LET’S BE POSITIVE, PLEADS STAND-IN BRYAN
IPSWICH caretaker-boss Bryan Klug says it “breaks his heart” to see a rift between fans and the club after he took charge for the remainder of the season.
After a campaign of discontent at Portman Road, Mick McCarthy brought his six-year term in the hotseat to a dramatic end after Tuesday’s 1-0 win over Barnsley, announcing: “I’m out of here.”
The former Wolves and Sunderland boss was due to leave the Championship club at the end of the season but departed four games early.
McCarthy, 59, was abused by some sections of the Ipswich support at Brentford last Saturday, with Klug disappointed that McCarthy had to be escorted to the team bus afterwards.
Klug, 57, said: “There are certain things that have happened. It’s totally wrong that a manager of Ipswich Town has to be escorted from a ground.
“Whatever’s gone on that’s prompted me having to be here, that should never, ever happen. That’s not the club I know. It’s not the people I know. That’s all I really want to say about it.
“The only other thing to say is, can we be positive now? Can we please be positive? I can’t stress that enough.
“I live in the town. I’ve lived in the town for 40 years now since I came down in 1977, so I know what the club means to everybody and it breaks your heart to hear people talk a certain way.
“Even at academy level, that’s started to affect our recruitment – and that’s never happened before.”
Klug also pointed out he’s not interested in the manager’s job full-time and revealed that Tractor Boys captain Luke Chambers will assist him.
McCarthy’s assistant manager, Terry Connor, has also left Portman Road, with Under-23s coaches Chris Hogg and Gerard Nash helping Klug lead the first team.