Blackpool fans say the same thing as ex-Wolves and Sunderland manager’s pre-match prediction comes back to haunt him

Mick McCarthy, who was in charge of the Seasiders for a brief spell back in 2023, represented the Tykes at the start of his playing career, and was back at Oakwell as a guest.

It proved to be a positive afternoon for those from the Fylde Coast, as they put recent disappointment behind them to record one of their strongest performances of the campaign.

After missing a number of opportunities during the first half, Sonny Carey made amends with a brace after the break, with his two goals coming either side of a Ashley Fletcher header.

Despite the comfortable nature of the win in the end, McCarthy had anticipated a completely different outcome pre-match, predicting a 2-0 win for Barnsley in a video shared by the South Yorkshire outfit.

Safe to say after the game, Blackpool fans were quick to respond.

One wrote: “Bet you enjoyed that one Mick x.”

Another added: “Silenced.”

A third noted: “That prediction went as well as his spell as Blackpool manager.”

While a fourth asked: “How did that work out for you?”

McCarthy’s managerial career

After hanging up his playing boots with Millwall in 1992, McCarthy was handed his first managerial job at The Den.

Following four years in charge of the Lions, the 66-year-old took charge of the Republic of Ireland for the first time, with a later stint coming in 2018.

In the years in between, the former defender took charge of Sunderland, Wolves and Ipswich Town, enjoying promotion to the Premier League with the Black Cats in 2005 and the Old Gold in 2009.

After the conclusion of his second spell with the Boys in Green, McCarthy made the move over to Cyprus for a short spell with APOEL, before returning to the EFL in 2021 to take charge of Cardiff City.

His time in the Welsh capital just 38 games, prompting an 18 month break away from the game.

McCarthy’s return came with the Seasiders in 2023, but this job lasted less time than the one that had come before.

After replacing Michael Appleton to help the club fight relegation from the Championship, matters just got worse under the ex-Barnsley man.

In his 14 games in charge, he recorded a win percentage of just 14.3, and was replaced by interim coach Stephen Dobbie for the final weeks of the season.

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