MICK McCARTHY EXPRESSED his relief after his Ipswich Town side moved a step closer to securing their Championship status for next season with a 3-0 win at home to Wigan Athletic last night.
Ireland international David McGoldrick was on target for the Tractor Boys as they moved nine points clear of the relegation zone with six fixtures remaining.
McCarthy has endured heavy criticism from Ipswich supporters in recent months. Last night’s win was just their third in 19 games so far in 2017. There was subsequently a more upbeat atmosphere at Portman Road, but the former Ireland boss wasn’t reading too much into it.
He told the East Anglian Daily Times: “At the start of the second half, it looked like we were conspiring to give a goal away, which was infuriating me I have to say. He’s a good footballer, Myles [Kenlock], he really is, and yet I was going to kill him for giving a free-kick away just after half-time that allowed them to get the ball in the box.
I had punters behind me saying ‘Leave him alone’. If it had ended up in our net it would have been ‘Mick McCarthy, your football is shite’.
“See your job out. We’re 2-0 up and you don’t do that. There are a lot of aspects of tonight’s game I am delighted with and others I am furious with. It’s about being ruthless and not letting teams off the hook.”
In relation to the fans, McCarthy said: “Win games and they will come and they will cheer and they’ll be happy, that’s all it is.
“Free pies, free pints, fucking half price, cushions on the seats, happy clappy, it’s all bollocks.
“You win games and people like you, and that’s all it is. I don’t know, maybe I’ve gone a bit too far, even winning games might not turn a few of them around, but I’ve always found when you win games it’s a really good recipe for a happy place and a good place.
“When you’re winning games it’s a piece of cake, the job. It’s when you’re not winning, I think that’s how you’re judged — and how you judge yourself probably because it’s tough, let me tell you.”
