I'm going to try to keep this in context and be constructive, but bear with me ! First of all, McCarthy was brought in with operation survival in mind. When he came in, we were 4 or 5 points adrift, now we're 6 clear, so the job he has done so far has been remarkable. However, I think an improvement of form has coincided with expectations increased. It's natural, we all do it! Go on a good run, we suddenly think we " should be " beating X Y and Z, lose a few and we can't see where the next win is coming from! I must say on the back of us bossing a lot of the game at Cardiff, selfishly I saw Barnsley at home, and Bristol City away as a great chance of 6 points with us shooting up the table! ( had this happened we'd be 16th on g diff ) However - football doesn't work like that. Take last season, 5-1 home to West Ham and 1-0 away. Funny old game! McCarthy is working miracles with the squad he has inherited. I actually thought prior to today's game, we have a much better squad than our position suggests. With the players at our disposal, top half should be completely achievable. I would like to backtrack from that opinion, this is quite a mess he has inherited, please lets simply survive, get the players we so badly need next season, and push on. ( unless we sign 2 or 3 by Jan 31 that is ) As for today's game, where do I start ? The match as a whole was absolutely garbage by both sides. I really mean that, it wouldn't have looked out of place in league 2. Simply dreadful! BOTH were very direct, with our diagonal direct balls or long balls down the line more effective than theirs. Both teams had defenders so very uncomfortable and clueless on the ball. Zero composure. First half we were certainly the better side. We at least attempted to play some form of on the deck football at times, albeit with very very slow tempo and very safe passes ( I will comment on each player below ). 1-0 was deserved ( looked a good finish from the other end ), and we had at least appeared rather solid. Bristol City looked completely out of their depth, and it was patently obvious why they were bottom. Though we were far from playing good football, it was a decent first half from us. The only good move of the match by either side was wasted by Lee Martin, reading online from apparently 4 yards. VERY decent move that, shame the finish didn't match. 1-0 half time, we could have perhaps been two up. Question - would we push on second half, and gain the three points, or would the home side play any better ? All of a minute into the game ( so it seemed ) they did a decent move with Orr missing a tackle. Ball went to Davies, smash, 1-1. Felt sickening, and straight away it became obvious why we are where we are in the table. Literally not much of note happened in this abysmal match apart from a cracking long range Cresswell drive, someone ( couldn't see who ) looked like they should have followed up, then McGoldrick went wide from a hideous angle. 90 minutes on the clock, we all know what happened. Fair play Stead. As for the players- Loach - Sod all to do bar pick the ball out the net twice. Had one save any of us could have made, their first goal looked central ( though absolutely thumped ) I'd like to see that again. Zero chance on the second, defender looked turned far too easily. Back four I'm actually going to bypass as they didn't have a lot to do and I really cannot remember what each did. Terrible I know, but I really cannot! Midfield however I very much can............... here boys and girls we have problems! BIG problems! We have TWO wingers incapable of beating a man, or even trying to. Edwards didn't try ONCE ALL GAME to beat his man, Martin tried first half twice with little success. Edwards did absolutely NOTHING all game, yet remained on 90. No chance Nouble could have had a run out?! Looked lively at Cardiff............. The forwards need supply and they are receiving NOTHING out wide. Centre mids - ZERO creativity and both LOVE to slow the game down to a snails pass and pick the safest passes on earth. Seriously, we cannot have N'daw and Hyam in the side. One is absolutely fine ( so N'daw as he's miles better ). Maybe on away games at present, it's good to be solid and play this brand of footy to pick up points, but jesus, the front line are getting NOTHING from central midfield. No tempo, no decent balls to go for, no through balls, it's poor. Murphy had a cracking game, and I have no idea why he was taken off. Well done Murphy, think Alan Lee's battering ram days. I've been very critical of him out wide, but more than happy with Murphy up top! McGoldrick was quite poor. I thought he was quicker than it appears he is, and didn't offer an awful lot. Tried, workrate there, but perhaps the quality is showing............. As for our " tactics " - well I was less than impressed with how long we took to take anything all through the game. Very unhappy with how slow the tempo was, the complete lack of intensity, the midfield not linking up with the forwards, etc etc need I go on. McCarthy is however doing a cracking job at present, but he's clearly firefighting. We have certainly appointed the right man for the job, but he has his work cut out for sure. That was an absolutely dreadful match, and believe me, I would have been very critical had we won. I said at half time to my friend this is absolutely dreadful, which it was. We deserved a point realistically, possibly just about edged it. Rant over, not a happy tractor boy, and not simply because we lost. We have issues, maybe bigger than I thought.
Here's how I see it. Jewell actually had a lot right, apart from terrible organisation of the back four. McCarthy came in and sorted the basics, organised us and got instant results. Our players have the ability, but we've seen time and again that something at the club is rotten and talented players can't be arsed, can't even pass the ball. It's up to Mick now to find a way to scare the **** out of the players. There's also nothing wrong with bringing in **** players, it happens - just don't give them game time. And if there's something up with Edwards then get him out of that team and throw Nouble, Carson or JET in!
Didn't see the game so cant comment with any real authority on that. But here's my feelings more generally. I still believe we have a first team squad with the ability to finish top half of the championship. The problem it seems McCarthy and Jewell before him are having is getting it consistently out of them, to instill some lasting belief. I.e. Martin - he does have an ed product on him. I remember seeing his run and goal at Birmingham (my choice for goal of last season), the way he set up DJ for his first goal. Those two just from the top of a head of a fan who doesn't get to witness many games. JET - Everyone knows exactly about him. Cresswell - Last season everyone was praising his deliverys into the box, this season reports are coming back is that he's average. Carson - only he knows what happend to the player that first broke through. Smith - Seems on a whim to fluctuate between future captain rock at back, to being far from good enough. Chopra - Sometimes it seems as if hes shaken everything off, other times hes anonymous Edwards - I think if McCarthy isnt happy with him at RB then we should replace he has gone rapidly downhill since MM has come in. But when he was at right back, again performances seem to differ every week. I could go on and on with every player. I find Westy's comments about Hyam interesting, Is he not the player we all thought he was when he wasnt getting the game time? The team i would pick. (In my favoured formation 42121.) GK: Loach RB: Hewitt CB: Chambers CB:Smith LB: Cresswell DM:Hyam DM: N'Daw AM: JET - Really I imagine it more of a central attacking "free role" - explained below. RW: Nouble LW: Martin ST: Murphy I realise this is a Lone striker formation, that people will criticise for splitting up what seems to be a promising partnership of Mcgoldrick and Murphy however i think it offers the most potential for fluidity in attack and defence. Attackwise - JET will naturally play up high - hes a natural glory seeker, it's kind of inevitable. Does JET have the concentration to play a central midfield role - well he'll be forced to, and i agree with the sentiment that the more he sees of the ball the more of him we'll see. The overall point being with JET playing AM if we are on top of the game there could be a seamless switch to an odd 4-2-4 formation. Defensewise - Hyam and N'daw seem naturally to be defensive minded players that have been widely praised for offering the back four the protection they need. When we need to flood midfield, just bring the wingers back down the pitch further. ( I realise thats a moot point - they should be tracking back anyway. but im trying to say that it can be quickly and easily done) This will leave the team with the wide players to be able to spring a counter attack quickly as they move back higher up the pitch). Bench: ALB - Kinda a forced option but I have no real qualms with picking him. Kisnorbo- Edwards - Back up for the right side Luongo - Does that breach loan rules?/do we still have him? if available, back up for JET, if not that bench place goes to Drury Carson - Surprising choice maybe but i cant think of anyother left hand side cover, and as already mentioned, theres a good player and in there somewhere. McGoldrick - Replacement striker, gives an option to reforge partnership and therefore mix things up if needed sub number 7 i would use as a fluid reward/youth space to give any player whos impressed somewhere an opportunity.
And I think Mick will do exactly that, he wasn't happy at all at the press conference afterwards! Even though we lost I feel so much safer in MM's hands than PJ purely for the fact he has some passion which hopefully will rub off on the players (and if it doesn't.. replace them)
I think long-term we'll all be delighted with what McCarthy is currently doing! He simply has to go back to basics, make us tighter, get points any how then work on other things. Just found that game very difficult to watch yesterday, shocking from both !
I think we all know MM is the right man. He knows the league inside out. And of course we're all bitterly disappointed with last 2 results. We all have our opinions on who should be playing and where and has been said on here before when we lose we all have an opinion when we win these pages are far quieter. MM target was survival. He'll do that then let him loose in the summer and Evans and clegg better back him,then hopfully next season we'll be up where we belong.
As I said in another thread, I think McCarthy is a good manager and one which will keep us up this year but sometimes I feel frustrated he sometimes shoots himself in the foot due to him being set in his ways and being too stubborn. He limits himself which is why I think he's never gone on to be a top top manager and only kept clubs in the lower regions of the PL, I really think hhe could do this but he's too set in his ways Putting it in context as others have said if you've told me 3 months ago we were where we are now I'd be delighted but there's still things I think could've been done better. PJ had many faults but actually he got our midfield paying fairly well, it was fluid and created alot of chances our problems under Jewell were defensive and finishing. McCarthy has sorted the defence out but in the process really stunted our midfield which was IMO one of our strengths previously and it's hard to judge how could our strikers are because they're not really getting the service! I do think on the whole though they are pretty average, I haven't been overly impressed with Mick signings so far. I'm starting to think we might be regrettin letting Luongo go back as even though he was a DM he was a good passer of the ball and we haven't really go that atm. I tend to think we actually don't have an awful team, we have some good players but it does need strengthening, what we don't have are players to fit into how Mick wants us to play!! We all know he's a 442 man but I think until we have the players who can play this system we need to be a bit more open to other formations!! I'd like to see us go 4231 with: Loach Hewitt, Chambers, Smith, Creswell Drury, N'Daw Martin, JET, Murphy Nouble Whatever happens we need to change up that midfield somehow you can't have 2 overly defence minded CMs and 2 continuiely ineffective wingers. Something has to change, bring JET in or even Carson, or put Murphy back on the left, something needs to change!!
I would also like to see a change in formation, playing 1 up front does not have to be a negative tactic, with the right player it can actually see us getting more players in and around the box. I have wanted us to try this type of formation for a while now, i would pick a slightly different line up; Loach Hewitt, Chambers, Smith, Creswell Hyam, N'Daw Martin, JET, Murphy McGoldrick This is on the asumption that nobody new is in this week, although TBH I can see us signing a number of players, I think we may see arriving this week; striker x 1 midfield x 2 CB x 1 RB x 1 GK x 1
I'm sorry but as ever ptc I just don't share your opinions on MM and I guess I never will. He has been here just 3 months and in this time he has dragged us from being bottom of the league to being 6 points clear of the relegation places. As for him being too set in his ways and shooting himself in the foot I just don't know where you are coming from with this! Mick has these players on the training ground every day so he will know this group of players a damn site better than we do! The first requirement for a side that is leaking goals is to tighten things up at the back and to make it harder to beat. Mick has done that over time and of course he recognises that we need more of a goal threat but he inherited a limited bunch of players who are capable at this level. Jet is a waster, Chopra is beset by off field problems, Carson is not good enough so who does that leave? I expect that he will pull a few more rabbitts out of the hat before the end of the week and we will see some new faces in before next Saturday. McCarthy may have not been your choice and you have made that quite clear but to make sweeping statements on his managerial record is just plain silly and doesn't help matters. Survival this season is all that matters as I have kept saying all along and in Mick we have the best possible chance of survival. Let us remember that your Mr Holloway actually got Leicester relegated when they were in a similar position a few years ago! Mick has never suffered a relegation Keep the faith and trust Mick
I tend to agree with JWM I'm not sure what people expected Mick to do when he first came in! He wanted to sort out the defence; he did it. He wanted competition for places up top; he did it. If it is really something as simple as bringing in a couple of midfielders to have a team challenging for promotion then to do all that in 3 months is a miracle!
I do struggle with the many hypocracies in your posts sometimes JWM I'm sorry to say!! I think out of anyone on here you make more sweeping statements than the rest of us put together!! Like I've said I think Mick will do well here, he's a good manager, especially at this level and I think it was a good appointment by the club!! But as I say he has his limitations where I think he's good enough to be a top manager in the PL but because he's so stubborn/set in his ways, he never will be!! He wasn't my preffered choice I did want us to go for someone with a bit less of the workman like about them, I don't think Holloway was my preffered choice, although I do like him!! But the club ultimatily perhaps made the sensible choice and didn't want to take a gamble. Although saying all this, if our performances continue the way they have been the past month we will get relegated
Yes I think he is a very good young manager. I would've been nice to have given someone young and up and coming a chance at a club like Ipswich to build the club up again playing good football signing some gems from the lower league. But yes he would have been a risk and Mick was probably the safest option out there!! What is funny about Tisdale? am I missing a joke or is it your warped sense of humour?
Every manager has his weaknesses, Mick is no different, I have to say I do not think PTC is being overly critical of Mick, he does start of by giving him praise. Mick does have a game plan that he does not stray to far from, you do need to adapt depending on who you are playing & also how a game is going. Mick has done wonders in the short time he has been with us, but things do need changing up or we may well back in the bottom 3 by the end of Feb. An example & one I think all will agree on, how is Edwards still getting in the team.....he has been poor (that is being kind) for weeks.
Hoppers of course I agree that Mick hasn't strayed too far from his adopted tactics and formation but lets face it he doesn't have a huge amount of quality to choose from does he! This isn't Mick's team and I don't think for one minute that the majority of players here would ever be in a Mick McCarthy team but needs must. Edwards, Martin, Chopra, JET, Carson will all be shown the door in the summer that's for sure! We are suffering from the Keane and Jewell years of mismanagement and it will take a long time top get us back on track.
Thanks Hoopers, like I've said I think Mick is a good manager but he does have obvious limitations. Very good points made, and considerably clearer than I would've been able to make them in far less words
The point you fail to make in context is that Mick has been severely limited by the complete lack of quality available to him while he's been here! This is not Mick's team
Thats true JWM but like I've said he's atm sticking to 442 when really with the players we've got other formations would more likely get more out of our current set of players. In the end when he gets his own team perhaps yes go 442 when you've got the wingers he wants but atm the midfield simply isn't working, he's sent back a playmaker (Luongo) and apart from Drury we now no longer have any real creativity in the middle of the park. The you've got Edwards and Martin on the wings who are not up to it atm. It's clear that something needs to change there and until we get players in I think he needs to look at changing it!!
