Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
MICK THE KNIFE
Mccarthy planning for major rebuilding job
MICK MCCARTHY is summoning the strength for a summer of backbreaking rebuilding at Cardiff.
The Bluebirds manager admits any realistic hopes of making the play-offs have gone and he is already rolling his sleeves up for some heavy-duty reconstruction work.
Adam Armstrong’s 90th minute equaliser has left Cardiff nine points adrift of sixth place.
Former Republic of Ireland boss Mccarthy said: “I’ve been here nearly two months, so you’re always evaluating it and calculating what you need, what’s not going to be here.
“We’ve got players on loan who are very unlikely to be coming back and we’ll be losing a bit of quality there.
“The next five games, we want to win them and get points, but we will have an eye on what’s happening next season.”
The failure to make the Premier League will mean loaned trio Harry Wilson, Sheyi Ojo and Jordi Osei-tutu are unlikely to hang around, while others such as Junior Hoilett and goalkeeper Alex Smithies could also be on the move.
Even if Cardiff could improve the form that has brought them one win in seven games, realist Mccarthy knows it would take an unfeasible collapse of their rivals to make the top six. “Whether we won all our games or not, the other teams are capable of winning theirs,” he said.
Blackburn will also do well to hold on to their prized asset, Armstrong, whose two goals put him on 21 for the Championship season.
Only Ivan Toney at Brentford and Norwich’s Teemu Pukki have scored more and Rovers boss Tony Mowbray is clear why the likes of Everton and West Ham have been linked with the 24-year-old.
“Adam has got a ‘no back-lift’, a punchy shot off both feet and that’s something he developed as a kid,” said Mowbray. “He has the ability to swivel either way with his back to goal and if you give him an inch, he’ll score a goal.” Armstrong’s first leveller came after Will Vaulks (left, celebrating) had put Cardiff in front, while his composed second claimed a point after Joe Ralls had put the Bluebirds ahead again.