Why McCarthy has been an absolute disaster

Phil_bfc deux

Phil_bfc deux

Well-known member
-Completely stuck in his ways and trys to fit players into a pre conceived system

-Doesn't like flair players

-Doesn't like smaller players

-Plays for set pieces

-Instructs players to play long balls

-Doesn't play out from the back

-Doesn't play any sort of possession based football

-Didn't do one jot of homework on the club or players he was taking over

The last time I watched such a negative, long ball playing Blackpool team we had Nigel Worthington in charge, unfortunately Mick will take us down and be remembered as one of our worst ever managers playing some of the dullest football I've ever seen at Bloomfield Road. The board also have to take some of the blame for bringing a manager in who plays such an out dated negative style of football, which given the players we had on our books is completely unacceptable

Even if 3 teams have points deductions we still won't stay up given the way we go into games. January was the time to really have a go at teams playing our creative players on the front foot, this idiot has done the complete opposite with a safety first approach

Not one away point so far under this clown
 
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Phil_bfc deux said:
-Completely stuck in his ways and trys to fit players into a pre conceived system

-Doesn't like flair players

-Doesn't like smaller players

-Plays for set pieces

-Instructs players to play long balls

-Doesn't play out from the back

-Doesn't play any sort of possession based football

-Didn't do one jot of homework on the club or players he was taking over

The last time I watched such a negative, long ball playing Blackpool team we had Nigel Worthington in charge, unfortunately Mick will take us down and be remembered as one of our worst ever managers playing some of the dullest football I've ever seen at Bloomfield Road. The board also have to take some of the blame for bringing a manager in who plays such an out dated negative style of football, which given the players we had on our books is completely unacceptable

Even if 3 teams have points deductions we still won't stay up given the way we go into games. January was the time to really have a go at teams playing our creative players on the front foot, this idiot has done the complete opposite with a safety first approach

Not one away point so far under this clown
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The Blessed Appleton was in charge until mid January. McCarthy managed one game, the FA Cup tie at Southampton. Yet its his fault we didn't attack in January?
 
Phil_bfc deux said:
What the fcuk has the OP got to do with Appleton?

McCarthy came in with 19 games left and several winnable games against bottom half clubs
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You said he had to go for it in January. McCarthy wasn't here. That's the point.

"January was the time to really have a go at teams playing our creative players on the front foot"
 
Wizaard said:
You said he had to go for it in January. McCarthy wasn't here. That's the point.
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He came in after Watford on the 14th January

And I didn't say HE had to go for it in January if you read the OP

I referenced January as we brought in 6 new players

So instead of nick picking what don't you agree with? Surely you can't be enjoying this style of football
 
Phil_bfc deux said:
He came in after Watford on the 14th January

And I didn't say HE had to go for it in January if you read the OP

I referenced January as we brought in 6 new players
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The whole post is a slagging of McCarthy. It's therefore implicit you say HE should have gone for it. In one Cup game against Southampton 😉
 
Wizaard said:
The whole post is a slagging of McCarthy. It's therefore implicit you say HE should have gone for it. In one Cup game against Southampton 😉
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Southampton was probably his best performance so far in footballing terms

At least we tried to play a bit of football

He soon shelved that idea and reverted to type though
 
Have to agree with the first 2 points (pretty difficult not to tbh).

I actually think he's improved us with set pieces both attacking them and defending them, although we've still had the odd defensive horror show (Coventry for example).

I'm not a great fan of "playing out from the back ". I've seen us and many other teams lose possession to a high press. My own view is that very few teams can play out from the back 3/4 very well (just my opinion though).

Our midfield hasn't been good enough this season to play possession football, but recently apart from watching Fiorini and Patino against QPR, there's little argument with the o/p as we've looked to catch teams on the break with a safety first approach. I think that's why CJ has had so many starts.

And yes,shite Away performances have put even more pressure on us at home.

So many opportunities missed,especially with possible points deductions for other sides around us.
 
Dave62 said:
Have to agree with the first 2 points (pretty difficult not to tbh).

I actually think he's improved us with set pieces both attacking them and defending them, although we've still had the odd defensive horror show (Coventry for example).

I'm not a great fan of "playing out from the back ". I've seen us and many other teams lose possession to a high press. My own view is that very few teams can play out from the back 3/4 very well (just my opinion though).

Our midfield hasn't been good enough this season to play possession football, but recently apart from watching Fiorini and Patino against QPR, there's little argument with the o/p as we've looked to catch teams on the break with a safety first approach. I think that's why CJ has had so many starts.

And yes,shite Away performances have put even more pressure on us at home.

So many opportunities missed,especially with possible points deductions for other sides around us.
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The point about playing out from the back is more about having our defenders trying to pass the ball to a team mate instead of just hoofing it or giving it away in mass panic

We have actually conceded more goals under McCarthy for defenders hoofing it up in the air than we ever did under Appleton for actually trying to play out
 
Phil_bfc deux said:
The solution would have been for the club to go for a manager who would have had a better chance of getting the best out of our creative players
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I'm not disagreeing that McCarthy that is well past it but who else is there?

You mentioned Michael Flynn he's not exactly pulling up trees. Duncan Ferguson was suggested by some and look at Forest Green

I do agree with your comment about passing it out from the back but i imagine there are plenty of " get rid of it" shouts from some fans
 
Old_Laytonian said:
I'm not disagreeing that McCarthy that is well past it but who else is there?

You mentioned Michael Flynn he's not exactly pulling up trees. Duncan Ferguson was suggested by some and look at Forest Green

I do agree with your comment about passing it out from the back but i imagine there are plenty of " get rid of it" shouts from some fans
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I have no idea about a new manager as we simple don't know what the club are looking for or who is even interested in the job

McCarthy however was a poor lazy appointment
 
TangerineBayern said:
It’s alright playing it out from the back if you’ve got players who can actually do that and players with confidence we have neither, consequently the ball at our players feet at the moment is like a hot potato and just want to get shut as quickly as possible.
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It's clear to me that the players are instructed to just hoof it

Absolutely zero composure on the ball from any of our defenders under McCarthy
 
Mick has been a disaster same reason Appleton was the players are simply not good enough, we brought in a load of kids on loans who blow hot and cold when most of our best ones like last season Sterling and Whintle where in there 20's.

We got away with it last year playing defensive football so I simply don't buy this attack attack and we'll win a load of games especially with no strikers and our best one who's scored the majority wide out in a 3.
 
Phil_bfc deux said:
It's clear to me that the players are instructed to just hoof it

Absolutely zero composure on the ball from any of our defenders under McCarthy
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It was like that under Appleton and Critchley liked to play it out from the back without much success and to the frustration of the fans at times, the fact remains we didn’t bolster the squad with any quality when it was glaringly obvious and consequently we’re left L1 standard players with very little confidence.
 
Phil_bfc deux said:
The point about playing out from the back is more about having our defenders trying to pass the ball to a team mate instead of just hoofing it or giving it away in mass panic

We have actually conceded more goals under McCarthy for defenders hoofing it up in the air than we ever did under Appleton for actually trying to play out
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I think the only player we have available that would actually want the ball in the middle of the park is Poveda but he's not going to get played there
 
Phil_bfc deux said:
The point about playing out from the back is more about having our defenders trying to pass the ball to a team mate instead of just hoofing it or giving it away in mass panic

We have actually conceded more goals under McCarthy for defenders hoofing it up in the air than we ever did under Appleton for actually trying to play out
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I've no proof, but I suspect you retain possession for more than 2 passes more often by playing it out from the back. In general, not BFC especially. The hoof never seems to lead to much save the odd flick on and the rare goal, which isn't enough to justify doing it 10 times a game, in BFC's case.

The problem playing it out is simply the players involved. For example you'd never give it Thompson to play out, ball as good as lost 50% of the time (again no proof, just feeling). And if he had to have the ball in the LB berth I'd be telling to play a line ball, NOTHING ELSE (or risk a fine) and it's up to JY or CJ, or whoever to know where the ball is going.

Fiorini and Patino are well suited to playing it out, both can turn and face forward, something others in midfield can't do resulting in the back pass and hoof. Can they be told to face the right way and carry the ball?

In my mind you should always look to play the ball out, keeping the ball and not making the ball 50/50 out of 100% possession.
 
Phil_bfc deux said:
I have no idea about a new manager as we simple don't know what the club are looking for or who is even interested in the job

McCarthy however was a poor lazy appointment
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Thommo was an option as he was commentating with Chissy before his recent appointment.

So he was free and he had all the right ideas for how we should/could be playing.

Sadler and co must have been listening and watching replays of the games on TTV so they will have heard Thommo on the comms.

Edit: Appointed as Head of Recruitment at Oldham in November 2022
 
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Phil_bfc deux said:
Southampton was probably his best performance so far in footballing terms

At least we tried to play a bit of football

He soon shelved that idea and reverted to type though
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QPR has been our best game by a country mile since McCarthy took over.
Yes, people will say QPR were a poor side but even so, regardless of how good or bad the opponents are teams still have to do the business.
We actually played FOOTBALL against QPR and it paid dividends.
So sorry Phil, but if you think Southampton was the best game then I have to disagree with you.
Unfortunately Coventry were a better side than us but if McCarthy can just refrain from reverting back to type then this season is far from over.
 
Phil_bfc deux said:
-Completely stuck in his ways and trys to fit players into a pre conceived system

-Doesn't like flair players

-Doesn't like smaller players

-Plays for set pieces

-Instructs players to play long balls

-Doesn't play out from the back

-Doesn't play any sort of possession based football

-Didn't do one jot of homework on the club or players he was taking over

The last time I watched such a negative, long ball playing Blackpool team we had Nigel Worthington in charge, unfortunately Mick will take us down and be remembered as one of our worst ever managers playing some of the dullest football I've ever seen at Bloomfield Road. The board also have to take some of the blame for bringing a manager in who plays such an out dated negative style of football, which given the players we had on our books is completely unacceptable

Even if 3 teams have points deductions we still won't stay up given the way we go into games. January was the time to really have a go at teams playing our creative players on the front foot, this idiot has done the complete opposite with a safety first approach

Not one away point so far under this clown
Click to expand...
Do you know what?..your most valid point is the last one that he didnt do any homework on the players and team he was coming in to manage. It comes across as pure arrogance and as a consequence he hasnt put the best 11 out and hasnt played people in their correct positions...he has maybe stumbled on a reasonable starting 11 now but we are running short of games to turn the tide. Both McCarthy and Appleton have been dreadful appointments and have set the club back years with no guarantees we will bounce back and come up next season. All so avoidable and the board have an awful lot to answer for.
 
He’s been very poor. Worse than I thought he would ever be.

5 away games lost all 5 and bar for 2nd half at Swansea absolutely shocking performances.

He’s only made 2 substitutions that have positively effected the results-

Bowler on as sub v Huddersfield (hard not to do that one)
Garbutt, Gabriel and Thompson v Stoke that made us more solid.

Awful selections and in-game management.

He knew nothing about our players or attempted to prior to working with them or when he got the gig. I’ve give up with his treatment of our best attacking option and one of the best in the League in Josh Bowler but if you want to know how fooking useless he is take the example of Lewis Fiorini.

He’s started in 7 of our games this season. We’ve won 4 of these games he’s started.
We’ve only won 8 games all season. He’s started in 7! He’s won 4 of these.

He plays 45 mins v Stoke and does great. We then don’t see him at Blackburn (that’s fair enough) or inexplicably we don’t see him at Reading. We lose both. Apparently Mick says we didn’t want to rush him at Rovers and Reading wasn’t the game for him. We then don’t pick him v Burnley. Mick says that wasn’t the game for him either and Fiorini probably thinks who is this absolute helmet I’m listening to and wrongly does one when the team is announced. We then don’t see him at Bristol City. Guess what though? The players have a little debate and the next game Fiorini plays v QPR and we win. Obviously he plays v Coventry but then is the first to get hooked in the 2nd half which weakens our midfield. He needs to be starting every game for us & his misuse of him since Stoke highlights how fuckin incompetent and archaic Mick is in his thinking. He’s not identified a basic to maximise out results and performances.

He probably doesn’t know the stats when Fiorini plays. He probably doesn’t care because all Mick wants his cloggers who run around “put a shift in” and hit the corners. Football has changed but Mick hasn’t which was why he was going on a weird one about footballers having headphones on last week… been that way for 15 years.

Can’t wait till he fooks off. Useless.

If anyone can argue any of the above would love to hear it.
 
BFC_BFC_BFC said:
Trying to “Play it out from the back” was where our problems started this season. We can’t do it…Simple as that !!
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We actually tried it under Mick. Reading away, looked nice for 10 minutes then we gave the ball away and conceded. Then for the rest of the game still kind of kept trying it but there was no rhythm to the build up just CB passing to CDM facing backwards back to LB and then eventually giving it away under pressure. Don't see how we have any players for it other than Patino
 
TangerineBayern said:
It was like that under Appleton and Critchley liked to play it out from the back without much success and to the frustration of the fans at times, the fact remains we didn’t bolster the squad with any quality when it was glaringly obvious and consequently we’re left L1 standard players with very little confidence.
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Without much success with Critchley? We comfortably stayed up with a lesser quality squad last season.....
 
Phil_bfc deux said:
-Completely stuck in his ways and trys to fit players into a pre conceived system

-Doesn't like flair players

-Doesn't like smaller players

-Plays for set pieces

-Instructs players to play long balls

-Doesn't play out from the back

-Doesn't play any sort of possession based football

-Didn't do one jot of homework on the club or players he was taking over

The last time I watched such a negative, long ball playing Blackpool team we had Nigel Worthington in charge, unfortunately Mick will take us down and be remembered as one of our worst ever managers playing some of the dullest football I've ever seen at Bloomfield Road. The board also have to take some of the blame for bringing a manager in who plays such an out dated negative style of football, which given the players we had on our books is completely unacceptable

Even if 3 teams have points deductions we still won't stay up given the way we go into games. January was the time to really have a go at teams playing our creative players on the front foot, this idiot has done the complete opposite with a safety first approach

Not one away point so far under this clown
Click to expand...

Absolutely agree. His football belongs back in the 80s. Hopefully the new appointment will embrace football as it’s being played now.
 
When clubs are fearing relegation it tends to be the way of things that they bring in an experienced head who takes things back to the basics. Allardyce and Hodgson are good examples of this. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

If we'd have sacked Appleton earlier then we could have gone for a manager we wanted long term and given them time over the world cup, plus a January window. Unfortunately, we acted far too late and had to go for the last roll of the dice option.
 
-Completely stuck in his ways and trys to fit players into a pre conceived system
'Has his own approach and is doing his best to implement it'

-Doesn't like flair players
'Reprimanding a player (Povada) due to unprofessionalism'

-Doesn't like smaller players
'Answering your own statement as he likes his systems to use long balls'

-Plays for set pieces
'adds to the long ball mentality'

-Instructs players to play long balls
'as above'

-Doesn't play out from the back
'we don't have the players for that to be successful'

-Doesn't play any sort of possession based football
'not gonna work with players like Dougall & Carey in midfield'

-Didn't do one jot of homework on the club or players he was taking over
'Sat with him through the decision making progress were you?'

Im not having a pop, I just think there's so many people that are unrealistic in their expectations... Mick's an old dog and new tricks aren't in their fortay, surely we all know that. Im there with you and many others, I'd love to see us get the ball down and knock it around nicely but confidence is in the toilet and lack of confidence & lack of ability is going to significantly hamper the opportunity to do that.

Long balls into the channel is not a bad system with players like Jerry, Lavery (when fit), Keshi, CJ & Morgz - Bowler doesn't fit that mould because he's a winger that wants it into feet and you'll rarely see him try and run in behind to receive the ball over the top, it's just not his game.

"dullest football" - last two games home games have been high tempo and energetic (until we capitulated against Cov that is) - He's trying and those that don't see that I can't help but question. Was Mick everyone's first pick? I'd say very few... He certainly wasn't mine but Hey... We can bitch & moan or we can get behind the boys at every opportunity! I know which camp Im in...
 
The best and the worst thing about this thread is that people just rinse and repeat the same bullshit and pay no attention to their own or others factual incompetence.

Never has “repeat something often enough and it becomes fact” been more apparent than on AVFTT.

Maybe Mad Mick should take a leaf out of the AVFTT ARMCHAIR EXPERT’s books and simply ‘imagine’ our route to success 😂

He could imagine a world where Josh Bowler dribbles the ball and passes or crosses to a team-mate instead of losing it and forgetting to track back…. Or one where Janice Poveda isn’t wandering around aimlessly thinking about his next solarium session and actually does something remotely useful for a change… He could imagine us gracefully passing the ball out from the back, instead of Grimshaw just passing it straight to the opposition striker for a free shot on goal…

Come up on Big Mick with a head like yours, the possibilities are endless…

Imagine Ian Poveda
And he would really try
Josh would take the Gloves Off
And we might win on Sky

Imagine all the people
Lovin life again

Ah

Imagine there’s no Offside
Then Jerry just might score
No dodgy reffing
And we get three or four

Imagine all the People
Cheering for a goal

You hoo

You might say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope some day that you’ll join us
And put some forwards on
 
It’s been a mixed bag with Mick so far, the problem is we needed better than a mixed bag to pull us out of the shit.

I’m not convinced anyone could have pulled us out of it, I don’t think we have a good group of players. We lack leaders and have some bad apples, mainly the players who people want to see start. I want to see Bowler and Poveda start too but I’m not convinced with either when it comes to attitude.

We have talent in our squad but it only gets you so far. We lack character, discipline and experience.
 
I reckon we should get mccarthy on a long term deal after the season has come to a close, regardless of what league we're in.
 
Phil_bfc deux said:
Instructs players to play long balls
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I know you like making statements based on your gut feelings and I agree with the overall sense of frustration in your o/p.
Like most posters I think "if only".
BUT we have 9 pages of stats and if you have a quick look at those you'll find that the number of long balls played under the last 3 managers is in the same ball park.
In fact I don't think the stats show any big discrepancy between Appy and McCarthy in the total number of passes in a game and the number in our own half (they do in fact fluctuate widely)
In reality the stats show that Appy and McCarthy are just as bad (or good) as one another.
 
BFC_BFC_BFC said:
The best and the worst thing about this thread is that people just rinse and repeat the same bullshit and pay no attention to their own or others factual incompetence.

Never has “repeat something often enough and it becomes fact” been more apparent than on AVFTT.

Maybe Mad Mick should take a leaf out of the AVFTT ARMCHAIR EXPERT’s books and simply ‘imagine’ our route to success 😂

He could imagine a world where Josh Bowler dribbles the ball and passes or crosses to a team-mate instead of losing it and forgetting to track back…. Or one where Janice Poveda isn’t wandering around aimlessly thinking about his next solarium session and actually does something remotely useful for a change… He could imagine us gracefully passing the ball out from the back, instead of Grimshaw just passing it straight to the opposition striker for a free shot on goal…

Come up on Big Mick with a head like yours, the possibilities are endless…

Imagine Ian Poveda
And he would really try
Josh would take the Gloves Off
And we might win on Sky

Imagine all the people
Lovin life again

Ah

Imagine there’s no Offside
Then Jerry just might score
No dodgy reffing
And we get three or four

Imagine all the People
Cheering for a goal

You hoo

You might say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope some day that you’ll join us
And put some forwards on
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I suppose imagining all that would be better than actually watching CJ catch the ball whilst still on the pitch. No imagination needed for that one 🫢

If all that fails, we could bring back Demi Mitchell.
 
Adams Kebab said:
I suppose imagining all that would be better than actually watching CJ catch the ball whilst still on the pitch. No imagination needed for that one 🫢

If all that fails, we could bring back Demi Mitchell.
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We should be so lucky !

CJ is doing just fine by the way… 👍

Rogers too…👍
 
I was optimistic and pleased when Mick was appointed and genuinely thought we’d have a good shot of staying up.

However the original post is spot on, the football is dreadful, we look worse and I’m not letting a shambolic QPR defence change that stance. We clearly aren’t going to keep clean sheets every week so why the negative set ups? Poveda is our best player by a mile but doesn’t use him? I understand there may be issues with him but can’t be that bad if he’s on the bench?

There is absolutely no hope we are staying up and I hope the board have someone good lined up for League one as this season has been an absolute shambles.
 
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