I feel angry now. Not disappointed or upset, but angry. It's not just that Town lost, and lost to lower league opposition, AGAIN. It's that we didn't want to win. Or, to be more specific, our manager didn't want us to win: he rested his entire first XI.

If last night's FA Cup third round defeat to a team two divisions below was a one-off, I might not feel this way. But the loss was part of a pattern that, for me, shows not just contempt for the greatest club football competition in the world, but contempt for Ipswich Town's fans.

It's now been six years since Town won an FA Cup tie. Six years. Not just Mick, but seemingly every Town manager since Jim Magilton, has not given two turds about this competition. In my 20 years supporting this club, I've not seen Town go beyond the fifth round. I was born seven years after Town's FA Cup triumph in 1978. I watched that Wembley win on VHS when I was kid, encouraged by my dad who would often regale me of the story.

Those sorts of memories are what makes the perpetual suffering that football fans go through all worth it. Think of Bradford City, a club that's been in decline for 15 years, winning at Stamford Bridge. Their fans will remember that the rest of their lives. Think of Wigan Athletic, winning the cup just three years ago. They may now be languishing in League One, but I bet those fans wouldn't swap their FA Cup triumph for the world. The same can also be said of Town's conquerors, Portsmouth, another unfashionable club that has won the tournament in recent years.

It can happen. Upsets, shocks, glory, is what makes the FA Cup special. But it only happens when you want it to. Mick McCarthy doesn't. Neither did Jewell or Keane.

In 2007, when Town reached the heady heights of the fifth round for the first time in my life as a Tractor Boy, I excitedly went along to Vicarage Road to see Town take on Premier League Watford. It was the most fun I've ever had watching a 1-0 defeat. There was a disallowed goal that I celebrated like a lunatic, before spotting the linesman's flag. We should have won. But it was a great occasion, despite the defeat. It felt like Town really wanted it, and I went home proud of my team.

Now, I just feel angry. Sure, I know what the counter argument is. Our chances of promotion will be improved by Town's early exit from the FA Cup. But really, how much difference does it make? We're talking about two or three extra games. So what? Town had already avoided a tiresome run in the League Cup, a competition that requires frequent midweek fixtures. But by ballsing up the first FA Cup game against Portsmouth, McCarthy had handed Town an extra unneeded fixture anyway. This Saturday Ipswich have a crucial game against Birmingham, a team that haven't had to bother themselves with an agonising FA Cup replay on a freezing Tuesday night. They will be better prepared as a result.

If Town go on to win promotion, most likely via the play-offs, the anger I feel right now will all wash away. Maybe I'll even look back on this week with hindsight and say McCarthy did the right thing. But if we don't win promotion - still the most likely scenario - I'm going to call for McCarthy's head. Why? Because the sort of contempt Mick has shown for the FA Cup can and will only be justified by promotion. Any other outcome, for me, is now unacceptable.

JohnStirk added 13:28 - Jan 21 I was quite happy for MM to play his 2nd X1 against Portsmouth. What I found hugely disappointing was that the 2nd X1 is clearly not very good. At the end of August it seemed that we had two really strong candidates for every position. Now, as MM openly admitted after the game, that is obviously not the case.
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BlueandTruesince82 added 13:57 - Jan 21 I'm fully with Mick, the FA cup has lost its sparkle, how many teams take it seriously in the top 2 divisions? None, if you get through fine if not, no biggie. Only when teams get to the 1/4 final do they take it remotely seriously. I don't care about a cup run right now, I only care about the league, the cup is a distraction, its additional games that our small squad will struggle with and for me I'd much rather see the squad getting rested up during FA cup with, IF we want up id feel the same away because Id rather us concentrate on avoiding relegation. All I see on this forum is people slagging Mick off for his perceived favouritism, well perhaps now you can see why he picks the teams he picks, the team that went out should still be able to dispatch L2 opposition, they should be up for the game and want to make an impression and give the manager something to think about, nobody did. Micks has answers to his questions and the entire 11 should now be saying to themselves, I need to work harder if im going to get in the first 11. Simple. Mick has given players a chance, as fans frequently ask him to do, and now we have the result, so rather than have a go maybe we can accept the bloke at least has some idea as to what he's doing. No FA cup means, a rested team, no unnecessary journeys, no games on quagmire pitches ripe for causing injury, no distractions from the only objective that matters (promotion) and more time to prepare for certain league games. That suits me just fine. Id say you are being wholly precious about a competition that has been so devalued its it might as well be called the Italian Lira cup.

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Lightningboy added 15:24 - Jan 21 McCarthy (or whoever the hell else has the privilege of managing this club of ours) needs to understand that it's his responsibility to the fans to go out and try to win EVERY game he's in charge of - NOT pick and choose (that backfired up your ar5e big time vs Man Utd Mick,didn't it?!). Personally I didn't expect us to win against Portsmouth (home or away) because of our manager's pig-headed-ness towards the cups and that's incredibly disappointing as a fan..you start wondering what's the point anymore? If he didn't want to risk the likes of Berra,Smith,Chambers etc etc in these games then he shouldn't have got shot of decent back up players like Parr,Hewitt,Clarke etc etc. Are you only capable of managing the first choice 11 to get results?

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oldegold added 15:47 - Jan 21 Agree totally with you Jollyjourno and as someone who remembers the victory of 1978 and indeed the heartbreak of being robbed by Clive Thomas disallowing two perfectly good goals at Stamford Bridge in the most heartbreaking defeat in Town's history then the current practice of MM is a gross insult to everyone connected with the club. I wonder what Messrs Osborne and Mills say about this ? Personally under McCarthy we should be scrubbed from all cup tournaments as he doesn't give two hoots and considering his appalling play off record I would say that a play off place that requires courage and dynamism and a risk factor is way beyond our sterile and grey defence minded manager. Even his reason doesn't stand up if you consider how we played in the matches after the game against Man Utd when he was supposedly "resting" his layers..we entered our worst period of form and slumped alarmingly. No, he doesn't cut it for me anymore and a full refund should be given to the poor fans that had to put up with a single shot on goal against a team, two divisions below us. His legacy is that he provided stability when it was most needed but he is not the man to fulfil our ambitions and drive us forward.

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DurhamTownFan added 15:55 - Jan 21 I really enjoyed this blog, and the comments. Exactly what this website is for: impassioned, informed writing, and equally firm defence. I was annoyed we're out of the cup, but some of the comments on here have helped me to understand why Mick does things in certain ways. Still sad though: as someone born in 1984, my only decent cup memory is the 0-0 at home and then 1-0 away in at Blackburn when they were champions and after Shearer had said 'there are no easy games in this league, except Ipswich at home'. Richard Wright was inspired that game: 10/10 in the Evening Star! Just sad that today's youngsters don't get to enjoy nights like that.

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TractorCam added 17:33 - Jan 21 That Watford game in 2007 was awesome, i was only 10 and remember that day very well, agree with you that it's disappointing but we have to win on saturday otherwise it was pointless resting the first team.
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brittaniaman added 19:41 - Jan 21 One thing that has not been mentioned is that Portsmouth put out there strongest team for the match and guess what !!!!! They are chasing Promotion as well !!!!!!!
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portmanteau added 20:35 - Jan 21 How odd to see so many people apparently happy to see us out of the Cup, " now we can concentrate on the league". what baloney. we say it every year and every year we dont get promoted. MM has only followed the herd in fielding weak teams. remember the outrage when it first happened, now its established practice and is even creeping into the league. FA and FL used to crack down on it now it seems they couldnt care less. It is of course a handy excuse to have when the inevitable happens. we can dream but we have to face the fact that promotion is just that. not with this team this manager and this owner. how else could it be with an 80 million debt ?

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radiogaga added 22:21 - Jan 21 Imbalanced arguments all the way through this blog... As mentioned by a number of people in response, MM made it abundantly clear of where the FA cup sits in his list of priorities. Tuesday night's performance clearly shows a lack of depth in our squad and underlines the importance that our best players are not only rested but spared of the risk of unnecessary injuries. Is a place in the 4th round of the FA Cup worth pushing the fitness of key players? No. Not only that, but the players who came in were not just playing to make up numbers. For Fringe players like Tabb, Oar, Varney & Malarczyk in particular, it was an opportunity to impress & give the manager something to think about. The reality that they failed to do so does not suddenly mean that we had no interest for the cup. Had we won with a fringe squad, I'm sure your mood would no doubt be mellowed, such is the fickle nature of football fans. Talk of us not taking the cup seriously this season is absurd, the substitutions we made in the home tie showed our intent to win the game and get into the next round, as did the inclusion of Chambers and Skuse in the starting line up. That appears to have been conveniently overlooked. Town have bigger fish to fry. Promotion is Mick's remit, promotion is sole focus. It's called ambition, and managing the squad in the best way possible to get there. The financial prize of promotion is far bigger than ever - like many other clubs in our position, progress in the cups is but a mere bonus to clubs challenging for promotion. It's hardly like MM is the only manager fielding weakened teams for the cups. Lastly, to the few sad articles who thumbs downed my snickers comment, it was a joke.

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Tractor_Thief added 08:55 - Jan 22 As mentioned by Durham above, I have enjoyed reading everyone's thoughts on this. Isn't it interesting how fans of the same club, who want the same thing for the club (success) perceive things in different ways. If only we were all football mangers eh!!!!! :)
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stormypetrel added 08:49 - Jan 23 No I didn't go to the game because MM clearly put his script out for all to see....respect to those that went...I would have liked to see how the "Other Eleven" played and enjoyed reading some of the observations on that.....but still , those fans made a choice to go where the outcome was signposted...we all make our choices....going to Birmingham today I will see whether the players live up to expectations....they will certainly be up for it because the players are loyal to MM....

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Surreyexile added 09:38 - Jan 23 So Bluestreak you think the fans including me who travelled to Pompey should expect a weak team and probably they should expect a defeat. Yes, I expected to see changes but not a capitulation. My wife who travels with me summed it up when she said she had seen better teams over the park where we walk our dog! What if nobody turns up to away games....would the manager then accuse the supporters of not backing the team. Home or away when I support the club, as I have since the early 70's I am hoping for a win or at least a battling effort. Fair play to Pompey, they outplayed and out sung us, the whole of their ground was rocking in the last 15 mins and I imagine every one of them would have been buzzing. I am not crying, whining or demanding the manager is sacked, just that our club represents itself with some passion and pride. It would be great to have the same atmosphere at IP1. I am leaving for St Andrews in an hour and will hope and demand the team do better...COYB!

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Bergholtblue added 10:24 - Jan 23 Don't just blame Mick. Everybody is doing it. The FA cup has become a meaningless competition now. Sad to say, but it is true.
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