Mick McCarthy ‘It Can’ Meme: Origin, Press Conference & Impact

What is the Mick McCarthy ‘It Can’ meme?

The origin of the phrase ‘It can’

• Most-shared wording: “It can’t go on like this, can it?” followed by McCarthy’s deadpan “It can.” (Ireland Insight)
• An expanded version adds “After five games it’s been shite, it can’t go on like this, can it? It can.” (Ireland Insight)
• A longer tail — “It can… and it will” — circulates online but has not been independently verified (Ireland Insight).

Like most enduring football memes, the clip is built on a single deadpan beat. The reporter’s question sounds like it expects a shoulder-shrug and a promise of change. McCarthy gives none. His two-word reply turns the question back on itself.

Why it resonated with football fans

The phrase became shorthand for the “it’s bad, but nothing will change” feeling that every football fan recognises. RTÉ Sport’s own coverage of McCarthy’s pricklier press-conference moments described the manager as ploughing “the same angry furrow” during his Ipswich Town days (RTÉ Sport). That history of blunt answers made the two-word reply feel instantly on-brand.

The implication: the meme’s staying power comes from its ambiguity. You don’t need to know which club McCarthy was managing to find it funny — the joke is the tone.

What happened in the press conference?

The exact dialogue that went viral

• Commonly circulated exchange: “It can’t go on like this, can it?” — “It can.” (Ireland Insight)
• Some versions expand the first line to include “After five games it’s been shite.” (Ireland Insight)
• No authenticated full transcript of the original broadcast exists (Ireland Insight).

Here’s where the story gets complicated. The available reporting does not confirm a single, definitive date or club for the clip. Ireland Insight — an independent football culture outlet — has traced several conflicting accounts:

The context of the reported origin

• One account links the exchange to a February 2023 Blackpool press conference after a 3–1 defeat to Reading (Ireland Insight).
• Another places it during McCarthy’s West Bromwich Albion tenure around 2011 (Ireland Insight).
• A third attributes it to a 2023 television interview (Ireland Insight).
• There is also an account suggesting it came from McCarthy’s Wolverhampton period around 2010, with the wording “It can be done” instead of “It can.” (Ireland Insight)

What is clear is that the clip is usually described as a post-match or press-conference exchange rather than a scripted comedy performance (Ireland Insight). But the precise club and season remain unverified.

What this means: the “origin story” is really a collection of plausible football-manager moments, not a single documented one.

How did the ‘It can’ meme spread and impact McCarthy’s career?

The meme’s journey across social media

• The phrase turned into a reaction template for situations that seem unsustainable but may continue anyway (Ireland Insight).
• Fan pages on Reddit, TikTok, X, and Facebook kept the clip alive after the original video faded (Ireland Insight).
• It crossed into mainstream football media discussions as a shorthand for managerial resignation (RTÉ Sport).

Unlike many football clips that explode for a week and fade, “It can” became a permanent part of the internet’s football lexicon. It does not rely on a controversial decision or a meltdown — just a two-word answer that somehow says everything.

McCarthy’s own reaction

The impact on his career appears to have been minimal, or even positive. Instead of damaging his reputation, the meme reinforced the “Big Mick” persona — the no-nonsense Yorkshireman who never waved from the dugout. He continued managing until 2023, long after the clip was everywhere.

Why this matters: for a manager whose public image was built on blunt honesty, the two-word reply became the perfect encapsulation of his entire style.

Timeline: McCarthy’s career and the meme’s disputed origin

The most reliable timeline of McCarthy’s career is not the problem — the hard dates are. The dispute is only about when the “It can” exchange happened.

According to Ireland Insight, no primary broadcast date has been confirmed for the “It can” exchange. That is the single most important caveat for anyone writing about its origin.

What’s confirmed and what’s unclear

The pattern: the wording and the platform spread are well documented, while the date, club, and broadcast format remain open questions.

Quotes from the moment and the aftermath

“It can’t go on like this, can it?”Reporter, in the widely shared exchange (as reproduced by Ireland Insight)

“It can.”Mick McCarthy, in the viral clip

“Big Mick ploughing same angry furrow with Tractor Boys”Headline from RTÉ Sport (2017), on McCarthy’s press-conference style

The exchange works precisely because McCarthy refuses to perform the expected emotion. The questioner sets up a classic “how will you fix this?” moment, and McCarthy simply inverts it.

Summary

For football fans, the “It can” meme is more than a punchline — it’s a reminder that sometimes the most durable content comes from a manager’s deadpan refusal to spin. For content creators, the lesson is clear: an unpolished, genuine moment can outlast a thousand produced videos. For Mick McCarthy, the consequence is equally simple: he will be remembered for two words longer than for any tactical masterclass — and that may be exactly the legacy he’s comfortable with.

Related reading

• Mick McCarthy It Can Meme: Full Story and Viral Origin
• Mick McCarthy ‘It Can’ Meme: Origin, Context & Impact

The trail leads back to the same conclusion: the clip outlived the confusion around its origin.

Frequently asked questions