Town boss Mick McCarthy has hailed keeper Dean Gerken’s recent outstanding form, having kept faith with the 30-year-old despite criticism from some sections of the Blues’ support earlier in the campaign.

“How pleased am I with him? I keep picking him every week, so that tends to say I’m happy with the goalkeeper,” McCarthy said.

“There was a bit of nonsense going on a while back when we were conceding goals and throwing games and he was getting it in his earhole.

“But he didn’t deserve it because I can honestly say, other than Reading away, the third goal between him and Skusey, [the goals weren’t down to him].

“He wasn’t happy with the goal the other night [at Fulham] from the freekick but it came through the wall and it flew in the bottom corner.

“Other than that he’s been brill, I think he’s been outstanding, he’s just had a great season.

“And what’s really nice is that Bart turns up and trains every day as if he’s training and he keeps him on his toes.

“And it was the same the other way around as well, they’re two really good characters. We’ve good goalkeepers and we should thank Malcolm Webster for that for firstly recommending them and then training with them.

“I kept faith in him because he’s a good keeper and he was playing well. Simple as that.”

Meanwhile, McCarthy says on-loan Arsenal midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles has improved the more he has played and trained with the senior squad since joining for the season in the summer.

“He’s got stronger and stronger, training with the first team all the time, playing the games,” the Town boss added.

“I think he’s coped with it remarkably well. Physically, there’s no problem with him at all, he’s a really good athlete.”

Elsewhere, the Blues manager says he recently saw former Town left-back Tyrone Mings, who is out for the season having suffered a serious knee injury on his Premier League debut for Bournemouth in August, and says he found the 22-year-old in good spirits despite his lengthy spell on the sidelines.

“He’s all right, he’s just in rehab, he has a long time to go yet because he had a bit of a setback with it right at the very start,” McCarthy said.

“He’s just doing his rehab, it was a nasty injury, both his cruciate and his medial, he might have done the lateral as well, I’m not sure.

“He was in good spirits, it was nice to see him. He came to see me and TC and the lads. It was great, we had a chat with him. But he has a long road to recovery, sadly.”

Photo: Action Images

Beattiesballbag added 10:21 - Dec 22 Meanwhile, McCarthy says on-loan Arsenal midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles has improved the more he has played and trained with the senior squad since joining for the season in the summer. “He's got stronger and stronger, training with the first team all the time, playing the games,” the Town boss added. & so would our two young full backs if he had played them! As we are unlikely to go up with the present team, by next season we could have had two young sharp fullbacks with experience, instead he will be saying exactly the same excuses for not playing them as he is this season.......same as he does with all our youngsters & why none are coming through, never criticizes any one in public but how disheartening it must be for our youngsters to know they're not going to be given a chance of a run in the first team the same as AMN has been given. If Bobby Robson could bring 17 year olds through in the top flight when the game was much harder, why is it our youngsters now have to be mature before they get a chance. As we have never had much money our past success has been built on bringing the youth through & giving them a chance, that & not the lack of investment is probably the biggest reason for our stagnation for the last few years, Instead of using our youngsters for back up we sign journey men & ship the boys out on loan........great confidence booster! If this club is to get back in the top flight we have to get back to bringing youngsters through.........& playing them. Robson once took a team to Arsenal with the average age of 21 which (I'm sure you'll correct me if I'm wrong,) we won? Now there's a man with vision & courage!

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billlm added 10:28 - Dec 22 Totally agree beattie
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Kikapu added 10:49 - Dec 22 It's clear that the other managers in the division (almost without exception) have a great deal of respect and admiration for MM as a manager. Given the budget he has at his command he has to play the style of football that gets the best out of the players he can afford. The other managers know that. I can't understand why the rest of us don't get it.
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prebsa added 10:56 - Dec 22 Mick must be bloody joking. Gerks outstanding? Give it a rest. The reason you have to keep telling us how amazing he has been is because you know full well how crap he actually is and how we have a better keeper sitting on the bench every week. The only difference is gerken washes your car every week so gets to keep his place.
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PYBlue added 11:05 - Dec 22 We haven't had 'Tabby is a good lad' for ages. Come on Mick real out the old quotes it's Xmas
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ArnieM added 11:22 - Dec 22 I do understand peoples frustrations with MM's style of play and the round oegs in squard holes issue.. It does my head in many times too. But if any manager can get us out if this division, it will be him, given our circumstances. I just feel without him and his backroom team here would be long dead and buried as a Club. Better the devil you know situation.
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cornishblu added 11:33 - Dec 22 Think the headline should have read ..instanding ....instanding on his line all the time instead of coming out and successfully commanding his box. There is no doubt that since MM has come he has done a great job in giving a team that confidence in their own ability and settled them down to a style of play that gets results of sorts . The problem is to do this he is having to laud players he has, regardless of actual ability, in order to encourage them and having to play a style of football that is absolutely dreadful ....and as in previous posts where I get negative arrows this man has no plan b ...we could get promoted like this but we will do it with no more fans as the style is not attractive enough and we will do it knowing that when we get to the prem no football loving player will want to join us playing this style and therefore not being able to compete in the top division ....meaning a very long season for the long suffering supporters ...but a very profitable one for our owner who will happily take the extra income to pay down the disproportionate debt the club now owes to him...as fans we will continue to support our club but it doesn't mean we have to be happy with the way it is being run or the style of football we are playing ....for those on this site that clearly are happy with both the wake up call may still be long in coming but will be a right slap in the face when it does

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afrodids added 11:51 - Dec 22 that's another cracker Mick ,you really should be on the stage . Bart is a better keeper.
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thebeat added 12:03 - Dec 22 Yeah he was outstanding when he completely missed a simple 1st half corner on Saturday and luckily got away with it. It was painful to watch. Just another case of Mick trying to point out he was right and we were wrong even tho he has nothing to back it up. Gerken only stops shots that are straight at him, anything either side he struggles with and is like Dracula, he's scared of crosses. Bore off Mick, just bore off.

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Pilgrimblue added 12:08 - Dec 22 we've got two average stoppers but sadly MM is picking the wrong one. Greken has been good but his kicking is very poor and needs to pass out to defnders more often. Against Derby in first half his kicks were coming back but he didnt change so every time he was giving away possession. I think he made one throw but maybe thats in the coaching!
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BlueMachines added 12:19 - Dec 22 @ Kikapu - He fails to get the best out of the squad he has available. That's the frustrating thing. He loyalty to players is admirable, unless you are one of the better players who will never get a look in, eg Parr, or a fan, who continually have to watch full backs caught out of position and not coping with the demands of the position. I don't believe true fans hate MM, they are just frustrated beyond belief at his decisions.

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BlueMachines added 12:19 - Dec 22 @ Kikapu - He fails to get the best out of the squad he has available. That's the frustrating thing. He loyalty to players is admirable, unless you are one of the better players who will never get a look in, eg Parr, or a fan, who continually have to watch full backs caught out of position and not coping with the demands of the position. I don't believe true fans hate MM, they are just frustrated beyond belief at his decisions.

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GiveusaWave added 13:17 - Dec 22 Total agreement with everything ArnieM has said here. Does make you wonder who is next for heaps of praise though. He's pretty much done everyone this season. Next headline: McCarthy: Coke has been outstanding At that point I really will question his judgement...lol
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essextractorboy93 added 14:00 - Dec 22 Gerken has improved a lot over the last few games, made a quality save from Leadbitter against Middlesbrough. Unfortunately some people are too stubborn to change views about Gerken and will always hold something against him. Not much between our goalkeepers in my opinion. Of course he hasn't been outstanding in the same way as a world class goalkeepers but he has done well and MM is publicly coming out and backing Gerken. Managers are always going to give players a confidence boost in public, what managers say in public and private are often very different but Mick is right, Gerken has done well lately and people should back him more instead of criticizing at every possible opportunity.

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blueboy1981 added 16:34 - Dec 22 ArnieM ........... sorry to have to disagree with you - but we are genuinely NOT 'play off material' although we currently have the 6th spot. Proof is there for all to see(non blinkered, that is) - every time we play one of the top teams. When we start picking up points against these teams, I will gladly agree with you - until then I wait for it to happen ...... !!! And NOT just a single point against them either. We should not be too smug about being in that 6th spot, the next few games will be a massive telling point.

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thebeat added 16:35 - Dec 22 I find it ironic that fans are being called stubborn. Wonder where we've learnt that from?.....
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blueboy1981 added 16:38 - Dec 22 ..... but the squad is capable of more - correcting the situation of NOT playing players out of position, and NOT playing square pegs in round holes, would see us on the road to the squad realising it's 'true' potential.
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blueboy1981 added 16:40 - Dec 22 ..... I'm sure MM must have a few laughs behind his hand ....... I wonder why ??
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BlueKush added 17:01 - Dec 22 http://www.twtd.co.uk/forum/362709/outstanding/#23
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Seasider added 17:59 - Dec 22 My wife has lists for everything including shopping and Christmas presents and cards. Think Mick has one for praising the favourites who are currently in his team;so has ticked off Gerks and Ainsley M-N this week. Thought that Maitland-Niles was our worst player last week,and Gerken according to Mick wasn't happy about goal he conceded against Derby.Neither was I;but McCarthy was presumably,as he was with the team display(earlier interview). Sir Alex and Sir Bobby amongst others were good managers,as currently are Arsne Wenger and Claudio the tinkerman.I know they all have managed in the Prem;but has our Manager ever looked at the teams who play good football like the above and the likes of Bournemouth and Watford,Norwich even, and try to aspire just a little to how other teams play. Or does he think, I am a Yorkshireman so I dont need to look at how other teams play,even if it is good on the eye.I cant afford Prima Donnas who ponce about playing football as I have a team of battlers who I train to get in the faces of the opposition and run until they drop. Not sure how much further this will get you or the team Mick?

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blueboy1981 added 18:50 - Dec 22 Seasider ......... just about as far as we are now - his style hasn't got Premiership stamped anywhere near it. Top six Championship - maximum.
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dirtydingusmagee added 08:20 - Dec 23 Gerks has been improving and has saved us from two embarrassments recently ,all credit too him,however he is far from great and i would prefer Bart between the sticks personally.That said i still think the ''keeper'' position is a concern.
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brittaniaman added 09:59 - Dec 23 As I have said before,these teams come to mind, Southampton, Swansea,Norwich, Bournemouth all came up through the ranks playing attacking football, we have seen them all down here, and they are all holding there own in the Premiership, Bournemouth appear to be the only one who has not changed there manager ????? BUT I still prefer MM. than the Dreaded Dark Lord and Jewellio and I am sure every one of us would agree with that !!!!!!! SO COYBs and give us a good end to this year and A HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!!!!

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