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McCarthy: I Won't Be Driven Out By a Small Section of Fans Friday, 23rd Feb 2018 11:15
Town boss Mick McCarthy has revealed he expects to speak to owner Marcus Evans regarding his future over the next three or four weeks and says he won’t be “driven out” of the club by “a small section of fans”. He says he believes it's more likely that Evans will ask him to stay on rather than end his five-and-a-half-year spell in charge at Portman Road.
The Blues manager is out of contract at the end of the season but with Town having an option to keep him and his assistant Terry Connor for a further two years.
Despite celebrating his 26th anniversary as a boss next month, McCarthy says he still has the same burning desire he had earlier on in his career.
“I have,” he said. “And I look at my club, this club at the moment and I think about the players that are here and will be here next year if, please God for them as much as anybody, that they are injury free, and think that we’d have a good squad.
“I’ve still got to discuss that with Marcus but if Marcus wants me to stay then I’ll certainly consider that, and that’s where it’s at. Marcus has got to want me to stay, not anybody else, it’s got to be the club.”
McCarthy wouldn’t discuss what factors would come into his consideration if Evans were to offer him the chance to stay at Town.
“That’s for me and Marcus to discuss, not for public airing at the moment,” he said. “I’m due to speak to him. I speak to him on a regular basis but not about that.
“I spoke to him the other night about the game and how it went, but we’ll be sitting down to talk about that shortly.”
Although having been under-fire from fans for much of the last two seasons, McCarthy believes the club is in good shape going forwards: “Despite everything that goes on, I think it is and it’s managed well, this place is, the club is.
“I can’t always guarantee results or performances, nobody can no matter how much [money] you’ve got but it’s a good club and I’m particularly happy here as well.
“I’m not wanting to leave but - and I was asked about Luke Hyam, that’s the same, David McGoldrick as well, their contracts are up as well - there’s nothing you can do unless somebody wants you to stay.
“It’s interesting, I’m just reading Carlo Ancelotti’s book and it’s great, he talks about cycles and says that while ever you’re there you make sure you do the best you possibly can.
“But he also says it’s always nice to be loved and wanted and I thought, ‘Yes, well, it is’. Until we find out that’s the case I won’t know, will I?”
Speaking further about criticism from supporters, he added: “Listen, fans fluctuate on performances and results. And, by the way, it’s not all the fans, it’s a small section of them, I believe, that have decided that it’s me they don’t want, they want somebody else. I’ve had great support from the fans here. I’m not worried about that.”
Asked whether it would be good to get his future sorted before the club announces season ticket prices for 2018/19 at the end of March, he said: “That might affect how many are sold or are not sold! We might just keep that one in the balance, I don’t know.
“I’d hate to think me saying I was staying affected the season ticket sales. I’d like to think they went up. We’ll see.”
He added: “I’m due to speak to Marcus, I’ll be speaking to him over the next three or four weeks I’m certain. But I’ve said before, I’m cool with it.
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“For all the reasons I’ve just said, the players who are here, I like living here, I like doing the job and I’m certainly not going to be driven out by a small section of fans who are going to make my decision on that, let me tell you that. That’s not going to happen.
“I’m too long in the tooth and a bit too up to the fight for that to happen. If everybody else wants me around the place, then that would be the big decision for me.”
Whose opinions matter to him? “Marcus owns the club, his is the biggest one and I think you’ve got to have the support of him, you’ve got to have a relationship with the people above you, and I’ve got a great relationship with him.”
McCarthy reiterated that he is currently treating the situation as if he is going to be in charge next season with pre-season having been discussed.
“Yes, and talking about players for next season,” he continued. “I’m going ahead, as I said to you before, with the job of planning for it.
“I would never just down tools and stop anyway, even if Marcus came to say to me - and I doubt very much he’s going to - ‘That’s enough, we need to go’. I think it’s more likely it would be quite the opposite, ‘Mick, I’d like you to stay’, I think that would be the more likely scenario.
“But whatever one, I’ll continue doing the job until the end of the season as the good professional as I am.”
McCarthy goes through the full range of emotions on the touchline on a matchday - “I’m only 42 you know, look at me, I’ve weathered well, haven’t I?” - but says he still enjoys life as a manager.
“I still get the buzz from it, of course I do. I wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t,” he said. “The disappointments are horrible but the good times are great.
“I still get the buzz from coming in here though, coming in here and doing my job and going out on the training ground and managing the club and being part of it every day.
“And then the games, that’s the highs and lows, that’s the real stuff. But I get a buzz from it every day.”
He says he’s still got the addiction for football and for winning: “I have. It’s not just the games, you can’t have just the games, of course, you can’t just turn up and have the games on a Tuesday night and a Saturday or a Wednesday night whenever.
“You’ve got to go through all this, all the daily routine, but I don’t find that routine as such, I find that really enjoyable, I love that part of it.
“All it is is the build-up to the games and that’s what everybody else cares about and I’m still lucky enough to be stood on that touchline getting happy, getting sad, getting angry, getting emotional and fired up for it every time we play.”
Photo: TWTD
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I do think he has been unlucky with injuries this season. I would really want to judge him on a full strength squad, however, he needs to go because of the bad blood with fans.
I also think he needs to go for himself as much as anything. I know he says he isn't bothered by fans etc but it cant be nice going to work most days knowing your not liked.
Best thing to happen IMHO is for both him and club is say thankyou for the few memories (he hasn't done a bad job really) and good luck. End it there...
I don't dislike the bloke. Always honest and i don't want it to get uglier than it is for us and him. Being told to F'Off doesn't bother me either as it does work both ways. Bobby Robson called us plenty of things too.
If MM wasn't capable of finding low cost players and selling them on for millions,do you believe ME would fill the financial gap with even more millions out of his own pocket?I don't.With MM & ME,the Club just about exists financially and is there for all who want to support the team.Without MM,the Club will drift into lower leagues unless a serious financial backer buys the Club which is unlikely.
It is true that it is only a small section of vocal supporters because where I sit there is seldom any anti talk. However, I do think the silent majority is not in favour of MM staying. The drop in crowds is because the brand of football is so boring. I do not want MM to stay because he has shown us all that it is more about him than the club. Evans must surely realise that offering another contract is tantamount to saying he doesn't care what supporters want, he is happy to have a manager who doesn't give him any trouble. Evans and MM need to agree a mutual parting and let MM go with his dignity. There are risks in any new appointment but I think it must happen. Even giving MM a transfer fund is not going to make the football brand that most of us want.
Absolutely spot on Mick. It is not you who are the deluded one. Fed up reading the same old garbage on here from the same tired old posters. who do you want in charge? Alan Pardew when he gets the sack from WBA?
I'll probably get a lot of down votes for this but I don't care!
I HAVE NEVER, EVER HATED ANYONE MORE THAN I HATE THIS DINOSAUR!
He is the most stubborn and arrogant old fossil I've ever known! People really need to start cancelling and refusing to go to games if they want him gone. There's nothing left to play for anyway and it's not exactly entertaining. If it's an excuse to get out with the lads then don't tell the Mrs you've cancelled and just go to the pub instead! This needs to happen for them to realise what next season would be like if he renewed. Then maybe The Deluded One will realise it's not a SMALL MINORITY!
I feel physically sick at the thought of McCcarthy in charge for two more seasons. When will this nightmare end? I detest the man, yet he's the manager of my football club! !!!!!!!
As I have posted before there is yet to be a chorus in the ground of "we want McCarthy Out". So while the mood of the forum is clear it may not represent the majority.
If you look at the volume of comments on an article it takes a big issue to generate over 100 in general. Allowing for the multi poster this forum has maybe 75-100 regular contributors.
With Season tickets at 10,000 if you do the maths then MM has a point about a small minority.
Even if you look at attendance, we lost maybe 3,000. Based on 16,000 that's 18.75% so still a minority.
Like it or not this forum is unlikely to force the issue.
If the owner is not going to invest money then I would Ruther us have a manger who can bring in good loan players and use the money he get wisely. I thought his transfer was good. This season started off bad due too injury's .its his task is too keep us in this division and I think his first priority anything else is a bonus. We can keep the ball down on the pitch when we have the players available.I am not a Mick fan I am a Ipswich town fan and I would like to go up a division if we can and not down like the bookies always have us down for. Low crowds just make the owner sell players to balance the books.
DurhamTownFan - problem with that is ballers cost $$$$ and all our technicians are injured. Evans is doing it on the cheap - so if we with less technical players have a go / play a technical game vs a side with a bigger budget - more often than not we won't win the game of football.
Take Sat / sun league. So many players cannot play decent stuff, but everyone wants to do it. You get silly scorelines when a good side hammers a naïve side trying to do things right - give the ball away 3 passes goal. Same again etc.
Howdon - You can only work with what you're given. If Mick puts an ultimatum / says ' I want X Y Z ' Evans may pull the trigger. Sure - good to have a bigger budget and I'm sure Mick would love one but it's not going to happen.
Therefore, Evans is definitely more the issue than Mick.
Cooper442............... may I cut & paste your quote.
I've been supporting itfc for over fifty years,spent decades having a season ticket,but haven't been near Pr for 2 seasons , it breaks my heart to see it's present state .all of the things great about the club have been slowly dismantled....
I can't understand why the majority of you are falling for mcarthys wind up it's all he is doing about staying for another 2 years even Evans knows the club carry on losing support like it has for the last 2 or 3 years that will mean he has to put more money in the club I want mcarthy gone the only way for that to make sure that happens is to protest at the ground
My views on this .I travel on an organised coach to matches and the people that sit near me don't like Mick McCarthy.Where I sit in Q block is virtually empty.Mick McCarthy and Chambers ,Skues and Knudsen are settled in the club.These few are making a sound living out of being average.Even the owner's losing money and the fans aren't getting passing football.I feel the manager is arrogant and is trading off things that he achieved years ago and I doubt he would be in demand for a bigger club.A younger manager still with ambition should be given a chance as I feel the skill is coached out of the players by McCarthy.
I don't believe a word that comes out of that Cupid stunts mush anymore, as he proved what a complete ‘Lionel Prior' he is last w/e . I'll wait until it's properly sorted before I add any more speculation, still think he won't be here and will obviously hold up ones hands should that not be the case.
I can see the reasons for wanting a change but I don't think it will make much difference with a new manager coming in, unless there is significant change in the money available for squad investment. In fact, it could get considerably worse ie relegation. MMs style of football isn't good to watch but at least it's keeping us in the Championship. Hopes of getting into the Premier League all rest on money I'm afraid.
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