THE NEW FIRM IS SETTLING IN NICELY
MICK McCarthy just loves receiving gifts from the blue half of Glasgow.
In his two seasons at Celtic, he won one league title and back-toback Scottish Cups. The second, in 1989, came after pipping city rivals Rangers in his final game for the Hoops.
Almost two decades on, as manager of Ipswich Town, McCarthy returned for more, stealing wantaway strike pair Joe Garner and Martyn Waghorn for a combined £1.6 million – and he couldn’t be more delighted!
Between them, the former Gers duo have netted five times already this season and helped the Blues to a 100 per cent Championship record from three matches before yesterday's visit of Brentford.
With many touting the cashstrapped Tractor Boys to struggle this season, it’s a start which has surprised even McCarthy himself.
Though the 58-year-old is far too wise to get carried away at this fledgling stage of the season, he reckons he may have just picked up a bargain double from north of the border.
Both netted in the thrilling 4-3 win at Millwall last Tuesday, leaving McCarthy gushing.
“I had a good time in Glasgow, me,” he joked. “I won the double and the cup, and I nicked the cup off the Rangers team in my last game. Now I’ve just nicked two strikers off them and I’m delighted with the pair of them.”
Waghorn, in particular, has proved an instant hit with the Portman Road faithful, scoring three times in his first 135 minutes of football, and McCarthy admits his new addition has settled in quicker than expected.
“I knew Waggy was a good player, but he’s surprised me. He’s better than I thought,” he added. “He’s versatile. He’s playing wide right yet his movement in the box is very good.”
Despite the strike pair’s fine start, Town's fourth win from four matches, including their 2-0 Carabao Cup success at Luton Town, was sealed by defender Jordan Spence. His 88th-minute header saw off the club where McCarthy started his managerial career.
“It was a real test for us tonight, but you can never question the character of my players,” McCarthy said. “It was great to see the scenes at the end and the fans enjoying themselves.
“But, as I said on Saturday, it’s just a start. We have 43 more league games to go. We are not getting carried away.
“We got really lucky on Saturday (a 2-1 win at Barnsley), especially first half, but there’s a certain thing about staying with it when you are having a tough time. The same could be said today as, at 3-3, they were favourites to win it. They’re a belligerent bunch, which is nice.
Winner
“Our front five were magnificent, but we had to withstand a barrage. The irony is it’s a defender that’s scored the winner with a header from a free-kick.
“We’ve scored some good goals but we’ve conceded three as well, so that’s disappointing.”
McCarthy’s turn in fortunes is even more surprising given that no fewer than ten of his squad were missing on Tuesday through injury or illness.
As a result, Spence – usually a wing-back – has had to drop into centre-back, to partner captain Luke Chambers, but still popped up to glance home the winner from Grant Ward’s free-kick.
Spence grew up at the academy of Millwall’s big rivals West Ham, but insisted his claret and blue connections didn’t make his timely intervention any sweeter.
“Of course, I grew up at West Ham and this was always a big fixture when those two sides played each other, but I’m a Town player now and the most important derby for me now is the Norwich one,” said the 27-yearold former MK Dons man.
“Three points was the aim when we came here and we carry on the momentum from the first two games.”