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McCarthy Denies Aiming Tirade at Fans
Sunday, 18th Feb 2018 15:26

Town boss Mick McCarthy denied that he told the Blues’ travelling support to "f*** off" when celebrating skipper Luke Chambers’s goal during the 1-1 derby draw against Norwich City at Carrow Road.

TV footage appeared to show McCarthy gesture and shout towards the away fans in the Jarrold Stand after Chambers had given the Blues the lead in the 89th minute. Timm Klose equalised for the home side in the fifth minute of injury time.

Earlier fans had been chanting, "Mick McCarthy, your football is s***" following a 79th minute substitution.

Asked whether his reaction was aimed towards supporters, he dismissed the suggestion: “Just celebrating the goal.”

Pressed further on it looking like he was telling fans to ‘f*** off’, he added: “You’re putting words in my mouth. No, just the game, celebrating the [goal].”

So it wasn’t a reaction to fans’ earlier chants aimed towards him? “A reaction to the game, I want to win the game and we didn’t.”

Was he frustrated by the fans’ chants when he swapped Dominic Iorfa for Jordan Spence rather than making a more attacking change?

“Jordan Spence came on because Dominic Iorfa was cramping up,” he said. “That’s my tactical substitution and making the subs we have to make, I do my job as I see fit.”

Does he think fans didn’t appreciate the situation of needing a defensive replacement at that point?

“Well, it’s funny that I’m answering questions like that. If we’d come off and we’d won instead of them equalising it would have been so different, wouldn’t it? It’s sad that you’re having to ask me those questions. I’m not bothered, I do my job as I see fit I think and I do it particularly well actually.”


Asked whether he is concerned that his relationship with supporters is permanently fractured, he added: “Not really, no. I keep doing my job and doing it as best as I possibly can.”

But once a rift of that type appears it’s difficult to turn around, isn’t it? “Winning games overcomes it, so we’ll see what Wednesday [and the home game with Cardiff] brings, shall we?”

Asked again whether he told the fans to f*** off, he reiterated: “Just emotions at the game.”

As for the game itself, McCarthy was pleased with the display if not conceding the late, late equaliser: “I thought we did well. It was a really good performance and we’ve just let our guard down in the 95th minute, wherever they came from.

“Of course [the goal] could have been prevented. We might have blocked the ball in the box, we might have won the first header, we might have followed him out instead of Bart following him, I think that was just a bit of confusion.

“That’s how goals come about. I’m sure they’ll look at ours and think somebody should have been marking Chambo closer, no pun intended.”

Did the game go to plan? “I thought it was a really good performance in the first half as an attacking threat, as an offensive threat.

“And I thought in the second half when it got really tough those players were blocking and tackling and working hard, and Bart made a couple of saves. And I knew that would be the case. I was delighted with my team’s performance today.”

Reflecting further, he added: “I was pleased with the team’s performance, all of them. Stephen Gleeson has not played that much football so that’s why he was replaced with Lukey Hyam who, to be fair, has probably got more legs than he has and we needed that in the midfield. I was pleased with them all, I think they played well.”

He was pleased with the way Cole Skuse too care of James Maddison in the first half, although the Canaries youngster made more of an impression after the break.

“I thought in the first half certainly,’ McCarthy added. “Second half, he’s a very good player and you’ve got to take care of him.

“And pretty much we did, he had two freekicks he hit the target with but overall, up until the 95th minute, a job well done.”

Regarding the change to a 3-5-2 system, he said: “It was for today, might be for Wednesday and it might be for Saturday, but the system and the tactical changes worked today.”

The switch allowed him to get both Adam Webster and Cameron Carter-Vickers into side but equally means other players have to miss out.

“It does but it gets Santie out and it gets somebody else out, so there are the dilemmas. You can’t play everybody.”

Despite the criticism aimed towards him by Town fans, it was pointed out that the Blues are still ahead of Norwich on goal difference.

“We are, I think if I’d been given £100 million over the last three years I think I could have been languishing in 13th as well,” he added.

Norwich manager Daniel Farke felt the match was “a typical derby”.

He said: “Much aggressiveness, many duels. Some crazy things happened and then a lot of emotions with conceding what looked a determining goal and then the celebration in the 95th minute. There was an explosion at Carrow Road.

“To be honest, after this second half normally it is ridiculous to have one point. I thought it was a close first half but in the second half we had 75 per cent possession, we had 13 shots on goal to their one shot, one header that went in for them.

“We had James Maddison with two freekicks, Nelson Oliveira with three shooting chances, Timm was two metres out and missed his kick. Normally you must be sad just to have a draw.

“Sometimes small things make the difference. We gave away a freekick in the 88th minute with a young player who was a bit naïve. Ipswich is the best team on set pieces in the league. From the freekick came the corner and from the corner the goal.

“I just can’t praise the reaction and the mentality of my boys enough. It feels like a bit of a winner. So important for our club and supporters and us as a group.”


Photo: TWTD



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Vancouver_Blue added 15:56 - Feb 18
Reality check guys... We need to be careful what we wish for

West Brom. Pulis > Pardew
Stoke. Hughes > Lambert

I'm not saying Mick. Is the answer... But it could be worse


-25

Andy32Cracknell added 15:57 - Feb 18
Total disgrace, embarrassing the club like that on national tv. Should be sacked immediately.
24

cromwellblue added 15:59 - Feb 18
It's interesting that despite all that has gone on there has never been a simple chant of “we want McCarthy out”. It's alway just a criticism of style.

The truth is that none of us can be sure that a new manager will get anything better out of this group.

That said, this outburst was clearly aimed at the fans and while it may have happened in the heat of the moment it's not what you would expect. Even if understandable given the abuse directed at him.

Like or loathe him he is generally direct and honest but a line has been crossed

Any immediate action seems unlikely but surely now his departure at the end of the season is inevitable.
9

herman123 added 15:59 - Feb 18
Just watch his reaction to being asked a question about the fans in the last question in this post match interview and you should be able to see how he values the fans!
http://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/11256485/mccarthy-takes-pos
9

Bluetone added 16:00 - Feb 18
McCarthy should be sacked with no compensation paid for bringing our club into disrepute.
Instant dismissal NOW
20

brendanh added 16:01 - Feb 18
He deserves every piece of verbal spite from the touchlines that he receives from now on. Foul disgrace to the loyal supporters who pay his wages.
16

Blue_Moses added 16:02 - Feb 18
Personally I thought it was aimed at the fans, whether it was or wasn't he's going to get the backlash from it on Wednesday night.
15

Daniel72 added 16:03 - Feb 18
Whatever Mick's faults, that was a substitution he had to make, Iorfa was pulling up.. direct replacement.. people think they could do a better job based on what? playing freakin' FIFA I'll bet, that's what! Fans chanting "your football's s***" at the manager at a crunch derby game still in the balance then upset when he swears... only seen cos Sky have poked a camera in his face. We have no money, we're 11th, he'll be gone come summer. Everyone relax.
-10

brittaniaman added 16:06 - Feb 18
His subs McGoldrick done nothing to contribute to the game, and Hyam I did not notice him playing, and Spence ended up with a yellow card
two flying wingers still on the bench, no wonder the fans were upset with you Dino !!
25

SingBlue added 16:08 - Feb 18
Well you won't change my mind.... that was aimed at the fans. MM denies it and then is sarcastic towards the fans, unbelievable really. There is nothing about my club at the moment that makes me want to go down to watch them and I'm not alone, Clearly important people currently within the club are on MMs side thinking he's the safe option for us not dropping further into the abyss but actually that's a gamble as the huge divide between MM and the fans is the single biggest problem this club has faced in its recent history.
14

ianmarshall10 added 16:08 - Feb 18
Mick said F off to the fans who are against him so what....the amount of grief he gets just giving some back stop being a bunch of sensitive fairies the ones who were offended pathetic.
-19

NoelTheDub added 16:10 - Feb 18
No McCarthy if we won today things wouldn't be different, yes 3 pts better off but S##t hoof ball and S##t tactics would be still in abundants at fortress PR.You are now lying about your actions at our goal but you soon realized at 95 min you made a huge mistake by telling us all were to go your tenure at our club has to be over if the owner or board have any respect for the paying long suffering fans.After this debacle by our manager is not sorted very soon supporters should stay away from PR that is the only message this club will see, empty seats.
14

44_not_out added 16:10 - Feb 18
So the fans shout and swear at him, in a derby match (which I found particularly cringey) and he has a dig back. Fair play to him. I feel I'd be inclined to do the same. Taking off a defender who is struggling with an injury is a reasonable decision, although probably beyond the ‘FIFA/Football Manager' generation of ‘experts'.

Come on Snowflakes, man up.

I don't want to be too controversial but getting behind the team really does have an impact!!

Oh, and just to add.... I was there today cheering my team on!
-13

Taricco_Fan added 16:12 - Feb 18
Win, lose or draw, the manager shouldn't behave in this manner. We all saw what happened and I'm not stupid enough to buy his version of events.

Despite the 'Yorkshire grit' exterior, McCarthy isn't as thick-skinned as he would like everyone to believe.
18

Suffolkboy added 16:12 - Feb 18
Not able to be there,but following avidly via BBC etc, I really despair,like others, over the hypocritical so called 'supporters'' who can't or don't actually give their all in total support of the players and staff of ITFC who seem to me to doing their damndest to achieve the results on the pitch -- and all the time ; we must accept they too are only human ,mistakes , lapses of concentration,tired thinking and legs will be a feature !!BUT please ,even at this late stage , reconsider what SUPPORT should be about ,and become reasonable in judging just how far individual and collective opposition ( often expensively assembled ) can contribute to our frustration ,and eventual disappointment !
Do you ' moaners ' really think we can win every game?do you have a better understanding of our players and their needs ?OR is it time so many actually found and put on thinking caps before some of these 'ravings ' ?
Well done to all the players today , and to MM and TC who are doing a very creditable job at my ITFC !
And by the way ,shouldn't we be so so impressed with the Academy lads and all under BK who are also a real credit ?!
-11

Blue_Again added 16:13 - Feb 18
Isnt fuk off just a term of endearment in Yorkshire?
4

liam88 added 16:13 - Feb 18
Yes he's giving it back but he's the manager and should remain professional. Passion, great. Swearing towards fans, no matter what the circumstances, is unacceptable especially from a professional, imo.
18

Bluesquid added 16:15 - Feb 18
Why can't we just have a bit of honesty here Mick.
Just admit that in the heat of the moment you aimed those comments at the Town fans and just apologise for doing so.
You'll win more respect and support for being truthful but instead you lie and the rift just gets bigger.

13

delias_cheesy_flaps added 16:16 - Feb 18
If I'm not mistaken it's a F*ck Yes and the second outburst was F*ck Off towards our fans, it don't get much clearer than that. The blokes a liar and should be dismissed for telling the travelling fans to F-OFF.
19

scottyitfc25 added 16:16 - Feb 18
To all you mick haters, who are the club going to bring in to play pretty football with no budget, the bloke has done a great job with the resources he has simple as that. Remember we were bottom of the league heading for league 1 football. So pull your head out of your arses and accept we are a mid table championship club!!
-24

TimmyH added 16:18 - Feb 18
2 wins in the last 21 on TV - quite a few of those must be under MM's reign, pathetic!
10

karls_dad added 16:26 - Feb 18
I warned that if Didz came on it would be a mistake, he does just not bring enough to the game, Didz or Celina, ERRR LET ME THINK ABOUT THAT ONE!!!
aS FOT THE fU-K Off comment, any decent man would resign on Monday morning, it was clear as day who it was aimed at!! total disrespect for the fands and Club, get out now you arragant ar-e of a man now!!
9

delias_cheesy_flaps added 16:29 - Feb 18
Scottyitfc25 we don't have to accept his sh!te outdated view of how to play football either, pull your head out of your arse!
13

Che added 16:30 - Feb 18
A great derby game could have won could have lost, oits of passion MM does a great job on rubbish resources and some fans need to get a life.
-8

PSGBlue added 16:31 - Feb 18
I don't care who MM was using foul language at, it is totally unacceptable! As manager of Ipswich Town, he should be seen to set the standard of behaviour, he no more than a foul mouthed lout and should be dismissed ASAP.

The match was predictable as ever. Town showed energy and commitment in the 1st half, but once again when an opposing team stepped it up we showed our lack in quality. These defensive tactics will only lead to more draws and defeats than wins.

A win would have been a bonus, but not deserved. Of course I am gutted but not surprised and we again finish the day back at square one. No investment in the team means that we must employ a defensive thinking manager.

Getting rid of MM, although welcome, just for his hate of ITFC fans of nothing else, would be just a sticking plaster covering a deep gash. The only way to improve things over time is more investment with an attacking management style. Failing that a change of owner.
7


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