McCarthy: Positives in Rotherham Performance Despite Boos
Saturday, 5th Nov 2016 06:00

Town boss Mick McCarthy saw positives in last week’s 2-2 home draw with bottom club Rotherham, despite the disappointing result and hostile chants and boos aimed in his direction by frustrated fans.

“It was seen as a positive by me last week, for all sorts of reasons,” he said. “But mostly for the reason that we didn’t get beaten, we kept going.

“The atmosphere that the game was played in wasn’t a reflection on the performance [or the stats].

“I saw it as a positive then. When you’re losing with seconds to go and you get an equaliser, I think it just shows the spirit of the team, the fact that they’re prepared to keep going and there’s no suggestion that anybody’s given up, that’s for sure.”

He added: “The horrible feeling is when the game’s going, of course. You’re losing 2-1 at home to Rotherham and everything just seems rubbish and horrible, so I can get that feeling because the fans will have it.

“But you have to be over and above that as a manager or as a coach, me and TC, and realise that it wasn’t [rubbish and horrible] and that there was some good stuff in there.

“The two bad things were the two goals we gave away. And, of course, they had a couple of breaks in the second half when we were pushing.

“But in terms of us passing the ball and successes and shots, penalty box entries, shots on target and the amount passes - and I know, it’s what you do with it, you’ve got to get the goals, don’t anybody think I’m completely unaware of that - but [the stats] only backed up that I didn’t think the performance was as bad as the atmosphere was.”

McCarthy is confident he can get dissenting fans back on side: “I’ve had wonderful support here and people are getting a little bit fractious and maybe a bit bored but in the main I still get good support and I think the majority do [still back me].

“And I think it’s right that I applaud them. And, do you know what, the ones who are giving me stick have applauded me.

“When I think of all the games I’ve had, the 201 games, the four years I’ve been here, I’ve had nothing but support, so I may be getting a bit of stick now, we’ll change it round.”

The Blues boss says it’s far from the first time he’s had a difficult spell and believes he’s better prepared to deal with it now than he was earlier in his career.

“I remember when I was at Millwall, I had a tough time there and turned that around,” he recalled. “I was really wet behind the ears then. And I’m far more experienced now.

“I think I also understand more because I can see past the upset of a Saturday afternoon when you’re not having it all [your own way] and things are going badly.

“That that’s just a moment in time, that doesn’t reflect me, that doesn’t reflect my career, that doesn’t reflect how it’s going to be in the future.

“It’s just a tough old time at the minute but if you get buried in it then you’re never going to get out of it.”

Would he have dwelt on last Saturday’s situation more at Millwall? “I’d have probably given them the rods and not clapped them, I might have done something stupid! I might have gone and given a volley of abuse to somebody.

“With age comes a little bit of wisdom and a little bit of calm and a little bit of perspective on it and that certainly helps.

“I wouldn’t have given them the rods but I might have been a bit more growly coming off.

“I prefer it coming off and getting cheered and getting nice comments, of course I do, but it’s not going to bother me that much r break me, that’s for sure.”

He added: “I’ve always said, you’re only ever two or three moves away from being a god to a dog. I came back from the World Cup [with Ireland] in 2002 and there were half a million people or something in Phoenix Park in Dublin and we’re all wonderful.

“And by the time October comes I’ve decided I’m going to chuck it because it’s gone all tits up and people have turned against me. It’s what it is.”

Reflecting further on the chants and and booing last week, he continued: “I think you’ll find I’ve not been the one that’s complained about the boos or the reaction.

“I didn’t think the performance warranted it, I thought it was a little bit extreme considering what we were doing.

“But I never complained about it. If I go and pay to watch my team I want to watch them play well and win and not be losing against the bottom team in the league, I get all of that.”

Photo: TWTD

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battyblue added 06:44 - Nov 5 I remember in the past you saying you don't give a flying one about the stats but suddenly when they are in your favour you do ..typical McCarthy rubbish.
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jas0999 added 06:52 - Nov 5

The arrogance is unreal! We couldn't beat a team who had lost all of their away games this season. It's an abysmal result and probably should have been worse than a disappointing draw. No positives in that showing as it demonstrates how poor we are. Of course we will win a few games, maybe even today, but we will also draw too many and lose a few. This squad is average and we will finish in an average mid table position.

Umros added 07:35 - Nov 5 I am struggling to see any? The crowd getting at you for most of the second half, scrambling a draw against a club cut adrift at the bottom. Foolish comments as per usual.
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DinnernotTea added 08:01 - Nov 5

But Mick it was YOU that gave the tag of 'this is a must win game' so when your players go back in their shells second half after your pearler of a half time team talk you deserve everything you get. And stop pretending it's based on this one game, your know full well this is more than a year of anger/boredom/frustration.

And wind your neck in about getting stick. Youre paid a handsome sum to manage what means so much to us and since January 2015 it's been horrific to watch. Just shut up for once and get your players Monday-Friday to pass that football to each other with a bit of tempo. Oh and instead of playing rock paper scissors on who's taking set pieces, how about Monday-Friday design some set pieces to hurt the opposition??? You've become very lazy so get that burning desire back and play some fuking football.

dugoutdave added 08:16 - Nov 5 "But you have to be over and above that as a manager or as a coach, me and TC, and realise that it wasn't rubbish and horrible and that there was some good stuff in there." Got some bad news for you St. Michael of Teflon , it was exactly that, and there wasn't
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hello66 added 10:16 - Nov 5 How long has he got ....anyone ? NOTE TO ALL FANS TRAVELLING TO SEE THE GAME TODAY.....WELL DONE TAKE MY HAT OFF TO YOU ALL, BETTER SUPPORTER THAN I AM......note to self must try harder to see though current style of play and support the boys playing to managers instructions. Once again well done boys/girls who have travelled away today !
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braveblue added 10:22 - Nov 5

But Mick they are bottom of the league. They outplayed us for long periods because Skuse sits back and watches from the back 5. At the end the system was a shambles. You took off Bishop and Ward. Two creative players. But Skuse and the awful Chambers stay on. You have lost the support of the fans for these reasons. We are fed up watching negative football and then listening to all your rubbish about team spirit.

grumpyoldman added 10:22 - Nov 5

“I saw it as a positive then. When you're losing with seconds to go and you get an equaliser, I think it just shows the spirit of the team, the fact that they're prepared to keep going and there's no suggestion that anybody's given up, that's for sure.” He really does not understand why some of the crowd turned on HIM, not the team;against a team that are bottom of the league, having not even achieved a draw away from home before that were beating us, with the way we have played this season, with out of form/position players not giving us much entertainment or hope, what did he expect a rousing chorus of "super Mick McCarthy". The arrogance knows no bounds

thebeat added 11:39 - Nov 5

"In the main i think the majority still back me" .
Trust me Mick they dont, round the town,in the pubs, in the ground, on social media a good 85-90% want you out,simple as.
Ive been in the out camp since the 2nf half of the 14-15 season when you bottled it and went back to grinding results out and we scraped into the play offs. If we'd carried on going at teams like we had in Nov and Dec of 2014 we had a great chance og going up automatically but as always the cowardly side of you stopped us from doing that, more interested in protecting a play off spot than going for it.
You cant and you wont turn this around Mick, its been a downward spiral for 20 months now, for once in your stubborn little life do the right thing and walk.