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McCarthy: Fine Margins and Bad Decisions
Wednesday, 21st Feb 2018 23:22

Town boss Mick McCarthy was pleased with his team’s performance as they were beaten 1-0 at home by Cardiff City but was unhappy that Kenneth Zohore’s 65th minute goal wasn’t ruled out for handball by the Danish striker. McCarthy also revealed that David McGoldrick could be out for the rest of the season having suffered an injury in training.

“I’m very disappointed, I thought the lads were excellent, they gave everything as usual. They were just very, very good,” McCarthy said.

“Having lost a few players in the last day, the lads that came in, I thought they were great.”

A game of fine margins? “Yes, and bad decisions. I thought the defenders were all right, to be honest. Playing against 6ft 5in tall centre forwards, somebody may well beat one of my players in the air.

“I didn’t think the freekick was a freekick to start with. It was Chambo and Gary Madine. I didn’t realise Madine needed any help because he’s a big old lump. I thought the two of them were just fighting for it, I thought it was a really soft freekick.

“And apart from him [Zohore] handling the ball with both hands which just allowed the ball to stay in the centre so he could toe poke it in, I didn’t think there was much wrong with the goal.

“I’ve just been to see the referee and he said it wasn’t intentional. I have to tell you, I gave some penalties away when I was playing that hit my hand and weren’t intentional. I never meant to handle the ball ever!

“It hit both his hands and it wouldn’t have stayed where it stayed unless it hit his hands. The referee’s seen it and deems it not a freekick, I think that’s a bit harsh.

“You’ve got to rely on people to give a decision. If he’s seen it and said it’s not a penalty then I can’t do anything about it, he said it was accidental.

“I think if you’re a striker and you’re running through and it accidentally bounced up and hit your hand and popped up in front of you and you volleyed it in the net, I think you might find he’s giving a freekick then. Hey ho.

“Listen, I’m happy with the way the lads played, I was delighted with the team, they gave everything.”


McCarthy also felt Town might have been awarded a late penalty: “I just asked the referee about that. He’s given a freekick against Cameron Carter-Vickers and Greg Halford’s looking at Cameron, he’s got both his arms around him. And, of course, Cameron is such a big fella.

“Look, he didn’t give [the decisions], so he obviously didn’t think they were [a freekick and a penalty to Town]. The fact that I think different isn’t going to make a blind bit of difference, is it?”

McCarthy says fielding Bersant Celina, Freddie Sears and Grant Ward as his attacking trio was partly due to injuries but also as a way of seeking to address Cardiff’s physical presence at the back.

“Of course, Joe Garner’s struggling, his knee’s been bothering him and Sunday-Wednesday-Saturday isn’t going to do him any favours at all,“ he added. “Waggy had run his race on Sunday

“Didzy was due to play, I have to be honest, and he’s damaged the tendon in his groin, he’ll probably be out for the rest of the season.

“Muzzy Carayol was suffering with diarrhoea and sickness today. It was going to be Didzy, Muzzy and [Bersant Celina] similar. But it turned out two of them weren’t fit.”

He added: “I was really pleased with the front three, even more so when lads get their heads up [late]. Freddie got it yesterday because Didzy did it in the warm-up, so I told Freddie then, but Wardy just got it tonight. I thought they were very good, yes. Very pleased with them.”

Regarding McGoldrick’s latest injury blow, he added: “He’s had some bad ones and they all seem to be long ones. And it was nothing, it was so innocuous really.”

Asked whether the Ireland international has played his last game for Town with his contract up in the summer, he said: “Let’s wait and see. I’m not going to give you that headline, or anybody else for that matter. We’ve got to wait and see, but it does look like a bad injury.”

Quizzed on whether there have been any talks with the 30-year-old regarding a new deal, McCarthy responded: “No.”

Despite putting in decent performances for the most part recently, Town are struggling for goals, particularly at home where they have netted just two in their last seven matches.

“You’re always hoping that they come, but you work hard on the training ground to try and make them come,” he reflected when questioned regarding the lack of goals, the Blues having been one of the division’s higher scorers in the early months of the season.

“No, it’s not been a good run of form. But we’re not playing any differently. I think I’ve probably used the fewest players in the league and one or two are just feeling it.

“Joe’s been going out there getting him out there to play, Didzy, is he picking [the injury] up because he’s played a lot of football? I don’t know. We’ve had a helluva lot of injuries and I think one or two of them are feeling it.”

Does he believe performance levels are different in this latest run to earlier in the season? “Without analysing it a bit more closely than immediately after the game I don’t know. I don’t think so, we’ve not tried to do anything differently.

“I’m pleased with the performance. I don’t think their keeper’s made many saves but I don’t think Bart’s had anything to do either. If we’d come away 0-0 I’d think it was a fair result.”

Cardiff boss Neil Warnock also had injury problems before the match and lost his skipper Sean Morrison in the first half.

“In terms of injuries, and then Morrison coming off, it couldn’t get any worse really. It’s like Emergency Ward 10,” he said.

“All credit to the lads, they have been fantastic. Some are playing out of position and others haven’t played for a long time.

“Gary Madine probably wasn’t fit to play and yet he had to come on. I couldn’t see us getting anything without him coming on.

“I thought he changed the game and it was a nice sweet strike by Kenneth to win it! It was always going to be a real awkward, horrible, bouncy thing — I love to see them go in.

“I think Kenneth enjoyed the pressure being off him with Gary playing up there alongside him. Hopefully we can get a few bodies back before we play Bristol City at the weekend.

“It was a horrible game, wasn’t it? But Mick’s lads really put a shift in for him and he should be proud of them.

“I said to the lads at half-time ‘You know what happens when Morrison’s not playing’, so why don’t we win tonight without him.”


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howdonblue added 23:29 - Feb 21
Fine margins and bad Decisions !

A bad decision would be to renew your contract Mick
17

howdonblue added 23:30 - Feb 21
And an even worse decision would be for Evans to decide to run our club for another season
15

madmouse1959 added 23:38 - Feb 21
We work hard on scoring goals on the training ground ? Ha.....
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Loweblue added 23:39 - Feb 21
Referee was poor. 2 wrong decisions. Everyone saw the intentional handball, and the blatant penalty at the end. 1-0 to the referee. Mick has run his tenure now. The team we had out there was good enough to win. Again mick waited too long to make substitutes, Cardiff were there for the taking tonight why bring on waggy with only 20mins to go? He was warming up for 20 minutes prior. Just another middle finger up to the fans from mick I believe. I just can't see where the goals are coming from. We have the squad of players but tactically inept. What really happens at the training ground.. Do they just eat pies and play fifa.. Jeesh. Will miss the Hull game, but a long trip upto Sheffield in a few weeks I hope we can put a good shift in. Mick thinks we want entertaining football. No we don't. We just want them to try their best to win the game. But for that mick needs to put a team in good enough to win. Overall a okish performance tonight. But how can we score with no balls in the box, and when there is a ball there is no player. We need some fresh ideas. Fresh manager. Surely Evans would be best to just pay mick off the last of his salary and give someone else a go. 3 months to evaluate and start to build. Sign vickers up!! Mick Mills for manager?.. Anyone else..
6

timspencero added 23:41 - Feb 21
two goals in seven. sorry old state of affairs, the club is so flat at the moment.
19

Blue_Moses added 23:44 - Feb 21
What do you expect, started with 7 defensive players again.
22

Mark added 23:46 - Feb 21
“I'm very disappointed, I thought the lads were excellent, they gave everything as usual. They were just very, very good,”

I agree that the players worked hard and there were several good performances against one of the Championship's top sides. I am not sure about the superlatives however, as we did not look a threat in attack, only had two shots on target, and lost the game. Fans had to sit through another home match without scoring. So since Christmas we scored 0 against QPR, 1 against Derby, 0 against (weakened) Sheff Utd, 1 against (10-man) Leeds, 0 against Wolves, 0 against Burton, now 0 against Cardiff. No wonder the attendances are at record lows. How on earth can we send the season ticket packs out like this? What are you going to do Marcus Evans?!
23

SheptonMalletBlue added 23:52 - Feb 21
You clueless to$$er!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1

Taricco_Fan added 00:37 - Feb 22
A bad decision was leaving Waghorn on the bench.
9

TractorBeezer added 01:17 - Feb 22
I agree that we played well in patches but to be honest we never really looked like scoring. No help from the ref either.
5

Penguinblue added 02:24 - Feb 22
Incredible how many players at Ipswich, not just the repetitive injury prone ones, get sick or injured immediately after they arrive.

Also incredible how unentertaining and negative a team can be that repeatedly are 'very very good and leave everything on the pitch' in the foul mouthed one's view

Also hard to be believe that the first team are coached or even train positively given the dire way they play on match day.

McCarthy the foul mouth out. Quite a few fans took his advice last night.
15

jert16 added 03:46 - Feb 22
I've never known a football manager to be so pleased with losing week in week out or conceding late equalisers.. very weird.
14

MicksZzzTactics added 04:57 - Feb 22
"They are some hard working 'Proper Blokes' they are" ..."I'm very very very pleased"! lol

"Ohhhh we have only manged to score twice in last 630+ minutes!" .... "NeeehNeeeh don't look at me! I'm not the one on the field!" ... "But ehhhh I am the one slavishly dictating us to set up in true Hedgehog Style with between 7-9 defenders, so ehhhh don't expect too much 'Fireworks' ehhhh, well that is unless them 'Proper Blokes' are extremely "opportunistic" (like for instance in the first 6 games!) alright, you silly f@ckers???"

:-) :-) :-) :-)
7

Karlosfandangal added 05:27 - Feb 22
Wonder why McGoldrick has not had a new contract yet.......mmmmmm....
2

marco007 added 06:49 - Feb 22
What happened to Drinan aka Daryl Murphy?
He started on the bench but has slowly vanished??
Could this be another Irish bargain that will slip into obscurity??
I'd rather see youth given a chance ....maybe give Morris a go as he can't do any worse ..l2goals in 7 is hardly prolific as a team !
14

BlueNomad added 07:14 - Feb 22
You talk about giving Drinan a chance but what is his game? Target man or does he create stuff out of nothing? We had some good spells last night but no real clear cut chances waiting for someone to pounce on.
2

martin587 added 07:22 - Feb 22
Gates down to 12 thousand and dropping each game.Where is the atmosphere now.? So much uncertainty at the club.What the Hell is going on.!!
I dread to think what season ticket sales will be like next season.We have a good bunch of players at the club doing very little.Where is the motivation.
Decisions need to be made by the club sooner rather than later.
12

blythburgh_blue added 07:25 - Feb 22
5 years. You can't beat a top six club. No wins in the FA cup, League cup or in the Derby.

You haven't won a single big game. Pathetic.

GO NOW you Failure
13

grumpyoldman added 08:12 - Feb 22
Some on here say they want MM to stay and people who want a new manager should be careful what we wish for, and we should go and support another team! Perhaps they should think about what they wish for, another few years under MM, a ground with more empty seats than full ones on a more regular basis, a team stuck in doing things the same way, good old boys starting ahead of any young player with potential. As for supporting another team that is the most ridiculous thing, once you choose your team you are stuck for life, I could start watching my local league team but would not have the same passion as I once felt for the town.
10

ChrisFelix added 08:27 - Feb 22
The set up of the team wrong again.With 3 central defenders you need wing backs !.
Why leave out Connolly, at least he gets forward & scores goals
Leave put your leading scorer & play Sears.
Why not include the youngsters in the squad.
I remember bobby Robson giving debuts to Johnny Miller & Mick Lambert on a Tuesday evening in the early 70s .Dream on !!!!
9

TimmyH added 08:32 - Feb 22
F... off!!! - tired of reading what he's got to say.
7

cat added 08:33 - Feb 22
On a night when two of the games finest Dino's meet, the slightly more tactically 'Raptor' like Warnock took home the spoils from our very own foliage munching 'Diplodocus' McCarthy. For someone who gives it the large one, his tactics mirror nothing short of cowardice. It will be interesting to see what falls the quickest, the attendances or our club.
9

blythburgh_blue added 08:55 - Feb 22
Mid Table Mick is here to stay........................................
1

Lathers added 09:18 - Feb 22
I'd like to see a league table which doesn't include the opening 5 games of the season. This season has felt like and smelt like relegation, yet we are mid table and very fortunate to be there!
1

BlueBlood90 added 09:21 - Feb 22
I say this on a weekly basis but he really does have the easiest job in football. Given a budget of a 16th placed team and if he finishes any higher than 16th then he's classed as doing a great job. The whole club from board level right down to the management staff all need to leave if we're to have a chance of progressing in the right direction. Just announce whether you're staying or leaving and get on with it.
6


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