Feeling under pressure for derby victory? Not at all
CARDIFF City boss Mick McCarthy has a full squad to choose from for this weekend’s crucial South Wales derby – and says he has the backing of the board despite the Bluebirds’ poor run of form.
Cardiff are languishing at the wrong end of the table heading into the clash at the Swansea. com Stadium, losing the last five league games on the spin.
Despite their predicament, McCarthy says he’s had nothing but support from the City hierarchy and maintained his focus was on beating their traditional rivals on Sunday. Here’s what he had to say.
Question: Five defeats... are you feeling the pressure?
Mick McMaCarthy: Under pressure to get results, always, no matter where you are.
I get what you’re asking. If you think I’m under any pressure other than wanting to win the game on Sunday, then no, I’m not feeling that.
It’s a lot easier when you’re winning, that’s for sure.
You have to stick together and keep doing what you believe in.
At some point you’re going to get a result and who knows, that might start Sunday.
Q: Have you been unlucky?
MM: No. At Blackburn we started well but I didn’t see us get opened up like we did. Against Coventry, West Brom, I thought we were really poor in those games to be honest.
Q: Fans been vocal, what’s it mathew.davies@walesonline.co.uk
going to take to get them back onside?
MM: You know the answer, winning games. Playing well against Reading, the crowd were great, fabulous against Reading.
Performances are important, but results are the most important thing and we’ve not been getting them.
Any stick I’ve been getting after West Brom, Coventry, Blackburn, thoroughly deserved, for all of us.
Reading was a different ball game. Can we produce that performance? If we do then we can win the game.
Q: Is there no pressure from the top?
MM: I’ve only had support from the top.
When that question is asked, it’s always about the job. I fully understand that if you lose games you lose your job.
That’s not what creates the pressure.
What creates the pressure is the game against Swansea.
I’m under pressure to get a performance and a result, if we don’t, I fully understand the rules of the game.
Q: Being brutal, you’ve not been told you’ve got to win Sunday?
MM: Not at all.
Q: And you don’t feel that, either?
MM: Not at all.
If we do lose it only adds more fuel to the fire.
‘Are you worried about it? Under pressure?’ If I let that bother me I couldn’t do this job.
But we need a result on Sunday.
Q: Time to work on positives from Reading?
MM: Well, we’ve had six of the players around the place!
The answer is probably no. Working on anything [has been hard].
We’ve had a lot of players away. It’s been different.
It’s only today we’ve got everybody back in.
Q: Have you spoken to your experienced players about the derby?
MM: I’ve had a few derbies in my life! They are always high profile and I love that about them.
If you can win them then they are brilliant. If you lose them it leaves you pretty low, even more so the fans.
Players and managers come and go but fans are always there. They love the bragging rights.
Q: What you expecting from Swansea?
MM: They like to have possession of the ball, they keep the ball for fun.
Play at the back, try and open you up, it’s important for us to be compact.
We are looking forward to the game.
Q: Was an empty stadium last
season, will make a difference this time?
MM: A derby game is always special to everyone who is there. It was benign, the last game, but I fully understand this one won’t be.
Q: ‘The double’?
MM: It was important, that. You saw it at the end when the players got in the huddle. Swansea did it at our place, rubbed our noses in it. So I don’t blame them for doing that.
Q: What’s been your favourite derby?
MM: I hope Sunday ends up being my favourite! But it’ll do a lot to top the Celtic-Rangers game when we won the cup.
But if we win on Sunday it might just top it.
Q: Five red cards in last 13 games in the derbies, crowds back, how do you stop that?
MM: You can speak about it all you like and ask them to be calm. Passionate hearts, calm heads… the last time I used that one someone was sent off one minute into the second half!
It’s difficult.
It’s the game that creates that feeling inside you.
It gets you going and gets you at it. The noise, the atmosphere that inspires people.
I’m hardly the one to be saying to anyone to be calm, because you actually want that passion and people to be caring and putting in tackles. You just hope it’s not overzealous.