Blues boss Mick McCarthy has paid tribute to his legendary predecessor Sir Bobby Robson, hailing him as a “great football man” and a “kind, humble human being”. Town have designated today Sir Bobby Robson Day with the Blues facing Newcastle United, the club he supported and his last club as a manager, at Portman Road this afternoon.

“He was such a great football man,” said McCarthy, pictured above receiving the 2005 Championship Manager of the Year award from Robson.

“I knew him, I managed against him, I actually played against his teams, I played against his team in the 1988 European Championship and the 1990 World Cup.

“I got to know him really well when I was playing golf in his charity golf day in Portugal for the Refugio Aboim Ascensão and he was so selfless at that.

“Even when he was struggling with his cancer, he was still there, still there in the morning, still there in the evening, went to the dinner, did all the stuff.

“A great character and I just saw what a kind, humble human being he was there and a real force of nature really. He kept doing it and raising money for a charity when he was struggling himself.”

He added: “He was such a great character. I think about Bobby and you’re asking me about me [getting flak from fans] here now, well he got vilified at times as well.

“If Sir Bobby Robson gets vilified and abused and Arsene Wenger can, why the hell should I worry about me getting a few saucy comments made to me?

“It’s just incredible. And now there’s not a bad word would ever be said about him. Maybe we should all say the good things about them when they’re alive and not wait until they’re sadly gone."

Would Robson be a success in management in this day and age? “Managers adapt over a period of time because they have to adapt, we all have to adapt to different things, and he did, he evolved.

McCarthy v Robson with Sunderland and Newcastle in 2003 at the Stadium of Light, the Magpies won 1-0

“He innovated how his teams played, so do you not think he’d be more than bright enough to pick up anything that’s new?

“And it hasn’t changed that much. All this about this ‘gegenpressing’, that’s getting the ball back, like they’ve always done.

“This passing that they’re all doing, I remember talking to Kenny Dalglish once and he said ‘What’s all this about possession football? We used to pass it to each other 30 years ago’.

“It hasn’t changed that much, some of the terminology’s changed and probably the fitness has changed and the routines and the health and strength and conditioning’s changed without a doubt, and maybe the way it’s played here because it’s not 4-4-2 all the time, there are different shapes and different systems, I get that.

“But the principle is still the same and Bobby Robson was a helluva bright man, a great football man and I think he’d be more than able to hold his own in terms of managing teams now.

“He was a great coach and that’s what he’s known as but he was also a great manager, he got the best out of people. That’s the other skill. Coaching’s one thing, managing’s another thing altogether.”

Has Robson’s remarkable success at Town made it tougher for his successors at Portman Road? “It always does. I remember Howard Wilkinson going into Leeds and he was following Don Revie and his great Leeds team after a lot of other managers.

“I was told a story that he took all the pictures down of Bremner, Charlton, Clarke, Hunter and Reaney and put pictures up that were relevant to his team because you can’t keep living in the past.

“And, of course, he ended up winning the league. They haven’t won it since, of course, they might have to take those down now.

“But I don’t think about it, it’s not making it harder for me. And, do you know what, most of the fans that come and chant his name, I wonder how many people watched him, watched his team.

“But it’s history and it’s a great history to have and it’s one that we should never forget. I remember it, I remember Ipswich with Bobby Robson, I remember playing here and he had some great teams.”

Photo: Action Images

happybeingblue added 11:19 - Apr 17 Marcus good post i feel the same...look how Brentford play, they sign ball players score goals entertain and how much have they spent? stop building our team around loan players as we keep doing, START BLOODY SCOUTING NOW and sign some quality, stop looking for proper blokes are start signing footballers !!
7

blueboy1981 added 12:02 - Apr 17 McCarthy - you've never been fit to stand in the same room as Sir Bobby, or Sir Alf. No chance of a McCarthy statue ever being outside Portman Road.
6

Seasider added 12:09 - Apr 17 AMEN!!!
0

whosroundisitanyway added 12:22 - Apr 17 Mick How many do you think will be chanting your name 8 years after you die? I've been supporting this club for over 50 years and my kids & grandkids know of the great mans legacy despite never witnessing any of it first hand. I am proud that they will also be chanting his name today. There is only one Bobby Robson.
7

Steelmonkey added 12:46 - Apr 17 Sir Bobby's day today, I don't want to hear anything chanted that mentions McCarthy good or bad. Probably seven defensive minded players on the team sheet, just hope we raise our game as we are playing a top team today. So fed up of the total dross that this man keeps spouting, he's had his chance and needs to go in my opinion. Let's get behind the team today today for the great man's memory. COYB's.

5

warktheline added 12:55 - Apr 17 He can't help himself this fellow! Why the bloody hell he had to connect his present day situation to Sir Bobby's managerial record I'll never know! Surely the hierarchy can see the man is continually digging bigger holes for himself with the majority of fans! All very depressing and extremely irritating!
6

MicksZzzTactics added 13:19 - Apr 17 On this very day were we the fans are set to honor a genuinely super great man and true ITFC & football manager legend, Classless & Impudent Mick just had to try to see if he could score some quick 'Brownie Points' of this 'Sir Bobby Robson Day' with his repulsive trademark mixture of ultra arrogant, ultra deludable, ultra fan-provoking and ultra megalomaniacal HORSEMANURE! hadn't he???.... But not surprisingly he yet again winds up in a metaphorical sense doing exactly as the (im)proper bloke in the green pants here: MM OUT!!! Yesterday, Today ... and Tomorrow!!! PS: Probably shouldn't be saying the following but heck since the current football indifferent regime at this here once proud & revered football club CLEARLY doesn't give a "flying f@ck" about me as a fan but rather repeatedly feeds me with all sorts of lies & false or unkept promises, Public Relations a@s-stunts and other immoral shenanigans (not to speak of completely unfounded/unmerited increased fan costs!!!), THEN apropos being 'punched out', and while I'm normally is a huge man (built like an oldboys NFL linebacker :-) who don't condone violence in pretty much any form! , as I have stated numerous times: To every Rule in existence, which is not strictly bound by Laws of Science, there is always at least one or two Exceptions :-) -- soooo I "SWEAR" Mick If I ever meet your smirky 'Royal Rudeness' in a proverbial 'Dark Ally' then..................... OOOOPS! What do you know my internet connection just got disconnected?! :-) lol

8

grumpyoldman added 13:19 - Apr 17 One World Cup semifinal, one World Cup quarterfinal, managed in a few different countries, top division winner in two of those countries, European trophies won at various clubs. Took an underachieving small club to become a force here and abroad, gave youth a chance even in teams challenging for honours, even before the Dutchmen arrived seemed to say the best form of defence was to attack. Compare that with your managerial record then you will see why he is still loved and you are just a temporary blip in our shared history.

8

Bluesquid added 13:20 - Apr 17 My god, what on earth is wrong with McCarthy? He never misses an opportunity to bring up the spat with certain fans and how he thinks he must be in the right. Self obsessed idiot.
8

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls