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

docsavage52 added 12:58 - Dec 7 What is the point of people going on about we need more players, we need to spend more money, not one else cares about the FFS, so why should we. Are these the same people who were moaning a few years ago when the club nearly went bust, because of over spending and lots of business lost money though non payment. Grow up, we are where we are, ME isnt going to spend more money.

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jonbull88 added 12:59 - Dec 7 Lightingboy AMN was obviously completely shattered when he came off on Friday anyone watching him could tell he wasn't as effective as in the first half and had a hand in their first goal. I think Coke will turn out to be an OK signing for us, he lacks match fitness to be judged here and there. Mcgoldrick would have come on had he had 2-3 other games under his belt but he hasn't hence the 5 minute cameo.

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big_gaz67 added 13:03 - Dec 7 Phil @ TWTD - please can you ask MMc if his contract has a percentage of profit for players sold clause - similar to those previously held by Harry Redknapp at Bournemouth and Barry Fry at Peterborough. I have asked this before and think as fans we have the right to know. Personally I think he is nest lining here - the reputed £1 million for keeping us up followed by a percentage of the profit on Mings. PLEASE PLEASE ask him this at a press conference.....

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Surco72 added 13:30 - Dec 7 Yes ANM had a hand in the first goal by going for a header on the half way line ? It made Chambers out of position , Smith get turned far too easily then give up , Chambers not come to close down to put pressure on the cross and Knudsen not pick up his man on the back post !! ANM was tired because he was doing so much covering for Chambers like all our midfield have to do over the last two seasons , he was still offering more going forward than any other midfielder on the pitch and certainly more than Coke offered , it was a poor substitution

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warktheline added 14:38 - Dec 7 I posted a couple of days ago much the same, personally believe McCarthy has taken us as far as he can, last season was as good as it gets! He will always keep us ticking over, but is that enough for fans? Rightly or wrongly he believes the back four are his best option, without proper investment that isn't going to change! The future doesn't look bright to me, we are in a nutshell, stagnant. I'll always appreciate what McCarthy achieved....reversed our free-fall, but the longer this goes on, everybody all to comfortable, that appreciation will evaporate.

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essex57 added 15:30 - Dec 7 There's a lot of people on here willing to spend other people's money and it doesn't always work Burley made some terrible costly signings when we qualified for Europe Magilton spent millions Keane Jewell Micks got us where we are with nothing the season is far from over let's press on and enjoy the ride.
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blues1 added 17:22 - Dec 7 or rfretwell, we could tell murphy, or whoever else Knudsen is aiming his long throw at to move towards the ball to get a flick on, rather than just stand still waiting for the ball to arrive, thus making it easy for the defender to attack the ball. I agree that we should use the tactic more sparingly but to totally blame Knudsen for the fact we create nothing from these throws is incorrect.

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jas0999 added 18:29 - Dec 7 Mick has done a great job with no backing. His comments come as no surprise as there have been carefully worded digs before. He must know the likes of Giles Coke are not good enough, but is sadly the best he can do with little budget. Evans has in my opinion let the fans and Mick down. All this promise of Cresswell and Mings money being spent on players simply wasn't true. Spin to convince fans money spent on wages but no mention of savings for the likes of Taylor. The debt is also an interesting topic and red herring as it was actually bought for a fraction of its current value, but still charged at the full rate. Evans still has the nerve to charge full price for match day tickets for all bar one game this season, which is ridiculous when he proves funds for cheap freebies like Coke and Toure. We won't move forward unless significant investment is forthcoming and I suspect this is Micks way of saying he is actually not happy. Evans needs to wake up and stop hiding behind FFP. No one else cares or adheres to it. Can see season ticket sales falling next year.

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roytheboy added 19:01 - Dec 7 So why is he not getting the financial support from the owner ?
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brittaniaman added 19:42 - Dec 7 This FFP seem such a farce to me !!! so until the authorities start deducting points for the teams that overspend,,, nothing will ever happen !!! because fines do not seem to work as the offending clubs refuse to pay or wait until it is reduced dramatically !!! QPR one example ????? As I have said once before Brighton, Boro, Derby Sheffield Wed., to name a few all Strenghened there teams in the summer, whereas we just added to ours

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christiand added 20:04 - Dec 7 MM is right, he hasn't got the budget to properly compete with the top 5, but we could sneak 6th. Although we did cause middlesboro' problems second half we were thoroughly outplayed and their class showed. I'm happy to keep building a promotion chasing team and feel MM is the right man for us...slow and steady wins the race, oh and a bulging chairman's wallet also helps!!

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TimmyH added 11:20 - Dec 8 Good post @surco72 - when you analyse the squad it really isn't any better only in numbers. Has always made me think is ME really holding money back from Mick or is it a case of Mick 'buttering' up to the owner by trying to achieve as much as possible on as little spending as possible - the truth will never be known.
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RRanger added 11:38 - Dec 8 Lightning Boy...MM looks after the younger players and doesn't run them into the ground. I was amazed and pleased when Arsen Wenger let us take AMN on a season long loan but we don't know the details or the agreement between MM and Wenger regarding the deal. The championship is a tough physical league and if AMN goes back to Arsenal at the end of the season having spent a large proportion of game time on the field without having chunks kicked out of him every week ie having been looked after by MM then maybe we'll get another good young prospect next time. AMN always gets substituted around the 60/70 minute mark and he did have a bang on the head in the last game.

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