Town boss Mick McCarthy says the abuse aimed at midfielder Jonathan Douglas “irked” his team-mates as it would anyone else in a similar situation.

Veteran midfielder Douglas was controversially recalled to the team which drew 1-1 at Portman Road on Saturday with fans reacting angrily to his inclusion.

McCarthy says his players aren’t down about the current atmosphere at Portman Road but are frustrated with themselves as they shouldn’t be where they are in the division, 17th, six points off the relegation zone with seven matches left to play.

“Not down, I think they’re a bit pissed off with it, not down,” he said. “Maybe pissed off at themselves more than anybody else because we know we can do better and we should be doing better. And the only way you get crowds to support you is by playing well and winning games.

“Sheffield Wednesday’s U23s are here today, I believe their manager Carlos Carvalhal is getting grief, he’s been the hero for a long time up in Yorkshire but they’ve just dropped to seventh and suddenly the atmosphere’s changed, that’s what happens.

“It’s down to us. You keep asking me questions all the time about the crowd and about what they want, it’s purely and simply down to us.

“They sell pies and pints and shirts and everything else on the back of good performances. They get people in the ground by having a good team and good results.

“And nothing else, I’m not bothered what initiatives you can try and use, they’ll all help when you’re doing well but you’ve got to be doing well.

“Otherwise the crowd get pissed off and sing shitty songs at the owner, the manager and probably the best player on Saturday, strangely enough.

“And I don’t give a shite what anybody thinks about that, he was good on Saturday, Dougie, and it was a shambles that the shouted that at him.”

Does that sort of chanting affect the other players? “It irks them, definitely. You try going out with your mates or your family and see one of your family or friends get pilloried.

“I’d like to think it would upset you. And if you’ve ever been in a team of any sort then you don’t like that, that’s not good.

“They have a siege mentality and they don’t like anybody being singled out, it’s horrible.”

Did the players rally around Douglas, who has been on the end of criticism from fans from virtually his first game for the Blues after joining from Brentford in the summer of 2015, following Saturday’s match?

“They all kissed him afterwards and he felt a lot better!” joked McCarthy, who says the 35-year-old never let it get to him: “He kept wanting the ball and kept having it and he played well.”

He added: “It didn’t affect him on Saturday, he took it in his stride. He’s such low maintenance. He’s been here two years and however many games he’s played. Whenever he plays he just gives his lot and he’s a great character and I don’t think he’s that sensitive.”

Are situations such as that where you see players’ true characters emerge? I’d turn that around, we weren’t in the best position on Saturday, players had been away and it was fortunate that we had Dougie, who came in and was as solid as he was, certainly when Skusey went off.

“Anybody that’s reading this, and if you write it just exactly as I say it, all them that were screaming at me and ‘Why should he be on the pitch…’, well I think you know what they can do.”

They should ‘Foxtrot Oscar’, as he previously put it? “That’s a good thing that if you want to put that, that you said they should do that, that’s great. Thank you. I would never have used that, personally!”

Photo: TWTD

Andy32Cracknell added 15:15 - Apr 3 As ive said on a previous topic. Mick McCarthy you are a complete bell end. You can Foxtrot Oscar as far as im concerned.
13

maccyd9 added 15:16 - Apr 3 Didums. Well I'm irked by the terrible performances of most and the woeful management of Mick. Please can they all just shut up and concentrate on what they are paid very well to do.
14

martin587 added 15:18 - Apr 3 Then it's up to you Mick to lift the team,pick the right team and employ the correct tactics.Stop blaming the supporters,we pay good money to watch this dire football served up each week and we deserve a damm sight better.Its your fault!!!
17

26_Paz added 15:18 - Apr 3 Save the abuse for Mick then ...
6

TR11BLU added 15:20 - Apr 3 You knew he would get flack on saturday, but hey a good foil for you. Why pick him? As it happens he wasnt the worst player in Blue but shouldnt be near the first 11. Just go away Dino.
12

essextractorboy93 added 15:25 - Apr 3 Douglas was booed by some when his name was read out before the game and there is no excuse for that, there isn't any point in it either. However I agree that it was very surprising to see him in the line up, he wasn't great but nobody stood out at all on Saturday. I'd prefer to see Diagouraga and Huws/Williams in there tomorrow evening. We just generally lack a goal threat but with Williams, Huws and Lawrence potentially back in the squad tomorrow we should have a lot more creativity!

5

PortmanTerrorist added 15:26 - Apr 3 Sorry Mick, you have lost the plot completely now. It is quite possible, as some have suggested, that you picked "Dougie" on Saturday to ensure a hostile atmosphere. Like to think am not so cynical. HOWEVER, he was rubbish. My son and I took time out to watch "Dougie", watch him stroll around, watch him move backward into a defensive position while we attacked, watched him misplace simple passes. Watch a totally ineffective player do nothing to help us WIN the game. If you want to tell my son he is blind or stupid, then that is your prerogative and nothing more than an extension of the arrogance with which we supporters are being treated. We will be there tomorrow night, and whilst we will not chant against the manager or owner, we will not argue with those that do. Wake up Mick, no one is buying this BS any more. For your own sake move on, as you surely cannot be happy having to live in this fictional world you have created where Dougie is a star, Sears is a winger, Chambo is a RB, Ward is a CM, and where 1 point at home to dross is an aspiration ! Was inclined to pin blame on Evans but who would want a manager that treats a Club's supporters this way anywhere near their Club. Please go Mick. Do yourself a favour and expose Evans while you are at it.

21

bucket99 added 15:26 - Apr 3 Whoever asks the questions should explain to Mick that the biggest reason for the booing is his decision to pick TWO defensive midfielders (as Skuse is undroppable). I'd much rather he was held to account for that negative decision, instead of being given an easy ride.
11

kizaitfc added 15:28 - Apr 3 Dougie was our best player Saturday? Think that says it all about Micks judgement
6

positivity added 15:32 - Apr 3 i don't think you should ever abuse your own players (or even management during the 90 mnutes). however mick's wrong about douglas improving the team; every time he plays we lose points... douglas has played in 23 games, in which we've amassed 17points, over a season that equates to 34 points (relegation) in the 19 games he hasn't played, we've got 30 points, that is 1.58 points a game or a 73 point season (edge of the playoffs). just stop picking him mick! what's happened with diagouraga, unused from the bench despite the paucity of midfielders, not fully fit or fallen out with mick? anyone know?

14

Cloddyseedbed added 15:37 - Apr 3 Unbelievable.
4

hogster1970 added 15:39 - Apr 3 ive said before its nots dougies fault so much its yours MM, we all no his legs have gone and as stated he misplaced simple passes on saturday, scuse wasnt much better nor was bru to be fair, i will sya this if either 3 was on a free transfer now i doubt even a division 1 side would come in for any of them. and thats half our problem as alot of our players esp were you need grit and determination and skill deosnt hold all 3 of them skill sets, and i bet they would just disapere into the wildness with the likes of proper bloke tabb ect. we need just big dave as the holding role and thats it, then lets have so skill and speed and flair with the others

5

StowTractorBoy added 15:45 - Apr 3 I personally had no issue with Douglas being picked on Saturday as in my opinion MM had little other option. Dave is clearly not fully match fit and is no more mobile than Douglas. With Skuse going off it is just as well Douglas was on the pitch. I have full respect for Douglas and none of our players should be the subject of abuse from his own so called supporters. What I do take issue with is the tone of the MM interview whether its frustration or whether he knows he won't here next season he should rise above it and not lower himself with the language he uses. He may be right with some of his comments but there is a right and wrong way to do it. Whatever happens we must try to ensure we are still in the Championship next season giving us more chance to attract a decent Manager not that I am advocating that MM should go but todays language will not help his relationship with the fans. We must get 3 points tomorrow so lets get behind the PLAYERS.

2

cat added 15:50 - Apr 3 Some of us must have been watching different games, Dougie for me done ok on Saturday was probably one of the better ones IMO, although the fact that most of the others were pony, with the exception of Spence certainly helped as I stated yesterday. I was as surprised and pished off by his inclusion as the next person was, but we need to keep things in perspective here and not get blinded by hate or many of his previous inept performances.

3

alfromcol added 15:57 - Apr 3 As the saying goes Mick: When you are in a hole stop digging.
3

rexron added 15:58 - Apr 3 For god sake stop this hate against players. This is so pathetic. The season is what it is, get over it.
2

hoppy added 15:59 - Apr 3 I actually felt sorry for Douglas on Saturday. I don't think he was the worst player on the pitch by any means with his performance, but the booing of his inclusion, while never being nice to hear, is something that shouldn't have happened - because it was Mick picking him that put him in that position in the first place, putting him in the firing line. I'm convinced it was to deflect the criticism of the season ticket fiasco by giving something else to get frustrated and annoyed about instead...

1

ThePinkMist added 16:00 - Apr 3 ZZZZZZ boring boring town fans. Mick is doing the best he can with what investment and money he has been given. Give him a break. You moan about his team selection, but if he hasn't got the quality of players that can compete at this level, What else can he do? In my opinion, I am pointing the finger at Marcus Evans for not giving Mick a decent transfer budget. It's like being a manager at a normal place of work. If your company has hired sh*t workers you are going to get a sh*t result. Give Mick money and watch him work his magic.

-6

pointofblue added 16:06 - Apr 3 Mick's creating a them and us mentality at the club - unfortunately we're the 'them' to their 'us'. He says that he needs the fans onside then berates and goads at every opportunity.
4

MooseJuice added 16:13 - Apr 3 Mick, it YOU who have caused this entire situation!!! Stop blaming everyone else you can think of and front up! If Douglas had only ever been used in no-other-option cases (like Saturday) then no one in the stadium would particularly mind that he's on the team sheet, and certainly wouldn't get booed. We know he dies his best - unfortunately his best really isn't good enough at this level - but YOUR stubbornness to consistently select him over the last two years regardless of how hopeless he was in the previous games has caused all the frustration to boil over! No, we should never boo our own players, but quite frankly Mick it's aimed at you just via Different-Class anyway.

5

casanovacrow added 16:23 - Apr 3 Very rarely has the "abuse" been directed at the player, it's been on the manager for picking said player and playing him on the same blade of grass as Skuse the entire 90mins. Most of what has been said has been more "criticism" than "abuse" anyway. Around our area of the ground there were positive murmurings regarding Dougie at the weekend, we were all surprised that he was allowed to move about for once. Mick is just making excuses for his failings by blaming the fans. He should've been gone in November, sadly our owner and his Smithers are clueless.

6

Ferguson added 16:32 - Apr 3 Mick if you think you need to build a wall around the players to protect them from us you need to leave - because you don't get it. You were never a supporter.. Give yourself a break man and give us something to be proud of tomorrow night. Even if we lose. Or be honest and tell me that you don't you think our players are good enough. Together w are Ipswich. Break us apart and you're just a manager, they're just players, we're just an ever ageing and and diminishing set of customers, and our great great club will go the way of Orient.

2

sidtheswan added 16:41 - Apr 3 If you look at it properly MM he only plays badly when he partners Skuse and in the most ineffective midfield ever seen . However thought he improved when Skuse went off . Why you didn't play Diogouraga I will never know . Anyway don't worry only 3 more home games left then you can Foxtrot Oscar !
2

Carberry added 16:45 - Apr 3 TWTD, I would like to report offensive language...from the manager.
5

goat_man added 16:45 - Apr 3 It's all down to Mick though. Douglas should never have been put in this position in the first place. At the 23 other clubs in this league Douglas would have played maybe 3 games last season and they would have realised he is no where near the standard required of a professional footballer and that would have been that. He certainly wouldn't have triggered a second year. We though have had to endure his lack of ability as a first team regular for a season and a half and it's just not on anymore.

6

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls