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McCarthy: Top Six Again the Target Wednesday, 29th Jun 2016 06:00
Blues boss Mick McCarthy says the play-offs will once again be Town’s realistic target during 2016/17. The squad returned to Playford Road on Monday for the start of pre-season training.
“As always I think we’ve got to finish as best we can,” he said. “We slipped last year, in finishing seventh.
"We’d always made an improvement [year on year], so we’re going to try and make an improvement on our position from last season.”
He added: “But at the end of it we finished exactly the same [as the previous year when Town were sixth] because we’re still in this league.
“We finished in the play-offs the year before but we were still in this league. We had the excitement of the play-offs and the disappointment of the play-offs. Sadly we didn’t get there this year.
“First or second is pretty unlikely with the amount of money that will be swilling around in the league, what people have to spend and money available to some of the teams. I think if we can finish in the top six we’ll be doing well. That’s what we’ll be going for.”
How will he and his staff go about achieving that? “Starting here [in pre-season], making sure they’ve all come back fit, which they have.
“Getting them prepared, being as well-organised as we always are, being as hard-working as we always are. Having a really good team spirit and enduring 46 games in the Championship, which isn’t easy.”
He says the division will again be tough with Newcastle and Aston Villa having been relegated from the Premier League, along with the Blues’ greatest rivals Norwich City.
“That’s going to be interesting, it always makes it that way,” he said. “We play them early again. Aston Villa have come down, Newcastle have come down, they’ve all come down with a chunk of money.
“Derby spent a lot of money last year and missed out. Brighton are a very good side. There are some good teams in the league, there are some teams who are going to spend money and we’ll be the ones that are trying to upset the apple cart as always, and I’m sure we’ll manage to do it.”
Newcastle are managed by Rafa Benitez and Villa by Roberto Di Matteo, both bosses who have won the Champions League, however, McCarthy says success at higher levels is no guarantee that managers are able to be successful in the Championship.
“You might find that if I manage a Champions League team I might do all right,” he said. “They might find it a bit of a shock unless they get a bit of advice. You can watch it all you like.
"I was told a story about a foreign manager, I’m not going to say who it was, who was in the Premier League and was watching a Championship game and went, ‘What is this?’ and turned it off.
“And then he ended up in the Championship and suddenly found out what it was. It’s a tough old league and if you think you’re just going to come in and get through it, you’re not.
“Just because you’ve got money, because you’ve got a big squad, because you’ve got a team, it doesn’t always work like that.”
Is he confident his squad, which will again be assembled on a shoestring compared with many of the teams they will face, will be capable of competing?
“Yes, we will again because we’ve got good players, we’ve got really good pros, who care about the place, care about the club and we’ve a good team spirit,” he added.
“We’ll be organised, we’ll be a team. That’s been emphasised so much in the European Championships this year.
“And we’ll try and find a sprinkling of magic dust. We’ve got Bish coming back, we’ve got Andre Dozzell coming into the squad, he’ll be in the first-team squad, both of whom bring real creativity. Let’s hope Didzy stays fit, Murph stays fit and if they do we’ve got a good side.”
Photo: Action Images
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Keep on dreaming Mick I just don't see it with present personnel I am afraid and if you start with same old favourites who have proved they are not good enough God help us.
Nothing short of automatic promotion playing good football should be the target. Unfortunately we remain lumbered with this tactically inept hoofball man. Let's hope we do not have to suffer the dire "entertainment' from his favourites of last season, defending a 0=0 draw at home against lowly opposition. The moment his hoofball returns I will be calling for his exit.
Not a hope unless we sign four or five quality players. The type of midfielder we desperately need would also likely cost a fee. A goal scoring, creative central midfielder. Sadly, whilst the vast majority continue to ignore FFP and spend big, we will hide behind it and spend very little. We silly won't be able to compete if our strategy is the same as last pre season. A failing strategy.
Agreed, top six should be the aim. Going to be a tough season, but this team has had another year together. Historically town do well once we've got a settled teamthat have played with each other for a while. If we don't go up this season, it will be next
All of the other 23 managers in the division will be coming out with the same statement. But not with what this Ipswich squad you won't, how does he think he will win matches with such a negative constructed squad? A midfield selection of Hyam, Skuse, Douglas, and Bru are unlikely to get 10 between the lot of them. You've got to wait to see if Bishop stays fit long enough to include him as he appears fragile and he might score 3 over the season. And No winger, also lacking a true centre forward with any ariel height, he's talking out of his backside as usual.
McCarthy's style of football basically relies too much on a 1-0 hopeful win and a bleedin' good defence, which we haven't got.
Top 6 is a realistic aim. Winning playing good football is just wishful thinking.
Dozzell sounds as though he'll have more of a part to play, we've seen Emmanuel and Kenlock makes strides, the arrival of Webster and clearly having McGoldrick and Bishop fit will be key to a good season.
Yea, real excitement at the start of last season due to the Bournemouth lads coming in but no Fraser this season and Pitman didn't live up to his goalscoring star billing for me.McG unlikely to stay fit for long, Bish may relapse, Andre too young too make a real impact. Ironically the best footballing display I saw from town last season, home v Forest was alot due to Foley in centre mid. Now MM has let him go!
Does he really think that is achievable with 'bosman free's and loans' we're not going to get there. I don't understand any of this!! You look at the clubs coming down, two of the three have a champions league winning manager and we have this man.. I bet many fans are glad they didn't renew their season tickets. Looks like it's going to be another one of those seasons in the championship. The sooner the change in owner and manager, the better.
I have being a pessimist and I know what Leicester did last year with their squad, but this league is horrible to get out of. I just want to be entertained and for us to lodge a big bid and show SOME sort of ambition!
BoooooHooooooo, Why the heck do I bother coming on this site as its filled with moaners wanting the owner to spend even more of his money with the majority of cry babies not renewing their ST's
He's not going to say "top half is our aim" is he? We need to recruit a couple of new players (freebies or loans) and the more ambitious we seem the more attractive we appear. Mick is doing the right thing by aiming high, unrealistic but it's the right thing to say.
Fingers crossed that Bishop and Dozzell can establish themselves this season.. and that Mick gives them a fair crack at it and doesn't poop his pants if we get one drubbing and revert to type ala last year.
With half our best attacking players injured for a lot of the season and the defence not in top form, we finished 7th. Fewer injuries and some astute signings, we'll be well up there.
Those citing money and big-name managers who actually have no Championship experience, or who want the club to spend purely for the sake of "making a statement" (no other club would actually be impressed by that) are living in cloud cuckoo land.
Oh dear we have another “Leapy Lee” and his little downward arrows on the site who goes by “OwainG1992” (Is this an Essex57 clone? Have aliens taken him away as it's gone very quiet). Not apparently brave enough to state an opinion I have noted, only there to mark you down in their perverse way if you state an obvious point of view. At 24 they're still cutting their first teeth, and so used to seeing bland football.
McCarthy has got a new box set of these quotations for sale, there are a lot of repeats which you would expect from this man it shows his lack of ambition and his lack of self confidence each year he realises he's going to fail
Biggest thing for me is the good midfield player that jaso999 talks about, finishing 7th is not the same 6th we missed out on the £1mill income that the playoffs is quoted as bringing in. Might have gone a long way towards bringing that badly needed player in?
Looking forward to this season, Bishop back Dozzell plng a part, hopefully a fit Didzy a couple more youngsters coming through. Player recruitment needs to improve markedly, We finished 7th and it was considered a bad season . I for one think top 6 is definatley on , top 2 probably beyond us considering who came down. Get Dack that boy is good and guarentees goals
I don't know if I can take another season of Ipswich after watching England, they are very similar when you think of it.... No real creativity, Lack team identity, don't know what formation they are playing and playing favourites and people out of positions.
Very Disappointed with the previous post about freebies and Loans, Would have been nice to buy 2 or 3 players for small fees 500k- 1 mil. I just cant help think he must look at the henshalls, coke, toure, stewarts, Douglas' and the endless list of the freebie industry we have bought in and not think we HAVE to invest a bit of money because a 6th/7th finish shows we don't need a lot, just 2 or 3 players of a little more quality
Waiting for the loan options and conducting business late seems to be our normal approach. It does however to leave us on the back foot at start of season. Coupled with little investment in January windows we have appeared to lack ambition.
Hoping to be proved wrong and a couple of signings to arrive in July.
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