table mate. We are in a relegation battle now and with Mucks stubborn refusal to change we could well be in league 1 next season. Desperately trying for draws will not be enough to ensure survival and playing 8 defenders just multiplies the oppositions confidence.
7

madmouse1959 added 02:19 - Mar 12
I don,t know any manager that talks as much rubbish as McCarthy.....
12

juniorblue added 07:15 - Mar 12
Reading MM's post match interviews is seriously depressing and embarrassing. Whoever we play their players are brilliant, outstanding etc etc. Come on, we are not playing top clubs every game! It is just an excuse to cover up his negative, inept tactics. Surely the players are fed up with our style of play, or have they been beaten in to submission by MM and can't be bothered either. Evans sells tickets to entertain, but I have seen more entertainment in a bus stop on Saturday night. I think MM will go in the summer. Just hoping it is not too late by then.
11

Warkys_Tash added 08:35 - Mar 12
9 points from the last 21 is relegation form, we are being sucked in by stealth. We should have gone 4-4-2, 4-3-3 the last 3 games & gone all out for 9 points. Playing for. Point is a killing this team.

McCarthy has a lot to answer for. 36goals all season? That's not entertainment.

Heckingbottom should be here in the summer. McCarthy has already endorsed him, since he appears to no longer want the job himself.
9


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