Town boss Mick McCarthy admits that the ongoing rift between him and supporters will come into his thoughts when he decides on his future in the summer. The 59-year-old’s Blues contract is up at the end of the season and he recently revealed he had begun discussions with owner Marcus Evans - who has an option to keep him at Portman Road for two further years - regarding what might happen at the end of the campaign.

Yesterday, McCarthy issued an apology for swearing as he celebrated Town’s goal at Norwich but denied he was directing his comment at the travelling Blues’ support in response to earlier derogatory chanting, as had been widely interpreted at the time.

“Yes, I guess so,” he said when asked whether the schism would come into his thinking. “But I’ve not given that too much thought, I have to be honest, since [Sunday]. I always say I’d like to win tomorrow and then my relationship is a lot better, it always is.”

A shame that the rift has developed? “I prefer it when they’re supporting the team and if it’s me being here that is affecting that, that really is sad.

“But, I’m here for the next 14 games at least, and I’m at pains to say at least, and I’m going to try and do as well as I can.”

McCarthy says despite the weekend furore, he has no problem staying focused: “Oh yes, absolutely. I’ve been doing this a long time and I’ve had ups and downs throughout my career and, yes, I do manage to focus on it. All I am is focused on the Cardiff game.”

Regarding the apology, he said: “Listen, people saw me swearing on television. It was at nobody but I was pumped up for that game, really pumped up.

“I said when I was sat here last week how much it meant to the fans and that I was quite aware of it. I was desperate for a win, sadly I didn’t get it.”

Was he concerned when he saw how it had been interpreted? “Not really, people can interpret it however they want. But listen, I’ve jumped up and done that before, so it was a really good moment, I thought we were going to win the game.”

Does he believe he’s entitled to celebrate a goal in any way he likes? “Well, maybe not when people are watching it with the bad language that I used. But when I jumped up I’m not thinking I’ve got the cameras on me because I’m not that bothered, to be quite honest.

“But I think it’s a shame actually that you [the media] are running the story and carrying on with it, to be honest. It’s just prolonging it. It’s such a shame that we should stop talking about it, I guess.”

And if he’s getting stick from fans, isn’t he entitled to hit back in kind? “I wasn’t giving them stick back. You’re misinterpreting it. I was pumped up and I said here, I was desperate to win.

“Pumped up and delighted we’d scored, thought we were going to win. And that’s the end of it. You’ve seen the website and you’ve seen what I’ve said, so as far as I’m concerned it’s finished with.”

Does he believe it’s possible for a club to be successful over a longer period if there is such a rift between its manager and its fans? “Let’s hope so. I keep saying, I’ll just keep doing my job. I’ve got Cardiff to play tomorrow night.

“I’ve had a great relationship with the fans actually, for the most part. And I think if we win tomorrow night we’ll get cheered off as we normally do.”

Can it have an impact on the players during a game? “You’d have to ask them. I don’t think so actually. I think the atmosphere does and I’ve said in the past that I think that fans come along and cheer the team because that’s what they are, they’re fans, and they come and support us.

“And that’s what they do generally and if we’ve won we get well supported, if we’ve lost, like any other club, like any other team, you get the bird when you’re going off.”

Asked again about how his relationship with fans might affect his decision in the summer, he added: “I’m concentrating on tomorrow. Effectively, the only way I can [improve] it is by winning games and playing well.

“We played well on Sunday and we should have won that game in the end. You can argue that Bart made two good saves. I think their keeper made some good saves, I thought we played well and were the better team in the first half.

“We had to withstand a bit of pressure from a very good Norwich side, but in the end we scored and with 30 seconds to go we should have won the game. I’m hoping that we can replicate the performance but win the game instead.”

McCarthy refused to blame ill fortune or referee David Coote for his side not being able to hold on for the remaining seconds.

“It’s not bad luck and it’s not the referee,” he said. “It’s not him adding five minutes on. I don’t think the physio was on in the second half, forgive me if I’m wrong.

“There’s six substitutions, apparently that’s three minutes, there was a goal scored, that’s 30 seconds, I believe. Even if it’s a minute I still don’t know where five came from.

“But that’s the most comfortable we’ve ever been with five minutes being put up, they never looked like scoring and it’s our own stupidity that cost us.

“We’d pretty much done it. We should have run the ball in the corner and wedged it up against the corner flag and kicked it out for a throw-in and don’t let them out and then game would have been finished. But we didn’t and it’s cost us.”

“We were excellent. I thought the lads were great. If there’s ever a perfect game plan which had gone to plan and was kiboshed by some naivety at the end of the game that was it, and that’s all it was. And, of course, had we won it would have been a completely different story.”

He says no blame was apportioned in the dressing room after the match: “Not at all. I don’t go around doing that, that’s for Monday morning to have a discussion with them.

“I’ve said to them today we should have learnt, we did it against Sheffield Wednesday, we continued going forward, trying to score another goal and it’s just bonkers. As far as I’m aware, and I’ve been in the game a long time, 1-0 wins it.”

He admitted the home side’s celebrations at the final whistle irked him: “It stuck in my craw, I’ve not beaten them. When we scored I thought we’d do it. But we didn’t, so it still does. I might have to come back and do it again.”

Photo: TWTD

blue75 added 18:59 - Feb 20 pragmatic if he is to go that's 14 games a new manager would have to assess the squad and instill his footballing philosophy for the start of next season be nice to hit the ground running!!!
12

jas0999 added 19:05 - Feb 20 If MM stays we could see attendances of 12K next season.
5

Dissboyitfc added 19:06 - Feb 20 as one poster wrote, its not all fans who have a rift with MM, true but it runs into thousands now and it will grow to an even larger number if he stays. On his playing style i cant think there will be many, even the MM lovers who enjoy what they see! MM out before we lose even more supporters
8

cranky_old_tractor added 19:10 - Feb 20 Lets hope he takes the hint then!
3

tallguy6767 added 19:17 - Feb 20 Just more arrogance spewing from his fowl obnoxious mouth ! Just do one !!!!
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grubbyoik added 19:24 - Feb 20 I have never booed the players.. they are not responsible for the style of play.. the tactics.. the team selection.. when and who is substituted.. that lies firmly with the manager who takes the praise when it is going well but takes the flack when it's not.
3

marco007 added 19:39 - Feb 20 Surely if Knudson had played a simple pass to Waghorn it would have been 2-0 and game over!
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dukey44 added 19:55 - Feb 20 Silly question to anybody? What has Evans said about the draw or about the Managers conduct?? Erm as usual NOTHING?? Evans you are a disgrace to our Club and you really are ruining us slowly but surely!!!!
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dirtydingusmagee added 20:13 - Feb 20 Dukey44 you could almost believe Evans and Mc Carthy are the same person, we don't see or here from anyone called Evans ,just McCarthy. Everything is McCarthy.
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brittaniaman added 20:20 - Feb 20 So it looks like Dino is holding all the cards against Evans to decide his own Fate ?? The Rift is like something he can brush aside, as though it is not happening, just like his Tactics and sub changes. Just saw a photo of Sheepshanks mixing in with the fans answering there Questions as well !!! !(( might put it on Facebook) cannot see EVANS ever doing that, can you ??

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dukey44 added 20:41 - Feb 20 Dirtydingusmagee this is the main reason I can honestly say I personally hate the way the clubs run now. The manager is total tosh and if he did or didn't swear at the fans the MAN THAT OWNS SHOULD be the first post after the game apologizing for the way he's let the club deteriorate and allowed The Manager turn the fans away? Yet again people air their opinions on how bad the manager is and YET AGAIN NOTHING??? Such a sorry state now

5

NickRaw added 20:49 - Feb 20 An honest man doing a decent job under almost impossible circumstances - a job made all the harder by the foul mouthed bawling by a mindless minority of idiots in the North Stand.
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vodkaboy added 20:52 - Feb 20 MM very clever - turning it back on fans ..leaves of own accord fans fault ....leaves as sacked fans fault...haven't posted on here for a while and I don't care much for the regular berating of MM as expected when things going wrong ...until now .. never seen a manager be that disrespectful to fans and then deny it means his position untenable (in any other club)...there won't be a change until end of season - which is too late but then again we are Ipswich! For what it is worth thought 1st half we played well but unable to adapt second supports fans views on manager tactics

6

northblue added 21:31 - Feb 20 Easy to blame a manager who has only pence to spend when others have pounds. I hope he stays on. He has done well. Just look at how some of the big teams are doing in this league.
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cat added 21:42 - Feb 20 Don't buy into the McCarthy hype when he says he will decide his future, its utter bollox, he will only have the choice if he's offered something. There are clearly pros and cons with our Evans, but you simply don't achieve his success and obscene wealth by being taken for a complete mug, not even McCarthy like. It makes absolutely no financial sense to bin McCarthy off just yet.

1

heathen66 added 21:51 - Feb 20 Perhaps we need to hint more than we are. I do find it strange that he is under the impression that it is him that will decide what to do next year. He moans about the fans, he moans about how much he has spent. If life was so bad any decent manager would be on his bike, except for the multi million pound big fat wage cheque. He is the luckiest manager in the Football League. You would not get away with what he has at any other club

4

gunnerblue added 22:02 - Feb 20 Living in Micks World must be great. Oblvious to all around you, not caring about anyone or anything, believing and telling everyone what a great job you are doing, (when in fact you are dishing up really boring sh1t on a regular basis). Just remember Mick - Self praise is no praise at all. Last one to leave PR please switch the light off.....
6

coolcat added 22:48 - Feb 20 For there to be a 'rift' or schism, it has to be acknowledged by both sides, which it hasn't. I notice Mick has never acknowledged it, just those fans who want there to be a rift. These fans leap on seemingly harmless or innocuous remarks made by Mick McCarthy at any opportunity to perpetuate this mythical 'rift'. His response has always been to get a good result and get the fans cheering again and he says it above here. I've been to all the matches this season and last. He isn't a foul mouthed bad tempered man who lets rip at any opportunity, which is ridiculous. You would have to question someone in that position behaving like that all the time. He always has been honest and direct and will give his opinion when asked, as he does here. Not everyone likes it, not everyone agrees with what he says or how he chooses teams/tactics etc. That's life, no-one agrees about everything. But it's not a rift.

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TimmyH added 23:21 - Feb 20 Big Mick: "I've thought about the fans but I can't help thinking about the easy £2m I can make over the next couple of seasons more"
0

Gcon added 23:25 - Feb 20 Coolcat. Sadly the comments on here are generally dished out by those not interested in the truth and the most vocal rarely attend games. I'm afraid you are wasting your breath.
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coolcat added 23:52 - Feb 20 Thanks. I'm all too aware of that. Been following/posting on this website for 5 years or so. I know the score. I don't seek anyone's approval just like to voice my opinion from time to time.. Many fans who attend games tell me they actively avoid this website. I know it isn't a reflection of the fanbase.
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tallguy6767 added 05:15 - Feb 21 They say ignorance is bliss! Its quite evident judging by some on here !! You know who you are !!
0

dukey44 added 07:02 - Feb 21 Hahaha for those of you mick believers and he's had no money to spend just take a look at what you are saying as I think the Wigan result proves it's not money but it's the way the MANAGER SETS YOU UP TO PLAY and giving them confidence and then there's our Mamager hahaha u do make me laugh out Manager is Tosh !!! Sorry but that's proven now !!
2

blues1 added 08:46 - Feb 21 Peteswindon. What a load of tosh. Working miracles? We escaped relegation by the skin of our teeth last season despite spending the same amount of money as Huddersfield who got promoted. We're humiliated Lincoln(twice) in the cup. A team with a much lower budget than ours. We are constantly outplayed by teams with lower budgets than ours, Burton being a prime example. The only miracle hes performing is somehow managing to keep his job. No other manager would have kept his job after the Lincoln debacle last season

3

dirtydingusmagee added 09:13 - Feb 21 Exactly blues1,BUT you are wasting your breath on the likes of Gcon who rarely if ever go to matches .
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