Town boss Mick McCarthy says it’s important for his side to put on a show for fans at this afternoon’s final friendly of pre-season against Belgian second tier side Royale Union Saint-Gilloise (KO 3pm). The season proper gets under way next Saturday when McCarthy’s hometown club Barnsley, where he started his playing career, visit Portman Road.

“It’s important that the people who come and see us are excited by it,” the Blues boss said. “I heard all the fans [at Thursday’s open day] saying they’re excited the season’s coming, as we are.

“But we need to entertain them, to enthuse them, to get them back and wanting to come through the door to watch us.

“It’s important from that point of view and it would be nice to go into the Barnsley game on the back of a win.”

McCarthy, who has been keen to get his side to play a more possession-based game during pre-season, the Blues having been criticised for their style of play last term, admits he knows little of today’s opponents.

“Absolutely nothing,” he said. “Not being disrespectful to them, but I don’t. I don’t watch the Belgian top league too often, to be quite honest, [let alone the second division].

“I don’t but I will respect them just like everybody else. It’s up to us to play how we want to play and to get at them.”

Brussels-based Royale Union finished sixth in their division last year and are a club with a strong history behind them. They have won 11 Belgian league titles, however, the last of those was in 1935.

Les Unionistes were involved in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup during the 1960s but in recent years have played their football in the second and on occasion the third tier.

Striker Brett Pitman (toe) and midfielder Luke Hyam (knee) are not expected to be involved this afternoon but are thought likely to be fit for the Barnsley game. Dean Gerken has missed the last two friendlies with a hamstring problem and wasn't involved in Thursday's open training session at Portman Road.

Midfielder Giles Coke was training with fitness coach Andy Liddell at the open day but is unlikely to be ready to be involved today having undergone knee surgery at the end of last season.

Trialist left winger Roland Lamah could again be given a chance to impress having played in the 0-0 draw at Charlton on Tuesday.

As at The Valley, McCarthy will look to give many of his starting XI - a side which probably won’t be too far from the team which lines up against the Tykes next week - the full 90 minutes.

Tickets are priced at £10 for adults, £8 for concessions and £1 for under-16s.

Photo: Action Images

BlueBoots added 06:16 - Jul 30 Lamah - Murphy - Sears McG Skuse - Bru Knudsen - Berra - Smith - Chambers Bart Sign Lamah, get KaiKai on loan from Palace, and barring any long term injuries, I think we could have another crack at the play-offs this season...
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happybeingblue added 06:50 - Jul 30 this is not exactly a good friendly fixture, why couldnt we attract a premiership team i had never even heard of them this may sound harsh and dont want to be disrespectful but surely its about putting bums on seats, by the sounds of it big mick hasnt a clue either. think most will save their £ for next saturday
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unstableblue added 07:02 - Jul 30 Bart Chambo Berra smith Knudsen -------------skuse ---bishop-----------bru ----------mcg ------Sears----Murphy Make it so Mick, make it so
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tractorboybig added 07:05 - Jul 30 Go on then, excite us!!!!!!!!!
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Kirtonspanner added 07:05 - Jul 30 Eckey thump!
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Penguinblue added 07:07 - Jul 30 McCarthy producing a team to play exciting football would be a first. Negative hoofball is all he knows
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jas0999 added 07:09 - Jul 30 No idea why we are playing low quality opposition in our prestige home friendly. But, great chance to score six or seven goals. As for MM comments about exciting the fans ... We will see. We haven't signed the necessary personnel to improve on last season and in fairness have lost a number of flair loan players. That said, Bishop and McGoldrick can add quality to this hard working team.

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Town4me added 07:21 - Jul 30 Just googled them and they are an even smaller team than I imagined. Stadium capacity only 6k.
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Sir_Bob added 08:04 - Jul 30 Last season you said you couldn't give a hoot if the fans moaned at our style of play as long as we got results
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ArnieM added 08:09 - Jul 30 penguin blue you obviously never saw his Wolves side that ripped us apart 1-3 at PR!! His team then and his Sunderland team were fast attacking sides using 2 wingers. You clearly know little because Mick has had minimal financial backing at Town. yet he has kept this Club when we were as good as a League One bound. He has then built a team on toffee papers to sneak into the play offs and last season with our most influential creative players out injured for most of the season, he guides us to 7th. MM and Evans have clearly listened to the fans and he is making every effort to change the style of play. He has been unable to find decent wingers ( Stewart has let him and us down massively buy his childish sulks), whilst other wingers have failed to do the job. Perhaps the trialst on show today will be "the one". Mick has brought in Webster a footballing CB - he tried to buy him in Jan but couldn't get him. The team is now seeing an influx of academy players ( all planned from since Klug returned to the club ), but you and many others on here fail to see what a bloody good job he's doing with both hands tied behind his back. The team this pre season are trying to play the "passing game"icknis changing his approach but it will take time for players to adapt - no doubt YOU will be the first one to booooooooooooooooooo in the stands, assuming you even go to the games!

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Wallingford_Boy added 08:28 - Jul 30 BlueBoots - No Bish?!
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Keaneish added 08:35 - Jul 30 It's no good just trying to excite us. You need a plan A, B and C. We haven't had this in any game over the last 4 seasons so stop with the rhetoric and start delivering. Which fan is owning up to saying, "they're looking forward to the new season"...? No-one I've spoken to is...
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12th_Man added 08:49 - Jul 30 Is anyone like me and couldn't care if the season didn't start for another 4 to 8 weeks just nothing to get excited about
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essex57 added 08:55 - Jul 30 Plan A win games Plan B Win Games Plan C win games. Simple dont make it complicated. By the way Penguin blue out. Great post Arniem
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patthegimp added 08:58 - Jul 30 Pessimism is I suppose normal but Micks record with us is very good given the extremely limited financial support. How anyone cannot be excited for this season with McGoldrick and Bishop back, Webster in, Stewart possibly rejuvenated, Dozzel, McDonnell in the reckoning as well as a number of other good prospects coming through from the academy. We will kick ass this year. Fortress P R will return. Keep the faith

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patthegimp added 08:58 - Jul 30 Pessimism is I suppose normal but Micks record with us is very good given the extremely limited financial support. How anyone cannot be excited for this season with McGoldrick and Bishop back, Webster in, Stewart possibly rejuvenated, Dozzel, McDonnell in the reckoning as well as a number of other good prospects coming through from the academy. We will kick ass this year. Fortress P R will return. Keep the faith

2

GiveusaWave added 09:00 - Jul 30 This is a huge fixture for them having just played in a friendly against Düsseldorf u23. I have heard of them as they played in a friendly against a Dagenham and Redbridge XI last year (they lost 4-0) so like jas0999 has stated expecting a really healthy win which will be good for our confidence going into the first game of the season. Superb game to watch if you want to see us score plenty of goals!

0

ChestnutSe added 09:03 - Jul 30 We are going and are looking forward to the new season with optimism. I went to Charlton and we played pretty well and all that was missing was a couple of goals. Having said that I don't take too much notice of pre season games. It's all about getting all the squad fit so you never really see the first team all together. Yes the squad looks a bit thin although we have 5 or 6 youngsters that should be able to add a little something this season. As somebody else has said our stated ambition and plan is to have at least half the team developed in house and we are getting close to that. I am sure that Mick is trying to get AMN back for another season and probably one or two others as well. Things may happen quickly now with the real business starting to happen next Saturday. At least with Mick you know the 11 on the pitch will give 100% because he accepts nothing else. If the quality is not there and we get beat by a better team with bigger resources then so be it. But they are still my team and I will give them my 100% support because otherwise what's the point? COYB

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Andy32Cracknell added 09:12 - Jul 30 Hopefully this turns out ok. 4-2-3-1- for me for the majority of the season. Bart Emmanuel Chambers Smith Knudson Bru Bishop Murphy McGoldrick Stewart Sears
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Mark added 09:15 - Jul 30 Such an odd choice of friendly, I hope we are ready for the season after these matches against weak opposition. Yes we should win by a few goals, but then we should also have done that against Shelbourne, Barnet, Colchester and Cambridge.
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GenericIpswichFan added 09:27 - Jul 30 I find it disgusting that we have not traveled to China or America on a long and expensive jaunt that could have easily come out of Evans pocket. If we want to play premier league teams that's clearly the only way it is ever going to happen. Frankly a run out against a team of kids (spurs played 8 youngsters alga instead Athleti the other night) who have barely started a competitive match between them would be of far more benifit then playing a bunch of Belgians we've never heard off. Sort it out Mick, LA Galaxy, Chelsea, Sporting Lisburn and PSG next sea son or don't bother and just play against the under 21s .

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Gcon added 09:29 - Jul 30 Well said Arnie M. Good to see a rare upbeat, constructive comment rather than the relentless negative drivel spouted by a dominant handful that have come to dominate these pages.
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BlueBoots added 09:37 - Jul 30 Wallingford_Boy - Yeah, no Bishop...think we need to alternate between McG and Bishop for now as they're both coming back from long term injuries...
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DJ27 added 09:40 - Jul 30 This would be mine team for most of the season presuming everyone fit and we dont sign anyone else. Sears Stewart McGoldrick Dozzell Bishop Skuse Knudsen Smith Webster chambers. Bart
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GiveusaWave added 09:52 - Jul 30 DJ27 Bart as a lone striker? He's a top quality player but not sure he will be banging in the 20 plus goals we need! (only joking!) Anyone else see Emmanuel the other night? Certainly a great finisher for a right back. Great to see ArnieM and his optimism and passion for the team.
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