Former Ireland midfielder Stephen Hunt joined the Keith Andrews Show this week, and had a word of warning for the Ipswich fans that have given Mick McCarthy a rough ride of late.
The former Republic of Ireland manager left his post at Portman Road this week, with a little barb in his final press conference to the fans that had often chanted against him and booed his decisions. “I’m out of here,” was his particular Mic(k) drop.
“They spent three million in five-and-a-half years – I think it was 71 free transfers. The turnover of players when you are on a very small budget is very, very difficult. I know the way he works from my Ipswich days – Wolves was a bit different, but he was successful. I think with the Ipswich fans, they will only realise how good he is when he is gone. “
Stephen gave some insight into Mick’s personality from his experience working with him when Hunt was player at Ipswich, with reference to Mick’s controversial celebration aimed at his own fans during the East Anglian derby.
“There is a reason why Mick is successful. Deep down, [the celebration] was at the Ipswich fans, I reckon. But he’ll tell me to bugger off too, in certain situations! But that was him, that was what made him successful – he was stubborn, he is good, he believes in himself and he is the boss.”
Hunty was also bullish on Mick’s prospects for future employment, and had a word of warning for Ipswich fans.
“[Mick is] low maintenance. Managers can often ask for this and that, but ‘tell me your budget and I’ll work away with it’ is what he will do. He comes with his loyal assistant, Terry Connor, who he trusts and who will be with him. They will be missed in Ipswich on the training ground, from the staff at the ground.”
“You are going to have to look at changing the whole squad if you are the [next] manager, and you won’t be allowed to do that. Budget-wise, it accounts for 10% of [the owner’s] business. But it’s an awful lot to the Ipswich fans that go every week. But be careful what you wish for.”
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