Mick McCarthy: The highs and lows of football's Marmite

Mick McCarthy has left Ipswich in the most Mick McCarthy way possible. The uncompromising Yorkshireman who has made a career out of swearing in press conferences and sexy side-eyes to camera did the ultimate mic drop on Tuesday night.

Reacting to boos from Ipswich fans when young debutant Barry Cotter was substituted in the second half, the Tractor Boys boss said in his post-match press conference: “It was a disgraceful reaction, that but it’s the last time I’ll have to hear it because that’s my last game. I’m out of here,” before slamming the desk and leaving a room full of bemused reporters.

It was the only way he was every going to leave the club, let’s be honest, especially after relationships between the former Ireland manager and the Town supporter base had become increasingly fraught. McCarthy added later on in the evening to the Ipswich media team that he decided over the weekend that Tuesday’s game against Barnsley – which they won by the way! – would be his last.

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“I said I would see the season out but it’s been a new experience and it’s not one I have been enjoying to be honest,” he said. “I have continued to do my job to the best of my ability but there is something missing and I’m not comfortable with that.

“I have had a great time here and worked with some great people and to all those who have given me wonderful support over the last five and a half years – and there are many – I want to put on record my personal thanks.”

What the 59-year-old will do next is anyone’s guess but to commemorate Big Mick’s departure from Ipswich here are the highs and lows of his managerial career so far.

Lows

1. Roy Keane

There are so many amazing things about this moment that really it should be in the highs but technically, losing your country’s captain days before your first World Cup in 12 years is far from ideal.

And the manner of it sent shock waves through Ireland and the rest of the world.
Especially because the fiery Manchester United captain seemed to show a complete lack of regard for basic biology when he told McCarthy, during a 10-minute tirade at a team-meeting that he can “Stick the World Cup up yer b******s”.

It was the culmination of months of friction between the two; with Keane accusing McCarthy and the FAI of being unprofessional in their preparation for the tournament in Japan and Big Mick critical of Keane’s attitude.

Anyway, Keane was sent home, Ireland soldiered on without him and the two of them didn’t make up for another four years.

2. Yuran, my lord?

When McCarthy was in his first managerial post at Millwall he made arguably two of the club’s biggest ever signings. Unfortunately they would go on to become two of the Lions’ worst ever players.

Spartak Moscow duo Sergei Yuran and Vassili Kulkov arrived on loan to the Old First Division side (now Championship) fresh from beating Blackburn Rovers in the Champions League and generally being part of one of Europe’s most exciting teams. How McCarthy convinced them both to join Millwall is anyone’s guess. The £150,000 signing on fees and £5,000-a-week wages probably had something to do with it.

They both flopped, Yuran especially after he decided he couldn’t be bothered. “In England, I gave in to my weaknesses and was soon punished for it. Seven or eight months were just crossed out of my career,” he said years later. Jimmy Nicholl (who became Millwall manager) even said that I was the most unprofessional player he’d ever met. And that was true.

“I forgot about football. I’d turn up for training after yet another wild night at a disco with my beloved new wife [his actual wife having just got married, not Kulkov].”

McCarthy claimed at the time: “The only thing the other players could have possibly learned from him while he was here was how to steal a living.”

3. Frightened by nothing

Let’s face it, a lot of Mick’s lows can also be highs, especially this moment on the touchline while Wolves manager where he appears to get frightened by absolutely nothing.

The best thing about it is that if you watch it again it looks like he quickly plucks one, solitary on an air bass. Legend.

Honourable mentions to…

FA Cup defeat to non-League Lincoln City in 2017 and League Cup defeat to Crawley Town three years earlier…

Highs

1. World Cup 2002

Weirdly, despite the whole Keane incident, Ireland went on to perform admirably well at the 2002 World Cup. It was the height of McCarthy’s career and the players didn’t let him down. They – and he – could easily have blamed Keane-gate for any shortcomings but in the end they prevailed.

The Irish were unbeaten in their group and earned an impressive late draw against eventual finalists Germany thanks to a 92nd-minute equaliser from Robbie Keane.

In the last 16 Keane scored a late goal again to grab another 1-1 draw with Spain but missed penalties by Matt Holland, David Connolly and Kevin Kilbane in the shootout ultimately sent the Boys In Green home. Arguably they could have beaten South Korea in the next round – without dodgy refereeing – where they would have faced Germany again in the semis and who knows what would have happened then.

2. Wolves 2009

Probably the nadir of McCarthy’s career. He had been at for two years and had just missed out on the playoffs the year, while losing to rivals West Brom over two legs the season before, before by the time the 2008-09 rolled around.

The season started well for McCarthy and co; he won the August Championship Manager of the Month Award and his boys rose to the top of the table, eventually going on to match a club record start to a season stretching back to the 1949–50 season.

They never let it slip. Wolves maintained their position at the top of the table over the following months, and McCarthy again scooped the Manager of the Month Award for November. They stayed top from October until they secured promotion to the Premier League by beating QPR 1–0 on 18 April 2009. Impressively early.

The following week McCarthy clinched his second Championship title as a manager after a 1–1 draw at his hometown club Barnsley, and of course won the Championship Manager of the Season Award at the conclusion of the campaign, his side having led the table for 42 of 46 games. Not bad at all.

3. Careless Whisper

The. Greatest. Thing. That. Ever. Happened. Ever.

Honourable mentions to…

Telling his own club’s fans just what he thinks of them after a goal in the Old Farm Derby.

This reaction to a reporter trying to eat sweets during a presser

That hair and that tash.