McCarthy: Get Behind Hyam
Saturday, 21st Dec 2013 18:43

Boss Mick McCarthy urged fans to get behind midfielder Luke Hyam after the academy product was booed by sections of the home support during the 1-1 draw with Watford.

The 22-year-old, who had a lump on his head after an aerial clash, missed a late chance to win the game but had previously received stick from his own supporters after an earlier pass had gone astray, leading McCarthy to remonstrate with fans behind the dug-out.

“Leave him alone, he’s running around with a bloody lump on his head like that, he’s a local lad, we’re trying to get category one, we want 50 per cent of our players from our academy and he was getting the bird and I don’t like it.

“And he was getting the bird, let me tell you, so I got the hump, I don’t like it. Support our players. When you’re having a tough time, that’s when you need somebody to go and pat you on the back and say ‘Come on’ and cheer him on.

“I would love him to have scored the winner, for our three points but also for him because he’s such a great lad. He tries his things off every week. He would have scored but for that big egg on his head. At half-time I thought he might have been concussed but he was all right.”

The Town boss has a lot of time for former Northgate High School pupil Hyam’s attitude and approach: “Brilliant, he hasn’t said anything, he’s all right, it’s me that’s got the hump, it’s me that gets angry about it because if you’re in my tent you’re inside pissing out, not outside pissing in and I want my players and our fans in this tent making it hard for the opposition.

“Be hostile towards them not towards us. I want them to be partisan and hostile but to the others in the other coloured shirts, not our players, don’t give them the bird.”

However, after the game, Hyam tweeted his frustrations: “I love haters so keep on hating.”

Overall, McCarthy thought his team would have been worthy of all three points: “I thought we just about deserved to win the game on the second half.

“The cross from which they scored was a deflection but they’ve got Troy Deeney, who is Johnny-on-the-Spot, he’s on the move in the box and he gets there first.

“[Almunia] makes a good save off Dids at the end and I think the header came off the egg on Luke’s head, he’s got a lump on his forehead like that.

“We probably [deserved to win it] but in the end I’d take the point. Last year they came here and played 3-5-2 and murdered us so I think it shows how far we’ve come.

“He’s set them up the same today, I think their players know that, they’re comfortable with it and they’re a good side. They’ve got good players, they were in the play-offs last year.”

The Blues manager explained why he didn’t use any of his subs: “My experience of those sorts of thing is that you can make the substitution and it can win you the game and it can lose you the game and we were doing fine.

“It was a deflected cross that drops for Deeney, but it’s a good goal by him. With the same players on we perhaps should have won it at the end. But I wasn’t prepared to change it and lose it. I’ll take the point, another point and we’ll march on.

“We asked the two midfield players to get forward and make runs in the second half, which they weren’t doing in the first, they were all coming looking for the ball. It improved us, it stretched them and we got further forward better.”

The Town boss said he didn’t see the penalty incident: “My view was non-existent, I haven’t seen it now and I’m not doing a ‘I haven’t seen it, the wind was blowing, I’d got sunglasses on, the sun was in my eyes' and all that, I haven’t seen it.

“Whether it is and it isn’t we’ve had some good decisions and some bad decisions. The referee thought it was, didn’t he? And you can rely on Dids, can’t you?”

McCarthy didn’t blame Christophe Berra for Troy Deeney’s equaliser: “He got a big contract last year, him and Vydra were outstanding last year. It was a striker who was on the move and it falls to him.

“On another day Christophe might block it, but he didn’t so and overall maybe they deserved a point, we weren’t that dominant, although I thought we were in the second half. He squeezes past him and it goes in at the near post, it happens unfortunately. Big Christophe was different class.”

The Blues boss explained what appeared to be a touchline clash with Watford head coach Giuseppe Sannino: “Far from it, that’s a real misconception, you’ve got that really wrong. I was telling the fourth official to shut up and leave him alone.

“The poor fella’s just come in, he’s been in English football for three days, he’s stepped out of the box, well f--- me! He kept on about how the linesman can’t run up and down.

“But it wasn’t like ‘Sit down’ or ‘Get out of there’, it was ‘Stand in your box or I’m going to send you to the stand’. I heard that and went ‘You what? Do me a favour, let’s make him welcome!’.

“But I think some of their bench misconstrued what I was saying, so somebody said something to me and I said ‘I’m trying to help him, I’m on his side, shut the f--- up!’.

So I did have a bit of a ding-ding but it was with somebody else. I was trying to be nice to him and they were giving out to me. My usual suave sophisticated style!”

In Sannino’s press conference, Hornets’ head of medical Marco Cesarini, who was acting as his translator, admitted responsibility for misunderstanding McCarthy’s position.

The Town boss is a fan of his Watford counterpart: “I like him, I like his passion for it, he was up on the side, he set up his team, they were well organised. I think he’s got a good group of players that he’s come into, I don’t think Gianfranco’s left under any sort of a cloud.

“They’ve not been beaten away from home. He’s got a good group. I liked him and he had a smile on his face.”

Overall, McCarthy felt there were positives to be taken from the match: “How we competed, I thought Tunnicliffe was excellent, I thought Frank was.

“I think Frank’s been excellent from three games ago and the crowd have taken to him. He’s full of running and full of energy, I think he’s done really well.

“I’ll take the point, that’s a positive, what are we, five unbeaten? Three wins, two draws, 11 out of 15 points

“It doesn’t matter where you get them you just keep picking up the points, I thought it was a good performance second half, so I think there were lots of positives.”

Sannino, who said he’d been dreaming of working in England, wouldn’t comment on the penalty: “I’m the type of coach who accepts the decision of the referee, so I have nothing to say about that. Even if we we’d lost 1-0 I would say the same.”

Photo: Action Images

Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.

Page:
1
2
3
4

battyblue added 05:31 - Dec 22 I like Luke but if he is going through a bad patch and not performing he shouldn't be playing give someone else a chance might be what we need.
2

BlueSwede added 07:26 - Dec 22

I think all of you who were booing Luke should think really carefully about how you shsow your "support" for the team. This is just the thing that will never make home fortress Portman Road. Booing the team and the players will only lift the opposition and cost Town valuable points.
Perhaps that's just what happened against Watford...
As for making a substitution, taking Luke out of the game... I think Mick might have done just that, if the fans hadn't been booing. It's all about psychology. The man he is, I think there is way he will make a substitution in a situation like that.

Jimmy86 added 08:11 - Dec 22

Having read this article again regarding the egg hyam had on his head, if that was the case then why wasnt he taken off?? Wasn't his day to be fair and he had a head injury and so that kinda baffles me. Also why no wordsworth?? He is everything that hyam isn't and dont get a look in, he may not run around like a headless chicken all time but is a more creative forward thinking player, who mick signed so knew what he was getting!!!

Lukeybluey added 09:15 - Dec 22

I thought it was terrible to boo your own players, that will do team confidence a world of good! And its not like we've been on a bad run either? The team have been grinding out results, we are undefeated in 5 i believe and we are closer to the playoffs then we have been in the past 3 or 4 years! He missed that sitter most likely to the jeers he received prior, or at least it couldn't of helped.

-1

BlueMachines added 09:43 - Dec 22 The boo boys have only served in ensure Hyam will now definitely start the next 3 games barring injury. MM won't be dictated to.
-1

EatonBlue added 10:01 - Dec 22 He's behind you.
0

SJB90_ITFC added 10:19 - Dec 22

Does my head in when fans boo their own players. A good example of this for me, and I know he doesn't set the world alight but it's James Milner for England. Comes in and does do a job to be fair.

Do think it might be time to drop Hyam however. Despite the effort he puts in, I do think he's a very ordinary footballer and I also don't think we can have him and Skuse in the same XI.... they are both the same sort of player, just Skuse is a little better / more experienced. The fact our defence has scored comfortably more goals than our midfield this year spells out the fact we need a more attacking midfield surely?

dford7 added 10:47 - Dec 22 I must admit I remember that missed pass from Hyam very well. I don't remember boos, it sounded like 15,000 sighs, and I was probably one of those. I agree with everything Mick says above, but Hyam was having a stinker. I don't blame him for the missed goal- that came at hime very quickly, egg on head or no egg.
5

SubMarinerBlue added 11:16 - Dec 22

I was sickened by the booing of Luke Hyam. He is a genuine servant of the team,a local lad and someone whose role in our survival in the Championship is massively under appreciated. The win ratio with Hyam playing must be excellent. His role is to break up attacks and keep the ball moving so we can build our own attacks. He is as gutsy as they come. We owe him. Those that booed him are clearly not fans of Ipswich Town,football or justice.

The boo boys clearly would be happier wearing the yellow of cowards and the green of envy.

whosroundisitanyway added 12:06 - Dec 22 Bunch of low lifes! Stay at home or go to Carrow Road.
-2

thebeat added 12:33 - Dec 22 The only thing I heard was a groan after he gave the ball away when Cresswell and McGoldrick had produced some great play down the left and all it needed was a simple ball and he screwed it up. I wouldn't say it was booing more deflation at a chance gone to waste
3

trimleyblue added 13:25 - Dec 22 I agree with Mick, if your going to boo your own team, don't come, we don't need you!
0

blueboy1981 added 14:53 - Dec 22 blues1 and prebbs007 ........ both excellent posts.
0

blues1 added 17:12 - Dec 22

thanks blueboy. tho I see I got marked down by some on here. and the beat. yes I agree, I didn't hear ne boos neither, as you said, it was a collective groan at yet another poor pass by hyam. while im quite sure hel be a valuable asset in the future, I do believe he needs to be dropped right now, for his own sake as much as the teams. we clearly need a different kind of player in the middle alongside skuse. you simply cant play two such similar players together in the centre of midfield and expect to create nething going forward. and at this moment, skuse is far better at playing that role than hyam. so I say rest him and use hi should skuse either get injured or lose form.

BillBlue added 18:35 - Dec 22

Bluefeast. No I wasn't at the match and havn't been for several years, it is totally impossible, if it wasn't then I would be there as I always was and most probably been more times than weeks you hve been alive! Your idiotic statement is imilar to another made byytet one more idiot who uses the name of Bandbox Blue. IMO you, like him, have brains that do not even reach your ears let alone venture beyond them. Idiot!

-3

runningout added 19:06 - Dec 22 can we chillout please...? Merry xmas :-)
2

Hatman added 20:33 - Dec 22

Gotta love Big Mick! I'm still optimistic bearing in mind the last few seasons at Christmas we've been dragging ourselves away from relegation places and a 2nd half of the season recovery sees us rise significantly in the table. If MM can bring that improvement again, we're in for an exciting finish to the season. Despite only 1pt today and the Hyam debate, there's no doubting we're going in the right direction. COYB!!

budgieplucker added 22:42 - Dec 22

Well done Mick for telling it how it should be, no point in in spending all that money on category 1 academy if sections of the crowd just don't appreciate that young players need support and they are often will be less consistent than the more experienced players. Having said that I watched all of Mick Mills career, a great player and a great Captain, but I have to say Mick used to have his fair share of stinkers as well, sometimes playing out of position in midfield - but he never let his head down and always made himself available. Young Luke never gives up and for those of you who said he isn't good enough then you haven't watched some of the games where he has been outstanding and therefore demonstrated that he does have ability at this level. He keeps going and makes himself available whether he is playing well or NOT real credit to the lad. In the first year that BFJ took us to the play offs we had an outstanding combination down the left of Matt Richards and Ian Westlake. The following season Matt's form dipped and the disgraceful boo boys got on his back - another young man who was a great trier, professional and a credit to our academy. These young lads who show terrific attitude and put on the shirt like it means everything to them DO NOT DESERVE THIS DISGRACEFUL TYPE OF TREATMENT.

Ipswich24 added 08:48 - Dec 23 Unfortunately he is not good enough for this level for a centre midfielder panics on the ball and just wants to get rid if it always backwards or sideways
3

rugbytomc added 09:45 - Dec 23

I sat in the north stand upper on sat and heard no booing and sounds like from what kick said is the booers were sat behind him. What I did hear and made myself were frustrated moans at that particular pass which I think is fair enough. I have seen friends on Facebook or people on here sing hyams praises before but so far this season I've seen him in this game and against Barnsley and he has looked lost. I've heard in other games also he has looked a bystander. I could criticise this and that about his game but my two main comments would be that all game he looked lacking in confidence and he and skuse are too similar-we need someone more creative in the middle-like garvan used to be for us.
As for Murphy-I actually think he's good in a 442 but not so much in a 433 but to be fair he never saw the ball on sat. Nouble runs and runs but looks like a poor mans heskey! But both he and hyam are young and will develop. We look solid and teams take time to develop and I think kick is doing a good job

JWM added 11:14 - Dec 23 What a fantactic post BudgiePlucker! I agree with you 100% and I wish that some others shared the same realism! Luke deserves our support as he makes his way in the game and I just wonder what is the point of wanting more young kids to come throygh the ranks only to boo them when they finally make it!
0

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 11:35 - Dec 23

I was in the North Stand lower, and I didn't hear anyone booing any of our players. Maybe the odd disgruntled remark, but nothing concerted. Those who did (apparently) boo Luke ought to be ashamed. You might - just - boo a home player who was openly not trying or deliberately doing something to annoy the home crowd, but in my experience, that has never happened. I have personally never felt the need to boo any home player in many years of watching the Town. To boo a local lad who does his best in a match where the team as a whole was putting in a fairly average performance is incomprehensible. Anyway, I thought we did OK. It wasn't brilliant, but we didn't lose for heaven's sake. We were unlucky not to snatch the win in the second half. Come and see the continental support. It puts us to shame (away fans excepted, as they are usually top class). Get behind the team! COYB!

blueboy1981 added 19:39 - Dec 23

Alwaysablue - ... you're absolutely right, how so many can disagree is beyond me.

I can only assume that because we have been mediocre and wallowing in the Championship for a record number of years - some must be of the opinion that we have no right to expect more from the Team, or Individuals.

That may just about sum a category of our Supporters up pretty well - we will always be a bit of a soft touch to manage and play for, and have been for some time , because of it.
Maybe none of us should expect more - anymore !