MICK DOES THE TRICK

AS A neutral, it’s difficult not to like Mick McCarthy, who can add a joke to the oddly serious world of football which, it has to be remembered, is a game about kicking a ball. But after a few years in the doldrums and some questionable football, Ipswich fans ended last season wanting change in the dug-out. McCarthy earned some breathing space with an opening-day win. And on his return to his hometown of Barnsley, he oversaw a two-goal turnaround — goals scored by his two half-time substitutes.