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McCarthy Always Keen to Keep Tabb
Friday, 2nd Aug 2013 12:35

Summer signing Jay Tabb has revealed that boss Mick McCarthy paid him a huge compliment soon after snapping him up on loan from Reading last season.

The 29-year-old midfielder said he had only been at Portman Road for about 10 days when the manager confirmed his intention to offer him a permanent deal.

Tabb recalled: “We’d trained and played a couple of games when he said ‘I definitely want you here for next season as long as we stay up’.

“It almost went down to the wire so nothing was agreed until the season finished. I spoke to the manager and the owner a few times, there was a bit of negotiating and we got it sorted. I was delighted.

“When I was at Coventry both Reading and Wolves, who were in the top two places in the league at the time, wanted me. Mick McCarthy was the Wolves manager then and I didn’t actually speak to him at the time — I just decided to sign for Reading — but he’s a manager I have always admired and his track record is great.

“What you see is what you get and there’s no pulling the wool over his eyes. If you do the job he wants you to do you’ll get on fine with him and if you don’t you won’t be in the team. That’s the way it should be and I think that’s what most players like, for the gaffer to be straight with them.

“When you are a player looking to move there are a few things you need to take into consideration, like the manager, the set-up at the club, the players, size of club, location etc. For me Ipswich ticked all these boxes and they were the club I wanted to come and join.

“I could have held out until longer into the summer, like a lot of players did, and see who came in for me. But if a club like Ipswich, and with the manager they have, come asking you’d be a fool to turn it down.”

Tabb agrees a positive start to the campaign will be on all players’ wish lists but he pointed out: “When I was in the Reading team that won the league we had a terrible start. We were in the bottom half at Christmas, so at least if things don’t go as well as we want at Reading there will still be 40-odd games to get it sorted.

“The first game of the season is always the same. Everyone comes flying out of the traps at 100 miles an hour and after five or ten minutes you’re always knackered, no matter how much work you did in pre-season. It will settle down after that and the main thing is to come away with a positive result.”


Photo: Action Images



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murraybrunning added 13:12 - Aug 2
Hard working player who can open things up for others, veratile, good attitude -exactly what we needed.
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sucrePB1 added 13:13 - Aug 2
anyome who looks like a hobbit gets my approval
1

fussysnake added 13:31 - Aug 2
coyb Super Jay Tabb!!!!
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bluemikey100 added 13:37 - Aug 2
lol looks like a hobbit guess must be MICKS PRECIOUS ONE
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BotesdaleBlue added 13:51 - Aug 2
He has his head screwed on and is just the type of player we need at this point in time.

Good luck for the season Jay.
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RichmondBlue added 14:17 - Aug 2
Good experience at this level to help with some of the younger players around him.
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JewellintheTown added 14:24 - Aug 2
@sucrePB1 & @bluemikey100 - what with the need to take the p*ss about the bloke and call him a hobbit? You do know he plays for Ipswich, don't you? The fella must have had stupid comment like that all his life, give him a break.
Sad, very sad.
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itfc_jew added 14:30 - Aug 2
@JewellintheTown it's called a joke, lighten up mate
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Maverick_Mitch added 15:15 - Aug 2
Don't care how big he is he has got the heart of a lion and epitomises what the new ITFC is all about. Liked him the moment he ran onto the pitch for us and am expecting great things from him this season. Even in per-season he showed how committed he was and hoping for a few goals from him as we'll.

The squad might be small but it's solid and I still think MM has a few surprises left up his sleeve.
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sucrePB1 added 15:23 - Aug 2
jewellintown go back to your pathetic office job and twiddle your thumbs together and debate what a joke your life is- jesus christ- were you bullied at school?
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sucrePB1 added 15:43 - Aug 2
jewellintown its the weekend almost mate- you going to cry in your bedroom all day about global warming ?
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Cakeman added 19:46 - Aug 2
Fully agree with Maverick Mitch and I just hope a surprise up Mick's sleeve could be Billy Sharp!
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WorcesterBlue added 23:15 - Aug 2
Well done Jewell in the town. I think the real cry babies are the ones who take cheap shots at people on sites like this. Very brave.
On a more positive note we done Tabb - hope he has a great season (though see him as a central midfielder not wide player).
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KiwiBlue2 added 00:59 - Aug 3
The more I hear from Jay the more there is to like. He sounds like a very grounded, positive and hard-working guy, exactly what we need. I am very optimistic about this season. No doubt there will be the inevitable ups and downs and times when we dont get the rub of the green but I expect us to be in the mix at the business end of the season. Hopefully we can strart with 3 points at Reading but I wont be upset if we dont as long as we are showing the requisite amount of grit and fight.....
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