Today marks the fourth anniversary of Mick McCarthy’s appointment as Town manager. McCarthy, 57, took over as boss on November 1st 2012, Paul Jewell having left by mutual consent just over a week beforehand.

Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Rotherham was McCarthy's 201st match as Blues boss - including the 4-0 home victory over Middlesbrough in February 2013 which he missed as he was unwell when his assistant Terry Connor took charge - with his overall record standing at won 79, drawn 59 and lost 63, a win percentage of 39.3 per cent.

Having taken over when the Blues were bottom of the Championship, five points from safety having taken only seven points from 13 matches. He led them to 14th in that first campaign, then ninth, sixth and the play-offs in 2014/15 and then seventh last season. Town are currently 16th.

Speaking at the end of last week McCarthy said he was proud to be reaching the four-year milestone and believes he has done a good job over that time, even if he admitted after Saturday’s match that he is “disappointed in my own performance at the moment that we’re not getting the results that I think we should with the team I’ve got”.

“I take huge pride in it because quite clearly I’ve done a good job over the four years, no doubting that. I don’t want you to say it, I’m telling you I have,” he said.

“I’m thrilled I’ve had four years, there’d be a lot of others who would like to think they’d, not ‘get’ four years but ‘earn’ four years through their job, through how they do it and what they’ve done.

“[Owner] Marcus [Evans] hasn’t just kept me, Ipswich Town haven’t just kept me because they like me, it’s because I’ve done a good job. That’s why I’m still here.”

McCarthy, who has said he is very happy at Portman Road and has no plans to move on with his contract running to the summer of 2018 with an option for a further two years, is the longest-serving boss in the Championship, which illustrates the precariousness of the job at this level.

“I think 12 months is the average tenure,” McCarthy reflected. “I was looking and there’s me and Simon Grayson, who is just behind me on almost four years.

“And the next one to me is Gary Rowett, who is two years. And then you start looking down then and I think it’s Chris Hughton, who is one year and 10 months.

“You don’t get long and you look at some clubs since I’ve been here and they’ve had six, seven or eight managers. And they’re still not doing any better than they were when I came here.”

What have been your highlights and lowlights of McCarthy’s four years in charge of the Blues? Add to the News Comments below.

Photo: TWTD

Hoofball added 10:21 - Nov 1 Mick you are killing our club ! Please go.
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itfchorry added 10:36 - Nov 1 1- Driving supporters away 2- Sintilating Foitball 3- Your Cup Runs 4- Boring Pre-Seasons 5- Contempt of Supporters
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Sir_Bob added 10:37 - Nov 1 I wish we could celebrate something else today...... His resignation!!!
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ThatMuhrenCross added 10:44 - Nov 1 Congratulations Mick, fantastic achievement in modern football. A big thank-you particularly for the first two years where you stabilised the club. Naturally it's a shame to see the club go backwards in the past two seasons, but today should be one of celebration. Well done Mick.
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trncbluearmy added 10:47 - Nov 1 Even though we were beaten by the hated scum in the play offs you were lorded and thanked for bringing the good times back,yes the football was poor but after beano and jewell anything positive was appluded. But that is all gone now. You treat the fans with comtempt,the football is dire,the results poor,thousands have lost interest and you do not have a clue how to turn it around. Please go while a small piece of your silly northern dignity remains.

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MooseJuice added 10:50 - Nov 1 It's my birthday today too. I'll get to make wish later won't I!? Hmm....
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OwainG1992 added 10:56 - Nov 1 4 years. 1st half of a season great. Next year solid got us much more molid. 3rd season so close! Last year even though we finished 7th never truly felt we'd make the play offs. Felt this could be our season...soon as Murph went i think it was a kick in the nuts mainly because we didn't replace him. Mick maybe should leave but he won't. Only hope for me is we can somehow be with 2 or 3 wins of play offs come Jan and bring a couple in and who knows?

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MicksZzzTactics added 10:56 - Nov 1 Look what I got in my junkmail this lovely morning!!! An surprise anniversary card from Master Mick to us so unmistakably inferred as "stupid & disloyal" ITFC fans :-) Begone your deluded 'Arrogantusaurus Terribilis Rex', Begone!!!
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TR11BLU added 10:56 - Nov 1 Highlights - Hmmmmm? Lowlights - too, too many to list but the icing was the contract extension...and now I read he has an option for a further two years. Unbelievable!!! Will there be any fans left if he takes that up???
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essextractorboy93 added 11:00 - Nov 1 A great achievement in the modern game. We all know things haven't been good enough for the last few months and we might disagree on things but we are in a much better state now than the days of Keane and Jewell. Amazing to think we've only had 15 full time managers in our entire history! Not many clubs can say that!
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mickeyjb added 11:01 - Nov 1 A couple by the looks at this thread!!!
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PortmanTerrorist added 11:01 - Nov 1 Saved our Club but along with ME has presided over a period of unprecedented and unacceptable stagnation over last 2 years. Excuses used to justify pick the likes of Skuse/Douglas, Chambo at RB, Sears on the wing and Bishop/Dozzell barely at all, are all now tired. It is hard not to be pessimistic but nevertheless I want to see us do better with results and performances and maybe Mick can turn it around yet - give him until Xmas perhaps ? I won't criticize the N Stand chanting on Saturday as they are there every game and have every right. And i also know we look like we have team structure, and play with some impression that the players have met before, and with pride in the badge then I think they will get back on side quickly.....and results will come. But you have to correct the positional mistakes Mick! PS: After costing us 2 (nearly 3) goals on Saturday does Mick STILL stand by his captain at RB ? Rooney was dropped; can Chambo be ? I suspect he might even be relieved to be taken out of the firing line !

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Townie29 added 11:08 - Nov 1 I know the style is not good and the results are not going our way but I still want MM to stay. 1) If anyone knows how to stop the rot its him 2) Given some £££ he will bring a promotion push again 3) If we risk it all with a new manager with little experience from a lower league I bet we will get relegated 4) I'd prefer to be one of the top/hard to beat teams in the Championship rather than playing attractive football in League 1 I imagine that I will get quite a few down marks but you just have to look at his stats since taking over: a win percentage of 39.3. That is high for a Championship manager

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vanmunt added 11:09 - Nov 1 I didn't think I could get to a lower ebb after the Jewell and Keane days.... congratulations on 4 years of terrible anti football and getting paid handsomely for it.
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cats_whiskers added 11:11 - Nov 1 What a depressing day... It's like being stuck in a lift after someone has farted and theres no escape
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jonbull88 added 11:25 - Nov 1 Well done mm. Fantastic achievement in modern football. Imo we could win every game 1-0 and it would still be a step up on beano and fool Jewell. The present football might be boring and uninspiring, but I still remember the days of boring, uninspiring football, but players not caring,
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Vizslaraner added 11:33 - Nov 1 Let's just wait and see how long he stays now he has better players and the gates go down even further. ME will have to act when it hits him in the pocket and when he realises he hasn't the skills to get a decent bunch of players actually winning games in the proper manner. You only need to look at Grant Ward and Tom Lawrence to see their level is dropping already. Ward must wonder what he has walked into here.

9

DirtyOldNodger added 11:44 - Nov 1 The football on offer is pretty terrible at the moment, but I hope ME perseveres and doesn't buckle under fan pressure. Lets face it, 99.9% of fans don't really have a clue how to manage a football team or run a football club. For all the poor entertainment we've had lately, at least we can say that we are still very much a championship club that is able to maintain its position whilst remaining financially competitive and sticking to the FFP rules, no matter how ridiculous or stupid they may be. Its a solid base to build upon and I think given time, and funds, Mick will turn it around. So, congratulations to Mick for lasting 4 years. Your footballing philosophy might not be to everyones liking, but overall I think you've done a great job considering you've had one hand tied behind your back for the majority of that time.

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Suffolkboy added 11:49 - Nov 1 Many congratulations to Mick; please try to ignore the ' doom mongers ' and 'noisy children ' ! Both Jonathan and I are so very happy to know you are continuing to do a great job ,changing the face of this super family club,and persisting in fostering unrelenting standards and values . Suffolk Boy Ps Real success will depend on building a younger squad ,but that takes time and patience-- unless you've a shed load of money to throw around witlessly

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Penguinblue added 11:53 - Nov 1 1. Boredom 2. Hoofball 3. Anti-football 4. Anti-entertainment 5. Arrogance 6. Contempt for fans 7. Exskusglas / Chambers / Gerkins selection above Bart 8. Moronic, contradictory, excuse ridden press comments (usually to our brown nosing 'journalist' friend from BBC Suffolk 9. Lack of decency in not leaving 10. Disillusionment McCarthy your football is sh~t OUT
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vulcher1 added 11:57 - Nov 1 saved us from relegation, then 9th, 6th and 7th, barely spent a penny and the fans turn on him as if he has spent millions and got us relegated! we are no longer a top championship team, and haven't been for years.
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DirtyOldNodger added 12:11 - Nov 1 Something worse than all the things you've written there Penguinblue - moronic gutless imbeciles like yourself who hide behind your internet persona because you're too scared to say those things out loud to the man himself. Where were you when the AGM was taking place last week? You could have reeled your quite extensive list of issues to the manager there and then. But you didn't because you're all mouth.

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blueblood66 added 12:19 - Nov 1 14th, 9th 6th 7th.....only a little better than John Duncan who did 8th 8th 9th....I think after the 6th we ALL expected us to kick on and be back in the top 6 last season but we just about scraped 7th. This season has been worse so far, so he ISN'T doing a good job is he?
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brian_a_mul added 12:25 - Nov 1 Congrats Mick, you have dramatically changed the club for the better in your 4 years here! The youth system is functioning well again, changed the mind set and reset the culture of the club back to positive place for the players and staff to work in. Not only have you made tough changes but you have maintained it with a marvelous level of honesty and consistency. You may not get the recognition you deserve from some fans now but you have laid a very solid foundation and helped settle the club after a period of turmoil. I have no doubt that your legacy will be well remembered when you do move on (lets hope thats not for another few years yet!) :)

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Vizslaraner added 12:34 - Nov 1 When he came here he did a good job getting the club back on track and saving us with the million quid he was paid for doing so. That I was grateful for and the next season we over achieved making the play offs and that too was progress. However, the last 18 months have seen us go backwards and the excuse of injuries is rolled out all the time. He then signs Jonny who we all love but if we are lucky we will get 15 games a year out of. He gives hyam a three year deal when he spends large parts of the season out injured or suspended. If injuries are such a problem why was this the course of action taken. I'm sorry but we won't go forward with him in charge as he can only play regimented, negative defend at all costs football. A no risk philosophy will get us nowhere. Speculate to accumulate and be brave is the way to go. By always worrying about the opposition rather than what we can do is never going to take you very far. Battles are won by being inventive and hurting the opposition by identifying their weakness. Teams do it to us all the time, they target the right channel and this was even more evident When Tommy played right side. Yes he should have two good feet and play wherever as he's a professional, but it never worked. If he can't see the team shape is so bad he never will. Freddie has gone back up top and two goals materialise! It only took 33 games to realise and we want to let this man have free rein with our progression? Lunacy and as said by many over the years the first sign of madness is doing the same thing over and over again when it has not worked. We will carry on being the most unimaginative, Dull and stagnant side in this league with the current set up

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