Town boss Mick McCarthy says attending the Supporters Club’s Player Awards Evening was ultimately the best thing he could have done after last week’s 3-1 home defeat to Brentford, although he admits he wasn’t looking forward to going along given the result of the game.

Quizzed on whether he felt that had been an overreaction from fans to the Blues’ recent poor run of form and now likely failure to get into the play-offs, he said: “I haven’t seen it and I don’t go searching for it because if I’m feeling particularly badly about results and how we’ve played I don’t need anybody else to tell me, I can assure you.

“I don’t think the last month or five weeks has been a true reflection on my time here, we’re still doing the same things that we’ve done since I walked in the door, how I do it, how we train and how we play and how we got in the play-offs last year.

“It was great last year, it was ‘Super Mick’ last year and it’s whatever it is, the opposite this year.

“I’ll be coming back next year and we’ll be doing it exactly the same and hopefully we can improve on what we’ve done.”

He added: “It’s funny, somebody stopped me in the car park the other day and said, ‘Have you got your tin hat on?’. And I went, ‘Why?’. He said, ‘Well, you know, the stick you’re getting’. I said I didn’t even know I was getting any stick and he said, ‘Oh yes, you’re getting loads!’. I said, ‘Well, bothered…’

“I’m actually more concerned about how I feel about it. I’d prefer the supporters to be with me, supporting me, supporting the team because together we’re certainly stronger and when we’re starting to get fragmented it really does become difficult for all of us.

“Difficult for them to stomach me and difficult for us to do the job because it becomes nervy.

“I want them to win them back and for them to be on my side and be supporting me and supporting the team.

“I was at the Supporters Club do on Saturday night and I have to tell you that the last place I wanted to be at half-past five was at a supporters’ do.

“But by the time I’d been in there half an hour it was the best thing I’d done and I felt so much warmth and feeling towards me, towards TC, towards the players. Support and empathy rather than a really bad taste in supporters’ mouths.

“And I think if that’s reflecting our true support, then I still think I have a lot of support, probably the biggest percentage.

“There are a lot of [other people] the ones who make the loud noises, but I do think the ones we saw on on Saturday care just as much about the club, coming to speak to us and being nice to us and thanking us for what we’ve done over the years.

“It means just as much to them as the ones who are shouting abuse, screaming and saying I should be sacked, I should be gone, I should resign or whatever they’re saying. All those things are just not going to happen.”

Given the year on year progress made during his first three seasons at the club, does he find the calls for his head during what’s likely to be the first in which the Blues have slipped back tough to stomach?

“I get it, I’ve been at a lot of clubs now,” he added. “I’ll be coming up to four years, maybe they’re getting tired of me. It’s four years at the club, the average tenure is 12 months.

“Maybe people are like that, they keep changing managers. The last place I left that certainly thrived after I left, didn’t it!”

Photo: Action Images

sidtheswan added 06:15 - Apr 15 Yawn ! You cost the club £500000 in lost season ticket sales . Is ME happy with that ?
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bluearmy84 added 06:28 - Apr 15 the club would of lost a hell of a lot more money had mick not come in saved the club from the F@c& ups of the previous dog managers weve had. the club is in the most stable position its been in years under mick. last year everyone was tossin mick off!! short memories, personally id rather watch 11 players giving there all for itfc and thats what micks gets out of his players

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jas0999 added 06:28 - Apr 15 It's true that a Wolves didn't exactly benefit when he left. However, the current style clearly has to change.
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Woodbridgian added 07:14 - Apr 15 “I'll be coming back next year and we'll be doing it exactly the same" I think you will find that is what the vast majority of fans are complaining about not the league position or results. The same boring one route one football week after week!
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Bert added 09:43 - Apr 15 As good as TWTD is it is not necessarily representative of all supporters. MM certainly has his faults and detractors but where I sit there is very little negativity directed towards him. He receives warm applause when he comes out and at half time the talk on the practice pitch is about the players not MM. If he has his favourites it's because he thinks they are better than those we may wish to see. What he does do is manage the whole team well. What he does less well is rabbit on too long; better to zip it and not give more amunition to those who pick holes in everything he says. Well, that's my opinion.

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BackTheBlues added 12:06 - Apr 15 Bert - well said! Maybe a 100 people on here want him out - grand scheme of things that's not that much! It would be worse under a different manager if ME didn't inject money - if he does - Mick is the best to spend it!
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tallguy6767 added 13:14 - Apr 15 Let's just see what the attendance is on the first game of the season backtheblues.I think you will see it will be more than 100 !!!
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senduntd added 13:34 - Apr 15 Lets stick with Mick. He has built a nice club since he's been here with nice players on a shoestring. No obvious choice for a replacement anyway. Marcus is a shrewd operator, he wouldn't be a multi millionaire if he wasn't. Lets cut out all this negativity and get behind the boys.
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Cheshire_Blue added 15:39 - Apr 15 Great to read a few sensible comments for once. It is always the noisy minority who have the most to say.
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BlueMachines added 16:48 - Apr 15 Defend MM all you want. But there is really nothing enjoyable about watching us play football. Anybody who enjoys our 'style', be it supposed 'true supporters' or 'moaners' needs their head tested. It is utter dross unfortunately.
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phillo added 16:52 - Apr 15 "I'll be coming back next year and we will be doing it exactly the same" ....... oh good god !!!##
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Seasider added 17:55 - Apr 15 I'll be coming back and doing exactly the same,now there is a surprise! That is why 50%of our group are not renewing their season tickets,after many happy years in their company.More sorry to lose them than I would be losing McCarthy,whos attitude to the Hyam incident epitomises his anti-football philosophy to the beautiful game.
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Seasider added 18:02 - Apr 15 Backthe Blues;so a hundred at the supporters do support him,and 100 on hear don't.What about the rest? The East Anglian Daily Times did a survey following their webchat about peoples opinion of Manager Marvel but I wont spoil your evening by telling you result
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Cheshire_Blue added 18:28 - Apr 15 But there isn't 100 on here, more like 20., and the rest of the 18,000 or so who go to Portman Road understand that MM is trying to do a good job with one hand tied behind his back and making a damn good job of it, even if the football is not up to the Barcelona standard.
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blueboy1981 added 19:23 - Apr 15 One could be disrespectful and say that it's only local ITFC groupies, who can, and do attend such functions. But, of course, we wouldn't say such things - Would we ... ?? Based on that I don't think it's too much for him to get excited about.
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KiwiTractor added 20:47 - Apr 15 He is going to do the same things next season ........ oh dear.
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nazeingblue1 added 21:32 - Apr 15 It's all gone a bit wrong the last couple of months or so but on the whole mick's done a good job. I think we're all looking forward to the end of the season and enjoying the Euros. Next season will be alright couple of new additions added to a fairly sound top half championship squad and we will all be positive again
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grinch added 07:07 - Apr 16 Thank god a lot of you were not here during the war you sound like the guy from dads army that were all doomed. Look at the teams below us and there heritage there are bigger clubs than us there. Dont hide behind forums go support the players who are there now
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blrmy added 07:48 - Apr 16 Internet sites are notorious for negativity, shouting anonynously and safely through keyboards, TWTD is an excellent run site, the news is probably the best of any fan site, but does have a reputation built by frequent posters.
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