Vice-captain Cole Skuse has paid tribute to departing manager Mick McCarthy and his assistant Terry Connor. In the absence of injured skipper Luke Chambers, Skuse, 32, wore the armband during last night’s 1-0 victory over Barnsley which turned out to be the duo’s final game in charge of the Blues after five and a half years.

“It was a shock to the system, definitely,” Cole told the club site. “From a personal point of view I cannot thank him enough — he’s the one that brought me here and signed me.

""“I’ve played a lot of games under him and earned a couple of new contracts under him and I cannot speak highly enough of the pair of them.

“It might sound like a scratched record but it’s true. The way they conduct themselves as gentlemen, not just a manager and a coach, they are a true credit to themselves.

“I know I speak on behalf of the whole dressing room when I say a big thank-you. A thank-you for their efforts, even after the announcement that they were leaving the way they came in and conducted themselves was admirable.""

“Mick is a credit to himself and I’m sure he’s not going to be out of work long. It would be great to go up against a team managed by him in the future but it also wouldn’t be good because it would be such a hard test!

""“It would definitely be a challenge and I don’t know whether it would be nice or heated but it would certainly be a challenge.”

Caretaker-boss Bryan Klug will speak to the media for the first time tomorrow lunchtime ahead of Saturday's game at Nottingham Forest, however, the club have said none of his press conferences will be shown live on Facebook via TWTV or anywhere else.

Photo: TWTD

terryf added 21:20 - Apr 11 As the Bristol City Manager once said you only miss him when he's not playing. A very under-rated player. As for the new Manager I think Paul Cook at Wigan ticks all the boxes. I remember well when Portsmouth came down here in the Cup and played us off the Park.
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bedsitfc added 21:35 - Apr 11 Braveblue Skuse is not a goal scoring midfield He has often been the unsung hero in our side.
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Karlosfandangal added 21:47 - Apr 11 Carberry You missed your namesake.....tut tut And Phillips and Mariner and Cooper and Osman and Gates.........TWTD Will we see the likes of them in my life time or a Ramsey or a Robson or even a Cobbold Don't think we ever will
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SheptonMalletBlue added 21:56 - Apr 11 Absolute Bollox! !!!!!!!!!!
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Carberry added 21:58 - Apr 11 Karlosfandangal, yes Phillips and Mariner were really close but not Osman nor Gates in the truly great category for me. Things go in cycles don't they but you are right it won't come around again anytime soon.
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blueysbighoof added 21:59 - Apr 11 Carberry spot on sir, if Skuse is a “great” player, god knows what the standard is these days, I think Skuse is a good player, in a “very average” championship side.
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heathen66 added 22:13 - Apr 11 For me Cole Skuse does not do enough at this level. A couple of interceptions, a couple of foot ins and 30 sideways and backwards passes. For someone in the centre of the park and just in font of the defence wins no headers. Hopefully the new manager will encourage a more dynamic Cole Skuse, where we see him pass and move and can dominate the last 3rd of the pitch. If Mick had have been given more money, or indeed asked for more money we would still end up with more players just like this, or if they were not, they would have been moulded into defensive minded players just like this. This is Micks footballing philosophy and no amount of money will change this. We had Skuse Hyam and then turned Connelly into another defensive holding midfielder...and then signed Gleeson. Creative players struggled to get into the line-up until they proved they can defend (Celina, Lawrence, Sears), and IMO no cash would have changed this

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Lightningboy added 22:20 - Apr 11 Spot on Surco72. Shows how low a lot of people's expectations have dropped...anyone who calls themself a holding midfielder could do his job,not knocking him personally but he's nothing special & a large reason why we've become so dull to watch at times...finding the next Magilton needs to be one of our major priorities this summer..a midfielder who can pick out a pass,spray the ball around (forwards) & knock in half a dozen goals a season. Still,each to his own.

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OldClactonBlue added 22:39 - Apr 11 Well said Surco72
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Karlosfandangal added 23:02 - Apr 11 Carberry We can only hope
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Gcon added 23:06 - Apr 11 We haven't won a game in well over a year without Skuse in the team. Just saying. Again!
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SheptonMalletBlue added 00:02 - Apr 12 Gcon, skuse is always in the team!!!!!!!!!!!
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Surco72 added 00:17 - Apr 12 Gcon.. We have lost loads though!!
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blue75 added 06:22 - Apr 12 Lightningboy I seem to remember Magilton was always called sideways Jim as he liked to pass sideways?
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Dissboyitfc added 07:04 - Apr 12 Skuse is pivotal to the way MM sets his teams up to play, an ok player who does what is required of him reasonably well. Please dont tell me or any others we know nothing about football if we dont think he is a great, he is not great, ok! That is what is wrong with the club, peoples expectations are now so low, even without funds we should still be watching entertaining football!

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nineteenseventyeight added 08:16 - Apr 12 Hes the new Geraint Williams, every team needs one, yes I get frustrated with him sometimes too but its probably more highlighted as he never has a relationship with a creative midfielder due to injuries and well said grumpyoldman everyone should respect everyone's right of opinion as long as its constructive. Looking forward to the new era and who knows a lot of current players might play better under new management. Blue Army!

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BlueBlood90 added 08:59 - Apr 12 Ok we've heard from the teachers pets such as Chambers and Skuse who are crying themselves to sleep as they'll now have to earn a place in the team. Now go and interview the likes of Bru and Celina etc after the way they were treated by McCarthy.
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carsey added 09:52 - Apr 12 All the players paying tribute to McCarthy - I wouldn't expect anything else - doesn't alter the fact he is an arrogant foul mouthed footballing dinosaur. He may well get a job with a low placed Premier League team but he will never manage at a top side because his ways are out of date. Can you imagine him at Man City or Real Madrid? I believe we have players at Portman Road who are capable of playing entertaining football and hopefully the next manager will encourage them to do so rather than intentionally set up to stop the opposition and deliberately antagonise the fans. To those who say MacCarthy was under funded by Evans I say money is important but there are plenty of examples of clubs playing better football on a budget much less than than his.

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goat_man added 11:27 - Apr 12 Very low quality player, especially when you consider the team selections and tactics over the last 4 seasons have been designed around Cole Skuse. The Pro Skuse lot will be surprised next season just how easily replaceable he is, as we hopefully move towards a much more mobile and forward thinking midfield set up that isn't designed solely around a player who fails to be anything other than bang average in his own formation.

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Cheshire_Blue added 11:58 - Apr 12 Those who know nothing about football are those who booed the substitution of Barry Cotter on Tuesday night.
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BeattiesBackPocket added 13:09 - Apr 12 In my opinion Skuse under McCarthy is a 6.5 out of 10 player every game. He does a good job of mopping up and I think he may get a little more stick because he is playing in a very unimaginative midfield I guess we wll see how good he really is if played in a position where he can maybe have less shackles and play with a little more freedom but im not completely sold. As for those still going on about Micks lack of money the guy bought in and signed over 70 players!! Thats alot of signing on fees even for free agents thats not cheap. Yes I'd like our owner to relax the funds but Mick hardly built on a side from the play offs he has disassembled a team and bought a new one in pretty much every season whos fault is it he bought 78 players in five years and it didnt click!? HIS! Burley and Royle had no money and still achieved free flowing football AND got us in the play offs by building on the team not changing it every year!

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