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McCarthy: Pleased With Performance, Absolutely Delighted With Result
Saturday, 16th Dec 2017 18:21

Town boss Mick McCarthy was pleased with his side’s performance and delighted with the result as the Blues beat Reading 2-0 at Portman Road. Callum Connolly scored the opener in the third minute and Joe Garner added the second on 27.

“I’m very pleased,” McCarthy said. “Pleased with the performance, absolutely delighted with the result.”

Asked if the early goal suited his tactics against a Reading side which likes to keep hold of the ball for long spells, he responded: “I think getting the early goal helps settle a team down, it doesn’t matter who we’re playing or whatever way anybody’s playing, it helps, it gives confidence.

“Generally, not always, but generally when you win tactically you’ve done all right, to be fair, unless you’ve got a really lucky one, but I don’t think that was the case.”

Like a number of other sides Town have faced recently Reading dominated the possession stats but were unable to make their greater share of the ball tell in terms of goals.

“I get a bit tired of it, to be honest, because I think there would be a section of people who would want us to play that way,” McCarthy reflected.

“We’ve never played that way and we’ve finished sixth and seventh and we’re doing particularly well.

“That’s what they want to do, we do what we want to do and neither way of playing guarantees you winning, no style of playing guarantees you winning.

"What guarantees you results is people who play well in that and work hard and are solid and do all their jobs and do all their dirty jobs.

“I saw a team play last night, Wolves, I know they’ve got players who cost fees of £15 million, but boy they worked hard, they know how to do the dirty jobs and got a 1-0 win.

“It doesn’t really matter, we’ve had a really solid performance today, a really good performance and their centre-backs weren’t hurting us with the ball.”

Regarding on-loan Everton man Connolly, who scored his third goal in the opening seven minutes of a match and his third in the last four games, he said: “Callum’s having a great season, he’s really helped bolster that central midfield and he’s been very good.

“I said to him he’s got a goal in him because he shoots in training with either foot, he gets in the box and he’s proving my theory right.”

Town have now won seven of their 11 games at Portman Road this season and McCarthy says the mood in the squad is upbeat when on home turf.


“They’re enjoying playing, they’re enjoying training, they’ve always been the same,” he said. “But it’s a lot nicer when you’re winning, we all feel better.

“It’s a lot easier to come in on a Monday morning and get yourself into gear and get going again when you’ve won, so I think they’re all enjoying it.”

Given the goals which have been conceded in recent matches, the Blues’ backline will be pleased with the clean sheet, as is their manager.

“Forget the back four, I’m delighted with the clean sheet,” he said. “Of course they are, the strikers have scored lots of goals and they keep getting the plaudits and rightfully so because it’s the hardest thing to do.

“But that’s very often bolstered by a lot of hard work and a lot of determination from other people. It’s great for them, they’ll be pleased.”

The crowd of only 13,832 was the lowest Portman Road crowd for a home game in the league since 13,212 attended the Blues' 1-0 victory over Swindon in October 1998.

Asked his thoughts on that figure, McCarthy said: “I can’t do owt about that, can I? We’ve had seven wins at home out of 11, that’s my role in all of this.

“If they want to come and watch my team play, great. If they don’t there’s owt I can do about it.”

A number of managers are cancelling their players’ Christmas parties after disappointing results, but McCarthy wouldn’t have done similar even if his team had lost.

“They’re going out tonight,” he said. “Am I going? You’re kidding me, that’s the last place I want to be. Thirty years ago I might have been, I’d have been leading the dance 30 years ago. Not the dance but leading the troop out to the pub, that’s for sure. If they go to pubs any more, I’m not quite certain they do.”

He says his team, who are eighth, two points from the play-offs, deserve their night out: “Unless you’re having an absolute stinker and players aren’t working hard and there’s a horrible atmosphere in the place, I wouldn’t cancel it just on the back of a bad result.

“If we’d have lost today I wouldn’t have cancelled it. Those lads run about for me and they earn their Christmas night out like everybody else in every business earn it, I think.

“It’s not going to affect them on Saturday if they go and have a few beers. I’ve told them to go and have a few beers because I might have a few as well.”

Midfielder Cole Skuse was replaced at half-time having picked up a knock but McCarthy is hopeful it’s nothing to serious: “A really badly bruised foot and I hope that’s all it is.”

Reading manager Jaap Stam was disappointed to concede the early goal and that his team failed to take first-half chances, but admitted they didn’t show enough after the break.

“A fair result? That’s always difficult and you always need to be careful if you answer these questions. I don’t want to speak about fair,” he said.

“I think if you concede an easy goal that early in a game it’s difficult to get back into the game.

“After that we did very well, we created quite a few opportunities to maybe score and we should have scored, I think, because they sat back.

“Basically they gave us time to play, we played well, we came out, we were threatening going forward in the first half.

“But then again it’s important that you score and if you look at the opposition with all respect and how they play, they’re a good team, physical, with a lot of energy, quality in the team as well.

“But in the first half, going forward being a threat, they had two balls on target, very effective and two goals, the second from a corner kick, coming out from a break and getting that corner.

“And that’s basically from every team, if you go forward you need to be a threat and you need to score and then when you’re 2-0 down it’s difficult to get into the game because you know what the opposition’s going to do.

“They’re going to be sitting even more, waiting for us to lose the ball, biding their time, pressing a little bit and, of course, trying to get that third goal maybe.

“And then making the areas very small, playing very compact and, to be honest, we didn’t create enough in the second half to get into the game. I think we were twice in front of goal and could have scored in the second half and maybe could have made a better choice.

“But, to be honest, not enough to get that first and let’s not talk about that second goal. If you don’t score the first one then you don’t need to talk about getting the second one.”

He added: “If you create five or six opportunities to score in the first half and you don’t score, you’re disappointed about that.

“And if the opposition go forward twice and they score twice then it’s very good what they’ve done.”

Reading's day got little better after they departed Portman Road with a BMW driving into the back of their coach in Princes Street.


Photo: TWTD



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Geddis78 added 18:28 - Dec 16
7 home wins. Much better football. A team that gives their all each game. Lots of goals. But still attendances keep falling. How do we get fans back to Portman Road?
10

Mark added 18:31 - Dec 16
Delighted to get another win today, the Portman Road crowd can now go into Christmas happy. The season has been far better than expected so far, largely thanks for McCarthy's excellent summer signings and the way he gets the team to work so hard. Even Connolly who seemed like a superfluous loan signings when we failed to land a centre back on deadline day has turned out really well.

Only 13,832 though when we're doing so well, that was disappointing. Come on football fans, get away from your Sky TV and down to Portman Road! Footie tickets make good Christmas presents for a start, let's sell some seats. I doubt we will make the play-offs, but we're only 2 points behind so we can have fun trying to upset the big spenders. 8 points ahead of Norwich too, superb.
19

blue75 added 18:56 - Dec 16
How to get Ipswich fans back in the ground mmmmm? Well winning 7 out of 11 should help but it hasn't. Maybe Ipswich fans are a funny bunch and like to see their team playing football not parking the bus at home and trying to catch the opposition on the break. Also I'd love to know the real attendance today no where near 13800. All in all Ipswich fans don't like McCarthy's style of football I think that's quite obvious.
3

Pip50 added 18:57 - Dec 16
Smell the roses boys. That's second week we have had less than 30% possession and three out of six points. I guess it works against poor sides like Reading.
Mid table may be acceptable to the Ipswich hierarchy but from an an entertainment point of view I won't be spending my hard earned cash watching McCarthy tactics. He is even leaving our youth out. Nice Connolly is doing well Everton must be pleased.
I spent my money visiting Santa at Colchester Zoo, strangely he had an East European accent!

-15

Rensham added 18:59 - Dec 16
Well done Mick. Another 3 points in the bag. Top six here we come. COYB
22

bressinghamblue added 19:03 - Dec 16
Geddis78 - The answer to your question is simple. Get rid of McCarthy.

There are thousands who simply had enough of him; his boring football and his arrogant attitude towards the fans. That's why season tickets are down c.5000 in 2 years. Thats why attendances are rock-bottom.

It's fantastic that the team is doing better. I want us to win; I want us promoted. But NOT with McCarthy as the manager. The sooner he is gone the better.
-12

RaymondovicBlue added 19:20 - Dec 16
Travelled down for Forest match and today.... We were the better team from the off in both matches and both were good games to watch. Worth every penny.
YES Mick had let himself down with previous negative tactics and apparent arrogance in press conferences, but he's got the boys playing as well as they can without multi-million pound additions.... I'd say have a scotch tonight Mick.... I've had one and got deserve one too
15

BillyBaxterwasbest added 19:21 - Dec 16
Keep it up mick, who else could keep a team in the top half on his budget, dream on the people who want to spend money we don't have, on players worse than we already have, our academy is paying off, we do not need another Keane. Stop MOANING AND GET BEHIND THE TOWN.
23

Geddis78 added 19:28 - Dec 16
Bressinghamblue, why the fixation with the manager? We are beating teams better than us and scoring goals. The quality of football is perfectly acceptable for the players we have. Would be great to play like Man City but no manager could play the utopia football some want. Today, as has been the case with other games, the opposition have had more of the ball but we create the better chances and are winning. And as a fan, I want us to win. End of.
23

Sospiri added 19:33 - Dec 16
Its great that we won again today, and Mick has done well on a limited budget, but its disingenuous to say he can do nothing about the low attendances. He can; he can show respect for the fans, be enthusiastic about managing our club, and play more attractive football. Not that hard.
0

jas1972 added 19:49 - Dec 16
Was Stam watching a different game? I can't see where he got the idea that Reading created "five or six opportunities to score in the first half" unless he got the shirt colours mixed up. Come to think of it he might have been elsewhere, because I didn't see him on the touchline all game.
2

patthegimp added 19:53 - Dec 16
Crowds will come back if we keep winning and staying in contention. COYB
5

pragmatic added 20:06 - Dec 16
3points clean sheet against a team who spent 12 mill + & mostly appreciated by “real supporters of the team” oh & for the negative opinionated just need 20 points from 49 or so to escape relegation!!! & while I am about it MICK IN!!!!!
2

Spanishblueblood added 20:17 - Dec 16
The damage has been done, the fans got fed up with Micks boring tactics, arrogance, rudeness and down right stubborness. To be honest he is getting pretty decent results but its too little to late and manybwont forgive and forget (rightly so imo)
The fans will only start returning once MM has gone, lets hope that is sooner rather than later!
4

Edmundo added 20:19 - Dec 16
Well done today: two big positives, a quality right back at last, and a goalscoring midfielder at last! Quality at the back still needed.
12

Spanishblueblood added 20:21 - Dec 16
Haha PRATmatic
The real supporters are the ones that care about the poor state of our football club and try to force change, not the happy clappy buffoons like you!
-13

Geddis78 added 20:40 - Dec 16
‘Happy Flappy buffoons'? I bet you are the sort of ‘fan' who criticises McCarthy if he says anything you deem derogatory about the fans. And listen to you. On behalf of fellow ‘happy clappers', I apologise for having loved seeing us score some goals and win some games
16

Spanishblueblood added 20:53 - Dec 16
Geddis78
Apology accepted
-7

HUTCHITFC added 20:55 - Dec 16
2nd Highest scorers in a tough division with clubs spending 15 million plus on players, sitting a few points from play offs but yet fans moan!! jesus the guy can't do owt more. Football has changed over the years and unless we get promoted I cannot honestly see us getting much better attendances. Just let's get behind the gaffer and players and support the team win lose or draw. Merry Xmas everyone.
19

blueboy1981 added 21:16 - Dec 16
If McCarthy maintains a change of attitude towards the people who pays his wages (to those who thinks it's Evans, it's the SUPPORTERS) - then that would be a good start. Couple that with less in the way of spoiling tactics (all too often with MM) and more of an attacking mentality from the start of games - the support will return.

Achieve the above Mr M - and most (if not all) who appear to hate your current presence at Portman Road, would sing your praises, myself included, to be honest.

What we want is the pedigree of ITFC to be upheld - and that IS NOT going to happen with an arrogant Manager who plays boring football - all too often.
-3

blueboy1981 added 21:20 - Dec 16
...... However, credit where / when due - 30 per cent possession today and a WIN has to be applauded and recognised as a whole hearted success. Tactics / game plan spot on today MM - WELL DONE ALL.
12

blueboy1981 added 21:27 - Dec 16
....... and to all the 'happy clappers' who do, and would, condone and support anything - some of us love the Club as much (if not more) than many of you. Take it well and truly in - because it is factual, and true.
-9

blueboy1981 added 21:50 - Dec 16
Gcon ....... What a ???? - closely followed by a few others. Negative to the extreme.
-9

blueboy1981 added 21:51 - Dec 16
....... obviously NEVER prepared to judge a post on it's merits. Sad people.
-9

blueboy1981 added 21:51 - Dec 16
....... obviously NEVER prepared to judge a post on it's merits. Sad people.
-5


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