Results tagged “McCarthy” from Birmingham Mail - Wolverhampton Wanderers Blog

Mick McCarthy does a different sort of turn alongside Johnny Giles and Jack Charlton.....

Some interesting stuff from Mick McCarthy in today's Birmingham Mail and on www.birminghammail.net about the challenge of keeping all his players happy.

Wolves now boast such a well-stocked squad compared to last season that several high-profile figures have found themselves not even sitting on the bench but in the stands.

That perhaps lends itself to the theory that team spirit might be affected, that back-biting and envy might sneak in amid certain battles for places.

And the fact that several players - Freddy Eastwood, Darren Ward and Darren Potter for example - have spoken out about their lack of action has led some to believe there is dissent in the camp.

Not true.

Yes no player is happy when they are not playing, but they are not causing ructions.

I have read on internet messageboards that the fact that the likes of Eastwood, Ward and Potter have spoken to the local press about their predicament suggests 'trouble at mill'.

Again not the case.

Very few footballers ever actually put themselves forward for interview.

Journalists don't arrive at training grounds to be met by queues of players desperate to see their words in print.

At Wolves, all interviews are requested by reporters, the requests are filtered through via the club's press office and the player decides when to speak.

The club's press officers, and indeed Mick McCarthy, adopt an impressively relaxed attitude to such requests.

There's a strong relationship of trust in place between Wolves and the local press, while McCarthy has never once demanded a certain player should be gagged from speaking.

The point I'm making is that Eastwood, Ward and Potter only spoke out after aforementioned requests.

And even then, it's not just a case of flying in like a juggernaut.

Players will sometimes reject interviews if they don't feel the timing is appropriate and Potter for example, a hugely articulate and engaging interviewee, preferred to do his talking on the training pitch before breaking his silence when he regained his place.

A sensible approach.

Eastwood too was extremely thoughtful when initially expressing his frustrations while with Ward there was almost a fortnight's 'cooling off' period after he was dropped before the requests went in.

Another thing worth pointing out, every word of these interviews would have been expressed privately and directly, by the players to McCarthy in any case.

Making them public therefore was not going to change anything with a manager whose open door policy also extends to players being allowed to speak their mind, within reason.

It wasn't a case of 'blowing the whistle' or trying to get a message across of turbulence behind the scenes.

The manager explains today that he feels his treatment of players - always explaining why they are not playing - helps when he eventually does have to call on them as he did with Ward, Kevin Foley and Seyi Olofinjana at Burnley.

The evidence supports such a theory, and while the debates can rage long and hard about McCarthy's selections, the fact that players sometimes express their dismay should not be taken as a sign of conflict.

As a footnote to the earlier blog about Mick McCarthy, talk about keeping a secret!

Turns out that prior to today's 9am press conference, McCarthy had already cycled over 20 miles having joined Alan Shearer and Adrian Chiles on a leg of their epic Sports Relief ride.

It was a right old early start this morning in Burton, just after 6am no less, with McCarthy joining Shearer and Chiles for 19 miles before turning off at Muckley Corner and pedalling all the way to Compton well in time for 9am.

And do you know what? Not only did the Wolves gaffer not breathe a word of his exploits to the assembled audience this morning, he didn't even look out of aforementioned breath!

Top bloke. And brings back memories of a cycle ride McCarthy led while Ireland manager in aid of three hospitals primarily looking after cancer patients.

Now unable to run any great distance thanks to various injuries sustained as a player and indeed having undergone an ankle operation since taking the helm at Wolves, cycling offers McCarthy his biggest fitness kick.

More often than not the early arrivers at his Friday morning press conference will see the helmet-cladded boss powering through the gates to the training ground having already indulged in a lengthy morning workout.

Indeed only recently he carried out a media briefing for the local press after spending over an hour on the bike - an exercise bike - whilst watching a re-run of a previous Wolves game.

And just like this morning, after a couple of warm-down stretches and wiping the sweat from his brow, you would never have known.

....according to the Barnsley fans!
McCarthy is lauded as he leaves the commentary box after assisting Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Alan Hansen during the Tykes' famous FA Cup win over Chelsea at the weekend.

More vintage Mick McCarthy from his morning press conference today.

Conversation got round to McCarthy's hobby of cycling, which is the Wolves' manager's way of keeping fit and enjoying a spot of fresh air.

"Is it also to escape from the pressures of management?" came a question.

"No, no, " replied McCarthy. "Not at all.

"I sit at home in a darkened room screaming to escape the pressures of management."

And later, in the wake of Wolves' having had FIVE genuine penalty appeals turned down in the last two games?

"I hope this FA Cup tie with Cardiff doesn't end up in penalties - we'd only be given three," said McCarthy.

"We'd lose 5-3, they'd score all theirs and we'd score ours."

Any Wolves fans with any fears about the ability under pressure of Mick McCarthy - or indeed those who actually want to see him depart Molineux - would have seen such thoughts dashed by the manager this morning.

McCarthy was in relaxed and good form at his morning press conference, and nothing was going to put him off his stroke.

Not the presence of a photographer taking his picture, an unusual event at a run-of-the-mill press conference, nor even questions about his relationship with owner Steve Morgan.

When the formalities were complete it was left to the press to actually inform Mick that one of his Championship colleagues, Iain Dowie, had been sacked by Coventry.

Amid his sympathy for Dowie and assistant Tim Flowers, the irony wasn't lost on the Wolves boss, who proceeded to start practising his golf swing.

"Tell you what," he said with a smile. "With someone here taking my picture and asking questions about Steve Morgan I'll probably be on the golf course with Iain and Tim by this afternoon...."