This thing about average players and money, it's been proved over and over not to mean a great deal. It's about the owners, the coaches and the manager. It's probably about the players last. Just have to look at the contrast with Man United and Southampton. The contrast between results last season at Ipswich with two different managers but virtually the same players. We've had some top players at this club and I think we have a pretty strong squad. We also know what to expect of Mick's teams. The problem for me is solely his motivation. Being happy with our performance when we've lost one game is one thing, but it's the same comment even when we've been poor at Sheffield Wednesday and got away with a point and thrown away a three goal lead at Derby. With a little bit of passion and imagination those should've been five more points on the board. I am not expecting promotion but to be happy with things when we're losing points like that doesn't ring true for me.
Guru - If it turns out to be Clough or Di Canio I will be begging JWM for forgiveness, trust me! But then again Alex Ferguson isn't working at the moment.. Simply put, unless you are performing I don't think you can be scared of change and we're not at the moment.
The flip side is - if the Ireland job is filled and Mick is still with us he might get his backside in gear, and that would be a win win for everyone.
Now as you all know Mick isn't exactly my cup of tea, he's very frustrating because he clearly has the talent but he's too stubborn and doesn't ever really go out of his comfort zone, he's not a risk taker and if you really want to make it as a top manager you need to take risks. But it would be a disaster if he were to leave us this season, as Supers has pointed out we have a very average squad for this division, it's a Mick McCarthy squad and managers who don't manage in the same style as he does would struggle to get out of the current squad what Mick can. As I've said I'd like us to give the reigns to a manager from the lower leagues and give them a chance to really build the club up in their own image but other than Pullis I'm not sure there are many other managers who wouldn't prevent us slipping into a relegation fight this season!!! We're very lucky to have him but I think he needs to show some loyalty to us and for such a straight talking man I'm very annoyed that he hasn't ruled himself out of the Ireland job, IMO it's the respectable thing to do as he hasn't been in the job for a long period and needs to show some loyalty to the club who pays his wage and he is under contract with.
I do agree with where you are coming from Hampy, but also look at it like this, the past 4 years we have losing games that to be perfectly honest we didn't deserve to be on the same pitch as the opposition, now more times than not we can look at every game and say "you know what, we deserve something from that". we as a club needed to improve not inperticular results as such but performance, improve the performance and the results will follow. I do think it is time that Mick came clean with us and if its as nailed on that he is the next manager of Ireland then I would thank him but then we need to move on and hopefully the next guy will add a bit more flair.
Pulls is not to be sniffed at but Is there a recurring theme of getting managers who have already been there and done it? Wouldn't it be better to get someone who is doing really well at a side lower down the divisions and is hungry, thrilled and excited to have the chance to manage a bigger club into the top flight?
PTC I would agree with you BUT he has made no secret of the fact that he would consider international management again even before he came to Ipswich so you cant really accuse him of being disloyal. To the same token were Sir Alf and Sir Bobby being disloyal when they took the England job?
I don't think its a fact of disloyalty for leaving, just a clearer indication on where his position would sort a lot of it out. at the moment the players. club and us the fans are in limbo and if we aren't careful get dragged down by it.
I don't have a problem with Mick wanting to manage Ireland again. What I have a problem with is the way it's affecting our performance and ambitions. The owners can't rock the boat because they want the compensation if he goes. Until he takes that job his job is Manager of Ipswich Town.
If anything it is the Media to blame for whipping this story up in the first place! But I do agree that we need to know where we stand and Mick will have to come out now and say what his intentions are for the future. This will have been forced upon him by the media frenzy imo but I agree that we need him to make his choice now. The ROI as I understand it have not even asked him if he would like the job again and I think that this is why an announcement has not yet been made.
It's not the media, we know all about that. Saying that maybe he'd like to be asked so he can say yes or maybe he'd like to be asked to say no... It doesn't get a lot worse from a PR point of view! Tommy Smith has come out talking about it today so it's obviously affecting the players more than just McCarthy's motivation.
I think we all appreciate the job he has done here and even Spanish will admit he is a decent manager and one thing we are all in agreement is that McCarthy is professional down to the last... The thing is, whether he feels it, the coaches, staff or the players do.. this speculation will be affecting them in one way or another and will only get worse the longer it drags on. I won't hold it against him for wanting the job, we all claim playing for our country is the pinnacle and so managing your country should be too.. whether we agree with his prospects etc. it is still a job with a lot of kudos and one that's close to his heart..
you'll know better than i do but i would suggest you ARE performing and progressing at the moment, just not as quickly as you and probably others would like.
The way to stop all this speculation is for MM to publicly state his commitment to Ipswich Town and therefore put an end to interest from ROI. The fact that he hasnt is causing unrest amongst the fans and ultimately the players will be wondering if MM will be there for the next game, if he cant commit to our club then he should say so and go ASAP. As for his successor? Providing we could prise him away from Scotland then Terry Butcher is the only man worth considering, if it comes to it lets appoint a man doing well rather than yet another whose just been sacked by somebody else.
I will be absolutely gutted if Mick leaves but either way a decision needs to be made sooner rather than later! I shudder to think at the calibre of replacement that ME will have lined up!
Lets put it this way, he isn't doing a bad job at inverness cali at the mo. I think if he didn't have connections with the club we would be saying he is out of our reach!
