Mick McCarthy Reflects on Cardiff City and Unanswered Questions
Mick McCarthy shares his fond memories of Cardiff City despite a tough second season and dodges questions about Vincent Tan
Mick McCarthy, Cardiff City, Vincent Tan, Football, Wales
Cardiff: Mick McCarthy really enjoyed his time at Cardiff City, even if his second season was a bit of a disaster. He took over in January 2021 when the team was struggling, but he managed to turn things around for a while.
He kicked off his tenure with an impressive unbeaten streak, but things went south fast in his second season. Losing eight games in a row led to his sacking by October, which was tough for him. Still, he looks back on his first season with pride.
“I loved it! It was great,” he said on a podcast recently. He recalled how they climbed from 17th to 7th place, just missing out on the play-offs. But the lack of new players and contract issues made the next season really hard.
McCarthy also mentioned how the fans were amazing, but when results went downhill, he understood why he had to go. One thing he wouldn’t talk about was his experience with Vincent Tan, the club’s owner. When asked, he simply said, “I’m not saying anything about that.”
He felt disappointed about how things ended, especially since the first season was so promising. He noted that every manager after him has faced their own challenges, hinting that it’s been tough for the club overall.
McCarthy shared a quirky moment about having to enter a prayer room out of respect for the beliefs there, but he made it clear he’s a Catholic. He felt respected by Tan and others, even if they didn’t always see eye to eye.