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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Spanishblueblood added 11:18 - Feb 19
Cheshire blue you talk cr@p when you say the subs were spot on, Norwich were there for the taking, bringing on carthorse Mcgoldrick was never gonna win us the game. Maybe had he been more adventurous, we would have been out of sight and the goal in the 95th min would ave been a consolation goal and nothing more.
As for MM's potty mouth, there is no excuse for it, even if he has taken some abuse. I dont see other managers telling his own fans to eff off! |  | |
Barty added 11:22 - Feb 19
MM HAS TO GO - TODAY HOPEFULLY. HE IS AN ABSOLUTE DISGRACE AND HAS RUINED OUR ONCE GREAT CLUB. EVANS FFS GROW A PAIR AND SACK HIM NOW.
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gunnerblue added 11:28 - Feb 19
ME is clearly to blame. He allowed Tyranicalsarus Mick to stay at the end of last season even though in any other organisation his position would have been untenable......it surely is now.
We have had much worse squads of players over the years, but never had a manager that plays such dull, dull, dull football.
We have never had such an arrogant and disrespectful manager, and we've had Roy Keane!. How has he managed to out do Roy Keane?
He time was up 18 - 24 months ago, (some would say 10 years ago....harsh). The supporters are leaving in their droves, and "Milne is fiddling while Ipswich burns"..... who will save us? |  | |
dirtydingusmagee added 11:29 - Feb 19
those fans to whom it was directed should take heed and stay away, the dwindling gates must soon touch a nerve in the invisible man . |  | |
baxter7 added 11:30 - Feb 19
Surely when your score you don't say f off anybody else would say get in there or yer come on mcarthy your a liar saying it wasn't aimed at town fans you have brought disgrace to our club Evans act now not the end of the season | | |
shortmarine1969 added 11:39 - Feb 19
Total silence from the club so far..!! Why am i not surprised , sums it all up. Either way the cookie crumbles the club should be saying something.
ME OUT / MM OUT.(and not because he swore).and take the totally clueless and useless Milne with you!! | | |
wychyblue added 11:40 - Feb 19
Maurice Steijn in the summer anyone ? |  | |
Bluroo added 11:51 - Feb 19
There can only be one reason why ME puts up with MMs awful management and manners - and that must be he considers MM the best bet to keep Ipswich floating in mind table obscurity and avoiding financial hemorrhage. So effectively the club exists not to win but to avoid defeat - which is the antithesis of sport - and if we question it, despite paying to watch it, we are told to F off. Hopefully enough fans dignity will start to outweigh their loyalty and the club will be forced to change. | | |
doctorbuzz added 11:53 - Feb 19
If you spend time slagging him off for a reasonable tactical substitution why shouldn't he - get over it you snowflakes. | | |
ronnyd added 13:03 - Feb 19
While i think that McCarthys situation the the club is now untenable, my only fear is if Evans does grow some and gets rid, is that he doesn,t hand the job to Terry Conner in the interim. We must all remember what happened at Wolves. McCarthy and TC are joined at the hip so would see no change of "style". | | |
BlueMachines added 13:20 - Feb 19
Mick McCarthy has apologised for any offence caused by his celebrations following Luke Chambers' goal in Sunday's derby.
The Town boss was caught by the Sky TV cameras swearing after the Town skipper had put Blues ahead on 89 minutes in the 1-1 draw at Carrow Road.
“It was a big moment for us, coming so late in the game. You can get carried away in situations like that,” the Town boss told the Club website.
“To be honest I forgot the cameras were there and can capture every word now. You don't think about that during the game. For those who were offended by my language, I apologise.
“I'd like to reiterate though that my comments were not aimed at anyone. It was just a reaction to the goal and what it meant at that time.”
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BlueMachines added 13:21 - Feb 19
Apology to be issued shortly. Not enough for me and I don't believe a word of it. | | |
tempzzzz added 13:26 - Feb 19
I can't believe people are actually defending him! I have no problem with the swearing, I swear like a good un myself, 'se fact he aimed it at our fans! There's no excuse.
He needs to go. NOW.
How anyone still wants him here is beyond me, lowest gates this century says it all, and so do the down arrows for the "Mick In" commenters. Gates will soon be below 10k, and that unfortunately is the only way to get the message across. Any other manager would've taken the hint and effed off by now, but not this stubborn old goat!
I want to support the team, I really really do, but I honestly think if people keep going to games we will be stuck with him. Although the usual suspects (Gcon, swn98 etc) sem to have accepted that we are a mid table club and hope for nothing more!
P.S.
Anyone else notice Iorfa brushing his teeth during that footage by the way? Maybe that's why he got subbed off, wasn't feeling so fresh! Haha! |  | |
tempzzzz added 13:27 - Feb 19
Oh, and 9 pages of comments! That shows the frustrations of fans too! Never seen so many! | | |
KenHancocksBoot added 13:45 - Feb 19
I agree with Monterreyblue. Not only has MM given a verbal two fingers to the fans, he has also given two fingers to the Owner's 5 Point Plan around which we were all supposed to unite. McCarthy will always revert to type and anyone who expects anything different is deluding themselves. Look at the last transfer window. We ship out one of our most promising youngsters, get in a loanee to replace another of our young players and take on two aged journeymen. MM has acted in bad faith and should be sacked now. No amount of spin can mend this, and the club and supporters will never unite around this manager - he is simply too devisive and convinced he is right and everyone else is wrong. What sort of organisation thinks it is sound business sense to continually alienate its paying customer base? Over to you Marcus Evans. | | |
blueboy1981 added 14:24 - Feb 19
........ muhrensleftpeg ....... simply Great Post - the words of EVERY TRUE BLUE - anyone who disagrees simply just isn't one, and only pretending to be. Like it, or not - TRUE. | | |
portmanteau added 14:45 - Feb 19
s'funny, why no comments on Bart losing it for us with that silly run out of the penalty area? He should have hacked it into the stand, anywhere, instead he doesnt get back in time to prevent the goal. Shame since he made many great saves. Draw was a fair result, but that was a dreadful second half by us. | | |
Seasider added 17:45 - Feb 19
Think these are the greatest number of comments ever on this website,since I have been using it.
Seems that McCarthy can do just as he likes with Evans,as feel there are grounds for dismissal;so surely he wont offer him another two years will he,as between them they are ruining this club !
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therein61 added 07:18 - Feb 20
Dirtydingus; re Mick tending his vegetables does that mean he has invited certain serial down markers to lunch!!?? |  | |
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