McCarthy: We Didn't Test The Keeper Enough Saturday, 2nd Apr 2016 18:40 Town boss Mick McCarthy was pleased with his team’s overall performance during their 0-0 draw away at Wolves, but felt they didn’t test home keeper Carl Ikeme, who made a fantastic second-half save from a Brett Pitman header, often enough. “We dominated the game today but it’s that final third, you need to get a goal and we didn’t manage to do that,” he said. “Carl Ikeme made a great save from Pits but considering the amount of ball we had and the way we played, we didn’t work him enough, that’s the only disappointing aspect of our performance today.” He added: “We’ve actually been all right in the goalscoring [this season], but we’ve given more away this year than we’ve ever done. “Thankfully, we’ve had a clean sheet. If you’re not going win it, don’t lose it, that’s my view on it.” Town’s performance was much better than the display in the 1-0 defeat to Rotherham a fortnight ago, but McCarthy was unhappy with that being viewed as a benchmark of his team's season. “I really didn’t like the Rotherham performance, it really disappointed me, but what pisses me off is it being mentioned today when it doesn’t reflect my time at Ipswich and it doesn’t reflect our season, that performance,” he continued. “It was poor, it was a horrible result, a horrible performance, I really apologise to our fans for having to watch that but I don’t think it’s necessary today, I think we’ve played well today and we’ve played well most of the season. “We’ve had some bad ‘uns, we might have another bad ‘un, but I don’t think it reflects my time at Ipswich and it doesn’t reflect our season, so I don’t want that to be continually mentioned or thrown in my face, it shouldn’t be a benchmark of what we’ve done this season.” He added: “We played well today, I thought, but we’ve played worse and won games. I know my view, I’d take having a scrap and winning, you know that. But I did appreciate how we played today, I thought the lads were good.” The Town boss believes that having dropped to five points from the play-offs after today’s result, the Blues now need to win their two next two games against Charlton and Brentford. “We’ve got two home games and I do feel we’ve got to win them to be in the mix,” he said. “But they’re not going to be easy games, they’re two teams who are scrapping away. “Certainly Charlton, they’ve found a bit of form. I watched them against Middlesbrough. It gets a bit nervy like it did here, fans want to see better, I understand that, we all do. We’ll need to get points out of the next two games.” He dismissed suggestions that the recent links with the Aston Villa job have been a distraction. “Not at all, I view it as a compliment. If I had [received contact from Villa] I wouldn’t tell you. But I haven’t. “I can’t help it [if there’s speculation] but I can’t help but feel it’s a compliment when clubs of that ilk think I’m doing a good job and I’m a good manager, bearing in mind I’ve got two similar clubs promoted.” Does he see the job as a poisoned chalice? “I’ve got a job here first, there’s nothing I can do about what they’re saying. “I wouldn’t even talk about what another job might entail, I’ve got to finish this off, we’ve seven games, we want to get in the play-offs. My focus is trying to get in the play-offs.” Asked whether his experience could be key in the weeks to come, he said: “I hope so, I think so. The fallout from two weeks ago was unnecessary and I just treated it with the same contempt as I treat it when they’re singing ‘Super Mick’ because it can change so quickly. “I really appreciate the support that I’ve had here. But we didn’t play well [against Rotherham], I get it, we all want to win. I don’t want to subject our fans to the kind of crap that we dished up against Rotherham.” The Wolves fans got on their players’ backs during today's game, which McCarthy was down to his team having been better than the home side on the day. “[They will] when they don’t play well and a team comes and plays better than them,” he said. “But I might add that Kenny Jackett’s lost Benik Afobe, he’s lost Nouha Dicko, he’s lost Bakary Sako, he’s lost Jordan Graham. He’s lost some really good players, as have we with Ryan Fraser, David McGoldrick’s just coming back, Bish, Murph now. “But it’s that time of the season and fans want to see better, from two weeks ago want to see better. I understand that, you’ve just got to try and play better and we did from two weeks ago. “There are huge demands here, I’ve been here. I got promoted with 90-odd points and we didn’t win a game for around 13 and I got the bird for quite a while. “We went to Palace and won 1-0 and then Sheffield Wednesday and won 1-0 and then it looked like we had walked it as we were eight points clear at the end and it was anything but. “Fans want to see good football and if they don’t see good football they certainly want to see their team win. I get it, we’re all trying our damnedest to serve that but my point is that in the main that’s what we have done. “We’ve served up some really good away performances and probably this year it’s our home form which has been disappointing.” He admits it was a game from which he believed the Blues could claim all three points: “I thought it was a game we could win and we haven’t. “But we’ve had Luke Chambers throw himself in front of a shot after 90-odd minutes to block one which could have flown in the top corner and that would have been an injustice. We didn’t lose it and it’s a point gained for me.” Regarding Daryl Murphy’s injury, he said: “I don’t think he’ll be available for the next two games, then we’ll see for the following Saturday. He’s got a little calf strain.” Better news was the return of David McGoldrick, who came on as a late sub having been out since mid-December: “It’s lovely to see him back. Teddy Bishop travelled with us as well, but he’s only had four days training with us this week. “We’re always optimistic and get carried away at times, ‘We’ll put him on the bench, we’ll give him 20 minutes’ and then he’s goosed and he can’t play, so I’ve got to be careful with that one.” Wolves manager Kenny Jackett said: “I felt defensively we did well, the back four looked quite cohesive and competitive and needed to be because otherwise Ipswich, particularly at the start of the game, would have swept us away. “It was hard to get our passing game going through midfield, which has been a feature when we’ve got it right this season. Two weeks against Burnley we passed the ball very well through midfield. “We didn’t get any flow, physically they were on top of us closing us down and then we unable to get the ball in behind some very good and very competitive defenders up until the last period where James Henry got on the ball. “With two quick players up front we had four or five balls that were slid down the side and we looked a threat then going forward in that last period. “There were two big chances in the second half, a very good save from Ikeme from Pitman’s header and then Doherty’s one-two which was a good quality bit of play where their keeper has saved well with his feet. “While we’re pleased defensively, we want more. We want to pass the ball and flow it through midfield and ultimately create and score goals which can give us a chance of progressing, which we didn’t have today.”
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