Boss Mick McCarthy admits that he feels “a tiny bit of envy” that some other Championship managers have more significant resources at their disposal but is making no complaints and is confident that the Blues will still be competitive this season.

Town dropped to ninth – although still only a point off the play-offs – following Friday’s 2-0 home defeat to Middlesbrough, one of a number of Championship sides who spent large sums of money during the summer.

Ex-England pair Stewart Downing, who cost £5 million from West Ham, and David Nugent, for whom Boro paid Leicester £4 million – who McCarthy views as Premier League players – respectively created and scored the Teessiders’ second goal.

McCarthy says he’s far from the only Championship boss working on a more limited budget and knew the situation when he accepted the position three years ago last month.

“I’m not on my own, there are other clubs as well, other managers who have got it,” the Town boss said when appearing as a guest on Sky’s Goals on Sunday.

“I think it’s wrong if you take a job knowing what the circumstances are and then you whinge and bleat that you haven’t got any money. I think that’s completely wrong.

What you see is what you get with Mick McCarthy 😜 top guest for me & @benshephard to have on @GoalsOnSunday pic.twitter.com/1lPElpv7gC– Chris Kamara (@chris_kammy) December 6, 2015

“My job is to deal with it as best I can and get players in and get the best out of them - myself, TC and the rest of the staff - and to try and create a team and a good team spirit, that we always do, and have a very, very competitive side.

“But there’s a tiny bit of envy, of course, because I’d like to be not just competing for the play-off spots but be trying to win it.

“You saw that bit of quality [on Friday], the ball from Stewart Downing and the finish from David Nugent, that just sums it up. When they’ve spent that much money on those two players, that can be difference in a game. But nevertheless we’ll continue to compete with what I’ve got.”

He added: “I’m delighted with my squad, I’m not out there seeking, looking to [add]. We’ve got good players, I’ve got a good squad of players.

“I think whoever it might be could always go out and find somebody better but it depends at what level, how much it costs and what it is. I’m delighted with them and we’ll still be competitive this season.”

Assessing the state of the division, with Brighton having regained top spot ahead of Boro following their 3-2 home win against Charlton on Saturday, McCarthy said: “When we played Hull [now fourth] recently I couldn’t see them going three games without winning.

“Middlesbrough, having played them the other night, we threw everything at them and I’d say their goalkeeper was excellent and kept them in the game for a time, but they look a really tough team with good players.

“Brighton, their record speaks for itself. I saw Derby play Hull the other week and I don’t think it’s going to change much from those three at the top, Brighton, Middlesbrough and Derby.

“But the league is such, it is bonkers. You see the incredible results every week, when you think somebody’s really down and out, that they’re never going to win, they beat the top team and you think ‘How does that happen?’. I don’t see it changing much, I think we’re scrapping for the top six.”

Meanwhile, Town’s U21s will face Watford at Playford Road on Monday afternoon (KO 1pm).

Photo: Action Images

JustSpivvyChops added 20:21 - Dec 6 I commented on almost exactly this point only yesterday..................MM does the best job he can with the resources available to him, but he is a good manager and is definitely a target for other clubs in this division that will give him cash to spend. He wants to manage in the Premier league again, so how much longer does he stay with us under these conditions? He's steadied the ship and that's realistically all he can do without significant further investment and that means signing on fees, not just wages to get the best players in.

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ArnieM added 20:25 - Dec 6 I think Mick is just being professional with that comment. I suspect he is frustrated not to be given more funds. However in his own words " he is the happiest he has ever been in his managerial career". He won't be going anywhere soon. Unless it's the PL with us via PO'S
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prebbs007 added 20:49 - Dec 6 We've got good players ??? Who ??? Really Mick. Name one player from our starting 11 that you honestly think Karanka would swap for any of his on Friday. Our best players are injured or lust back from injury ( Bishop / Bru / Frazer / Didzy ) .... There is not one of our team who would get into a top 6 team in the positions you pick them. Gerken comes off his line about 4 times in a whole season so any cross in our 6 yard box causes trouble. Chambers is worst FB in league apart from possibly Knudsen who is woefully short of this level. Smith is a liability out of position on the right. Sears is wasted out of position. Skuse & douglas are as slow as an oil tanker. Murphy is a shadow of last seasons and pitman who was our only threat on Friday lacks the pace to be a top 6 player. In back up we had Giles Joke who should be nowhere near the 18. Be clear about it. When we are talking about the top 6 we don't have good players. Those teams have spent money. FFP seems to be a waste of time as it doesn't stop clubs breaking the rules. MM is restricted totally by ME but he makes it worse by continuing to pick an awful back 5 , out of position and lacking drastically in ability and playing so many players in wrong positions. His stubbornness over certain players is not funny even more. Envy I can understand but blind faith in underperforming favourites I can't. Marcus & Mick are both culpable for the fact that we are 11 points behind automatic promotion already, almost the same as we are from bottom 3 (12 points). We play by the rules unlike others so we can't compete with them, but we could pick the right players in their right positions and we could drop players who don't perform and make the same mistakes week after week !!!!!

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PhilTWTD added 20:58 - Dec 6 ArnieM Although Mick said he is very happy here, he actually took great care not to say he was happiest here so as not to offend fans of his previous clubs. The sort of consideration we'd appreciate in similar circumstances, I think. http://ift.tt/1MI3Gw0
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essextractorboy93 added 21:05 - Dec 6 Some of our fans are hilarious. One defeat and Mick is a terrible manager apparently! The guy is going absolutely nowhere and is building something really good considering he has almost no money to spend. But of course the football manager experts are on here saying he is no good... Glad the majority of fans have some sense! Really enjoyed watching goals on Sunday earlier, Mick on top form as normal!

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ArnieM added 21:14 - Dec 6 My mistake Phil. But that just underlines the Man's professionalism. I could name many managers who could take a leaf out of his book.
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footyblue added 21:15 - Dec 6 i think we will finish around 9th 10th because we can't compete with the bigger clubs that have money to spend and this will get worse with bigger parachute payments
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PhilTWTD added 21:18 - Dec 6 ArnieM Agree, thought similar when he said it.
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ArnieM added 21:58 - Dec 6 Footballer. In principle I agree with you. But Sheffield Weds coped with high spending Derby today. It's about 11 mens vs 11 men on.the pitch and the tactics used. This could be Mick strength, or his downfall.
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rfretwell added 22:04 - Dec 6 How about we improve the teams performance by banning Knudsen from hurling his diabolical throwins straight to opposition centre halves? Boro wouldnt have got their second goal so all to fight for in the closing stages. And look to Mathew Syed - great things can be achieved in sport by making incremental gains . There must be Marginal improvements opportunities all over the park, the under 21s, our Academy, our scouting system etc etc.

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muccletonjoe added 22:11 - Dec 6 It would take at least 10 to 15 million to put us in with a chance of top 2. If we were ever going to throw the dice it needed to be last summer.
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NSL added 00:50 - Dec 7 we have 4 good players, 3 of them are strikers along with berra. The rest are distinctly average so to be 1 point off the playoffs shows that Mick is more than getting the best of of them. The style is dire but is he really going to let them try and pass it about in triangles?! No, because we would be torn apart. Your the best man for the job Mick, if there are any complaints then these should be aimed squarely at the owner alone.

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footyblue added 02:25 - Dec 7 @rfretwell or perhaps we attack the ball as well we just watch him through it in to the box we need to attack the ball instead @Arniem the problem with us is we hit the ball long to Murphy but if he doesn't gather the ball or flick it on it comes straight back we can't compete with teams for 90 minutes playing that way. sheff W are a better footballing team than us that's why they can cope I said last season we need to play more football or we wouldn't be as successful this year and its looking that way already we play too many Square pegs in round holes Sears is wasted playing where he is, he needs to be on the shoulder of the last man. I thought MM tactics Friday were ok but the substitutions made us a weaker team when we needed to be chasing the game. I'd have rather seen McDonnell come on we keep hearing how good he is so lets see it

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Stato added 04:05 - Dec 7 Blame the manager or blame the owner or blame both but don't just accept another season of mid table mediocrity as though it's our destiny because it's that lack of ambition from so many of our fans that allows the club to continue to be run the way it is.
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hogster1970 added 07:59 - Dec 7 footyblue hit the nail on the head ref jonas long throws, the long throw can be a lethal weapon how ever its our players not attacking the ball is the problem, i think atleast on of our center halfs needs to come up for them and being replaced with scuse for cover. how ever we are still very much work in progress, but we have a very weak midfield if bru is not playing, you can see it against charlton as it was very scrappy in that area and yes i was there, scuse doesnt close down play enough and get tackles in, very rarely you see him make a challange and come out with the ball, how ever if we can hang in there , around the 7th to 9th postion and get the likes of fraser , the bish back along with a fit bru, then the midfield should be quiet competative and start feeding the forwards with quality ball, eg some defence splitting passes for the likes of sears and murphy.

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Tractorboy1985 added 08:17 - Dec 7 I've said before we should have spent in the summer after a very successful season and pushed on! Didn't need millions thrown at it but solid signings who play in correct positions! We were told mick could use the mings money.. I'll start with Richard stearman.. 2 million.. Could play alongside Berra or right back (done a fantastic job whilst on loan) 700 grand would ave got the right back from hearts but no that's too much for us.. We will go and pay half that on Knudsen who for me is totally out of his depth in this league! We haven't had a good goalkeeper since Neil Alexander.. I really wanted us to sign Kieron Westwood from Sunderland years ago before he went to Sheffield Wednesday.. But we could have improved the goalkeeping situation with a million.. The pitman free transfer and Fraser loan signing were great business so that's under 4 million spent on 5 players who would have given us more quality.. We seemed to have looked for quantity.. Coke toure tabb.. Now they are players for mid table to relegation fodder clubs! Toure no better than Anderson.. Coke no better than Stephen hunt.. So have we improved as mick has always said? we were a decent catch for many a player in this division.. Had a good season.. Narrowly missing out on a day at Wembley then who knows what might have happened and in my opinion we have not progressed and will finish around where we are now! Sad but true!

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Tractorboy1985 added 08:45 - Dec 7 That is the problem @bossman.. So many fans happy to sit there and pay there 400-500 quid a season ticket drinking a cup of bovril and not fussed what football is dished up.. U hit the nail on the head.. AMBITION!! Sadly our owner has none! Always said it.. Tax dodge for his business! This club needed backing in the summer! Papering over the cracks with wins against Bolton Rotherham and Charlton doesn't do it for me! We are where we are and that's where we will finish! End of!

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JoeDickerson420 added 09:17 - Dec 7 TB85 - Chill Winston?? personally feel like MM will keep us in the mix with the big spenders up untill the end. the big boys' wheels will start falling off after new years..
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JoeDickerson420 added 09:17 - Dec 7 TB85 - Chill Winston?? personally feel like MM will keep us in the mix with the big spenders up untill the end. the big boys' wheels will start falling off after new years..
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BrettenhamBlue added 10:16 - Dec 7 Tractorboy1985 Hunt would be really upset to be compared with Coke. Leagues apart. Apart from that you make good sense. However, we simply don't have money to throw at transfer fees. Stearman would have been a superb signing, but cost too much. Like others have said, I don't think MM expected the amount of injuries, especially in midfield. Coke and Toure should, in theory, have not seen much first team football this season. I think the juries still out on Toure anyway. He does run at players and seems to have acceleration, he could prove a decent signing. Tabb is ok when needed. Agree Coke is hopeless, but we knew that already from his reputation at Wednesday. Just wish he would try harder.

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SouperJim added 10:43 - Dec 7 Some of you need to find some perspective. It's taken us 10 long painful years to become play-off contenders again. Ambition is great, I'd love us to win the league, but having finally found a manager who knows his backside from his elbow we need to remain patient. Mick has delivered progress year on year. Anybody who would gamble our current stability for a high-risk shot at the big time needs their head tested, as we could easily be looking at another 10 years in the wilderness if it didn't come off. Be careful what you wish for.

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GiveusaWave added 10:52 - Dec 7 Unrealistic expectations by some. We are a top 10 side and MM has done really well to make us into that. We are lucky to have an enthusiastic owner and a good manager. Kind of tired of the "Coke bashing". He's one of the worst midfielders we have had for many years, but he didn't cost 3Million. He was worth a risk by MM. We need to risk free transfers as the odd one (Bru) pays off.

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Surco72 added 11:19 - Dec 7 http://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-news/27482/milne-money-available-to-pay-fees The club said money would be spent on fees if MM wanted . MM said he didn't need to sign any more players or get any loans in as this was his best squad since he has been here ? Also the style of play and coaching of tactics is not down to money , or playing people out of position And I personally don't agree this squad is better than last season . Knudsen is nowhere near as good as Mings and that is the only change to defence so it is weaker . Frazer and ANM good signings but only loans who will not be here next season the same as Williams from previous seasons . Permanant midfield signings Coke, Douglas really any better than Ando , Ambrose , Hunt in quality ? Pitman a great clever player but to play means we have to move our best player Sears from Dec last year to the start of this season to accomodate ? The defence needs investment , it has since last January you cannot seriously contend for promotion when letting in so many goals

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Lightningboy added 11:21 - Dec 7 I'm sure we can compete too Mick but you don't do yourself or the team any favours by making the same continual mistakes with team selections. We did compete for the 1st half on friday night but then what did you say to them at half time?..why take off arguably our best player on the night in AMN?..sorry but we gave them far too much respect and at times ever since Mick's been here we've had far too many abject performances especially against the "bigger" teams..I expect us to throw everything at a team hammer and tong especially when we're at home (and behind),not just be happy with containg the opposition,playing for a draw,hoping to nick a goal..I thought you'd be the one to get your team fired up Mick,i'm proven wrong time and time again.

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MattinLondon added 11:39 - Dec 7 If people actually turned up to games then maybe MM will have more money available - Derby must average 10k more than us which means a lot more revenue for them per season. But lets face it the football which MM is dire and more akin to rugby at times then football. So I can understand why people hhose to be selective - it is expensive afterall. If money is an issue then I guess we have to be smarter where we spend money - Tabb, Toure, Coke - are not all regulars and so its not really sustainable having late thirtysomethings as squad players. Personally if the football was attractive I think people will turn up week after weeek -something which won't happen when we play long ball.

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