Mick McCarthy was keen to promote the case of Cardiff City boss Malky Mackay for the December Manager of the Month award when quizzed at his pre-match press conference yesterday. The Town boss, Mackay and Hull City manager Steve Bruce are the trio nominated for the gong, whose winner will be announced on Sky Sports News at 10am this morning.
McCarthy, whose Town side travel to take on Mackay's league-leading Cardiff on Saturday, said: "Let’s hope they give it to Malky because it usually screws the game after up if you win it!”
He says it’s an award for the way the side has played and that he doesn’t take such plaudits too seriously: "It just means that the team’s played well and had good results. That’s nice but I’m not bothered.”
He feels his reaction is typical of most bosses, although joking: "We all go home and stroke it when we’ve won it, and meow over it!
"It just tells us that we’ve had a good month, that the team’s had a good month. Whatever it is, the Team of the Month, the Player of the Month or Manager of the Month award."
In any case, McCarthy believes he is the outsider to win: "They won’t give it to me anyway because the other two have done better than me.”