Town boss Mick McCarthy apologised for his use of bad language during Saturday’s controversial post-match press conference at Burton, but had no regrets regarding his overall message. McCarthy told fans wanting his departure that he’s going nowhere until at the summer at the earliest and warned them to be careful what they wish for with a switch of boss unlikely to change the resources made available to whoever is in charge at Portman Road.
Despite beating the Brewers 2-1 via Bersant Celina’s brilliant penultimate-minute freekick, McCarthy’s press conference at the Pirelli Stadium was a spiky affair, large sections of the Blues’ support having chanted abuse at their side’s manager for long spells during the game.
Asked what he feels his relationship with Town fans is like, McCarthy said: "I think with the vast majority of them it’s pretty good, actually. But there are a fair vocal few and I don’t think I’m ever going to change that now, that’s [always] going to be the case.
"All I’ll do is continue to do my best. Whatever is said, and that’s always been the case, that never changes with me. I come in here, get the lads going, get myself going and we’ll continue to try and win games.”
Would they ever force him to depart or owner Marcus Evans to sack him? "No, no chance. Whatever I do will be of my own volition, as I said [last week], unless somebody decides differently and was to sack me. I don’t see that coming.
"I think we’re two points out of the top six at the moment, so I think there’d be a few who would swap places with us at the minute.”
The press conference was a negative way to end what ought to have been a positive afternoon for Town, who came from a goal down to claim all three points having lost their previous three matches.
"And it appears I’ve offended one or two,” McCarthy continued. "Strange that, isn’t it? How sensitive people can be. I can stand there and listen to it for pretty much 90 minutes.
"My job is to manage the team, to coach the team, me and TC, and get points and results, and that’s just what I did and what I’ll continue to do.”
Does he regret what he said? "Apparently I’ve upset somebody by swearing. If that’s the case, then that’s right, I shouldn’t have used bad language and if they’re that sensitive and the ones that shout at me, I’ve upset them, then I apologise for that.
"But I won’t apologise for my comments. There’s a big difference. I shouldn’t have dropped the little swearwords in there, I thoroughly apologise to the sensitive people I’ve upset by swearing and anybody that doesn’t, so that’s fine.
"But in terms of what I said, not a chance I regret what I said. I meant every single word of it.”
Asked whether he is always going to be a manager who divides opinion, he added: "It’s funny, I didn’t split people down the middle when we finished sixth, did I? Not really. It’s funny how my comments split people down the middle.
"You [the media] got what I felt on Saturday and if people don’t like me, unlucky. If they do, well great. If they don’t that’s me, that’s just how I felt.
"I could come in and put a nice wooden press conference on if you like, smile at you all. You get what you see and if you like it, great. If you don’t, I’m not really bothered.
"And I doubt that’s going to change at this stage. It’s been like that all through my career. Shall I just come on and be pretty saccharine sweet? That’s not going to happen, is it?”
He added: "There’s only one way [for me to change fans’ views]. I’ve told you that since I walked through the door five years ago when I first met you. And my opinion on that’s not changed.
"If we hadn’t got results in my first season I’d have been on my pedaller, you’d have been talking to somebody else now. It’s always, always about results. And I’ll continue to try and get them.”
What about style? In the summer there was much talk about a change to a more possession-based game, is that still the aim? "When we won five games I didn’t hear one little word of it, to be honest. We’re having a tough time. Wouldn’t it be nice to have that support then?
"What saddened me is the reaction. Seriously, saying it to me, singing it to me, all the stuff. I came off on Saturday and I hadn’t enjoyed one bit of it, only the result. I didn’t enjoy the game, I didn’t enjoy the performance, just the goals, the result and the fact that we won the game.
"All that shouting at me, it isn’t going to drive me out. But it’ll affect the players. Eventually it will affect the team.
"And they might get their wish in May and they’ll have somebody else and you know what, be careful what they wish for as well, by the way, because I don’t know whether they think if I’ve gone suddenly there’s going to be an injection of 20 million quid to the new manager, who is going to spend it all and they’re going to run up the league and get promoted.
"Somebody might come in and do a whole better job. Sincerely, if I’ve gone, good luck to them, let them crack on with it. But you’re going to be getting me, that’s it.”
Did the players say anything to him about the crowd's chanting towards him on Saturday? "No, not at all. They’re all playing for me and for TC and for the club, and for each other. But it will not help. That will not help, it’s not going to help the players at all, we need that support.
"I think you’ll find if you spoke to Santie, Bersant, despite the fact that he scored the goal on Saturday and he celebrated with the fans, he celebrated with the fans because he appreciates the support they’re giving him.
"But he’s with us, he wants to be part of a team that’s successful and we’re not fractured between us and the fans. He wants to be in a successful team.”
Despite the fractiousness of the weekend, McCarthy celebrates five years in charge of the Blues on Wednesday and says he has "enjoyed every single minute of it”.
Having led both Sunderland and Wolves to promotion from the Championship, why does he believe it’s been tougher to reach the Premier League with Town? "Teams that go up tend to come down with a chunk of money and there’s a fair gap between what the top teams have spent and the players that they have, the squads that they have, so that’s probably made it a bit more difficult.
"It’s changed over the years since I won the league, certainly with Sunderland, and with Wolves.
"But it’s not easy just to bounce back and do it. Sunderland are struggling now, they’re in the bottom three, Wolves have been in League One. It’s not always easy to manage a club that’s got expectations.”
Can he achieve promotion with the Blues, does he have to tools and the finance to be able to do it? "I will continue to do my very best.”
McCarthy laughed off suggestions that his position at Town will be his last in football: "You’re having a laugh, aren’t you? Not a chance is it my last job. It might be my last season here, but it’s not going to be my last job, no. I want more of it, no doubt.”
He says he’s as hungry as ever: "For sure, yes. I don’t want to be here and being ordinary, I want to be successful and hopefully get promoted again. I’d like to be in the Premier League, have another chance at that. And I don’t see why that shouldn’t happen.”
Does his wife or children ever suggest that it might be time to bring his 25-year plus management career to a close, that at 58 he doesn’t need the hassle?
"I keep doing it so I don’t go home and annoy them for the rest of my life!” he joked.