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McCarthy: Fitting Tribute to Sir Bobby
Monday, 17th Apr 2017 18:16

Town boss Mick McCarthy felt the Blues’ 3-1 victory over Newcastle United on Sir Bobby Robson Day was a fitting tribute to the clubs’ legendary manager. Goals from Freddie Sears, David McGoldrick and Emyr Huws saw Town to the win, with ex-Blues striker Daryl Murphy netting for the Magpies.

“I think it was a great tribute to Sir Bobby and Lady Elsie, who was here and all the family,” McCarthy said.

“I’m not sure which side he’d be on, I think he must have favoured us today.

"I think the game was a fitting tribute to him, it was a good game. It was a lovely thing to do and it’s nice to be part of it, I have to be honest.”

Was the win and performance against one of the division’s top sides and the Blues’ first back-to-back victories coming at this late stage of the season to some extent bittersweet? “No, it’s just sweet!”

But McCarthy agreed it was Town’s best performance of the campaign: “I would say so, especially with beating Newcastle at home, so I would guess it makes it even better. It’s the best one.”

Did he sense some nervousness from the visitors as they close in on a return to the Premier League? “You get nervous at either end, we were talking about that before the game.

“If you’re in that top two and you start looking at the games and wondering, and likewise for us on Friday night [at Burton], we were nervous. But thankfully we held it together and won.

“But we deserved to win today, we’ve just been better than them all-round, I think. And if anybody goes away talking about Newcastle being nervous and not playing very well, I think that would be an injustice to my team and my players today.”


With their Championship status having been all but secured by beating the Brewers 2-1 on Friday night, did he feel the shackles were off for his players? “Maybe, that’s a good story. But I thought we played well on Friday night when the shackles were on good and proper and if we’d have lost we’d got Newcastle coming. We played well on Friday night.

“That’s a little bit unjust to say that, although it may well have happened. They are feeling it a bit and I did say to the lads there are 25,000 coming here to watch.

“I said, ‘Not us by the way, I’m sure none of the f****rs are coming to watch us the way we’ve been playing here. So if that’s the case, I’m not bothered about that but make sure they’re talking about us when they go home, in a positive manner, and make sure they’ve come and they’ve enjoyed watching us’.”

“So for whatever reason it’s a good performance. I can’t get to the bottom of it and tell you why. Maybe it’s the fact that David McGoldrick’s in his pomp and playing great and Freddie and Tom Lawrence and Wardy, I thought the front four were excellent. Anyway, I’m not really bothered about the reason why, I’m just delighted we did.”

Regarding third goalscorer Huws, who is on loan from Cardiff, McCarthy reiterated his desire to keep the Welshman at Portman Road but says there’s nothing new to add on that front: “I’m only repeating what I’ve said before, but yes.”

McCarthy said he was pleased to send everyone happy and with what was an excellent Portman Road atmosphere, which hasn’t always been the case in recent times.

“That’s because we’ve been shit!” McCarthy added, referencing terrace chants at recent matches. “I’m cool with that, I’m fine. But it’s not been helped by a shit atmosphere as well.

“It cuts both ways, doesn’t it? Cuts both ways. I said when we were struggling and maybe could have got relegated, I said the crowd are part of that as well if it happens.

“And they’ve been a great part of a fabulous victory today and I love to send them home feeling that way.

“And we did for a long time, we had 13 victories on a Tuesday night here. It was fab, it was great. Like I said to you before, I kept the club up, three top 10 finishes and I’ve had a bad year this year.

“Isn’t it great when everybody turns their back on you and sneers at you and actually wants to stop you coming to the game and things like that. I’m glad they’ve enjoyed it today. Good. I have as well.”

Keeper Dean Gerken missed out on a place on the bench again due to a shoulder injury, while Jonny Williams was in the squad but not included in the 18.

Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez was disappointed with his side’s display which he felt was significantly worse than their showing in Friday’s 1-1 home draw with Leeds.

“I am concerned about the change in the team in terms of the performance against Leeds and the performance today,” he admitted.

“We know we still have to win games — and we must improve a lot. We knew it could be this kind of game today and I felt we were ready but it seems we were not.

“We were not focused or mentally ready. It is difficult to explain that but that is the reality. As soon as we scored and had control of the game we made another mistake.

“We are paying for our mistakes and we have to learn from that. But it is still in our hands.

“This was not us at our best and we have to change quickly. We all have to take responsibility — we win and lose together.

“Was it our worst display of the season? I don’t know and I’m not worried about that. We lost and that’s it, and I am disappointed because of that.

“We know something is wrong and we have to analyse the situation. We have had a lot of very good performances this season and we need to do it again.”


Photo: TWTD



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grumpyoldman added 21:55 - Apr 17
Surely this is a forum, a place to discuss the issues, to listen and respond, without judging and belittling others. Perhaps some should try not looking down on others, I agree the language does sometimes leave a lot to be desired but it's usually to reinforce strongly held opinions. To me MM uses it not to reinforce an opinion but because he cannot control himself, how many other managers in similar situations resort to gutter language
10

tpsontour added 21:59 - Apr 17
Mick McCarthy is no different at all in Press conferences to when we were top six.

The only difference is that in his first poor season out of four reporters are engineering quotes from the same old school manager, who everyone previously chuckled over, to whip up controversy.

And an embarrassing section of our 'support' who think it is fine to chant whatever they like about MM, Evans and Milne, being c***s and wa**ers would rather latch onto this than accept MM is one of the best managers around at operating on a shoestring.

We've just walloped a Newcastle team that's spent 55 times more than us this season on top of the players they already had. Now that McGoldrick's fully fit we're finally racking up wins, points and goals. Imagine where we'd be if MM hadn't lost Murphy and McGoldrick at the start of the season. Pushing for our fourth consecutive, over-achieving top ten position is where we'd be as our manager continues to juggle dust while most others would have us in League One.
1

stormypetrel added 22:09 - Apr 17
There are some pious bores on this site who clearly have difficulty reading ...and further have limited understanding of people.....carry on Mick.....your are not the best, you are not perfect, but you are a bloke managing multiple variables....armchair fans, keyboard warriors.....sick of them....well done Town...a good day for the club and well honoured to a man of stature....
3

Dissboyitfc added 22:23 - Apr 17
It was sir Bobby Robson day. this was not a day for venting out foul language towards the people who pay your wages.

Just go!
14

patthegimp added 22:48 - Apr 17
A fan since 1966, a fan of Mick in his Ireland days and throughout his ITFC managerial period I am genuinely offended by his comments today. Today was the way ITFC should have been allowed to play at home all season. We may not always have won but I would have gone home happy with a team that had tried to win not lose. I was one of the Mick in brigade but after this tirade do expect him to leave. However I think he is playing the managerial game to be sacked rather than resign thus gaining compo. Wouldn't we all given the chance. Goodbye Mick thanks for the memory
11

midastouch added 23:01 - Apr 17
The win today was fantastic, can't deny that whatsoever. From a football perspective the manager and players deserve abundant credit for today, they did the business and exceeded our expectations and what fan can't be happy about that.

The question is, does 1 or 2 wins make up for so much of the garbage we've been served up all season? After all, one swallow doesn't make a summer. A lot of fans last year said give him till Xmas and see how we're going. Well if I recall things weren't particularly great around then and there's been very little to shout about between then and now. Today was wonderful, but I'm not convinced Mick's the man to give us lots more enjoyable days like today. Whether you like Mick or not it's hard to argue anything other than the season has overall been a failure. If he had of done this a bit earlier into the season then he might not of lost so much support and confidence but I can't help feeling it's a case of too little too late. It's not like he hasn't had chances to get fans back on side but whenever the going gets tough he seems to do a factory reset and resort back to certain line ups and tactics that makes Portman Road as turgid as a Sunday night period drama!

Let's be honest, we must realise that most other clubs would of sacked him this season for the way things were going. You could argue it's a credit to our club that we're not usually nearly so rash with booting out our managers out at the first sign of trouble. But the manager has to be judged on results. Apart from today and the odd good result like beating Sheff Wed away overall they haven't been very good! The manager also needs to be judged on the feel good factor around the club which is reflected in the attendances and this goes hand in hand with serving up entertaining enough football for people to want to come and pay to watch. On so many counts Mick has fallen well short this season, so does 1 great win today make up for all of the season failings that I for one have found it hard to endure?

And yes he's had to endure a fair amount of abuse. I certainly don't agree with anybody booing our players at matches. But I have to say, I'd be happy to stand up in front of 15,000 supporters every other week and take few boos and jeers for the sort of money Mick is earning! If you can't take the heat get out of the kitchen! And in truth all the players and manager need to do is get out there and play to win, or at least try to win. When they do that 99% of the fans get behind them and booing is surely the last thing on their minds! Today is the perfect example of that. The fans can't feed of scraps, you have to give them something to feed on as if you starve them for weeks of entertainment with all the best will in the world, they will eventually turn on the manager. I'd say our fans have been far more patient with Mick than most other clubs would of been. If he was managing a club like Boca Juniors or Napoli or somewhere else where fans can be highly charged and emotional, then he would of been chased out of town long ago!

I'm just trying to put the season into some sort of perspective. Today was a real boost, I'm simply posing the question was it enough or has the rot set in too deep for Mick to be able to redeem himself with a handful of more entertaining performances now the pressure is off. How many times have you seen a team get relegated and suddenly then play a lot better with the shackles released. Was today perhaps something along those sort of lines given our safety was already secure after the Burton win? Was it really enough? I expect Marcus Evans might well think so and Mick might have a few more fans that may well agree, I expect more than he had before 3pm today, but I still think there would be more in preference for a managerial change given the choice. Does one judge the man over the whole season or rather over our 2 most recent matches? And he doesn't really endear himself to a lot of the fans with his general nonchalant attitude either.
5

Steelmonkey added 00:17 - Apr 18
Some using this site seem to think that managing on a shoestring budget has never happened at this club before. I would like to highlight the fact that Bobby Robson never had that much to splash out on players, and neither did Joe Royle yet he provided some very entertaining football with what he had to manage with.
Today's game is different from those days, we never had a closed season on transfers now with only two transfer windows it leaves every club competing for players in those windows, and to our cost money talks as we don't seem to have any.
I've said before that I have no confidence in McCarthy being able to forge a side that has a passing game, especially when we let Murphy go, even after today I still believe that.
There is no excuse for not trying to produce a team that gives their fans entertainment, 18 months of the dire tactics we have seen from this man and his stalwart defiance in picking players that cannot do the job he is asking from them have resulted in the jibes that he has received, he obviously doesn't like it so twists it to use in his own defence.
Mick McCarthy you pick the team, they play to your tactics, if it doesn't work out it's your fault. You do not seem to have the ability to change the game play if it's not working, and will not take the flak for it.
14

Fat_Boy_Tim added 01:03 - Apr 18
I think his comments are hilarious and if you look at some of the language used by people on here, calling you all fuc*ers is quite mild. Keep going MM, COYB.!!!
-10

bobble added 03:19 - Apr 18
micks kettle logic on display.
1

DurhamTownFan added 07:50 - Apr 18
I feel this is bad enough for the club to have to come out and respond to this. There are a lot of upset readers on here after such a special day. A club statement would be welcome to see which side they're on, and slap MM on the wrist. You shouldn't be able to get away with that.
5

martin587 added 08:53 - Apr 18
It seems to me that quite a few posters readily accept bad language being used by our Manager and supporters around the ground.
I accept this is the norm at most football grounds but should not be tolerated in front of young children.we all accept MM is getting a lot of criticism which in many ways is justified to an extent,but what is wrong is for him to use that language in a press conference.
We must remember the Manager is the front man for the club and I therefore think his words were uncalled for thus causing a flurry of anger from supporters.
I most probably will once again be down marked by the usual few but I feel a situation like this should not just be swept under the carpet and people need to air their views.
11

Surco72 added 09:22 - Apr 18
At the end of the day result irrelevant far too much water has passed under the bridge between MM and enough supporters to make it ever work again .
He is sniping and insulting at every opportunity towards the supporters and abuse towards the players and MM is raised at every bad game or mistake , either way right or wrong this situation has been created and will never go back to harmony .

Time for a clean break for everyone and if I was MM I would leave now after comfortably beating a team that should have walked the league ?
12

Seasider added 09:30 - Apr 18
A very enjoyable day before a crowd in excess of 25k.The team to a man played good football on the front foot and made Newcastle look ordinary.
How sad that McCarthy could not have been more complimentary of all concerned afterwards in a testy post match press conference, instead of once again bringing up the subject of those that have sneered at him and using language towards the fans I have never heard before by any manager.In the subsequent Channel 5 I/v he said what a good Manager he is,and the fans had better get used to him;as he was going to see out his contract.
What a contrast to Sir Bobby Robson.McCarthy is a thoroughly unlikeable man,who would have taken a lot of credit for yesterdays performance were it not for these nasty post match jibes at the supporters,which were completely uncalled for.
17

TimmyH added 09:51 - Apr 18
Strange now days there are few 'likeable' managers particularly in the Premiership, they're either moody, petulant or under hand - must be the pressure of the job and having to take a huge wad of cash home each season. Either that or hanging around with players of such ilk doesn't help, again mainly Premiership but there must be quite a few millionaires playing in the Championship too!
1

Pilgrimblue added 10:14 - Apr 18
What a perfect opportunity for Mick to get some fans back on side. He got the right team, the right tactics and beat the side that he said earlier in season were unbeatable.
But no he blew it. And to say that he'll see out his contract is so stupid. How's he going to change and dragging his heals for another season just to prove a point isn't going to work. I just hope his wife can talk some sense and get him to realise that it's not worth it. His cat must be feed up too!
8

44_not_out added 10:35 - Apr 18
So let's put this perspective. The unpleasantness that lingers round Portman Rd when the team is not playing well is fine. MM, in his usual blunt and honest way makes a throw away comment and people on here are wetting themselves. I think you are all being a bit precious. Get over yourselves.

Glad to see the 'protests' are really gaining momentum.... oh hang on.....
-6

Blue041273 added 12:10 - Apr 18
No 44, let's keep this in it's proper perspective. He may be blunt and yes, he may believe he is being honest in making these comments. But anybody that espouses these views in this way is surely looking at an exit opportunity. I've thought for a long time that MM has been looking at a strategy to allow him to leave on his terms. In recent weeks this has taken the form of antagonising the supporters. It is surely not the job of the manager to alienate the fans. After all we're the only ones there are. It is outrageous to denigrate the paying supporter base in the way he has and in the language used. To claim the moral high ground here is not being 'precious'. It's all about ensuring that basic social standards are maintained and that Portman Road can continue to be a place where everyone (women & children included) are welcome. It's clear to me that he wants out with the biggest payoff he can engineer. The man is asking to be sacked! His position is becoming more and more untenable.
7

DirtyOldNodger added 12:22 - Apr 18
Say it as you see it Mick. He doesnt give a monkeys what the moaners think, and quite right too!

Up the town!
-3

Surco72 added 15:21 - Apr 18
Harry Redknapp gone to Brum on short term contract , get him at Town in the summer Evans
0

PSGBlue added 16:19 - Apr 18
MM should have been dismissed along with Leon Best following the Lincoln City debacle, remember we failed to beat them on two occasions!

Calling the 25,000 who turned up f******S is a total disgrace is especially when we were celebrating the great Sir Bobby Robson. I doubt a stand will ever be named after you MM.

The son's of SBR showed much more dignity in the pre-match speech. MM will never be in their class and ME will never make a speech. Just about sums the club up really.

Shame I couldn't concentrate more on the performance, as it was like the old days. A 3-1 victory in front of 25,800.
5

bluemike1969 added 16:36 - Apr 18
Well Mick, I thought you couldn't stoop any lower....bang!!! I was wrong.
I have tried to see the good side of you over the past season, and have even tried to reason with some of the comments on here saying you should go. I have got increasingly tired of your comments, your 'how great am I' persona and its time (especially after this comment) for you to go. We are safe and so do us all a favour and step down whilst you still have a very small amount of respect (not from me I add).
6

happybeingblue added 17:22 - Apr 18
I am not offended by his language but more his style of football ,industrial language is used in life and football, lets not pretend otherwise,they are only words after all he was obviously trying to wind up our players and it worked but keep it in house would make more sense.Maybe Micks frustration is getting the better of him at present as he keeps having a pop at the fans which is not a good idea , look how Wenger has handled the stick he has had, with a bit more grace shall we say :) anyway lets not spoil the feelgood factor from yesterday as most of us are probably still buzzing, I had forgotten that feeling leaving Portman rd with so many happy ITFC faces
4

Blue041273 added 18:23 - Apr 18
Industrial language has its place. Indeed in a tv documentary many moons ago Bobby Robson ripped into a youthful Terry Butcher and I'm sure it did him no harm. The difference here is that the manager of a football club in a press conference should be aware that a considered approach Is necessary. You can't criticise officials or players and you sure as hell should not use the opportunity to slag off the fans in bad language terms. He has burned his bridges now and I can't see him surviving this outburst. Whatever, I'm done with him.
4

Dissboyitfc added 19:26 - Apr 18
swn98... you marked me down, which bit did you disagree with? Well it was Sir Bobby Robson day, so you cant argue with that, so it must mean you thought it was the appropriate time and place to use filthy language towards the people who pay his wages. Just for once on a special occasion he could of kept quiet and spoke only about the game!

I suspect swn98 you mark people down without even reading their posts!

3

martin587 added 19:33 - Apr 18
Dissboyitfc.
Don't let swn98 get to you.He down marks me on every one of my posts.Just ignore him like the rest of us.with luck he will go away.🤔
3


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