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McCarthy: Terrific Point
Saturday, 14th Dec 2013 18:24

Town boss Mick McCarthy was delighted with the 0-0 draw at Nottingham Forest as the Blues stretched their unbeaten away run to six games.

“It’s a terrific away point,” he said. “It was gritty, which is the necessity, you need that every week. Then, if you can add a bit of gloss on it with something else, fab.

“We got away with a couple in the first half, and I’m not referring to the penalty because it wasn’t a penalty.

“I’m sure Billy and the Nottingham Forest chaps are moaning like drains and think it is, but he’s on his way down, he didn’t catch him and I think he was offside as well, to be honest. So all in all I think it was the right decision, bearing all that in mind.”

The player involved in the penalty incident, Forest striker Simon Cox, had already been booked for a foul on Frank Nouble. Should referee Scott Mathieson have shown a second yellow card?

“I don’t think that every time somebody goes over should necessarily be a booking,” McCarthy said. “It’s up to the referee that one. I guess he could. He’d already been booked, had he? I think he got away with one as much as we got away with one.”

Did he go down looking for it? “It’s probably his momentum. He’s stretching for it, he knocked it wide of Gerks and Gerks pulled out of it and he’s just gone down.

“I don’t think every tackle’s a booking, I don’t think because somebody goes over it’s a dive.


"I don’t know, it looks to me like his momentum has taken him over, if the referee decides not, I’ll go with it.”

The Town boss had praise for referee Mathieson: “I think it’s a fabulous decision. Of course I would, but he’s got it right.

“It’s not me coming in here and wearing rose-coloured specs, he’s got the decision correct and he should be lauded for that. He’ll be getting some dog’s abuse because they thought it was.

“A lot would have given it. I thought it was a stonewaller. When I saw it I thought it was a stonewall penalty, but the lads on the bench said ‘No, he was on his way down’.

“They’ve got better eyes than me, I’m 54, they’re 24. So fair dos to them, they didn’t think it was, but lots would have given that there in front of that end.”

He says he kept to the 4-3-3 system he employed against Huddersfield last week to counteract the threat presented by Andy Reid: “I wanted someone to look after Reidy. Reidy playing in behind the frontman was a real threat.

“To be fair, I had to change it. It was my fault we were getting overrun because I was being a bit aggressive away from home, so we changed it and made it 4-5-1.

“We settled down then just before half-time and we did that in the second half and we frustrated them and they couldn’t play through us.”

McCarthy hailed keeper Dean Gerken for his second man of the match display in two weeks: “Gerks has been great, he came on trial in the close season, came to Ireland with us and I liked him.

“He got in after the four defeats in five games with a few others and he’s held his place, he’s been outstanding, I think.

“[The save from Cox] was fabulous. I think it was a point-winning performance from our goalkeeper. So, we got away with it, I think our goalkeeper’s our star man."

In addition to the point-blank save from Cox in the second half, McCarthy thought the keeper tipped the Irish international striker’s header onto the bar before the break: “I think he did. Let’s give it him anyway.”

Overall, the Town boss was pleased to continue the unbeaten away run: “We’re just ticking along OK, we’re doing all right.

“This is a really good point at Nottingham Forest because they’ve got a squad which has been invested in heavily, a really good squad of players and you could see what a good team they were in the first half when we had to hang on a little bit.”

Forest boss Billy Davies believed his side would have won if they had taken their opportunities: “We were playing against a side that’s on fire. I thought for most of the game we probably controlled it. It’s another very good clean sheet.

“Probably nine-tenths of our play is good, tactically we’re working, we’re listening, the attitude’s good, but football’s ultimately about chances, and you’ve got to take your chances.”

Regarding the penalty incident, he was non-committal: “These things happen, some you get, some you don’t. It is what it is, some you get, some you don’t.”

Asked if he, like McCarthy, thought it was a spotkick at the time, he added: “I can tell you I’ve got worse eyes than he’s got, and because of that I’m going to say to you ‘Some you get, some you don’t’.”


Photo: Action Images



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cooper4england added 18:40 - Dec 14
Dog's abuse? Great point nice work MM.
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WhoisJimmyJuan added 18:41 - Dec 14
Good man Billy Davies. Always liked him. Honest. Sounds to me like a gung-ho approach might have cost us the game. Sounds like Gerken is in with Big Mac?
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Chicago_Blue added 18:41 - Dec 14
Don't like Bill Davies, but to be fair, his comments aren't actually that bad. Was expecting worse.
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irishtim added 18:45 - Dec 14
Well done guys. Could be a very important point at the end of the season.
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Jimmy86 added 18:46 - Dec 14
Gotta say I agree with chicago blue. Billy Davies is a good manager at this level and he was my number 1 choice when both keane and jewell left, but at times he aint half a real whinger!!! I remember during his first spell at forest he used every available press conference to moan about lack of investment and basically ask for more backing from their board, I presume that was a big factor in him being reappointed by the kuwaiti owners!!! funny though because they invested heavily in the summer, yet we still stood toe to toe with them and deserved our point. Money doesnt always buy you instant success. hard fought point, well done MM and the team!!!
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northernblues added 19:35 - Dec 14
if the season finished today i would be a happy man, we are making progress, no one we say we are not, the football might not be overly attractive but its points that matter!
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StowTractorBoy added 20:40 - Dec 14
Today is what Mick McCarthys ITFC is all about gritty determined and a terrific togetherness and team spirit. Well done Referee Scott Mathieson for being brave enough not to give a penalty when many others would. Well done Dean Gerken for another excellent performance and long may it continue. Definitely a point gained but we need to capitalise on it with a win against Watford next week.
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oldelsworthyfan added 21:15 - Dec 14
We seem to have the Goalkeeper 'problem' solved which may silence a few critics.

Good, solid performance from the team to-day.

I was behind Gerken's goal....he never touched Cox. It wasn't a penalty. The Referee was correct. Cox didn't 'dive' either.
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essextractorboy93 added 21:21 - Dec 14
Referee had a good game, perhaps Lansbury deserved a red card though. For the foul on Cresswell and the afters, Cressy got a yellow so don't understand how Lansbury didn't get two yellows. Solid performance all round, Gerken was outstanding, as were the back 4. Onto Watford now, lets keep picking up points! ITFC!
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boysinblue added 21:29 - Dec 14
Agree with Mick on everything he said here (as per). Wasn't at the game but managed to find a stream on Al Jazeera and gotta say it was absolutely NOT a penalty, with the benefit of a reply you could see Cox was on his way down way before Gerken touched him and could of got out the way if he wanted. Must also praise Gerkin for a world class save off Cox in that second half from point blank... Well done Mick and the boys on a hard fought point! COYB
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jas0999 added 21:54 - Dec 14
Another good honest assessment from mick. Great result. Well done to all.
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blues1 added 22:34 - Dec 14
oldesworthy. of course cox dived. why else did he go down with no contact, then chase after the ref for not giving the pen, and was still complaining to the assistant ref some minutes later
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muccletonjoe added 07:47 - Dec 15
This was a mick mcCarthy day , I will give him credit , he set the team up to go for it , but having weathered the storm decided to hold on for a point , a good point to get and now we really can set about getting into top 6 if the team start to fire over christmas period.
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Fat_Boy_Tim added 20:57 - Dec 15
Moot point about the penalty, with the mood Gerks is in he'd have saved it for sure! Totally agree with MM's assessment and given the size of and investment in the Forrest Squad it showed haw much confidence MM has in his to go for the 433 from the off! COYB
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Warkys_Tash added 21:52 - Dec 16
'Moaning like drains'.. McCarthy at his brilliant best!
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