The wily Yorkshireman is back in the Championship with the Bluebirds, and he starts with a fixture on familiar territory
MARGARET Thatcher was waiting in the snooker room at Hampden Park on 14 May 1988. She was, rather controversially, the guest of honour for that afternoon’s Scottish Cup Final between Celtic and Dundee United.
Before the game, it was arranged that both teams would meet the then-Prime Minister and shake her hand. But not everyone was so keen, including the new City manager.
Some years later, Celtic forward Andy Walker recalled: “A few didn’t get involved and the one who refused point-blank was Mick McCarthy. He was from Barnsley and the son of a miner. Shaking hands with her was a no-no for Mick.”
He may have represented the Republic of Ireland at international level, but McCarthy is a proud Yorkshireman. He started his career at hometown club Barnsley, making over 300 appearances for the Tykes and is considered one of the club’s greatest players.
So it’s fitting that tomorrow, Barnsley will be the first opponents for McCarthy in his new role as Cardiff City manager. It comes nearly three years after his last game in the Championship – a 1-0 win for his Ipswich Town side against, naturally, Barnsley. There’s always a narrative.
McCarthy chuckles as the connection is mentioned: “We’ve got Millwall next [where he was a player and manager] and then Bristol City where TC [assistant Terry Connor] was. I don’t know if we can get any more affinities with any other clubs! Barnsley is my hometown and I love the place, but I want to go back and win, believe me.”
Winning has to be the sole aim for Cardiff at the moment, with their promotion hopes hanging in the balance. A run of five consecutive defeats led to the dismissal of Neil Harris last week, and McCarthy takes over with the club 15th in the Championship table and 13 points behind the top six.
“It all hinges on results, there’s no doubt about that,” McCarthy said when asked about his aims. “I listened to Pep Guardiola talking about the sacking of Frank [Lampard] and he said, the great Pep Guardiola, it’s all about results. If you don’t get results you’re in trouble.”
The 61-year-old found that out in his last job at Apoel, where he was sacked just two months into the role with the perennial Cypriot champions only a point above the relegation zone.
Now McCarthy is back in the familiar surroundings of the English second tier, but he knows how tough the rest of the season will be: “You look at the Championship and no matter who you’re playing, you never look at it and think ‘that will be easy’. We’ll have to get through this with a real togetherness and hard work.
“I’m experienced but I’ve not experienced English football during the pandemic. This is new to me. But I do know the league, I do know the teams and I do know the players.”
Cardiff have won all of their last five meetings with Barnsley, and won 3-0 in the reverse fixture in the Welsh capital at the start of November. That was the Tykes’ first defeat under Valerien Ismael and left them 18th, but they have since leapfrogged Cardiff and are now in 12th – five points better off than the Bluebirds.
Barnsley ended 2020 just three points behind the top six, but have lost their first three league games of the new year to promotion-chasing Norwich City, Swansea City and Watford to fall away from the play-off picture.
At the weekend they beat Norwich 1-0 in the FA Cup, leaving them as only one of three Championship sides definitely in the fifth round.
Callum Styles was the match-winner against the Canaries and will again be one to watch out for tomorrow. Naturally a central midfielder, the 20-year-old has slotted in seamlessly at left wing-back over the last few months and continues to be touted as one of the hottest young prospects in the Championship.
Styles and top scorer Cauley Woodrow have both been linked with moves away from Oakwell this month, as has captain Alex Mowatt, but for the now the trio will be the key dangermen that Cardiff must keep quiet on Wednesday.
“Barnsley will be a real test for us,” McCarthy said. “They’re a real high energy team with a high press. They’ll certainly be up for it after their result on Saturday.
“We’ll have to be organised and not concede. If you’re in a state where you’ve lost six in a row and concede, you can see it in players straight away. We’ve got to have a real solid performance and only off the back of that will we get confidence.”
As for his own team selection, McCarthy was giving little away but did admit he had a starting 11 in mind for Wednesday night.
He revealed that Greg Cunningham is back in training after a recent injury, but said that new signing Max Watters pulled out of Monday’s session with an Achilles problem and would be assessed ahead of the match. Marlon Pack is eligible again after being suspended against Queens Park Rangers.
When a new manager arrives there are fresh opportunities for players who have found game time limited, meaning the likes of Josh Murphy and Junior Hoilett will be keen to impress if given the chance.
Whether it lasts until the end of the season or beyond, there is certainly an air of anticipation for the Mick McCarthy era at Cardiff City, and there would be no better way to start than with a win on familiar territory.
