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McCarthy: Tabby's Fabulous
Thursday, 19th Mar 2015 06:00

Town manager Mick McCarthy has heaped praise on “fabulous professional” Jay Tabb. The Blues boss says the 31-year-old, the scorer of Town’s winning goal against Bolton on Tuesday, is “an absolute joy” to have at the football club.

“Tabby’s a fabulous professional footballer to have at your club and to play in your team,“ McCarthy said of a player who he believes is underrated by supporters.

“Is he ever going to score you 10 goals a season? Unlikely, he’s not going to do it. Is he going to pick holes in the opposition with passes? Not all the time.

“But I’ll tell you what he’ll do, he’ll beat somebody who is 6ft 4in tall in the air, he’ll win the tackle off him.

“Whether he plays left, centre, right, it doesn’t matter, he’ll do it diligently and professionally and he’s a diamond. He’s an absolutely joy to have in the football club.

“Whether you play him or you don’t play him, he gets on with it and does it every single week. We have got lots of them like that, but he’s an absolute joy to have in the club.”

He says during the 1-1 draw with his old club Brentford last Saturday the former Irish U21 international popped up all over the field: “That’s him. He’s all action, all energy and he is terrific. I’m not decrying him technically, because he has that as well, but he’s not Teddy Bishop, he’s different.

“But you can hang your hat on him every week, in terms of his level of performance and effort and what he does.

“From when he came here he’s played well. To be fair to Tabby, as we all know, I told him at the end of last season I was trying to change it and I brought Alex Henshall in.

“But he’s seen them all off, whoever’s come and played in his position. He’s been excellent. That tells you what a good pro he is, he gets his head down and gets on with it.

“He’s out of contract at the end of the season, but have I had any discussion with him about it? No. And he’s not sought me out to have a discussion, he just gets on with it. He’s been outstanding.”


Photo: Action Images



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RichOBlue added 06:36 - Mar 19
Have no problem with tabb the Central midfielder but tabb the winger's days are done I'm afraid imo
7

BlueMachines added 06:57 - Mar 19
Agree about him being better in the centre. I don't think Tabb has ever been forgiven for his poor run of form last season, when he should've been dropped, by the majority. He does have a effect on the game but will never be a winger. MM first and foremost wants his players to defend, and until the attacking players he has signed learn to curb their natural game and concentrate on defending, I fear they won't get a look in. A shame because the main point of a winger is to get crosses into the box and take players on and generally be creative, and as a Town fan this is something I currently crave.
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michael99 added 07:03 - Mar 19
Mick you didnt think he was fabulous when you told him he could leave last season did you? I am sure jay is a good pro who does what he is told unfortunately apart from making a token effort to close players down (he rarely tackles or dispossess them) he offers nothing with the ball going forward cant wait to get rid can't dribble cant pass and has no quality whatsoever. Sorry not my idea of fabulous



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battyblue added 07:09 - Mar 19
Just shows MM sees a different picture to most other people i am afraid more of the same while Micks in charge there is only one way to change.
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runaround added 07:10 - Mar 19
Ees great is Tabby
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fabian_illness added 07:17 - Mar 19
You won't win tough championship games with lightweight wingers, as much as everyone would love to see us play like Barcelona every week, it's not going to happen.
Tabb has been solid for us, not the best footballer in the world but he runs his heart out every game and has proved he's loyal to the club by staying and fighting for a place which is rare.
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Blue_Meanie added 07:25 - Mar 19
I give up.......
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oscarwhiting added 07:32 - Mar 19
oh god...
looks like were stuck with Tabb for a while. Mick if your going to play Tabb at least play him in the centre.
Also, please please please can we have some creativity on the wing. We still have the likes of Henshall connely and even Stewart that we can use. please mick, you said it yourself, we need to be winning games at this stage of the season. and playing defenders and centre mids on the wings isnt going to help our case.
6

Surco72 added 07:39 - Mar 19
I think Tabb has done ok this year and you can see what MM likes in that he will give everythying to the blue shirt . The issue is that he is often played out of his natural position like Chambo, Smith , Bish on the right and theat is when fans get on the players backs , managers decision .
The other issue is that our team is full of players that give everything but have little flair or goals in them or who are comfortable on the ball and without Dids playing this has been shown up horribly since Xmas .
How would MM manage Messi , Neymar , and Suarez who don't even make an effort to track back ?
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WorcesterBlue added 07:40 - Mar 19
He is underrated but he is a central player not a wide player. In a three with Bru and Bish I think he could really show his talents. However the big problem is as most have suggested round pegs in square holes. Maybe a left mid if you have an out and out winger on the right but vs Reading we had 4 CMs across the middle and you just can't hurt teams like that. Not Tabbs fault (in fact I couldn't believe him and Bish got taken off when Chaplow and Skuse were so useless in the middle. If we stay in the championship I'd have Tabb as good squad cover.
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BLUEBEAT added 07:45 - Mar 19
love is in the air
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tractorboybig added 07:58 - Mar 19
As a supporter, like it or not, this is the man mm builds his team around, and tabb or no tabb this sort of player will always be foremost in mm teams.
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JustSpivvyChops added 08:01 - Mar 19
Finally we have it from the horses mouth...........

MM simply confirms he's lost the plot.
-14

blueblood66 added 08:16 - Mar 19
Mr 100% he is great, those who think otherwise are clueless.
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Drew added 08:20 - Mar 19
I like Tabb, just like Skuse, both are under-rated.
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jas0999 added 08:38 - Mar 19
Sport is about opinions. Some players you like, some you don't. I respect Tabb and can't fault his effort, but for me he isn't good enough for a promotion chasing team. I'm not sure he would be a starter in many championship teams. He gives his all, but I find it remarkable that he is picked week in week out. Two months of poor form and still picked. Strange. When Tabb is a nailed on starter it suggests to me the overall midfield options at the club aren't good enough. Remember, it wasn't long ago that he had no future at the club. But all that said, I wish him luck and hope he scores the winner again on Saturday.
11

WindsorBlue added 08:50 - Mar 19
After watching years of players not wanting to play for Town, or work hard, its nice to see effort and pride back at the club. Those who are berating players for giving 100% have very short memories of those who turned up to barely give 75% before MM took charge. Masses of skill and quality cost lots of money, one of those luxuries we don't have. I like Tabb, and am really happy we have a bunch of hard working professionals, and not the payday journeyman that ripped the club to pieces over the last decade or so!
19

Guthrum added 08:52 - Mar 19
Winning percentage with Tabb on the pitch (starting or sub): 48%
Winning percentage without Tabb on the pitch: 25%
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Kirbmeister added 08:56 - Mar 19
Tabb is a mid table side player in a mid table team that has excelled in parts this season. Give the guy a break. We are still gradually improving year on year. Who knows if he will be in the side next year if we strengthen (we ain't going up are we) but I like him and his non stop running total commitment.
5

RegencyBlue added 08:58 - Mar 19
Well I like Tabb!

He reminds me of Mickey Stockwell in a way - not the most technically gifted player but you always get 110% out of him. The fact he often gets played out of position is hardly his fault.
13

BlueSwede added 08:58 - Mar 19
Every time I have seen Tabb play - unfortunately not often enough since we don't get much coverage of the Championship here in Sweden - he has worked his socks off and he has done that dirty job that many don't appreciate until that player is missing - much like Makélélé did at Real Madrid and Chelsea.
As for Messi, Neymar and Suarez,they are different class when playing for Barcelona and in the Champions League. How they would do in the Championship being chopped down in the centre of the field every time they get close to the ball, I'm not sure. But then again, that's Championship-football...
5

MattinLondon added 09:37 - Mar 19
In the Championship teams do need someone like Tabb in the team. But when you have Hyam and Skuse in the midfield as well then thats where you start to go wrong. No attacking flair means too few goals from midfield.

8

phillo added 09:49 - Mar 19
I think the point that most make re Tabb is not doubting the Duracell running about performance's or the commitment ... its that he is played as a winger when clearly a defensive CM player. The further point then would be is he better than Skuse, Hyam & (possibly athough could argue he is more attacking CM) Bru. I would argue no ...... so why is he played every game normally out of position ! The point about Makelele etc role is valid (having a player in a team to do the ball winning, carrying, "dirty work") ..... but I am pretty sure this doesn't normally happen from the wide midrielder !!!!!
1

Razor added 09:58 - Mar 19
He puts the effort in no doubt but actually creates very little, which is what you need if you want to go up.

II saw Henshall at Derby and he ran the second half and we could have won, only then to be discarded like an old sock-----very strange let alone unfair.

I will never agree with MM on this one I am afraid, one goal does not a new player make.

What the manager should do is play both Henshall and Connolly on Saturday---Watford know absolutely nothing about them and it would completely spook their plans-----such innovation though is way beyond our man who will no doubt do cartwheels if we scrape a draw.
8

SailorBlue added 10:02 - Mar 19
It's an honest assessment from someone who sees him everyday, in training and around the place. You can't underestimate the good example he is to the younger players, the way you conduct yourself, the importance of hard graft, old school maybe but still relavent. Have to say he was immense Tuesday, the amount of headers he won against opposition players who are well over 6 foot is ridiculous - imagine what Bolton fans were thinking when they saw that 5' titch out-jumping their big players? He was lively throughout, supporting the front guys, getting stuck in. You can see why MM plays and rates him. Its the matches where he's anonymous, where the match passes him by which is so frustrating especially when MM doesn't seem to acknowledge these. When you have 2 or 3 in a row, no-one should be untouchable/undroppable.
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