x

McCarthy Happy With Point - Ipswich Town News

Manager Mick McCarthy was happy enough with Town’s goalless draw at Huddersfield, despite admitting that this team didn’t play particularly well.

The Blues boss said: "It’s not the worst result in the world. Two bang ordinary teams on the day playing on a lousy pitch, playing on a difficult surface.

"They’ve had rugby on it. It’s not going to help them, for sure, it doesn’t help anybody play. But also we’re both nervous, we’re both looking at the wrong end of the table and it doesn’t promote or produce wonderfully free-flowing football with all those circumstances.

"I’ll take the point all day long,” he continued. "I’ve never had a bad point away from home.”

Town, who now sit in 19th on 39 points, four from the relegation zone, failed to significantly test Huddersfield keeper Alex Smithies but McCarthy points out that the Blues have previously got less out of games in which they have had plenty of chances.

"We didn’t play particularly well,” he admitted. "We went to Bristol City and had loads of shots on target and lost 2-1. I’m not interested in all that.

"We try to play and we try to play forward and we try to get shots in. But some days it doesn’t happen, we’ve got a point and I’ll take it all day long.”

He feels preventing Huddersfield from getting the three points is as important as Town picking up one of their own: "It’s as important to have deprived them of points. It keeps them down. It’s their home game. Bristol City came and did it to us, Barnsley came and did it to us, Peterborough did it to us.

"They all think it’s a great point. You’re all talking to me down there and say ‘That’s two points lost’. Perhaps you should be saying about Huddersfield losing two points. It’s different, isn’t it? When I’m down there at Ipswich, ‘Lost two points today, you must be disappointed’.

"Why aren’t you saying you should be delighted with a point and depriving them of two points? Let’s put perspective on it.

"I’ll take it. Coming here today, I’d have taken a point. I wouldn’t have even got on the bus, I’d have stayed down in Ipswich, I wouldn't have bothered travelling four and half hours to get here and having a heart attack in the last minute.’”

The Town manager admitted that it wasn’t an overly entertaining match: "I apologise for the s--- standard of game you’ve just watched, but I’m not going to apologise for getting a point away from home.

"It was pretty p--- poor, but it’s a point and if we stay up with one point we’ll be looking back at this and be delighted that we played badly and got a point. Stay in the league! I’m a pragmatist, not a poet. Stay in the league.”

Huddersfield manager Mark Robins thought his side were the better team on the day: "I thought we controlled it, in all fairness.

"We tried to pass, they didn’t try and pass it but they’re in a position where they’re trying to get a point. So they’ve come for a point and got a point.

"We’ve tried to get all three of them but also, on the back of the game on Tuesday night [the 6-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest], we had to make sure we were a little bit more solid.

"The players we have available and the players that we have here dictate how you play. It’s not any different anywhere else.

"And there’s a little bit of a lack of confidence in terms of passing it, and obviously the pitch doesn’t help. But we tried to pass it and do it well, and all fairness we kept possession quite well in the first half.

"I think we’ve had about seven shots on target and really we’ve had some really good opportunities to score and we’ve not taken any of them, which is why we’ve only got a point and not three.”

What to read next:

Eze Nets Twice as U19s Draw Opener at Czech Tournament
Striker Nelson Eze scored twice as an U19 Town side drew 2-2 with hosts Banik Ostrava in their opening match at the Zlaty Kahan tournament in Czechia yesterday.
Young: Working With McKenna Again Was a Massive Pull
New Blues signing Ashley Young says manager Kieran McKenna played a big part in his decision to join Town having left Everton at the end of last season.
Town Confirm Young Signing
Town have confirmed the signing of veteran former England international Ashley Young on a one-year deal.
[Podcast] Blue Monday - New Podcast Now Online
A new podcast from the Blue Monday team is now available.
Released Forward Roberts Joins Stevenage
Released Blues U21s forward Matty Roberts has joined League One Stevenage following a trial.
Young Close to Completing Town Move
Veteran former England international Ashley Young is close to completing a move to the Blues on a one-year deal.
Former Town Youth Coach Owen Dies
Former Town youth coach Brian Owen has died, aged 80.
Emmanuel-Thomas Joins AFC Totton
Ex-Town forward Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has joined National League South AFC Totton following his release from prison on parole.
Young Watches Son as U21s Beat Needham
Former England star and apparent Town target Ashley Young watched his son Tyler feature as a trialist for Town's U21s on Tuesday evening as they beat 10-man Needham Market 2-1 at Bloomfields in a pre-season friendly.
Young Watching Town U21s at Needham
Veteran former England international Ashley Young is watching Town’s U21s in friendly action at Needham Market with his son Tyler on trial with John McGreal’s squad.