Boss Mick McCarthy is delighted to have matched Sir Bobby Robson’s record of five away wins on the trot with Town and says it’s nice to have something in common with his legendary predecessor.
The current Blues recorded their fifth successive away win at Brighton on Tuesday, equalling a run achieved by Robson’s team late in 1976. A win at Burnley this afternoon would set a new club record of six consecutive victories on the road.
"It’s great for the club, it’s great for me, but forget about me really, it’s great for the club,” McCarthy said.
"It’s nice to have equalled a record of Sir Bobby’s, other than just being the manager of Ipswich. I think that’s the only thing we had in common up until this, and having managed a club in the North-East as well, I’m trying to think of any others.
"In terms of achievements, winning five on the bounce, it’s been great and it would be lovely to make it six but it will be a really tough ask because Burnley are a very good side.”
He added: "I wasn’t joking when I said it’s the only thing that we’ve got in common, except that we used to go to the same golf course in Portugal and support his charity.
"Actually, I’ve other things in common. I was an international manager as well, we both managed in the North-East and now we’ve got five away wins. But that’s about where it ends, I think.”
After it was pointed out that both were brought up in coal mining areas, Robson in Langley Park in Durham and McCarthy in Barnsley, he added: "That’s another one! That’s still not another football one, though.
"I’m trying to find ones like we were both silky footballers or something or really knowledgeable managers. He was. There’s a difference, that’s what I’m trying to say.
"Going back to the question, it’s lovely. I honestly didn’t know until I was asked after the game, ‘What’s it like to have five [away wins in a row]?’.
"I wasn’t aware of that, genuinely. People come and ask me about stats and quote stats to me. What did we do on Saturday? What did we do on Tuesday? Did we win? That’ll do for me.
"Then we’ll go and deal with the next game because I’ve dealt with that and what I’ve done and it was the right thing and we’ve won, let’s go onto the next one. But it’s still nice to have equalled the record of Sir Bob’s, that’s for sure.
"And if we manage [to beat] it, it’ll be great and the lads who have done it will go down in history, that’s fine, but I don’t think that inspires them or motivates them, just winning, being on the pitch and winning, that’s what motivates them, which is great.
"And anything else that comes with it, any plaudits, any bonuses, they’re nice things to get, but they’re on the pitch to win games.”
Achieving the new club record is unlikely to form a part of McCarthy’s pre-match team-talk.
"It’s the kiss of death, isn’t it?” he said. "We weren’t playing for it when we won one away game, so suddenly you need a win to make it six and hold a record, it’s the kiss of death. It’s like the worst thing anybody can say to you.
"You’re as well just to go and play. Whatever you were doing prior to it and why you got the away wins.
"Generally that's to try and get promoted first, the play-offs second. Maybe then whatever bonus they get for being in the top six, because that’s all they get.
"And looking after their families that way and being in the team. All those things are the ones that motivate you and being in the team is the biggest motivational factor, and I had the same team for six games. Playing well, staying in the team. It’s not the record at all.”
He says it’s the type of thing which is something to be reflected on after it's happened and while certainly an achievement doesn’t compare with winning promotion or a trophy when a player looks back on his career.
"Trying to get promoted is the thing, you’re always thinking about that,” he continued. "But you’ve got 40-odd games to that, it’s a bit like at the last game of the season, you need to win and suddenly it’s a different ball game.
"It’s like this one on Saturday, you need one win [to make it six away games in a row] but that’s not going to be stuck on your mantelpiece or in your trophy cabinet - five away wins, big deal.
"Big deal, we got five away wins. No medals, nothing else, five away wins when I played for Ipswich. Come on! It’s a nice thing for the club, for us to have done now, but it’s never going to be remembered.”
Reminded that towards the end of his career Sir Bobby Robson had a spell as part of the Republic of Ireland management team under Steve Staunton, McCarthy responded: "He did, yeah. And I was more successful at that than he was, let me tell you! That’s the only one, I’ve beaten him on one!”