Boss Mick McCarthy says second in the table is ”a nice place to be” and now that Town have climbed into the automatic promotion places, wants to stay there.

Saturday’s 4-1 home victory over Leeds saw the Blues - who have 37 points - stay in second a point behind leaders Derby (38) and one ahead of third-placed Bournemouth (36).

The Blues are also now five points ahead of Watford in sixth (32) but McCarthy says he’s not paying much attention to the increasing size of that gap, despite it meaning that Town wouldn't slip too far should they suffer a couple of poor results.

“We want to stay in second now, so why would we be looking at sixth?” he said.

“When we’re in second, we want to stay there. Whether we can or not, whether we’re good enough, whether we’ll be strong enough going forward, who knows?

“But we’ve played a lot of the teams and we’re there now anyway. It’s a nice place to be.”

Saturday was the 10th anniversary of two-goal frontman Daryl Murphy initially joining the Blues on trial while with hometown club Waterford United.

The Irishman - who is currently the Championship’s top scorer on 13 - had a couple of trial spells with the Blues as well as spending time at Sunderland and eventually opted to join the Premier League-bound Black Cats, who were then managed by his current Ipswich boss.

“I remember that,” McCarthy recalled when reminded that he landed Murphy ahead of the Blues and reflected on their time together at the Stadium of Light.

“He probably scored a goal which kept me in employment at Sunderland because he scored the equaliser against Tottenham.

“I think the hierarchy there were so pissed off because I think they were ready to get shot of me if we’d lost to Tottenham and good old Murph scored and kept me in decent employment for another two or three weeks, which was lovely.

“I’ve never seen so many miserable faces in a boardroom in my life when he got the equaliser.”

Meanwhile, Leeds manager Neil Redfearn believes Town are genuine promotion contenders.

“Definitely," he said. "I think they’re well-organised, they’re a physical side. They’re direct but I don’t think they’re a long-ball side by any means. I think they put balls in good areas, they’ve got a way of playing and they’re good at it.

“We talked this week about stopping crosses, about stopping balls coming into the box and we didn’t do it.

“We didn’t stop the ball coming in for the first goal, the equaliser. It was too easy to get the ball in the box from the right and he’s got a free header.

“Obviously the goals after that, we should have done far better with them. Then the second half is always going to be difficult."

Photo: Action Images

Birch added 06:31 - Dec 8 No better way to start the day, reading an interview with MM. Makes me smile. If this man would ever write a book, I would buy it.....
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samemeny added 06:32 - Dec 8 Great thing about MM, he knows there is a whole lot more work to be done and won't get carried away with a position half way through the campaign. Brilliant to see ME back his manager and sign some strength in depth, not just squad players. Everyone will fight for their place in a MM team. Roll on May and wish this form continues. Great to see everyone pulling in the same direction

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warktheline added 06:40 - Dec 8 Nice for once to hear an opposition manager praise us, and not call us a one dimensional long ball team. Well done, Mr Redfearn
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Greektractor added 06:46 - Dec 8 I'm not looking down the league at sixth place, keeper a closer eye on top spot!
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Flewitt85 added 07:44 - Dec 8 It feels so good to be a town fan at the moment! Loving it! Can we stay there? Course we can! We just need to play like we are and not try anything different I.e formation, even getting new players in! I believe we can do it with the players we have got. Have we had our bad spell yet? Don't think we have yet, Every team has a bad spell in a season. It's how we come back from it that's important. I'm feeling positive and I believe this is our year! COYB!

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Fatboy added 08:14 - Dec 8 Surely if you were looking down the league you'd be more interested in 3rd and 7th as those are the teams that would have to overtake you for you to drop out of an automatic promotion place or a play-off position. I'm just glad that we no longer have to worry about the team in 22nd (for the record we're 19 points above the relegation zone).
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blueblood66 added 09:21 - Dec 8 Nice to read an opposing manager giving us some credit for a change.
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Langdon_Blue added 09:29 - Dec 8 I wonder whether McCarthy's success so far at Ipswich means even more to him, in the fact that Roy Keane failed so miserably before??
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itfcserbia added 09:55 - Dec 8 Langdon blue - i think MM is so much better both as manager and a man that he never compares himself with the likes of one that shall remain unnamed in this post. And why would he? A genuine proper manager Mick McCarthy.
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brian_a_mul added 09:56 - Dec 8 Town v Derby on 10 January! Every game is big now, with Boro & Brentford coming up soon too the next few weeks will be massive for us. If we are still in top two after Derby I think we can start to dream a little more... COYB!!
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Paulblue62 added 10:01 - Dec 8 We are so lucky to have this man guiding us. A real football man who knows what he is doing. MM & TC are writing their names into our great and illustrious history.
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Lightningboy added 10:33 - Dec 8 You're doing a cracking job Mick...all we ask is 100% from our team win ,lose or draw and that's what we get under Mick week in week out. When you see all these younger managers trying to over-complicate things with their flip charts on the side of the pitch etc etc,it's refreshing to see an old "dinosaur" proving how simple the game is.
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riley26 added 11:46 - Dec 8 Finally a properly considered reflection of the way we play football from an opposing manager!
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Smithy added 12:33 - Dec 8 So one good thing going for Leeds, they have a manager who is clearly not blinkered and give praise where its due. Good luck to him
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WarkOn added 13:47 - Dec 8 Praise where its due to Redfearn - his analysis of our play is a lot more accurate that that of the Watford manager. Any improvements needed? Well, we just need to be awake in the first 10 mins of the game - both Bournemouth and Leeds caught us cold at the start — other managers will see that and exploit it. But when it happens we seem to have the strength of character to get back in the game, at least. Onwards and upwards to top spot, we hope.

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PJH added 13:53 - Dec 8 I hope that MM gets a standing ovation at The Shareholders AGM tonight. I know that nothing has been achieved yet but he and TC have got us on the brink of something special. Our season really started with the game at Derby and confidence and belief is now really high in and around the club. Thank you Mick for what you have given us so far and for what you the staff and players are trying to provide for us in the near future.

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Green_Army added 15:25 - Dec 8 Can I just offer some statistics considering Mick wants to stay where we are: In nine of the last 10 seasons, the top two sides after 20 games have secured a top 6 place. In 2004/05 season ITFC were 2nd after 20 games (39 points), secured 1st after 21 games (42 points), and finished third come May.
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carsey added 16:20 - Dec 8 I would like to suggest that TWTD take up the suggestion made by @birch at the top of this article and pull together a book of MM quotes since he has been at Ipswich. I think it would make a good read and once we get promoted plenty of people would buy it. Any monies raised could go towards Simon Miltons charity fund raising efforts or the academy.
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DerryfromBury added 17:59 - Dec 8 Echo what walktheline and others have said regarding Neal Redfearn's post match comments. Good to hear an honest and balanced appraisal not only of the oppositions performance but also his own team. A pleasant change from what has sprouted from some "more experienced" mangers of recent past. Mr Redfearn's to his credit is of the same mould as our own MM, WYSIWYG
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BuckieBlue added 18:35 - Dec 8 Cardiff and our result on Saturday mean we've now got the best home record in league- fortress PR!
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warktheline added 18:48 - Dec 8 There were many differences of opinion on yesterday's post, but guess what, I'm enjoying being called SMUG right now!
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