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McCarthy: Bristol City the Priority - Ipswich Town News

Boss Mick McCarthy is in no doubt which of Town’s next two games he sees as most important - Saturday’s bread and butter Championship clash at home to Bristol City rather than tomorrow’s more glamorous Capital One Cup third round tie against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Quizzed on which of the two matches he’d most like to win if he had a choice of just the one, he answered without hesitation: "Saturday. I think that was fairly categorical. I didn’t give it any thought at all.

"Wouldn’t it be great if we won [at Old Trafford] and they’ll all be clamouring round. But if we get beat on Saturday then we’re all back to square one, we’ve lost points in the league.

"We want to win this game, but it’s pretty unlikely that we’ll win the cup because one of the big teams will keep tinkering away until the final.

"OK, Wigan did [win the FA Cup]. Wigan are in League One now. Win the league game on Saturday.

"We’ll try and win this but I want to beat Bristol City, so let’s not be under any illusion what I want to do. I can’t guarantee it, of course, doesn’t matter what I do, I can’t guarantee it.”

McCarthy is likely to continue his Capital One Cup policy of fielding a number of young players at Old Trafford, although will probably name a slightly more experienced team than faced Stevenage and Doncaster in the previous rounds.

He says the game will be a great experience and a test of character for those that get the nod.

"Of course it will be. No matter who they play and what I play it’s going to be a tough game.

"And it will be for them. We’re not going to go up there to let them have the ball and keep coming at us. We want to go and attack them.”

He says a trip such as Wednesday’s still gives him a thrill: "Yes, it does, I’m looking forward to going to Old Trafford. I’ve not had too many results there, probably none.

"But it’s still a special place to go and play, it’s one of the best clubs in the world and the stadium’s amazing.

"It’ll give me a sharp reminder of what I’d like to be doing, and that’s managing in the Premier League and let’s hope it incentivises the players as well for the rest of the season.”

Few of his squad have played at Old Trafford and several are likely to be disappointed that they won’t get the chance tomorrow, but McCarthy says there’s one way they can rectify the situation, recalling a controversy from December 2009 during his time as Wolves boss.

"Get promoted,” he said. "You might remember an incident a few years ago when I changed one or two players going to Old Trafford - 11. Actually, I didn’t, I changed 10, one was injured, which was forced upon me.

"It was nonsense actually. I believe firmly, avidly that my job as a manager is to get points for my team and if I’m playing Tottenham away, Man United away and Burnley at home and I get six points out of those three games, I reckon I’ve managed my club particularly well. So that’s what I did.

"I said to the players beforehand, I remember going in the dressing room on the Saturday, and I told them what I was going to do and they all said ‘Oh no gaffer, I want to play at Old Trafford’.

"So I said ‘Keep us up and play there next year and keep us up again and play there the year after because they won’t get relegated, let me tell you, they’ll be in the Premier League for the next 10 years, so make sure we are and then we can all play against them’.

"And that’s the same for me on Wednesday night and Saturday. Get promoted, go and play there on a regular basis, so [you can] at least play there in the league.”

He says that since the draw following the 4-1 extra-time victory over Doncaster in round two the tie has been put on the back burner, despite the illustrious opposition.

"It’s never been mentioned,” the Town boss continued. "From when it was drawn when we were coming back from Doncaster, we had a long old drive back and we mentioned it then.

"But nobody’s given it a second thought since. I haven’t, until we got the Birmingham game out of the way.”

He added: "I’ve not been preoccupied about it at all, the league games are far and away more important to me, and as they come.

"This is an important game now, but as they tick along I don’t get too far in front of myself, that’s for sure.”

He says it’s crucial that his players should try to play the game rather than the occasion: "Of course, but it’s almost impossible just to blank that out.

"We’ll travel up, we'll get taken in the coach right to the ground and you'll see the size of it. All the players know the history of it, they all know the players.

"Then they’ll go out and have their warm-up and they’ll see the surroundings, and it either inspires you or frightens you, I guess. Let’s hope it inspires our guys.”

Town have sold 4,600 tickets for the trip to Old Trafford. They will remain on sale at Planet Blue (but no longer online) until midday today and can be purchased on the day from Manchester United at their Ticket and Membership Office.

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