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?

Safe to say Mick McCarthy enjoyed that goal.... pic.twitter.com/ZGoFMr4r7q– Irish Football Pics (@irish_pics) February 18, 2018

“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

bobble added 06:02 - Feb 19 shame our not very good manager is also a rude abusive one as well....
6

mathiemagic added 06:13 - Feb 19 I watched the game on the TV and I said to the wife immediately that the comments were made towards our fans. I don't have an issue with his reaction as anyone would give some back after chants made in his direction. What I do have an issue with is the fact that the fans chants were justifiable considering the total capitulation that happened in the second half. How on earth do you go from being by far the better team for 45 mins to looking like a team 3 or 4 divisions below your hosts? ...... Appalling second half display and (Once again) if it wasn't for Bart we would have been thrashed long before Chambo's great header. Just do everyone a favour MM and resign, warranted or not that tirade should really seal you fate.

6

MicksZzzTactics added 06:46 - Feb 19 @braveblue If you post is directed at me ... Well then the main reason for me to take this up was simply to stymie the "In Mick We Trust, Unconditionally!"brigade. Who never ever "Hear No Evil Nor See No Evil" from our beleaguered manager's wimpy & mind-boggling dispositions nor what comes out of his ultra foul & chronically fan disrespecting mouth! Personally I grew up with a deaf person and there is absolutely no doubt in my mind about what Mick spouted ... on live television! But hey! there will always be "all-knowing" awesome characters here on TWTD that sees it as their primary objective in their duller than dull every-day-life to DEFEND THE INDEFENSIBLE ... so if those fine folks somehow question what was said, as well as what was being gestured, and whom is was blatantly obvious directed at (as I outlined in detail in my previous post here) .... well you silly Muppets "GO AHEAD, MAKE MY DAY" ..... cause you incredible stupid & hollow arguments of "lack of inconclusive evidence" and similar is not merely seriously LUDICROUS & FEEBLE-MINDED, it's also overall outright "Living In Denial" kind of PATHETIC!!! Beforehand there was already innumerous & countless examples to back up Mick's utter detest of anyone among our fans who don't worship him & self-perceived tactical genius, unconditionally! Some will argue "I understand why he is doing this completely" ... But they ALL fail to understand a couple of very fundamental things: 1) ITFC is a "consumer product" 2) Anyone employed with ITFC should not only be ready & capable of withstanding a fair amount of public haggling -- it goes with the territory so to speak -- but also see themselves as very well paid "sales persons" of said particular consumer product .... and ANYWHERE else in everyday life whenever you get sold a shoddy or less-than-satisfactory consumer product , naturally you are ever so ALLOWED to voice your dissent etc. ... however according to the utterly twisted reasoning of the die-hard "In Mick We Trust, Unconditionally" brigade this doesn't govern Mick McCarthy. He is most sacred, he is our Grand Masterly Guru and last but least he is our one & only "Messiah"!!! :-) :-) :-) :-) LOL PleaZzzzzzze Get a freakin' life your broken-record sounding " Be careful what you wish for" hyper depressing numnuts! As NOTHING, repeat NOTHING can possibly be worse & less entertaining than THIS, especially from a creative & offensive pov!!!!!!!!!! Setting up with 8 defenders (not to mention the jaw-droppingly "shrewd" substitutions!) in basically a 'Must Win Game', and nevermind our dismal record at Carrow Road, is a utter disgrace to the Game of Football and yet ANOTHER piece of rock solid evidence -- televised around the globe btw! -- of how inherently ultra wimpy & undaring our archaic fossil of a manager a.k.a." Mick The Nick" is! Period!

10

wychyblue added 07:14 - Feb 19 MM will the season out and that will be the end of this episode of itfc. He doesn't want to be at Portman road anymore, the majority of the following don't want him so all is fine. If you use the " be careful what you wish for" argument then there will never ever be a change ( not what either party wants) and we will forever have to settle for lower / mid table mediocrity. He thinks he is is a very good manager ( he has said that almost every week ) but that is not really backed up by his achievements. He has very limited success in his very long career and indeed I cannot remember , over the last five years , his services being chased by the many jobs that have become available at other 'bigger' clubs. But he has tried . Sadly in many eyes though ( not his) he has failed. He is just not that good .

11

ChurchmanBlue added 07:20 - Feb 19 Loving all the snowflakes on here with their faux outrage
-10

trncbluearmy added 07:33 - Feb 19 Of course it was aimed at the fans and I personally have no problem with that,dish it out expect it back. But what I find disappointing is that he has not got the balls to admit it,in the heat of the moment it`s understandable,we don`t like him and he does not like us,but grow some balls man,perhaps if you had you would have put more pressure on the owner to release more funds. Time to go...................now,today

6

trncbluearmy added 07:44 - Feb 19 and coming from the era of SBR,the Cobbolds,respected as a model club,one of the finest teams in Europe how on earth have ITFC ended up like this,yes SKY has done us no favours,ITV Digital was not our fault,getting relegated before parachute payments etc etc but HOW has ITFC ended up as a shambles of a club run by people the people of Suffolk really do not like or respect. At night I dream of Sheepy or someone who loves ITFC getting a consortium together to save Ipswich Town because it does need saving now........today

7

H1960 added 07:50 - Feb 19 😑
0

H1960 added 07:56 - Feb 19 @muhrensleftpeg a really well written post it sums up all that is wrong with itfc at the moment and my views entirely....don't know what happened above!!
10

SpiritOfJohn added 07:59 - Feb 19 Love him or hate him Super Mick is clearly in need of a long rest. Evans please do the decent thing and put everyone out of their misery.
7

dirtydingusmagee added 08:14 - Feb 19 Surely Evans will come out of hiding now .
3

dirtydingusmagee added 08:16 - Feb 19 Spring is near, time Evans told McCarthy to get on with his vegetable patch .
3

vanmunt added 09:08 - Feb 19 A classic from 'I will go when I want Potty Mouth Mick', what a charming man. Can you imagine the furore if Mourinho had given the Utd away support an 'up yours gesture' with the lovely 'F Off' comment. No excuses Ipswich Town, he has to be told to pack his bags this morning.
9

MicksZzzTactics added 09:19 - Feb 19 Exactly @vanmunt!.... But ohhh how about "I do my job as I see fit I think and I do it particularly **WELL** actually!” LOL Isn't that ehhhm what is known as 'extenuating circumstances'??? :-) :-) :-) :-)
3

Tony88 added 09:43 - Feb 19 A lot of supporters have said they want the Cowley's as our new manager. If he is that good I wonder why he was not snapped up by another club last summer?
-4

KiwiTractor added 09:56 - Feb 19 Water off a ducks back ay Mick .... you @ss. By the way, how bad was Knudsen?
3

stringtheory added 09:58 - Feb 19 If you hold Mick in such low regard, as a manager and as a human being, why all this moral outrage when he tells the choirboys who have just been verbally abusing him what he thinks of them. Like all of us, Mick is a human being and underneath the brusk, northern toughness that he displays he's just as capable of feeling hurt and pain like you and me. Maybe you did get under his armour yesterday, you must be feeling proud of yourselves.

-1

dugoutdave added 10:10 - Feb 19 I can sort of understand the 'up yours' reaction from McCarthy but perhaps best to wait until the final whistle or else it come back to kick you up the backside............oh well look at that...., it did. I would have laughed if after that he saw 2000 fans doing the same this back.
3

Cheshire_Blue added 10:24 - Feb 19 Unfortunately this plays in to the hands of 30 or so fans on here who take every opportunity to have a go at MM. The tactics and substitutions were spot on. We went in to added time leading 1-0 and should have won the game. Well done MM. A great pity luck deserted us in the 95th minute otherwise you would have been a hero. How fickle some supporters are.
-12

Cheshire_Blue added 10:36 - Feb 19 After some of the antics and abuse I witnessed in the away section I am amazed that anyone feels justified in criticising MM. Let's get rid of the anti MM brigade, and get on with supporting out team and the manager who has just produced a masterclass in tactics at Carrow Road. Onwards and Upwards.
-12

IpswichToon added 10:40 - Feb 19 It's true, if we hadn't conceded in Farkey time, then nobody would be having a problem with this. It's crappy. We all agree. Mick isn't to blame for this at all. I want our manager to have an emotional reaction like this - it shows his heart is still in it!
-8

Lightningboy added 10:47 - Feb 19 @muhrensleftpeg Brilliantly put. Can someone at twtd get that printed out and ask Mr McCarthy to have a bloody good read of it asap.
6

Lightningboy added 10:53 - Feb 19 Anyone at twtd have any facts & figures as to what John Lyall,George Burley,Joe Royle or Jim Magilton's (pre Evans) budgets were compared to McCarthy's (allowing for the difference in today's figures/prices etc). Doesn't have to be spot on just a rough estimate..I don't seem to remember any of them spending much in this division.
4

coolcat added 11:02 - Feb 19 Minesapint brilliant post - really made me laugh. Can imagine the indignant keyboard warriors breaking their keyboards in the act of marking you down. I was at the match on Sunday, down at the front and was truly gutted at the end with the last gasp equaliser. Some of our fans though were frankly embarrassing using appalling language towards the Manager at a crunch derby game. Norwich fans homed in on us & started agreeing & singing it as well - as that's their job as opposing fans. Wouldn't blame Mick for having a go but I don't think it was the case. He was showing passion for the game. There is too much going on for him to be concerned with a bunch of twits like them. They place too much self importance on their influence on Mick which is precious little. He may have thought about it afterwards but at the time his focus is on the game - why wouldn't it be. It was an atmosphere like no other I've been to this season and I've been to all the games so far.

-5

SW1_Blue added 11:04 - Feb 19 Classy. What a great example to families and youngsters. Can anyone imagine Ramsey, Robson or even Burley giving "the fist" to anyone? His behaviour os most as unpalatable as his football.
9

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls