McCarthy Era Starts at Birmingham Friday, 2nd Nov 2012 13:07 New manager Mick McCarthy appears unlikely to make many dramatic changes as he goes into his first game as Blues boss at Birmingham City on Saturday. McCarthy and his assistant Terry Connor officially took over at Portman Road yesterday and haven’t had too much time to work with their new players. Speaking at yesterday’s press conference, McCarthy said that reducing the number of goals which the Blues are conceding — 26 in their 13 Championship games so far this season — will be his priority: “I’ve got to look at the personnel and see if I can find some formula of how to get a clean sheet, of being hard to beat first and foremost. “I haven’t got really any time to work with them. If I come in [on Friday] and change everything that they’ve been doing, that would just confuse the issue completely. I’ve got to try and inflict my beliefs and my personality on them.” While he feels not too much can be gleaned from one training session, he says some of the younger players impressed him as the Blues make the first of two tricky away trips with a visit to Crystal Palace on Tuesday to follow: “St Andrew’s is a tough place to go and play. “A couple of the young ‘uns have impressed me in [Thursday] training. I’ll see, I’ll have a look [on Friday] and make a decision on it. “I loved being back out there and we had a good session, with plenty of the lads giving me something to think about before I select my first team,” he added. McCarthy said yesterday that the remaining coaching staff from the previous regime had told him keeper Stephen Henderson had done well since his arrival, so the on-loan West Ham man is likely to keep his place in goal. The back four will also probably be unchanged with Aaron Cresswell on the left and Luke Chambers and Danny Higginbotham in the centre. Skipper Carlos Edwards is set to be at right-back, although having been employed largely in a left wing role during his short loan spell under McCarthy at Wolves in the 2008/09 season. McCarthy has a lot of options in midfield where Luke Hyam and Richie Wellens started in the centre last week. Either or both could keep their places, although Wellens — who says his outburst after last week’s defeat to Sheffield Wednesday was a heat of the moment thing — was laid low with tonsillitis earlier in the week. The new manager mentioned Nigel Reo-Coker’s Premier League experience yesterday, although questions remain regarding the short-term signing’s match fitness. Guirane N’Daw and Andy Drury are other central options. Massimo Luongo has tweeted that he will be in London tomorrow and again looks likely to be the domestic loan player missing out with the Blues only able to name five of their six in a matchday 18. The new boss also has dilemmas out wide. Lee Martin may be used behind a lone striker or on a wing, as might Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, while Daryl Murphy could be used as a frontman if McCarthy utilises a 4-4-2 formation or alternatively out on the left. Josh Carson could also come into the equation having started last week, while DJ Campbell and Michael Chopra will be vying for inclusion from the start up front. Town’s only injury at present is striker Paul Taylor, who is still sidelined with a cracked bone in his foot, while fellow frontman Nathan Ellington missed this week’s U21 victory over Brentford as he was also one of a couple of players suffering with illness. Right-back Elliott Hewitt played most of that match but is not likely to be considered ready for first team duty after his hip surgery and recent bout of tonsillitis. For Birmingham, Serbian international frontman Nikola Zigic, who at 6ft 8in tall always provides a threat, is back after a three-game suspension, while another striker, Peter Lovenkrands, is expected to be back in contention after a groin injury. Manager Lee Clark welcomes the added competition they will provide with Leroy Lita and Marlon King having started recent games: "It's great to have options in terms of the four. "But for the two lads coming back now it's going to be difficult to dislodge the two in there at the moment because they are playing very well together. If players are playing well, it's up to other players to get the shirt off them." Centre-half Pablo Ibanez (broken foot) is on the mend but not yet ready for a return and full-back Paul Caddis is out having undergone shoulder surgery. Another defender Stephen Carr is sidelined with a knee problem. Clark says the change of boss at Portman Road will give the Ipswich squad a boost: "Certainly the new manager they’ve brought in will give them that impetus. "He’s been successful in this division and he’s worked at the highest level both for club and country, so it’s a tremendous coup for Ipswich Town. “I’m just hoping he hasn’t got enough time to get his ideas across and we can take maximum points. It was always going to be a tough game but Mick coming in will make it a little bit harder than it was going to be for us." The former Norwich coach says he has a lot of time for McCarthy: "I’ve got to know Mick quite well since I’ve become a manager. "Since I first got into the managerial game he was always on the end of the phone. He rang me and we spoke on a regular basis over a period of time and one of the first people to call me after I lost my first job was Mick. "He’s been very supportive of me and I’m sure lots of other young managers around the country. But hopefully I'll repay him by beating him on Saturday and then sharing a drink with him!" In April, second-half sub Jay Emmanuel-Thomas scored his seventh goal of 2012/13 as Town drew 1-1 at home to Birmingham City. The visitors went in front against the run of play in first half injury time via Chris Burke, Emmanuel-Thomas equalising in a second period completely dominated by the Blues. Earlier in the season, in January at St Andrew’s, two goals from Zigic saw Birmingham to a 2-1 victory. Town deserved more from the game with Lee Martin slamming in a superb equaliser and the midfielder should have been awarded a second half penalty prior to the Serb’s final-moments winner. Paul Jewell’s post-match comments about the penalty, female assistant referee Amy Fearn not having spotted the trip on Martin, were taken out of context by some newspapers leading to a brief media furore. Historically, the Blues have had the better of Birmingham, winning 30 times (27 in the league), drawing 12 (12) and losing 27 (21). The Midlanders currently sit in 17th in the table, nine points and seven placed above table-propping Town. Blues midfielder Guirane N’Daw was on loan with Birmingham last season, making 25 starts and four sub appearances, while another of Town’s loan legion, DJ Campbell, was with the Midlanders from January 2006 until July 2007. Former Town man Darren Ambrose, who came through the ranks of the Town academy and later had a loan spell back at Portman Road while a Charlton player, joined Birmingham from Crystal Palace in the summer. Tickets will be available to Blues supporters on the gate at St Andrew's at no additional charge. Saturday’s referee is Stuart Attwell from Warwickshire, who has shown 42 yellow and two red cards in 15 games this season. Attwell’s last Town match was the infamous snow game against Leicester at Portman Road in December 2010 which the Blues won 3-0, Roy Keane’s last victory as manager of the club. Squad from: Henderson, Loach, Lee-Barrett, Edwards, Cresswell, Ainsley, Chambers, Higginbotham, Smith, Mohsni, Hyam, N’Daw, Reo-Coker, Wellens, Drury, Martin, Carson, Emmanuel-Thomas, Murphy, Chopra, Campbell, Scotland.
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