The 63-year-old doesn’t have long to make his mark, only taking charge of one training session alongside his assistant Terry Connor.
But the Seasiders will be desperately hoping the new manager bounce and the feel good factor will be enough to get their side over the line.
McCarthy is, somewhat unsurprisingly, known for being a traditional 4-4-2 man, although he has flirted with a back five at times as well.
With that in mind, we’ve taken a stab at how Blackpool could line up against the Terriers on Saturday afternoon...
1. New manager bounce?
McCarthy takes charge of his first game against relegation rivals Huddersfield on Saturday Photo: CameraSport - Dave Howarth
2. GK - Chris Maxwell
The truth is, we've no idea if McCarthy will stick with Maxwell or bring Dan Grimshaw in. Maxwell might get the nod for his experience but that's purely guesswork at this stage. Photo: CameraSport - Dave Howarth
3. RB - Callum Connolly
McCarthy is known to build solid defensive structure and foundations first and foremost, so Connolly might get the nod over Andy Lyons, especially given Josh Bowler is likely to play in front of whoever is at right-back. Photo: CameraSport - Andrew Kearns
4. CB - Rhys Williams
With no pre-match press conference taking place, we won't get an update on the extent of Marvin Ekpiteta's hamstring injury. But I'd be surprised if he's fit enough to feature. Photo: CameraSport - Andrew Kearns
5. CB - Jordan Thorniley
Solid and reliable, Thorniley should fit McCarthy down to a tee. Photo: CameraSport - Andrew Kearns
6. LB - James Husband
Hubby is enough one that should fit right in under McCarthy, and that's not just because he's a Yorkshireman. Photo: CameraSport - Andrew Kearns