Town boss Mick McCarthy insists that he has no problem working within tight financial constraints at Portman Road. The Blues manager, who has spent just £20,000 on former Waterford United winger Jack Doherty, sees no point in complaining and prefers to just get on with the job in hand.

“What I’ve become very adept at is playing the hand that I’ve been given,” he said. “If there’s a Financial Fair Play rule and I have to be within that budget, what’s the point about me bitching about it?

“It’s like us saying we’ll have caviar at home but we can’t afford it, so we can’t have it. I’ve never had it, so I don’t know if I like it or not.

“It’s bonkers when people whinge and bitch about their lot. Make the best of it. I’ve done that wherever I’ve been.

“With the Republic of Ireland, where were we there, 40-odd [in the world rankings] and we ended up 13th. All that travelling second class and coming to games with plastic bags and we got to the last 16 of the World Cup.”

He says not all the players he has worked with in the past have taken the same approach: “Make the best of what you’ve got, that’s got to be anybody’s mantra in my book and I ask players to do the same.

“When there’s 10 different flavours of Powerade and somebody wants an elderflower one and we haven’t got one — ‘Shambles, we haven’t got an elderflower one!’.

“Do me a favour! It’s not happened here, but I’ve been there. ‘Have we got any hats?’ in the summer. Do me a favour! ‘You don’t need a hat, get out there and train!’.

“Make the best of what you’ve got and if you do that individually and collectively, you’ve got a really good chance of being successful and I’d say Crystal Palace epitomised that last year.”

With regard to Financial Fair Play he believes it is making a difference and says he’s still hearing from players yet to find clubs, perhaps as they were expecting wages above those that clubs are now willing to pay.

“I think there were probably a lot of players thinking that coming out of contract was the holy grail and I think there were a lot of clubs thinking ‘Happy days, there are a few coming out of contract we can get off the wage bill’, knowing full well that Financial Fair Play will be having an effect.

“And it has had an effect, there’s no doubt about that. I’m still getting calls about good players who have not got clubs.

“Maybe they set their sights too high and they’re not going to get what they were going to get and now they’re looking around trying to get jobs some of them.”

Photo: Action Images

roysboys added 07:10 - Aug 3 Have we got any hats? Love it!
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WhoisJimmyJuan added 07:30 - Aug 3 Have we got a raspberry one? I must have a raspberry one.
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Suffolk_n_Good added 07:54 - Aug 3 Intrigued as to what "good players" still have'nt got a club yet!?!?
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martleshamitfc added 07:54 - Aug 3 Classic MM...says it as it is, no prima donna's allowed!
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DeVOS added 08:06 - Aug 3 What sort of plastic bags were they? There's big difference between Tesco and Marks and spencer, however you have to pay for marks one
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Warkys_Tash added 08:42 - Aug 3 Great to hear that from the big man. There was some trash paper talk over the summer stating that MM was on a collision course withn ME over lack of finances and could leave the club. A story probably written by a Budgie!
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Len_Brennan added 09:09 - Aug 3 Who'd have thought, that whole bust up with Keane at the world cup must have been over Roy demanding a hat & an elderflower powerade? Good man Mick, you were dead right to send the pampered little git home after that.
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Pendejo added 09:20 - Aug 3 Marvellous Mick McCarthy - I only ask that you secure European domination in under 5 years anything less and you've failed! Wot no dandelion & burdock flavoured powerade and where's my deer stalker? Clegg OUT!
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Stu_Magoo added 09:58 - Aug 3 I like an elderflower Powerade, me.
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algarvefan added 10:31 - Aug 3 Good old no nonsense, down to earth management by the big man. I'm looking forward to this season, bring it on and despite the lack of funds think we will do well.
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Sindre94 added 10:43 - Aug 3 Cya all at reading!! Come on town!!
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Tractor_Boy_in_HK added 15:29 - Aug 3 Wouldn't mind Chris Baird. Tidy player with some left in the tank. Feel a bit sorry for him, actually. No need for him as a centreback and guess we don't need him on the right either.
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Wickets added 08:23 - Aug 4 If there is just one quality midfield player who can pick a pass among the out of work, please Mick find him and bring him in.
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