Boss Mick McCarthy has outlined the clubs who he believes the Blues will have to compete with if they're to make the top six this season.

Before the campaign began McCarthy targeted a play-off place and that remains the aim despite the slow start.

The Town manager believes there will be tough competition at the top of the division: “I think that all of us who are competing to get that play-off spot, we’ve got to finish above [the likes of] Bolton, Forest, Leicester, Blackburn, Wigan, Reading, QPR, Leeds, having seen them, they’ve spent a few quid.

“There are eight teams there that I would expect to be up and around the top six. All of us beneath or around there at the moment are going to finish above those.”

In addition to those eight, Blackpool are the surprise current leaders of the division, while Watford, who finished third last season, and Brighton, who were fourth, will be looking for a repeat performance.

Photo: Action Images

Len_Brennan added 06:14 - Sep 3 And how are we going to beat them when we don't spend a few quid (or any quid) ourselves & stick with this often mentioned squad of 20, which is clearly insufficent to get us through until January? Mick has to have at least 2 players lined up for season long loans, surely.
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Benters added 07:02 - Sep 3 Len Brennan i agree with you
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Jimmy86 added 07:19 - Sep 3 Len brennan i couldnt agree more!!! I dont know whats more worrying, the complete lack of backing, ambition and commitment from evans or the fact mick has seemingly accepted this situation and put up with it!!! He could have done what billy davies did during his first spell at forest and use his press conferences to highlight the fact there needs to be investment from the board!!!!

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Mark added 07:38 - Sep 3 It feels at the moment like there is no chance of us getting anywhere near those teams due to our lack of firepower. When I look at results I hope the likes of Millwall and Yeovil keep losing so that we don't slide into the relegation zone!
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potatohead added 07:41 - Sep 3 It's more about who has to be beaten to a avoid the drop Mick!
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blueblood66 added 08:06 - Sep 3 I think we will get a couple of good loans in, Mick isn't daft.
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itfcbam added 08:10 - Sep 3 Harsh realities of being in this division so long. We are in massive debt which many of you forget, MM can only work with what he has. ME has been bank rolling the club for several years and all most of you can think of is buy this player and buy that player! With what? didn't we lose something like 12m? The only way this club will move forward is higher attendences, income from commercial aspects, or a manager who can work wonders with a budget much lower than many teams in this league. Wake up

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Karlosfandangal added 08:28 - Sep 3 Don't agree with the lack of backing don't the club owe £72 million. Chopra , Jet, Martin cost the club big money in wages and fees and got us nowhere, the players the club got are not playing for free they must be on 50-70k a week between them. Gates are down by 8000 over the last few years and with the cost of a ticket that's around £5-6million lost in revenue. We all know why the gates are down and think the money that was wasted by the previous managers is part of the reason why there is no money to spend. The worry is the debt gets bigger and bigger every year and if ME pulls out the club will be no more, just got to hope MM can get the best out of what we have got

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PinstripeBlue added 08:31 - Sep 3 If recent reports can be believed ME has bank rolled us in the region of £75M, any of you on here who questions his commitment could always take over. Any takers?
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PinstripeBlue added 08:33 - Sep 3 Also I think you will find that £75M is a 'loan' not a freebie, so not too many will be willing to take over.
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ChrisMakin2012 added 08:50 - Sep 3 Yes MM now look at all 8 teams and look at their striking options. Now look at ours. Spend peanuts you get monkeys.
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braveblue added 09:00 - Sep 3 Is this a wind up?
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Jimmy86 added 09:01 - Sep 3 Itfcbam the only way we will get higher attendances is if the club lower match day ticket prices to appeal to "casual" fans who fancy goin to the footy on a saturday instead of being dragged round town shopping, tied in with this is the team performing well. The 2 go hand in hand. Yes evans may well bank roll the club but he has also doubled the debt that he is owed by the club coz he put it in his name. Didnt pay it off like it was made out he did!!!!

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braveblue added 09:02 - Sep 3 To all those saying we are in debt and making a loss so ME has no options. He can swap the debt for equity and stop charging the club interest and selling off the training ground. FFP is an excuse. If we were structured differently there would not be a problem.
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LankHenners added 09:07 - Sep 3 Forest are a team that I look at and say "why can't we be like them?". By that I mean that they were once a club that were down the bottom of the championship a few years ago, but have steadily risen up the table, getting stronger as the years go by and are now in good contention for a top six spot. If we'd, well Keane, been like that rather then sell our good, promising players and bring in has-beens who no longer have it then we could be strong favourites for a top six spot. We still stand a very good chance and hopefully with Mick at the reigns we can actually push on this year or maybe next and make what I just said completely pointless!

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jas0999 added 09:28 - Sep 3 Was very hopeful at the start of the season and despite MM doing well with a very limited budget in the Summer, I still feel we are not able to compete with the 8 teams mentioned by MM - plus probably 5 or 6 more teams. We desperately need a striker. I continue to not accept the FFP argument, particularly when you read other clubs (on par with us or less) are spending or at least submitting offers for players. We have only spent £20k, which won't be anywhere near good enough at this level. We won't be in trouble, but nor will we be challenging. I realise we can't compete with say QPR and Wigan financially, but do think ME could have offered a little more in the Summer.

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mikeybloo88 added 09:31 - Sep 3 jas0999, I'll remind you that you said "we won't be in trouble" at Christmas
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oldbluestu added 09:37 - Sep 3 How can people complain about Evans lack of spending? 3 and 2 seasons ago we spent more than most teamns in this league and we never made the playoffs nobody has a bottomless pit of money
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BlueySwede added 09:44 - Sep 3 Can´t believe the pessimism here, 5 games into the season. We have been, marginally, beaten by Reading and QPR, two teams that might go straight up and have spent a lot of money. Yes, we were beaten by Leeds, but actually we battered them in the first 20 minutes. If we would have got a second goal we would have won. I think we are good enough to finish in the 6th spot and who knows what will happen after that.

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BillBlue added 09:51 - Sep 3 Well Mick as we have only played five matches and have already been beaten by three of those teams I feel you might be being slightly optimistic. In addition, to win matches you need skill going forward and goal scoring ability from your midfield, wings and centre forward.
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Lennyboy added 09:54 - Sep 3 We need to inflate the gate numbers by reducing ticket prices. It's all well and good achieving a high profit return on a single ticket, but not selling many will give you a smaller return than if you lower the price and the profit margin per tickit and filling the stadium. This will also help the lads and give them the confidence to do greater things. It really is that simple. However, I believe like all business men ME has had to reign in on spending as his main business is that of corporate entertainment; and that has got to have been affected during the recession. Having said that, I may have heard that his own personal income has increased. The simple answer is we need more support, I've got two extra lads from work coming to the Middlesborough game; everyone out there should try and encourage friends to come down to PR. Lets raise the roof!!! COYB.

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Lennyboy added 09:56 - Sep 3 sorry oopps meant "Ticket"
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CharlieITFC added 09:56 - Sep 3 In response to all the posters that think we need another striker...to a certain extent I agree, but do feel we have a decent partnership if used in the right way. In my opinion we need a change of system, I would play a narrow diamond.. Gk Gerken Rb Hewitt/Chambers Cb Chambers/Berra Cb Smith Lb Cressy Dm Skuse Cm Tunnicliffe Cm Wordsworth Am Taylor St McGoldrick St Murphy This gives the full backs the freedom to push on, and Skuse can drop and act as a third defender whilst attacking. Tunnicliffe is our box to box. Wordsworth and Taylor the creativity. And with this decent service McG and Murph would bang them in. Now unfortunately, as bigger fan as I am of MM he is pretty set in his ways and think this is very wishful thinking. Thoughts?

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algarvefan added 10:02 - Sep 3 It's quite remarkable that some of you think Marcus Evans is a charity, a benefactor and lifelong supporter of ITFC. He isn't he is a shrewd businessman and we a a part, an unsuccessful part, of his business empire. The decisions made since he took over are the reason that we are where we are now, poor manager choices and a succession of poor signings, the culmination of the spending of millions by Messrs Magilton, Keane & Jewell. We are where we are, we, or rather he, is obviously not willing to invest and have decided through PFF to go through the youth route. This will take time..... a long time, the next 2 seasons will be crucial. It is what most fans said they wanted, me included. So lets give Mick a chance and the time to turn us around.

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RetroBlue added 10:23 - Sep 3 Some people on here bemoaning the so called "lack of interest/ backing from evans" perhaps need to and brush up on what the FFP rules state and the penalties for not complying. Furthermore , did the lack of spending stop scum getting promoted ? Its about the quality of managership and the ability to get the players playing as a team. Following MM appointment last season, Town displayed a promotion winning form from the Same players that displayed a relegation dead cert performance. Which kind of suggest the spending of lost of dosh will = success is flawed.

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