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Osman: McCarthy's Style of Football Out of Kilter With Fans' Expectations
Thursday, 18th May 2017 13:52

Former Town centre-half Russell Osman believes the Blues’ football under Mick McCarthy is “out of kilter” with the style fans at Portman Road have grown up with.

Osman, 58, says Town have overachieved in previous seasons given the funds made available to manager McCarthy - the wage bill of £16.5 million during the 2016/17 campaign was around the 18th highest in the Championship and has risen by around a million this season - and that the quality of football is less of an issue when a team is challenging at the right end of the table.

“Look at the size of their budget and compare that to everybody in the league,” Osman told FootballWhispers.com at their FW:2 event at stadium:mk last week.

“You’d say that if a club has a bottom-six budget, that is where they are going to finish in the league.

“In recent years Ipswich have probably punched above their weight under Mick McCarthy. They finished higher up the table than they should have done.

“If you manage to finish a lot higher — we’re talking top six or the play-offs — and the football isn’t great then that’s fine. But this season the football has come home to roost a little bit and they’ve finished 16th.

“The supporters will say Ipswich don’t play very attractive football and that is what has annoyed them.”

Fans made their frustrations with McCarthy’s style of football clear throughout the season with many citing a lack of entertainment as the main reason they’re not renewing their season ticket for 2017/18.

As TWTD revealed at the end of last month, season ticket sales have fallen below 10,000, which equates to a drop in revenue of around £1 million. Speaking on Life’s a Pitch, MD Ian Milne accepted that “the entertaining football issue” was to blame.

Former Town U18s coach Osman says the style of football drilled into young players at Playford Road is a world away from that employed by the senior side.

“When you look at the academy and the kind of football the players are taught to play, it bears no resemblance to anything the first team do,” he added.

“Even before the Bobby Robson era, George Burley’s era, and even Jim Magilton’s era, Ipswich Town was renowned for being a footballing team. They kept the ball on the floor as much as possible, they were good passers and played good football.

“We’d play off the front players at the right time, hit long passes as well as short passes, but Mick McCarthy’s style of football is out of kilter with what a lot of the fans have grown up with.”


Photo: TWTD



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cat added 18:17 - May 18
There are two ways you can look at our 'deluded DINO';

1/ The pundits in the game (and MM) will tell you what a great job his doing on that very limited budget, that we are punching way above our weight and we should be grateful to him for keeping us in the championship, I do get and understand that completely, but do not agree!!

2/ MOST fans on the other hand, who are obviously far more important to the club than the pundits, are saying the football is DIRE, it lacks ENTERTAINMENT and are thoroughly fed up with the negative TACTICS. It was interesting to hear yesterday's news about Mazzarri's departure from Watford, one of the main reasons behind this was the negative & defensive tactics employed by him, this despite the fact that he kept Watford in the premiership, which in my book is a great achievement in itself, and far more successful than anything our DINO has offered us.
Personally, I would go with the more entertaining football option, although this is clearly a more risky strategy, I would be prepared to suffer the consequences should we fail. Either way it's looking very likely that the Dino's 'reign of terror' will continue next season, unless say a massive asteroid should land on his head, or someone borrows that gun from mickeyjb and takes him out!.

DINO'S EXTINCTION PLEASE
12

NBVJohn added 18:18 - May 18
Interesting comments indeed. Bloody well said too.

Sadly, I doubt it'll even make the 'any other business' bit of the next (mis) 'management' meeting at PR.

I doubt ME and his pointless sidekick IM have even heard of Russelll Osman, and McCarthy will just write him off as a bitter ex player.

If a few other ex players speak out, IM will probably cancel next years legends game. Given that it was one of the only decent games of last season, it would be a shame.
9

itfchorry added 18:19 - May 18
McCarthy OUT


Why are we waiting for a statement from PR ?

We have made it totally clear that you are
not the right fit for this Club.

McCarthy thinks he is safe as the season has ended.

12

prebbs007 added 18:22 - May 18
The job is yours Russ

Go away Dino. Very very far away !!!
9

Suffolk_n_Good added 19:46 - May 18
Echo every single previous comment, spot on Russell #mccarthyout
13

TimmyH added 20:06 - May 18
Personally getting tired of hearing the theme of 'punching above their weight' as if everything now comes solely down to money and that's it and that's how you judge a clubs performance by. Just look at Huddersfield and Reading who are in the play-off final neither team have spent in excess of what they've sold, so please enlighten me Mr Osman that maybe a managers style, tactics and choice of transfers brought in might go a long way as well, money helps but it's not the be all and end all as Reading and Huddersfield and their 'new' managers have proven.
7

TimmyH added 20:09 - May 18
...should also say agree with the 'out of kilter' remark Russell made.

McCarthy out.
8

blueboy1981 added 20:27 - May 18
............. nice to know that not everyone is scared to voice an opinion - such is the current ruling junta Russell will never be spoken to again by McCarthy, least of all get a decent job at Portman Road.

I think we need a few more 'true blue' ex players, to be as forthright with their views - many of whom MUST be hurting big time - JUST LIKE THE SANE AMONGST US.

Nice one Russell Osman.
16

H1960 added 20:34 - May 18
Well said Russell you have got the state of our once great club summed up completely. Most of us can see how the tactics and style of Mickasorous is ruining our club. How refreshing to see an ex player call it how is rather than those employed by the club in various pr roles being gagged and reduced to being a bunch of yes men.
11

shakytown added 20:47 - May 18
Why do we have premier league prices if we are bottom 6 in the championship????
3

bluesince76 added 21:12 - May 18
maybe russell could be the answer to our prayers.mick you dont fit in here.please go.
5

tallguy6767 added 22:15 - May 18
Well done Russell! Let's hope a few more ex players come out with something similar. Can't see Simon brown tongue Milton saying anything against the regime though!
7

Dissboyitfc added 22:28 - May 18
Russel Osman, my favourite town player, real quality, TWTD's!

MM just get out!!
8

midastouch added 01:09 - May 19
Give that man a hand! Very well said Russell.
7

battyblue added 04:27 - May 19
Well said Russell ,how on earth can you run a football team when the system being coached in the academy u18/u21 etc is not being implement in the so called first team absolutely ridiculous get the Tw@t out how can a club be successful this way and we all know MM will not/can't change his style.
8

midastouch added 11:56 - May 19
I'm looking at things from businessman Evans' angle now. Is he thinking 1 million lost in season ticket sales is comfortably offset if Mick can continue to keep us in this league on a shoestring, even if it bores the hell out of us long-suffering fans? Will he simply just say behind the scenes, ok we've lost 1 million in season ticket sales so let's sell Bart or whoever is most marketable to make up the shortfall (and some!)
Moreover, does he calculate that rather than spend 2 or 3 million to keep us happy and get more of us back to Portman Road, would he rather just have a 2/3 empty stadium nearly as if that loses 1 million in season ticket sales, it's still 1 or 2 million saved in not having to buy players?
If I'm anywhere near the mark then it just shows you he barely gives 2 hoots about Ipswich and he's just going through the motions doing the bare minimum to keep things afloat and thus doing things on the cheap. I think his passion for Ipswich is seriously lacking and if his heart was really in it he'd be going much further than he is. His reputation with Town fans is badly on the slide and if he was keen to address that situation he'd be doing much more. But all we have is a wall of silence.
C'mon Marcus please, it's not too late to put things right, but you need to act now before we find ourselves in League 1 as if it comes to that you have to understand the fans will turn on you far more than they have thus far.
1

Southamptonblue added 12:41 - May 19
If Michael Eisner doesn't buy Pompey, can someone get him to offer a big cheque to Marcus Evans please?
0

pegasus added 19:49 - May 19
YES!
1

VulpineBlue added 21:11 - May 19
Russell, I raise my 'Ipswich Town Mulletts' mug to you!
0

bobble added 12:19 - May 21
surely , "style, football,and mick mcCarthy" dont belong in the same sentence ?
1


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