Town boss Mick McCarthy says there was no post-match dressing-room finger-pointing or screaming and shouting following last week’s dismal 2-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest with the Blues manager preferring to take a more measured approach.

McCarthy felt the way the match progressed was shaped by Forest scoring so early on: “They scored after 19 seconds, whatever analysis I’m going to do or anyone else wants to do, we weren’t going into the game full of confidence after the Rotherham game and they scored after 19 seconds.

“The game was skewed, the game was compromised within a minute, [it changed] performances and how it was going to be played.”

McCarthy says he has no problem with players making their thoughts known in a dressing room, although feels sloganeering alone isn’t particularly effective.

“That kind of stuff, ‘Come on, we need to improve’, is a real generic comment which means nothing unless there’s any substance to it or more thought behind that - how do we need to improve?” he added. "

“I don’t know if I could put a session on that could stop a goal after 19 seconds, I thought it would have been impossible actually when the team’s got the kick-off to conceded on 19 seconds.

“Then I saw Tottenham concede after 39 seconds when they’d just scored, so maybe there’s something in the wind at the minute.

“It’s me that does the speaking generally, sometimes there are a few [players who speak], but I’m not into finger-pointing, that’s nonsense because they’ve all made mistakes at some stage, me included.

“Screaming and shouting at people, whether it’s players doing it to players or me doing it, I don’t do it. The only way I would do it is if somebody’s not tried or somebody’s done something completely against what I’ve been asking them to do. Then I might take a few stripes off them.”

McCarthy says incidents from games are analysed in the days following a match, although not usually as a group.

“I don’t do it particularly as a squad, although I did on Monday,” he continued. “I showed them a number of things, it wasn’t just the goals we conceded, it was the fact that we had loads of chances, no, loads of crosses into the box, and at some stage somebody was going to have to get across somebody and score.

“There was a bit of that, how we can better get chances and when we do get chances take them.

“And also the goals, but it’s always the same when you concede a goal, somebody’s made a mistake.

“But that doesn’t mean to say he’s played that badly or it’s all down to him, that one person.

“And I’ve been there because when you make that mistake you know you’ve made a mistake, you don’t need anybody to show it in front of everybody else and embarrass you.

“No matter how you dress it up as constructive criticism or positively, it’s criticism and that’s what they see it as. But they’ve all seen it and the people who were involved in the goal have all seen it.”

McCarthy says players are taken aside and shown particular incidents on their own.

“We pick it out and TC’s very good at showing them and it’s sometimes better coming from the coach as well,” he said.

“It was done by me collectively on Monday, everybody. We didn’t watch all the game, we didn’t have to.

“We then we picked bits out and showed them individually, which is a lot easier and it’s a lot more constructive doing it that way.

“It’s like one of you [the media] getting criticised in front of your office staff. If they do it I think they’re wrong, I think they should pull you in and tell you what’s going wrong.”

He says a manager pointing fingers publicly in that manner is counter-productive and can lead to everyone blaming everyone else in a squad.

“I’m not into pointing fingers because I’ve been in teams when it starts going wrong - the frontmen don’t get good service from the back guys and, well, the midfield players never pass it in there, they just bypass them and actually when it does get up there they never lay it off to the midfield players because the centre forwards aren’t that good.

“And the wingers don’t cross it and the full-backs, they’re not giving it to the winger and the centre-halves, well they’re just shit!

“I wouldn’t have that happen in here, I just don’t have it. But I’ve been in teams where that does happen, and there’s none of that going on.”

Photo: TWTD

Blueray added 10:03 - Nov 26 Everyone is so blinded by toxic resentment they just automatically slate everything Mick does as a matter of course. I agree his time his done. I too want a more progressive and enthusiastic man in. But please....don't get abusive or disrespective. He deserves better than that. And how he describes his management style when things go wrong is absolutely spot on. In fact if you think about it, he has many of the management traits we would all want in a boss. Loyalty, honesty, work ethic and a refusal to publicly admonish people who he has to work with every day. So whilst i do respect him...I do think he should go. Lack of investment and his outdated approach are seeing our club fall by the wayside. But my point is this. Don't slam everything he does for the sake of it. Be reasonable, objective and respective.

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poldark added 10:30 - Nov 26 Blue ray while I respect what you are saying I believe Mr McCarthy should show supporters some respect instead of his constant rantings of not caring what supporters think or say . And please don't go on about something that happened 4 years ago. McCarthy OUT
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Blueray added 10:48 - Nov 26 Not just 4 years ago....he did get us to the play offs as well...and don't think I am a blind follower, I'm not. His time is done. Just doesn't help when we are being heavily out spent by 15 or so teams around us (main issue) and fans are over reacting on everything he does.
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 10:56 - Nov 26 Never really believed in the "hairdryer treatment," so in this respect I think MM is right. The problem against Forest was not lack of effort; it was lack of a striker, lack of a more positive game plan, and lack of the ability to penetrate a pretty average defense. But I think the team tried.
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MicksZzzTactics added 11:04 - Nov 26 @blueray You are obviously entitled to your opinions, and mixed opinions at that, about Master Mick, and while I completely agree with him needing to go NOW plus that resentment -- exactly like love -- can potentially all-out blind certain types of individuals, including even certain types of our football fans, I do however vehemently disagree that our Arrogantusaurs Teribilis Rex deserve ANY respect whatsoever -- ANY LONGER that is -- from us objective ITFC fans anyway (i.e. the ones who want him out!), given predominantly the BEYOND appalling, ultra disrespectful & imbeZzzile-implying with at least metaphorically "2 fingers up" in the process, utterly unbecoming of ANY professional football manager "way" he has eagerly, repeat eagerly!, chosen to treat not only said group of ITFC fans but in practice all our fans in this calendar year alone!!!..... Heck @Blueray he even directly has threaten to physically beat up/ "let them be wearing their pint of lager" fans who merely heckle him with whatever unkind words whether inside or outside the football grounds???!!! See the exact direct quote in the middle grayed-out area of this here page: https://www.balls.ie/football/mick-mccarthy-boring-c@nt-interview-ipswich-fans/3 (NOTE! Remember to first replace the "@" with a "u" in the above URL address though! I simply was forced to change it due to TWTD censorship on specific nasty words! :-) which of course is totally bonkers for a whole variety of morally & behavioural good reasons, besides of course the more than well-documented fact than he himself regularly has been/and continues to this day! to be extremely foul-mouthed and profane with his own choice of words to both the general media and skeptical club fans wherever he has has been employed for eons!!!

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heathen66 added 11:13 - Nov 26 The issue against Forest was about having a plan to supposedly win a game (which I also assume you had planned all week) and then to attempt to change it after 17 seconds was madness. Unfortunately that plan B had never seemingly been discussed and therefore most players we uncertain of what was expected of them as they were moved to a multitude of positions. Surely the original plan still stood. 4-4-2 and continue to try and win the game, unless the original formation was just not concede. The offensive formation was only apparent when Williams and Bru were introduced. Why not start todays game with Williams and Bru in the middle with Lawrence and Ward as the wide men and really try to win the game !!!

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ChestnutSe added 11:34 - Nov 26 Mick makes some points about his management philosophy. Sounds like a good man manager to me. I have yet to come across a boss that gets respect or results from shouting, screaming or finger pointing. They are a team and good teams produce more than the sum of their parts. Everybody is of course entitled to their opinion but for me I think MM's style of management is the one likely to produce the best results over the longer term. To everybody at Portman Rd today if the result is not what you want and you want to boo the players and management and have a good old rant then go ahead. It may make you feel better but the one thing I can be sure of is that it's unlikely to help the team. COYB

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weevil added 12:38 - Nov 26 That's because every single one was at fault in that game. You can't single out an entire team.
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Penguinblue added 12:46 - Nov 26 lets unite against McCarthy. The trouble is we are capable of winning and when we do he gets yet another lease of life. Some idiots (sorry) even start singing super Mick. Win loose or draw he is a crap manager and has to go McCarthy OUT NOW
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Spanishblueblood added 12:47 - Nov 26 Hoping for a defeat today, as painful as it is! Sometimes you have to take a few steps back to progress and progression will only happen once Mick has gone, in turn, he will only go if things get worse, so let them get worse!
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dukey44 added 12:49 - Nov 26 Just put Jonny in team from start....
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dukey44 added 12:51 - Nov 26 Win draw or get thrashed he will still be here next wk. Mr Evans don't give a tosh either does he?
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tractorshark added 13:19 - Nov 26 If tub-thumping was the key to managerial success, the likes of Tim Sherwood would be considered a genius. We all want managers to be passionate but ranting and raving is no guarantee of success. Some players respond, others don't. When the crowd turns on a player, most shrink into their shell. I suspect Mick did have words and rightly so but, regardless of whether you have a go or not, you have to find a constructive solution to the issue. I, personally, believe Mick is coming to the end of his reign even if I think Evans will not sack him this season. I think the players need to hear a different voice now. But I don't believe he deserves most of the crap he takes on here. And I laugh my knob off when I read fans getting the hump because he has bitten back at them and their criticism in an interview. Grow up. As fans, we pay our money and are entitled to our view. We give out fearful stick, yet some act hurt when it comes back at them. Why should Mick walk away from a £1m a year job without a fight? Would you? Maybe one of the reasons why Portman Road has lacked atmosphere in the past 10 years (even in the good times) is because we have so many sensitive souls in the crowd. We want the team and manager to step up the plate, maybe us fans should do the same. I guarantee one thing. McCarthy will be remembered more fondly in the distant future.

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