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McCarthy: Workmanlike Display and Great Point
Saturday, 23rd Apr 2016 18:16

Town boss Mick McCarthy was delighted with what he felt was a “workmanlike display” and a “great point” as the Blues drew 0-0 away against automatic promotion contenders Middlesbrough, who remain second on goal difference from Burnley with Brighton behind them, also only on goals.

“I’m delighted with how we went about it,” the Blues boss said. “I guess we got good fortune, but they’ve got to put the ball in the net.

“We defended well, the goalkeeper played well and all-round it was a workmanlike display. A great point.”

He added: “Away games we’re all right, check the stats, it’s home games where we’ve been pretty ordinary unfortunately, which is unlike recent seasons when Portman Road’s been a bit of a fortress. Away from home we’ve done well.”

McCarthy was also pleased with Paul Digby’s performance with the on-loan Barnsley man, who is set to join the Blues on a free transfer in the summer, making his first league start for Town.

“I’m delighted with him,” the Town manager continued. “I didn’t have any doubts in terms of how he’d go about his attitude towards his business.

“But he’s been very much a midfield player [with Barnsley] and had only done bits and pieces at centre-half. I just saw things in him [which showed potential as a centre-half], and there are still things I’d have to show him, he got bumped a few times and missed headers.

“But for a kid stepping in, and he wasn’t stepping in against any mugs, it was a proper team, I was delighted with him. I thought it was a good full debut for him.

“[He did the scruffy things well but] he’s got more than that, but it was a day to do that well. It wasn’t a day to be fanning out at the back and him to be trying to play out from the back.

“He did what he needed to do. He had a great block in the first half and I’m really pleased with him.”

McCarthy says the 21-year-old will have learnt a lot from marking the likes of Jordan Rhodes and latterly sub David Nugent.


“I would think so, his neck is probably sore because they’re on the move all the time,” he added. “I thought he handled it well. I thought Tommy Smith was a good positive influence alongside him.”

Christophe Berra missed out with a knee injury but the Town boss says it’s nothing too serious.

“I said in the press conference on Thursday that I’d probably play somebody [young] and I knew Christophe had a bit of a sore knee,” the Blues manager continued.

“If there was any doubt about Christophe I would have played Diggers. But he’s fine, he’ll be all right.”

McCarthy was also pleased to see David McGoldrick play the full 90 minutes: “I thought Didzy was excellent. He stayed the whole game, which I didn’t think he would.

“I’m delighted with him. That’s great for him because I think the Republic of Ireland like him and if they see that kind of performance, he’ll be fit to travel [to the Euros] and play if needed.

“Didzy’s had two seasons which have been disturbed and he’s missed games. We’ve missed him, we’ve missed his quality and he makes us a better team.

“I just hope he gets into that squad for the European Championships because he’s missed such a lot of football, it would be a great fillip for him this season.”

McCarthy also had praise for keeper Bartosz Bialkowski: “He was great, wasn’t he? We’ve got two really good goalkeepers and they keep each other on their toes. Whichever one comes in has always played, but Bart has been outstanding.”

The Town boss says he has no idea which of the three top sides will go up with leaders Burnley, Boro and Brighton all level on 87 points with little in it terms of goal difference.

“I haven’t got a clue. I tipped Derby when they beat us, I tipped Middlesbrough when they beat us, Hull when they beat us. They all played well against us at home, they all slapped us. Hull are nowhere near it now. I haven’t got a clue. I don’t gamble, I’m not allowed to, but I don’t anyway.”

He added: “If I’ve done one person a favour I hope it’s Chris Hughton because he’s my mate and he’s such a wonderful, wonderful guy.

“So Chris, that’s a point for you, lad. I hope we help him get promoted. Me money’s on nobody, but you know who my favourite is!”

McCarthy believes the Championship will only get tougher: “I think it gets increasingly strong. If you calculate the number of teams that have been in the Premier League, it’s about 18 of them, might be more.

“If, and it doesn’t matter who it is, if it’s Sunderland, Newcastle, Villa as it is, or Norwich, that come down it’s going to be tougher next year, that’s for sure.”

McCarthy believes Boro did little wrong, despite dropping two points: “This is a good team with good players and they’ve done everything today, bar put the ball in the net, to be fair, a lot of that’s down to us.

“You can’t say they’ve played badly, you can’t say it was a bad performance. You can’t say there’s anything wrong with the crowd or the atmosphere, everything’s right. They’ve just come up against a belligerent bunch.”

Middlesbrough head coach Aitor Karanka was staying upbeat despite the result, believing his side should have won: "We have to be positive. I don't know how many chances we need to score a goal, the first-half score should have been 4-0, but we couldn't score.

"When it's not your day, the ball hits the post and doesn't go in. I'm really proud of all the players.

"We have to know we've played seven games in 23 days. To win five games and draw two when we're tired and are in the position we are, that is good for me.

"The team has played really well, so for that reason I have to be positive. It's frustrating but I prefer to not win games like today when we've created a lot of chances.

“Sometimes we lose or draw without creating chances and that's frustrating, but today I can understand.

"It's the seventh game of this month and the legs and the heads are tired - it's difficult. But we have time to recover."


Photo: Action Images



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jas0999 added 18:26 - Apr 23
Went for just a point. Went to bore everyone. Mission accomplished!

Same MM. No attacking intent at all. It's sad to see how poor we have become, but alas these very average but workmanlike players aren't actually capable of too much more. We need investment to fund creativity otherwise it's more of the same next year. We are getting a very poor reputation of being a dull, tedious, boring side with little quality. Shame.
17

Mick_Mills_Tache added 18:29 - Apr 23
Bore off, Mick. Another workmanlike performance to go along with the other 35 performances of the same ilk. Jumping for joy after digging shell scrapes in the 18 yard box for 90 mins says it all.

Oh, and if 'Diggers' neck is sore, spare a thought for us fans. We have the same problem from having to constantly look up at the sky to see the ball.
18

Millsey added 18:34 - Apr 23
Idiots
-10

blueherts added 18:40 - Apr 23
Really ? Away form been good since Jan we have been bad home and away - dull and no ambition or threat
Oh and I do remember walking away from reading and Birmingham pretty underwhelmed
Mick u live in a dream world
13

Stato added 18:40 - Apr 23
I hope we dont have to suffer a workman like display against MKDons
10

phillo added 18:43 - Apr 23
Is a "workman like performance" for a point what we are looking for in an end of season game when we cannot go up ?
I would contend a performance trying to win utilising some of the youngsters would have been better in the long run for our development/next season.
But I guess that's not Mick ...... & I guess for me that's the problem.
13

Bluetone added 18:49 - Apr 23
Quote " it's home games where we've been pretty ordinary"

No McCarthy pretty ordinary would be a really big improvement; pretty dire would be far nearer the truth.
17

Walk_the_Wark added 18:57 - Apr 23
F@ck off now!!!!
-4

essextractorboy93 added 19:01 - Apr 23
Unbelievable, we get a point away against probably the best team in the league who have Rhodes and Nugent playing for them as well as Premier league standard players, and people find anything to moan about. We could have won 3-0 today and people would be complaining about something. The modern football fan...
-9

pablo123 added 19:05 - Apr 23
Big deal , had to watch this negative , boring sh##e all season !!! A large number of us have had enough , so pleeeaaasssse do the right thing , get youre coat and do one , and give us some hope for the future
4

ipswichdj added 19:07 - Apr 23
F@ck me we got a point against arguably the best side in the league away from home! Not pretty again but hey. We've had a season where didzy has been out, Bishop out Murphy has had injuries and Jonny Williams, we've got dozzel coming through, bishop on his way back to fitness and didzy. As long as ME actually spends a bit over summer and we get a couple of quality players in then who knows for next season. I agree the hoof ball needs to stop but I'd rather our position now than trying to play tippy tappy football and getting relegated
3

MattinLondon added 19:15 - Apr 23
The modern football fan! I take it that fans in the 60s and 70s loved long ball boredom.
4

superblue70 added 19:17 - Apr 23
Great point , what an idiot nothing to play for nothing to lose and still can't try anything new . mm probably the most boring man in the world.
15

essextractorboy93 added 19:17 - Apr 23
MattinLondon - the modern football fan being someone who complains at everything possible
-12

silkcutblue added 19:23 - Apr 23
Yeah ipswichdj Jonny Williams has most defo been out this season
7

Scribble added 19:25 - Apr 23
@ipswichdj what makes you think if you play good passing football you get relegated? Deluded people like you are the reason things won't change
22

ipswichdj added 19:27 - Apr 23
Not saying we would get relegated, anything is a possibility though. If we where playing that way and ended up relegated everyone on here would be moaning that we should play hoofball.
-17

Woodbridgian added 19:28 - Apr 23
Workman like AKA Boring as Hell !
9

carsey added 19:34 - Apr 23
I bloody knew he would come out with something like that - what tosh I am fed up with workmanlike and grinding out points I want to see some intention to play exciting attacking football.
18

prebsa added 19:57 - Apr 23
Great point. Of course he would say that. Because he sets up every game for a point. That is all, he will never set up any differently.

Mick Out!
16

Gcon added 20:11 - Apr 23
Oh hi! This is the 7% club, right?

Could you point me to the 93% club please.

I hear it's a bit more fun, and a lot less moany...
-2

Blue041273 added 20:16 - Apr 23
Get real; a point at Middlesbro'. This is a result in any language. Just enjoy the day. Moaning doesn't necessarily help.
-7

3stars added 20:22 - Apr 23
Setting up for and achieving a point away from home against one of the best teams in the league - great, if we had anything left to play for.
Doing that when our season is over and we could be trying out something different - annoying.
Setting up for a draw while trying to nick a win in each of the other 45 games of the season - boring, uninspiring, lack of ambition, etc.
8

Bobby_Petta added 20:43 - Apr 23
essextractorboy93 how could we have won 3 -0 ? look at the match states we only managed 4 shots all game to their 16 and they had 59% of possession, listening to match reports we were camped in our own half much the second half. Yes we got a point against a good side more luck than anything. For most fans we just want some entertainment and play more attractive football, this doesn't mean will be in the bottom 3, look at Bournemouth last season, you don't need loads of cash to be up there.If Mick went for it at home games, playing more attacking midfield we would probably be top 6. This was good opportunity today to try some young players out, build for next season.I can't see Mick changing much next season, hope i'm wrong, we need a creative midfielder and a proper right back and some quality wingers . was disappointed McDonnell & Josh Emmanuel didn't even make bench, he's got to put a few in get Mk Dons. For me its time for change and your not going to get it with Mick.
14

Mick_Mills_Tache added 20:49 - Apr 23
Gcon - just because only 7% haven't renewed YET, it doesn't mean that the 93% that have renewed are happy with the football or the manager. Also, remember that this 93%/7% figure isn't the final season ticket numbers. A lot of people may be sitting on the fence to see any changes.

Blue041273 - yes, it is a good point. However, the issue is how we go about it. 4 shots and only one on target all game? We've nothing to gain and nothing to lose so why are we setting up to draw games? Why not go out and try and win and entertain? We set up EVERY single game to grab a point...even when at home to relegation teams. Why? When we still had a chance to get into the playoffs and we needed to go for it and get 3 points, why did Mick set us up to draw/not lose games?

As for the relegation point, playing attractive attacking football doesn't automatically get you relegated. If anything, you're more likely to get promoted. Name one hoofball team that has been promoted in the last 10 years? Another point, since 1st January, we've taken 23 points from 69. That is 23 points in half a season. Spread that over the course of a season and we'd be 21st - one place above the relegation zone. Have we showed any signs of improvement or that this is just a blip over the last 4 months? No.
20


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