McCarthy Understands Fans' Frustrations Saturday, 1st Oct 2016 18:34 Town boss Mick McCarthy says he fully understands fans’ frustrations following the Blues’ 1-0 home defeat to Huddersfield, his side’s fourth game without a goal. Christopher Schindler’s 58th minute header saw the visitors to the three points. “It wasn’t a great game in general,” McCarthy said. “We’ve not created much, I don’t think they have. They hit the post when we gave the ball away from a throw-in and we’ve let our guard down from a corner kick and it’s cost us. “It was a [sloppily conceded corner kick], then having done that the last thing you need to do is concede from it.” With the Blues now without a goal in four games fans made their feelings clear with boos at the end and ironic chants when Freddie Sears managed a shot on target in the second half. “I’m not surprised, it happens,” McCarthy added. “We’ve not played as well as we could, as we’d like and I think the crowd are getting frustrated and they’re venting their feelings. I fully understand that.” How does he feel when he hears fans chanting things like, ‘We’ve had a shot’, as was the case following Sears’s effort, which was claimed easily by Terriers keeper Danny Ward? “There’s not a great deal you can do about it,” he continued. “I’m doing by job, obviously, to the best of my ability at the moment. “But if it’s not as good as the crowd think it should be and it’s unacceptable to them, then they’ve all paid their money, if they give us the boos it’s acceptable if they’re not seeing what they want to see, I’ve no complaint about that. I’m not happy about how we played myself.” Has he known a similar goalless spell elsewhere during his managerial career? “I can’t remember, but I’m sure someone will find out and source it if I have. “We weren’t very good with the ball in terms of creating chances. We’ve still got creative players on the pitch but we didn’t create any.” Asked how he would respond to fans’ criticism that he sets his side up negatively, he said: “Anything I would say to that it always appears to be an excuse and I’m not one for excuses. “If that’s the thoughts that they’ve got and I’m certainly not going to sit in here and explain all my reasons for picking a team that I’ve got. But I’m just not going sit here and justify my selection.” Part of the selection is down to the lack of fit attacking players? “You didn’t need me to speak about it after all, did you? That’s an excuse for me because we’ve still got talented players on the pitch. So I expect more from the ones that we’ve got on the pitch.” Does he view the recent spell as a period which needed to be got out of the way before the injured players are available again? “I sincerely hope so,” he said. “It’s tough at the moment, it always is. It’s easy for people to get in their ear holes and start driving wedges, ‘This is wrong, that’s wrong and everything else is wrong’ and to be fair it isn’t. “The players are a good bunch of lads and make sure they stick together and keep their chins up and their chests out, they are very proud to be Ipswich players. And there’s only us that can turn it around.” The Town boss hopes the two-week international break will allow some of those injured players, including Jonny Williams, who will play for the U23s tomorrow against Liverpool at Portman Road, to return to fitness. “In terms of hoping we get some players back the break’s a good thing. Besty’s gone through his 90 minutes today and he needs to recover. “Reg [Luke Varney] can’t play in the U23s game tomorrow as he’s not fit to play 45 or 60 minutes. He doesn’t want to play in it and get injured and I don’t want him to. “In terms of getting players back and some getting minutes into them and some just recovering, it’s a pretty good thing, I think.” He says his players will be given a few days off during the break: “They’ll get some time off to recover because the games do come thick and fast and when we come back, of course, we’ve got Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday. “We’re travelling to Blackburn first, which is hardly round the corner, then we’ve got Burton at home, which is a huge game for us, then we’re up to Newcastle which is even less than just round the corner. “So we’ve got a fair bit of travelling and a fair bit of work to do, so they’ll get a bit of time to recover.” The Blues’ recent games have seen them face the division’s leaders today, third-placed Brighton on Tuesday as well as in-form Leeds but McCarthy warns that the likes of Blackburn and Burton after the break also won’t be easy opposition. “I see Burton have won today, they’ve had a good result, so I’m not going to describe them as weak, there are no weak teams,” he added. “We’ve got to play better and beat them.” "Any new injuries from today’s game? “Only me, a bit of a broken heart, that’s all, other than that I’m fine.” Huddersfield manager David Wagner was delighted to claim a win at what he feels is one of the toughest places to visit in the Championship. “I think for every manager three points against Ipswich away is massive, is huge,” said Wagner, who refused to be drawn on reports linking him with Derby County. “This is a very a difficult place to go and to get three points. “A tough challenge, a lot of one-against-one challenges, an uncomfortable opponent who is very aggressive. “I think the game was even, we had our opportunities, not a lot, but to be fair I didn’t expect to have a lot of opportunities. “Elias Kachunga hit the post, we had a great opportunity from Jonathan Hogg from a corner after five minutes, I think he had to score from two metres. “And then we used one set piece for a goal, often this is the story how Ipswich is successful - stay in the game and score off set pieces but today we did this. "Our first set piece goal of the season right at the best moment of the season and it is a massive, huge win for us. Not because of our run because it’s Ipswich away, a very difficult place to go.”
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