Boss Mick McCarthy says he’s not too bothered by Town’s “geographically challenging” fixture list. Ahead of back-to-back trips to Middlesbrough today and Yeovil on Tuesday, McCarthy says he uses the long journeys to relax and watch films, although is getting somewhat fed up with Harry Potter.

“We had it at Christmas, we had Doncaster away on Boxing Day then we came back and went to Bournemouth,” he said.

“Now we’ve got the North-East and then Yeovil, then in a three weeks’ time we’ve got back-to-back with Blackburn on the Saturday, come back down here and then drive up to Huddersfield on the Monday.

“But it’s where we live, where we work, where the job is. There’s nothing you can do about it and if that’s what the computer delivers, that’s what it delivers. As I said before, I think the computer’s a Norwich fan, it just keeps messing us about, sending us up hill and down dale.

“It’s what it is, it doesn’t bother me. We leave here on a nice, luxury coach, they all get their iPads out, watch a film, we travel up, we’ve got tea and coffee and food on there, it’s great, no problem at all.”

While striker Frank Nouble says he sleeps throughout the long journeys McCarthy says he now often spends the time watching films: “I have a kip, we used to play cards at one stage but we don’t do that now.

“I watch films. I downloaded all the Harry Potter films and I have to tell you it’s pissing me off like I can’t tell you, I don’t want to watch any more of them! I’m hoping they’ve all been deleted at this stage.

“I think I’ve watched them out of synch as well, so I’ve watched the last one before I watched the fourth one. So it’s about time I got some others.

“I’ve just started downloading films on to my iPad and watching them. On Friday, I love that. Once we’ve done our work, all our preparation, whatever we’ve done, we’ve had a busy week, sometimes the phone goes off, I sit on the bus and have a kip and just relax going up. It’s nice.”

McCarthy says he’s not one to rule the bus with a rod of iron, even after a defeat: “There is never a spikey atmosphere on the bus. There might be a subdued one but when somebody laughs at the back of the bus after we’ve lost, I don’t go back and slaughter them and give them stick.

“I’ve seen that as a player myself. Even when you’ve lost there are things which are funny, there is humour in life.

“Whatever’s going against you there’s humour. If there isn’t, then we might as well all just pack it up and go somewhere else. That’s never the case, not at all.”

Photo: Action Images

Illinoisblue added 06:15 - Mar 8 I have a man crush on Mick. There, I've said it.
7

Rentaghost added 07:09 - Mar 8 Would it not be quicker flying?
-1

coolcat added 08:39 - Mar 8 He's a good boss. Knows when to take a step back & let players be themselves for a bit.
2

karls_dad added 10:34 - Mar 8 Surely there must be a flight from Norwich or Stanstead down to the west country, would make much more sense, send the kit down by van etc even a luxury coach would pee me off after a few hours, i would be wanting to drive the flaming thing to ease the boredom!
-1

strikalite added 11:08 - Mar 8 ^Yeah agree, or fly from Stanstead to Newcastle for example then coach it to Mboro this morning would surely be better...though if they drive up the day before then I suppose it's no real hardship.. At the start of the season when the fixtures come out, surely tweaks can be made, Mboro today then the Yeovil on Tuesday could surely be changed when fixtures are drawn, that would be so easy surely..

0

Tractamatt added 11:31 - Mar 8 They should watch Escape to Victory and try and emulate so of the players in it,no I'm not talking about Sylvester Stallone.
1

Blue041273 added 11:34 - Mar 8 Harry Potter? Come on Mick, someone as clever as you should surely be watching some thought provoking, deeply philosophical, existentialist foreign films on these trips. You'll be listening to One Direction on the I Pod next.
1

arc added 14:21 - Mar 8 Harry Potter? Well, that explains everything–MM has been setting us up like a Quidditch team. Murphy and Nouble as beaters; Tabb, Skuse and Hyam as Chasers; and Taylor as the seeker. Only one seeker–quick, skilful, creative–allowed. (Joke...)
1

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls