Back-in-favour Town star Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has revealed he apologised to Mick McCarthy after a performance labelled “abject” by the Town boss.

McCarthy could hardly have been more critical of the former Arsenal player’s display against Charlton in an U21 fixture earlier this year.

The manager described it as “the most abject performance I’ve seen in a long time,” and added: “Nobody will get in my squads, in my teams if they’re playing that way.

“I’m not bothered if it’s the U21s or the reserves or training games, you don’t get in my squads, in my teams if that’s the case.”

But Emmanuel-Thomas knuckled down and earned a recall to the senior squad with a starring role in another U21 game watched by McCarthy, the 4-3 victory over Essex neighbours Colchester.

The former England U19 international has impressed in his recent first team games and explained: “For that Charlton game my head was just in a bad place. I played in the game and I scored a goal but it didn’t really mean anything because it wasn’t a great performance in general.

“My head was somewhere else. Afterwards I was thinking ‘That’s done me no justice’ and I had a conversation with the manager. I apologised for my performance.”

McCarthy and his assistant, Terry Connor, have invested a lot of time on the training ground to improving Emmanuel-Thomas’s all-round game and it seems to have paid off.

The player added: “The manager and Terry like to see the good in a lot of what you do. They don’t really like to focus on the negatives. If they think you need to be told something they will tell you but they are not the type to be ranting and raving, screaming and hollering.

“The boys do put 100 per cent in — they put a shift in every day and they work hard in every game — so there’s not a lot for them to rant and rave about.”

Emmanuel-Thomas has a good reason to stay involved at first team level because he admits that he finds it difficult to motivate himself when included as an overage player with the U21 side.

He recalled the Brentford game last month and said: “The pitch was rubbish. It was white with snow and we didn’t have a yellow ball so it was hard to even see the ball.

“When you’re warming up you are thinking ‘Can’t we get this called off, it’s freezing’ but as soon as the whistle goes you are in that frame of mind where you know you need to play and you just get on with it.”

Photo: Action Images

IamSpartacus added 07:53 - Apr 10 Okay, it's honest, and I would imagine a lot of pros might feel the same way (particularly the last couple of paragraphs), but I just can't get my head round it. I love/loved (on the cusp of accepting that time is over) playing football, did it for free, and rarely cared what the weather was like. Any opportunity to play a game what seized. I can only assume that love for the game isn't shared by all pros, and this is sometimes why we, as fans, question their effort? Perhaps, as their profession, the love wains? All that said, this is not a specific query of JET, or an attack. I am one of those that feels he has so much talent to offer, just needs to get it channelled. The times he has come on and looked our most dangerous player- we must all have greater hope of a chance with him on the ball than pretty much all other players at the moment?

0

IamSpartacus added 07:54 - Apr 10 'Was' seized, not what.... would love an Edit on here :-)
0

Hamish1979 added 07:55 - Apr 10 Some things are best left unsaid JET. That last quote is probably why he's not a top premier league player!
0

Mark added 07:58 - Apr 10 I'm pleased to see Emmanual-Thomas back in the first team squad, as he has so much talent and I had feared it would go to waste. I thought 2012/13 would be a big season for him, and it's been such a disappointment. Under the excellent guidance of McCarthy and Connor though, he needs to step up a gear and make 2013/14 that big season.
0

Fatcatevans added 08:32 - Apr 10 His heads all over the place.
0

wkj added 08:37 - Apr 10 It takes a lot for a player to hold his hands up; I feel that he may just be grasping the concept here and may provide a great service next season
0

BiGDonnie added 08:41 - Apr 10 JET, you're a badman! We forgive you.
0

Sorry added 08:50 - Apr 10 not everyone can be Matt Holland in terms of attitude, and it's up to the manager to give him the arm around the shoulder or the kick up the arse as required, seems like he's kicked up the effort a bit so that's a good sign for the management. A Manchester City fan who came with me to see us play Millwall said he was the best player on the pitch, and just as well, because we've sold all else creative in our attacking players...

0

MyBlueHeaven added 09:52 - Apr 10 can we please stop typing his name in UPPER CASE. or do we have to shout it every time we see his name? we don't type CARLOS Edwards... TOMMY Smith... MICHAEL Chopra. why do we have to use JET? I don't have a problem with him using Jet as a name. his name, his choice. fine. but not upper case. thank you.
0

Sparky85 added 10:12 - Apr 10 You use capitals in My Blue Heaven the same as capitals are used for Jay Emmanuel Thomas!! Capitals don't just mean you're shouting it you know. They are called initials......... JET! JET! JET! Back to the subject in hand. He has the potential, just needs the attitude. Big season for him next year.
0

Bergholtblue added 10:14 - Apr 10 We use capitals because they are his initials. You wouldn't put Alb, Mm, Tc, Ts, Ce, Mc or Me (alright last one was a bad choice).
0

Beattiesballbag added 10:53 - Apr 10 Whenever a manager or coach sees a young person with natural talent but lacking in application (what ever the sport) they will always keep trying to get the best out of them in the hope he will come good one day, but alas it's usually to no avail, if they don't have the natural desire to compete as well, they all eventually fall by the wayside. As Mick said a while back all the great talents work hard as well........but they don't work hard because some one is giving them a kick up the backside or putting an arm round them because they need to hear how great they are, they work hard because they love to compete at anything, losing doesn't curb their enthusiasm, even if they have lost 20 games on the trot they would be out there trying just as hard to win the 21st. When jet said people think he doesn't care because of his laid back style what dose he mean ! He does care as long as it's at his pace & when he feels like it & the grass is the right colour. If that natural desire isn't there at 15 it isn't going to be there at 25. Please please prove this to be untrue jet.................but I doubt it!

0

Beattiesballbag added 11:04 - Apr 10 ps Apologies if any of my poor grammar or misuse of capitals upsets anyone !
0

Marshalls_Mullet added 11:06 - Apr 10 Thanks Phil, glad you narrowed down which abject display it was. Hard work this football lark, its like working in the mines. I feel your pain Jay.
0

fugliblue added 11:33 - Apr 10 your head was in the right place when you beat that Bolton player to set up Edwards 88th min winner. get in
0

gazzmac4 added 11:56 - Apr 10 Agree with a number of comments on here, its good to be honest and its good to see that he accepted it was a poor performance. I would hope that we have drilled the "dont really care for this" attitude out of him too. In my eyes Mick has done great work with JET in that now he appears to be knuckling down and doing the dirty as requested. I also really like having him on the bench, he gives us something extra that we may just need when we are trailing 1-0 away from home (assuming the back four let the other team score first!). Bringing him on often gives the team and even us fans a lift. Just look at the Leeds game. The guy came on, scored a goal, flicked the ball over a defender and only just missed with a dipping volley and then played the most outrageous chipped pass over the defence which almost lead to a jay Tabb goal. Things happen when he comes on. If we can channel all the above better he could well feature more as a starter next year. Mick and TC are certainly the guys to get it out of him i reckon. I know we Town fans always do this around April/May time at the end of a dissapointing season. We always say "next year will be our year" or something similar only to be subjected to the same season again. I actually believe we could be looking good for next year with some of MM's additions and i believe it will be a big year for JET to show us what hes made of. (Fingers crossed, touch wood etc etc.) COYB.

0

gazzmac4 added 11:57 - Apr 10 Being optimistic is fun! If only we all had more opportunity to be that way!
0

Marshalls_Mullet added 12:15 - Apr 10 I'm not going to jump on the promotion band wagon, but I do feel that next year we will be in and around the top half for most of the season. That would be good progress.
0

rexron added 15:57 - Apr 10 Mick expect the expected from his players. He dont give a darn who they are or what club they have represented earlier. This is why Ipswich will be a top team 2013/2014.
0

ippy4life added 17:38 - Apr 10 So he should be, he has mad a very bad impression on his chance.
0

MVBlue added 00:01 - Apr 12 If he puts rhe hard work in defensively and offensively, his natural talent means he is able to do things other grafters wouldn't see or do. Hope he can work hard every match for the rest of his life.
0

Blogs 297 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls