Town boss Mick McCarthy says work-rate isn’t why on-loan Manchester City youngster Bersant Celina has made only two Championship starts for the Blues so far but trusting him to make the the correct decisions in the right areas of the field. McCarthy says the 21-year-old, who is with Town for the season, is a “lovely young fella”, who has "terrific ability" and has been no trouble to manage since joining the club in July.

“I’ve had a good conversation with Bersant and it’s not that he doesn’t work hard, it’s trusting him,” McCarthy said of the 21-year-old, who curled a stunning 89th minute freekick to win Saturday’s game at Burton, his fourth goal for Town, having come on as a sub for the seventh time in the Championship.

“Yes, he can win us a game, but equally I don’t want him to lose us a game by trying to dribble out of 18-yard box and losing it there and it ending up in the back of our net.

“It’s not about him not working hard because he works hard, he loves his football, it was great he came on and scored.

“And it is about, yes, trusting him not to run around and do it but to do the things in the right areas.

“If he gets Jonas Knudsen going up on his outside and he decides to ignore him and cut in on the inside and he loses it then he causes us a problem. But he has terrific ability, there’s no doubt about it and it was lovely for him on Saturday.”

McCarthy says Celina, who spent last season on loan at FC Twente, has been no trouble to manage.

“None at all, he’s a lovely young man,” he added. “He trains really hard every day, loves his football, wants to stay out and do more.

“He is always practicing his skills and his freekicks, to be fair to him, so you can see where it came from on Saturday. He’s a lovely young fella, I really like him.”

Saturday’s game saw Kevin Bru, who was told he could leave in the summer and initially wasn’t given a squad number, make his first appearance of the season from the bench.

“Kevin coming on settled it down a bit with his ability to get on the ball,” McCarthy reflected.

“What changed [regarding Bru] that was the fact that Tom Adeyemi, Luke Hyam, Teddy Bishop and Emyr Huws are all injured.

“Had they been fit then it’s pretty unlikely that he would have been playing. But he’s been fabulous in training, he’s been great. He’s been great around the place, he’s never any trouble.

“But as I said on Saturday, he wasn’t ostracised out of the squad either, he’s not been made to train with the U23s, which happens at a lot of places. He’s trained every day with us. He’s trained really well. He’s had his games at international level.

“He’s just been great and he’s our player, he’s being paid by us so he’s there to be made available. He was good.

“He’s kept going and there might be a little element of good management in there, with Santie and people like that, to come on and make the right reaction, it’s great.

“I think Flynn [Downes] and Tristan [Nydam] are going to be really good players, I think they are good players, but there comes a time for 17 and 18-year-olds when it’s getting a bit tough and you need a bit of experience and Kevin gave me that on Saturday.”

Photo: TWTD

Jimmy86 added 21:14 - Oct 30 Only watched the local derby yesterday with my 5 year old son, as he'd been away on holiday in Yarmouth, with his town kit, of course. I have to say Mcgoldrick did not have his best game in a town shirt and chose the wrong option, too many times. Mick mentions Knudsen on the overlap and Celina being able to pick him out, there was a similar situation in the derby, where Knudsen had made a great run on the overlap and all didz needed to do was roll the ball to him, except he came inside and blazed wildly high and wide. Now that is no different to what Mick is saying about Celina. In the derby was Didz any more trustworthy than Celina??

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cat added 21:20 - Oct 30 Elto - so you think that Celina's lack of game time is warrented??? I said after the Bolton game on here that Dino won't like the fact that he didn't track back, when he lite up the second half and this might be the case as he's not a hairy arsed grafter, clobberer or hoofmerchant Ref the youth, If our midfield trio had been fit then I doubt none of those youths you mrntion would of had much of a sniff, and you know it!. If you listen to Dinos interview again, you might get a clearer idea where I'm coming from. Using the cup game as reference to using the youths with Dinos lack of respect for it is ‘simply Blinding' lol

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blueboy1981 added 21:22 - Oct 30 ........ cut the debate people - Celina is a very capable, talented player and will have a future at Man City, yes Man City ... !!! - a Premiership team full of top players on their books. Celina is one of them - currently on loan to us - and wasted, just as anyone could have predicted. His type of player has FLAIR which is totally alien to McCarthy - he expects everyone to be able to run through a brick wall, and be a pit pony. Never mind the quality - feel the STRENGTH. No point in this kind of player coming to Portman Road with this Manager - he hasn't a clue what to do with them and victimises them because they can't defend, or won't, and why should they ? - they are there to create / score primarily - Defenders should be able to defend accordingly. Another class player potentially bites the dust under McCarthy - whilst the favourites continue to play regardless. And will continue to do so. In truth - Celina will be longing for the day to return to City / or go on loan to a Club where he will played to his strengths. What a waste of talent available to us ? - yet again.

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dirtydingusmagee added 22:02 - Oct 30 you cant trusted to make the right decisions either Mick, we have to suffer you every b####y week !, you are a stubborn, arrogant, self opinionated manager ,steadily taking the club down the road to disaster.
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Elto added 22:04 - Oct 30 Cat I remember you saying it and didn't agree because I thought he did make an effort to track back, he wasn't great at it though. I honestly don't think he has been that great when I've seen him. He has some class, obviously, but seems to be trying too hard and gives it away cheaply. I think he'll get more time soon enough. Maybe starting in place of Macgoldrick who has dropped off last few games. I think Lawrence took a while to get in last season didn't he? I agree if Huws had been fit he would have been playing but those players I mentioned have been chosen ahead of more mature/experienced players that have been available, Nydam on Saturday for eg. Don't see what's 'blinding or lol' about it, I thought it was a refreshing approach to that competition. You'll disagree, no problem.

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Gcon added 22:20 - Oct 30 Blueboy - so who are all these 'class players that bit the dust under McCarthy?' And what about the days you used to berate him for playing loan players instead of 'our own'?....
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cat added 22:49 - Oct 30 Elto - good rational response, fair play to you, respect your views. Opinions vary on here so each to their own. Ref my blinding comment, it's not football related, more of a catch phrase to do with something else that's going around.
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prebbs007 added 06:24 - Oct 31 Don't trust him ? How would you know you dinosaur tw&t you've not played him enough to find out. He's not at Man City for no reason. He's not a regular for his international side (appreciate not a top team) for no reason but he's only good enough for our bench ? Do me a favour pal !!! You don't trust him but you trust that useless donkey liability Chambers ( beaten for yet ANOTHER header for the goal on Saturday) to lump it 60 yards to another cart horse Sears to do nothing with ever. You're a joke man. Go away. Very very far away NOW !!!

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Surco72 added 07:21 - Oct 31 It is this exact thinking and the selecting of poorer less gifted players over good old boy workhorses that has blighted MM's career , left a bad taste in the mouth of supporters at all clubs he has been too including the Ireland job and the reason he has never made it in the top league and has one of the worst records for long serving prem managers . West Brom are finding the same with Pulis , performances are tolerable when 1-0 results are being picked up but when they go you are a dull negative team getting no points

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Taricco_Fan added 11:19 - Oct 31 Celina has been used sparingly and has already chipped in with a couple of great goals. Yes, he's a luxury player and a bit of a maverick, but there's room for him in a team full of grafters. Football's about more than just work-rate.
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bluetit added 12:27 - Oct 31 MICK OUT
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JimmyP45 added 13:15 - Oct 31 If you don't want him to risk making mistakes in our box then don't allow him to go in there then! Garner, Waghorn, McGoldrick etc are good headers of the ball and will step in to defend corners and stuff. If you leave Celina high up the pitch, he is the perfect player for counter attacking runs and if he loses it up top then there is little risk of us not defending it.

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ITFCsince67 added 13:22 - Oct 31 Celina does not need to be on the edge of our 18 yard box, he's our match winner. Leave him up front. Some of MM excuses are embarrassing.
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Rensham added 15:22 - Oct 31 ITFC FANs: It's About Trusting Terrific Mick McCarthy ITFC fans need to get behind Mick and believe in this squad. We have the good fortune to have Celina loaned to us and is a like for like player with more skills than most. What a misfortune if he returned to Man City without being given the right opportunities. If he had a successful season he could easily end up being a multi million pound player. Lets all work together for a successful season COYB

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