Blues striker Noel Hunt believes Town boss Mick McCarthy is probably the best manager he has played under during his career. The Irishman has also been impressed with what he’s seen of fellow recent signing Freddie Sears.

The 32-year-old says he was delighted when he heard McCarthy and his assistant Terry Connor were keen to sign him during his unhappy spell at Leeds: “When I found out that the gaffer and TC were interested in me it really excited me.

“I’ve always admired the manager. He got Wolves promoted when I was at Reading and we fell short in the play-offs. We lost our last game of the season against Birmingham and Wolves leapfrogged us into second place.

“I know how tough his teams are and how hard they work. He’s brilliant and probably the best manager I’ve had.

“He knows what he wants and it’s not rocket science. You get the feeling — and this is the right way to think in football — that if you don’t do what he wants he’ll find someone else who will.

“You need to be ruthless in this league and you want to win. To do that you must have the mentality of everyone buying into the manager’s way of playing.”

Hunt has also welcomed fellow new boy Sears, adding: “He’s been great and he’s a good lad.

“Freddie has two good feet, he’s sharp and he has a lot to offer. His signing adds to the competition for places and I think it’s great that we have four strikers all with different attributes.

“It’s great for the manager that he has so much variety to choose from when he picks his team.

“We’re at the business end of the table, challenging for the automatic promotion places, and to do that you need to have competition for places throughout the squad. It keeps all of us on our game and at the peak of fitness and mentality.

“It’s good that Freddie has come in because I think he’s a good addition for us. There are loads of options for the manager and it’s just down to what he thinks on the day.

“We all trust him and we believe in what he is trying to do. For me, the way he wants us to play is the right way.”

Photo: Action Images

grumpyblue1966 added 07:06 - Feb 3 I cannot believe that hunt said m.m has plenty of options. our squad is too thin again we have no additions in January window surprise surprise. Wait we have signed donnally lmfao
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10dackj added 07:20 - Feb 3 Any news on Connelly?
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battyblue added 07:42 - Feb 3 Has Noel Hunt been given the job as pressman for twtd certainly fits the bill small amount of facts the rest bull--it.
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bluefeast added 08:18 - Feb 3 mm has options , just less options than the rest of the top 8 clubs
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Kesgraveblue57 added 08:44 - Feb 3 He would be the best if your working for him now
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crossyIP2 added 09:04 - Feb 3 Yes MM is the best at getting the most out of limited players but where is the extra bit of quality we have been crying out for to push us over the finish line?!..... Oh yeah, it all went to Derby! Anyways let's draw a line under this & get behind what we have! COYB
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StuartBrett8 added 09:30 - Feb 3 I expect MM to sign some quality freebies to bulk up the squad :)
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blueden60 added 09:34 - Feb 3 No signings in the January transfer window????????? What are Hunt and Sears then? A figment of my imagination. Cant believe people keep saying we havnt signed anyone. Must have the memory of a goldfish. Mick will sign players when he can. We still have the loan window to come anyway if we need it.
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grumpyblue1966 added 09:42 - Feb 3 Blueden60 hunt and shears wow how many games have we won in January even with these 2 new additions look at derby they signed bent before January window but still signed two more players let's see how you feel if we slip from top 6
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bedsitfc added 09:45 - Feb 3 Yes we have small squad but we are within the rules. But how can Bournemouth offer 5 million for a midfielder they must be risking everything
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blueden60 added 10:11 - Feb 3 How I feel is that we have had many mediocre seasons and its great to be challenging at the right end of the table for once. Shears and Hunt have done well. I find it unbelievable that people want us to splash the cash that we havent got and increase the clubs debts from £82m to £100m. Mick has done a brilliant job at getting the right players and creating a good team spirit. We may or may not win promotion in the next year or two but I for one am a lot happier than when we were spending money and finishing 15th or thereabouts every year, That had to stop and has done. Its not always possible to get the players you want anyway (Billy Sharp) Enjoy the ride. Saturday was not good. We all know that but you dont become a bad team overnight. Lets see what happens at Rotherham. The Town will bounce back!!

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olimar added 10:14 - Feb 3 "He got Wolves promoted when I was at Reading and we fell short in the play-offs. We lost our last game of the season against Birmingham and Wolves leapfrogged us into second place." Wolves were promoted with games to spare, same with McCarthys Sunderland. Not sure who Hunt is talking about.
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Surco72 added 10:15 - Feb 3 It is MM's call , if he thinks his squad can challenge for the remainder of the season that is his decision , as long as we don't hear the excuses of how tired the squad is and how few numbers we have compared to other teams and how many games they have to play . Because in my view this squad looks tired now and they have worked extremely hard already just to challenge , I feel we have slipped back into the same ways of playing before the Norwich game where we seem to have run out of ideas on the pitch and need to get Bishop back playing . By dropping points against probable relegated sides it means you have to win the head to heads against the other contenders who have all strengthened , at least we don't have Derby again

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brittaniaman added 10:19 - Feb 3 We have got to try and keep clear of injuries and suspensions with our small squad, because from the 18th we have got 3 games in 7 days Following that lot up with Norwich away !!!!! SO I would imagine there will be some changes in that period !!!
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Razor added 10:27 - Feb 3 Well he would say that wouldnt he-----very ordinary player getting nice payday coortesy of ITFC. Disappointed in no futher additions, see my man Doyle gone to Cardiff
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walberswicks added 10:49 - Feb 3 we are a mid table side about to get found out
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muccletonjoe added 11:20 - Feb 3 Seems to have alot to say. Prefer he did his talking on the pitch.
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Tractamatt added 11:28 - Feb 3 Ok so Derby signed a couple of players but really people grinding on about the last day of the window, we bought in Freddy Sears you no one can say isn't a quality signing and with palace getting Saha back permanently I amcertain we will see Johnny Williams back. No team in any league did much but let's all bitch about not getting Cudrado or how MM Ballsed up allowing Schurrie to slip through his fingers. Yes last day of the window is always boring at Portman Road but atleast be thankful we did'nt loose Murphy or Mings or Bishop. Time some people on here got behind the team and looked at what's really going on.COYB

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Cloddyseedbed added 13:59 - Feb 3 To the people who say we have massive debts and can't spend any money, I have to agree and it is always good to get your spending under control.......but. Every year our debts are going up anyhow to Mr Evans, even with the club being run as it is the club is still making a loss. So with that line of thought we are unable to get more skillful players in because the wages on loans or transfers will be too great in the eyes of the owner, so we look stuck where we are while others are gambling. Who's right, who's wrong? I personally think we'll never get out of this league with the skill factor we have at the club right now, they can work as hard as they like.

1

battyblue added 14:05 - Feb 3 I believe my earlier post on this thread was misunderstood and i can see why i would like to say in no way shape or form was this aimed at Phil or anyone else on twtd who do an excellent job on this forum for us fans keep up the good work Phil it is really appreciated.
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paulthebluealien added 14:17 - Feb 3 Wow, there are a lot of whinging fools on here today isn't there. Murphy, McGoldrick, N. Hunt and Sears are good options to have up front. Actually, the negativity to read on here digusts me. A few bad results and suddenly we're ripping our team up like pieces of paper. This team have been fantastic this season and I have every faith we will get over our blip in form. Let's get behind the team unless we want to go back to being thumped like under the Dark Lord and Jewell, of course?

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commuterblue added 15:04 - Feb 3 agree Mr Alien, sir, it's just like after the Norwich game "what does Mick know, boring tactics, crap squad, no depth, no creativity" How dare MM take us to touching distance of the top?
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EssexTractor added 16:49 - Feb 3 Last Saturdays game did leave us in a state of gloom and despondency..it was in always a forgettable day. - -and it's gone and so has this ridiculous " deadline day" Like many I had hoped that something would have happened, that the powers that be would have have pulled " a rabbit" out of the hat. It didn't happen. So no good dwelling on what might have been done. I do not agree with all of MMs decisions or press utterings ( although agree or not he is value for money! ) But he has a proven record ..Wolves, Sunderland at this level and has pulled us from the brink of awfulness to being three points from the top. We don't have the best individuals in the Division. Not many would make the first elevens of our competitors BUT to be fair he has developed a fantastic team spirit. Read or listen to any players thoughts and they are united in their praise as our many of our ex players from the Glory Days. Oh how I wish we had a Mariner, a swivelling Gatesy, a Matt Holland, a Marcus Stewart and so on. But we don't. But we do have 18 matches left 54 points to play for. Brentford and Bournemouth to come to PR. The best home record in the Championshipand a fit again leading goal scorer soon to return. So our half empty glasses of last Saturday ( and mine was down to the dregs!) must be turned into half full as we go forward. It won't be an easy road , we will doubtless have more frustrating angry moments but we still have as good a chance of success as any other in the division. Time for every true blue to rally together ( even if we have cannot agree on every single aspect)

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jonnysuave added 16:53 - Feb 3 Batty Blue, you need to grasp punctuation, without it you will always be misunderstood.
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EssexTractor added 16:59 - Feb 3 Apologies Posted under incorrect heading Reposted under "McCarthy will look at Loans"
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