When Will Mick Ever Learn?

When asked by the press about possible team changes for the match away to Derby Derby in the Championship tomorrow night, our manager Mick McCarthy came out with yet more nonsense. ‘I think they`ll all be OK and I was delighted with the performance (against Reading). We played well.’

We played well? If that is the case then you must have been watching an entirely different game than me!

I admit that Reading played poorly too but to suggest that we played well, when we gave two needless penalties away and rarely had a shot on target is quite frankly mind-boggling.

It was because our manager decided that a point would do, against a side that was struggling for form that was the catalyst for this unconvincing display and lead to us going home with zero points to show for our efforts.

The fact that our manager decided to leave Tom Lawrence, Conor Grant and Lion Best on the bench and instead bring on Luke Varney tells you everything you need to know about Mick’s mindset.

And when will our manager ever learn that Luke Chambers is NOT a wing back? How many times does he have to be skinned alive by wingers and forwards alike before the penny finally drops.

Is it any wonder too that Freddie Sears has lost all of his confidence because he is now a winger and not a centre forward anymore – which is where all of his goals came from?

I cannot fathom our manager out sometimes. He hints that he wants the team to play exciting football and yet even without Daryl Murphy, hoof-ball is the order of the day and will continue to be unless he starts to select players who have a bit more quality.

I can only assume that he did not play Conor Grant because he was not entirely match-fit and perhaps the same goes for Tom Lawrence? But if that really is the case then why not give them a bit of game time in the closing stages so that they can acquire some match fitness, or don’t put them on the bench at all.

I was gobsmacked when he brought on Varney when there was so much talent on the bench – just itching to play some part.

Lion Best would surely have been a shrewder option if we had any intention of sneaking a goal near the end. After all he is scoring goals, which is something Luke Varney seriously struggles to do and I think that McCarthy’s poor substitutions were the main reason for this miserable failure.

We played well? If that is the way you see things Mick then I don’t want to be around when you admit to us playing badly!


Frank Weston – Editor of Vital Ipswich