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McCarthy: We're in a Relegation Scrap
Saturday, 18th Mar 2017 18:30

Boss Mick McCarthy admitted Town are in a “relegation scrap” following their 3-1 defeat at Cardiff City, the Blues having dropped to 17th, just five points above the relegation zone.

“We were well beaten,” he reflected on the defeat to the Bluebirds, who came from behind to win after Luke Chambers had put Town in front. “We were poor and I thought they were good.

“I guess [Cardiff boss] Neil [Warnock] will say that you go out and beat somebody and you make them play poorly, badly, you don’t let them get going.

“I thought they were very good but I didn’t think we were anywhere near what our standards have been.”

The Blues boss, who was celebrating his 25th anniversary as a manager, felt Cardiff’s second goal five minutes after the break was a key moment.

“We won the first header, then it got headed back on top of us and we didn’t win the first ball, we didn’t win the second one and it ended up in the back of our net. It was really poor from us, poor defending.

“All three. We’ve not defended well for any of them. We didn’t get organised for the set piece, having talked about it. They won’t score an easier equaliser, that’s for sure.”

He added: “We didn’t start well at all, we gave far too many freekicks away, they were putting it in freely from the edge of our box.

“Having got the goal, you never know what’s going to happen, we thought we might get a response and I think we did actually, it was OK then.

“It was their goal, we’ve allowed them to stick the ball in the box, which was really poor. But you could see it coming, they were putting a lot of pressure on us.”

At half-time McCarthy switched from 3-5-2 to 4-4-2 but he admitted the change didn’t work.

“Because what we were doing wasn’t working,” he continued. “The way they were playing, I think our back three defenders were almost being occupied by one striker and it wasn’t working. But it didn’t work the other way around when I took him [Tommy Smith] off either.


“[The second] was an awful goal to concede. We’ve got a back four and we weren’t really organised, it’s not like we haven’t played a back four. To think that we can’t play a back four is ridiculous, we’ve played that for pretty much four and a half years since I’ve been here.”

With eight games to go the Blues look to be one of seven sides battling to avoid finishing 22nd, which would see Town drop into the third tier for the first time since 1957.

“We’re in a relegation scrap, I’ve never denied that,” he said. “I’ve been asked that in press conferences all the time and I’ve always said I’m looking over my shoulder or in the wing mirrors at teams behind me not up in front of me.

“I’ve not been shying away from that ever and we can’t afford to play like that because there’s always somebody that slithers into that bottom three and always somebody that scraps their way out.

“And it’s funny, when you’re trying to scrap your way out, it’s amazing how much fight you have in you and when you’re going the other way it can be quite the opposite.”

Having been the ones fighting their way out of trouble in his first season in charge, the boot is now on the opposite foot.

“It is,” he admitted. “We all need to regroup I think in the week prior to the games that are coming up, they’re huge games, Birmingham and Wigan. We’ll certainly need to compete better and play better than we have.”

Given the Blues’ form, does he feel it’s a good or a bad time to have a break with no game next weekend due to the international fixtures.

“It doesn’t matter, we’ll find out when we come back against Birmingham whether it’s a good time or not, when we have those two games,” he reflected.

“It’s just important that when we do come back everybody’s in it together and we make it a really tough place for people to come, Portman Road. They’re huge games, massive games for us.”

McCarthy says he understands the frustrations felt by fans: “Do I look happy? I’m not happy with it at all and I’m not happy that people aren’t happy with me or with the players or with the club.

“I fully understand the dissenting voices but we’ve just got to make sure we’re staying in this league.”

The Town boss says it’s not easy to work out why form has fallen away after the promising displays in February.

“It’s more than frustrating, it’s bloody annoying,” he added. “Why have they not continued? It’s difficult to put your finger on it because we were playing particularly well, playing well with the 3-5-2. It wasn’t great last week and it wasn’t great today.”

Despite the result, McCarthy says he still plans to give players some time off during the international break.

“I will be, yes,” he continued. “There’s no point in bringing them in and hammering them, that’s not going to do any good.

“I think we need to be fresh when Birmingham and Wigan come to our place, we need to be full of running.”

Warnock was pleased that his team's performance brought them three points.

“We’ve had our opportunities with a little bit more nous we would have had nine points from three games," he reflected.

“As I said to the players just now, if you’d have told me when I walked through the door that we’d have 51 points with eight games to go, I’d have snapped your fingers off.

“You’ve got to give them credit, they’ve listened and learned and you can see they’re enjoying it, they’re winning their battles in every department.

“And there were some good goals today as well, I thought. A good atmosphere with the fans, just what we wanted before the international break.”

He added: “We wanted to change it slightly today, we were outnumbered in midfield today but we said let’s have a gamble.

“Last week we went with a different system and it was boring, I didn’t enjoy it at all, even though we should have won. I want to enjoy it if I can.

“I thought today it was a gamble because they could have picked us off in midfield but I thought we created more with the strikers on the field than we would have done like we did last week.

“I’m pleased that we scored the goals because that’s what we set out to do today, to be a bit more positive. Whenever the full-backs could get on that’s what I wanted them to do today, to get bombing on as much as they could.

“I thought they both did ever so well apart from the break away from the freekick when they should have scored [through Grant Ward], I thought we should have been stronger there then, but we’ll learn from that.”


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walberblue added 10:01 - Mar 19
"relegation scrap? sod that I'm off to Portugal for a week's golfing all expenses paid by the mugs who still support ITFC"
8

barrystedmunds added 10:20 - Mar 19
Really Monotonous Mick! Well there's a surprise. Most of us could of told you that a while back given our appalling scoring/ win/ goals conceded /abysmal anti football/ defend at all costs/ sit back and let them come at us /hoof it high /Miss out the midfield/ suppress any flair god awful style of hoofball you insist on. Real surprise!!!
12

surgery added 10:52 - Mar 19
Surprised he didn't say we're in this position because of Douglas' disallowed "goal"
11

1RWR added 11:35 - Mar 19
I have to ask the question, if we're too pedestrian in midfield, slow to chase attackers down, slow to charge forward......where the fcuk is Andre Dozzell????
Douglas was the scapegoat (understandably) now it's Skuse (again understandably) all hell will let lose against Brum & Wigan by the over patient fans, yet again, understandably!
7

raycrawfordswig added 13:12 - Mar 19
You still here clown?.
4

vanmunt added 13:40 - Mar 19
@1r

You could ask, where is Emmanuel, Kenlock, Dozzel and Bishop... but you know Mick only has 'proper blokes and pro's' to grind out exciting hoofball anti-football draws.
8

walberblue added 14:28 - Mar 19
"McCarthy: We're in a Relegation Scrap" No we're not you drama queen!! We started the season 14/1 for relegation we're now 25/1. Its impossible for ITFC to get relegated with at least 4 teams even worse than us. And keep MM till the end of the season to see him face up the worst team and league position for 25 years. I want him to admit he was wrong and that he hasn't a clue.
4

Harlowtractorboy added 15:07 - Mar 19
Go now Mick. What has happened to the five point plan. What a joke to many players over the hill
7

Seasider added 15:17 - Mar 19
Neil Warnock says we (Cardiff)were outnumbered in midfield,but said hey lets have a gamble;so we had a different system because last week was boring.

However all McCarthy can say, as always ,is about the defensive mistakes ,he never mentions lack of cohesion in midfield,and doesn't seem to have a positive thought in his body.

He said about them putting pressure on us,does he not realise that is because he always plays two defensive midfielders,never sets up to win,and Town rarely score more than one goal.

You would think that after 25 years he would a better coach than he is.He was right about goals though. 2nd goal Chambers stood like a statue instead of trying to block the scorer;and the 3rd goal pedestrian Skues was skinned on the byline,cross,goal!

These are the two players who he puts on the team sheet regardless.

Yes McCarthy should go,I didn't want him in the first place;but Evans signed him and he will have to get rid of him;but will he?Or is it the 6th point of his plan,which he dare not divulge,to let us drift into the 1st Division so that he will have more tax to avoid paying HMRC !!!
14

Bluetone added 15:58 - Mar 19
Next season if McCarthy is still here.

Marcus answers phone
Fan - What time is the kick off?
Marcus - What time can you get here?
7

bluetintedglasses added 16:18 - Mar 19
I'm going to be slaughtered for saying this but with rumours circulating that Paul Lambert may be going out the door at Wolves, he could be a good McCarthy replacement. Who cares if he's ex-Norwich, we need a hard manager who will square these player up and reorganise us.
-1

brittaniaman added 16:56 - Mar 19
Lambert got his win yesterday so he will be safe !!!
Dino got a loss yesterday so he will be safe ????
2

therein61 added 17:55 - Mar 19
Ladies and Gents, whatever happens for the rest of this season I ask you(those responsible at Cardiff yesterday were disgraceful) people responsible to keep your foul, and abusive language towards the manager and players(like us they are human and have families) to constructive comments, god knows the whole situation at our great club is dire, and makes my blood boil but I refuse to react in this dreadful manner!!!
We as Town fans are better than that always have been and always will be!!!!! just gt a grip some of you.
3

BlueArrow added 18:59 - Mar 19
I was at Cardiff yesterday can someone enlightened me as to what actually happened re players etc getting off the team coach (if it's suitable to post of course). I must have been having a pint at the time. Cheers.
1

martin587 added 19:25 - Mar 19
BlueArrow,
I was also there.What exactly are you referring too.
1

BlueArrow added 19:35 - Mar 19
Apparently there was some sort of abuse towards MM and players? When they got off the team coach????
2

norfolkbluey added 20:05 - Mar 19
Losing to a Warnock team. Now we know we are getting near the basement. Blackburn will overtake us with Mowbray in charge. Squeaky bum time. Unless we get in a new manager next week we're 'doooomed' .
5

brittaniaman added 20:26 - Mar 19
When McCarthy (we called him that then) came here he saved us from Relegation with a team he inherited from his Predecessor (jewellio) and we have thanked him for that.
But now four and a half years later With his own Team of players, we are sinking into a situation
where relegation has started to stare us in the face,, SO DINO a 4.5 year cycle under your command has got us nearly back to where we started with you and a possible chance we could lose our status of being the longest serving club in the Championship.

So it has made the Birmingham and Wigan games CUP FINALS.
6

cat added 20:44 - Mar 19
brittaniaman - spot on with the fact that there are a couple of CUP FINALS AHEAD, the irony is that the attendances should rise significantly, and there is some excitement due at last!!! Albeit not the excitement we would have chosen.
3

warktheline added 06:56 - Mar 20
Giving himself and boys time off! We're the bloody ones who deserve and need time off!
Mick 'milky performance' McCarthy....do you remember those days McCarthy, you've gone soft.
1

tempzzzz added 12:02 - Mar 20
All the comments at the end from Warnock are the comments and attitude I'd love from a manager of Ipswich!

"We wanted to CHANGE it slightly today. We were outnumbered in midfield today but we said lets have a GAMBLE"

"Last week we went with a DIFFERENT system and it was BORING. I didn't ENJOY it at all, even though we should have won. I want to ENJOY it if I can"

"I thought today it was a GAMBLE as they could have picked us off in midfield but I thought we CREATED more with the STRIKERS on the field than we would have done like we did last week"

"I'm pleased that we scored the goals because that's what we set out to do today, to be a bit more positive"

"I thought we should've been stronger there then, but we'll learn from that"

Change, creativeness, strikers, taking a gamble when things haven't worked, enjoying the football. I've forgotten what that's like under our old fashioned boring dinosaur manager!

MICK OUT!
3

juniorblue added 13:08 - Mar 21
Standards, what standards? If he means dire tactics and performances I can see what he means. I really think that he has lost the plot, or is watching another team.
I am so saddened by this season and will write to the club to voice my opinion. Does anyone there care what is happening or understand the fans frustrations? We pay hard earned money to follow this once great team, therefore need to be treated with more respect.
1


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