Town boss Mick McCarthy says taking criticism during difficult spells comes with the territory when you’re a manager and believes that fans of some of his other clubs would have given him a tougher time on Saturday with the Blues having gone four home games without a win.
There were a few boos at the end of the 0-0 draw with Huddersfield and McCarthy was on the end of one or two comments as he made his way to the tunnel, but the Blues boss says that’s to be expected.
"That doesn’t bother me,” he said. "It’s been Super Mick but I’m sure it’s an anagram of something else which sounds similar now.
"That’s what happens. We can’t have it all our own way all the time. From November 1st 2012 it’s sort of been an upward surge and we’ve just having it tough. And it’s not easy when it’s like that.
"But if we let it bother us that much we might as well just pack it in and go home. I understand their frustration, if anybody thinks that I’m enjoying it then they’re much mistaken.
"But the definition of supporters is supporting a team when they’re not doing well, I believe - if you’re giving somebody support.
"I saw Steve McClaren today saying he’s had unbelievable support, Sunday’s was his first win in nine.
"It’s lovely when it’s going well and we’re top of the league and it’s ‘One Mick McCarthy…’, ‘Terry, Terry Connor..’ and the lads are all great, we’re working our socks off to get back to that. So, let’s all stick together. Because we’re definitely better together.”
Saturday saw fans chanting for the introductions of first David McGoldrick and then Kevin Bru. With the Championship fixture programme as busy as ever, a trip to Nottingham Forest on Saturday follows tonight’s match, the Town boss says everyone in his squad will get their chance.
"I’ve spoken to the players today, in times gone by I would have pulled them all in [individually] and would have said ‘Listen, it’s not happening today, you’re not playing, but I will change the team’ and I think they might just have to get used to that.
"Because, if they’re all fit, it’s not the case that I’ve just got 12, 13, 14 that I heavily rely on I’ve got better than that this year. I’d like them all fit though, that would be a lot easier.
"I don’t mind them calling for their favourite players but the problem more is that it’s derogatory to the ones who are on the pitch who are breaking their arse to try and play well for the club. And we all know which ones they’re getting at as well.
"I’ve had it throughout my career as a player and as a manager, and certain people get targeted.
"Our fans are great. Let me tell you, being up at Sunderland and Wolves I think I might have been getting a bit more than that on Saturday.
"It’s about being positive towards the players that are on the pitch, that’s what support is because none of them play badly intentionally, and none of them go out and don’t try.
"I think you’ve got to give the support to them and hope that [they play well]. It’s not the X-Factor this, by the way, where we’re all saying we’re going to take number four off or number two off, number one off and me sat there thinking ‘Oh dear, I wonder what I should do!’”
McCarthy has praise for one of the players fans' chants implied should be withdrawn on Saturday, midfielder Jonathan Douglas: "They were all shouting for Kevin Bru at one stage but Dougie had a header over the bar, it would have been a penalty if the ball hadn’t have gone out. I know it’s all ifs, buts and maybes, but he was in the box.
"I think Dougie’s been great, I think he’s had a really good season with us so far, really solid. He’s one that’s come in, we’ve had Bish missing, we’ve had Tabby injured, we’ve had Bru injured for nine or 10 weeks or whatever it is and he’s come in and he’s been great, he’s been really solid.”
The Town boss says he’s not affected by fans calling for him to pick particular players: "Not really. I’ve said before that the temptation is to throw it all up in the air and see what comes down.
"But if you start doing that you’re not really being focused on what you should be doing and being professional and actually understanding what you’re doing.
"They formed a committee to design a horse and that’s where the camel came from, so I’m not interested in what everybody else says. What I would be interested in is TC’s opinion, my own opinion and, of course, [goalkeeper coach] Malcolm Webster and [fitness coach] Andy Liddell’s opinions, my coaching staff. But it’s my decision.
"It’s always the same if you’re getting beat, the best players are on the bench or in the stand, that’s just the way it is.”
Is the current situation the toughest since he’s been at Town? "Yes, because we’ve all talked about having the best squad. I’ve said it myself, better players, more players, so by definition we should be doing better.
"And unfortunately we’re not, but we’re still 10th and we’re five points off second place and we’ve had a really tough time.”
And expectations have inevitably grown since last season’s sixth place and the Blues hitting the top of the table in August.
"Of course they do, but it was us that set that up,” he added. "I said on Saturday, everybody kept asking me if we were going to have a hangover from the summer, well we didn’t.
"Maybe one or two have looked at us and thought that they better pull their fingers out against Ipswich because there’s no hangover there, we’ve got to play well.
"And I think teams have played well against us. I don’t think Huddersfield are any mugs, see where Birmingham are in the league. And I saw Bristol City slap Nottingham Forest on Friday night.
"So there are no mugs in the league and there’s no God-given that we should just win, but what we did on Saturday was that we competed far better than we had.
"And if there were any mixed messages about trying to play a bit more football, a bit more expansively, what we should be doing first is stopping the opposition playing. And after 15 minutes I thought we did that on Saturday.”