Town boss Mick McCarthy says he’s as frustrated as supporters that the Blues were unable to add a permanent replacement for Daryl Murphy during the transfer window. The 33-year-old joined Newcastle at the end of the August window and an experienced similar striker was top of Town’s January wish-list.

However, the Blues - who eventually added Reading's Dominic Samuel on loan for the rest of the season on deadline day - were unable to land their man having been keen on a number of players including Rotherham’s Danny Ward and Preston’s Jordan Hugill, for whom the Blues had a £2 million offer rebuffed.

Meanwhile elsewhere clubs such as Sheffield Wednesday and McCarthy’s former club Wolves were spending fees in eight figures as they added to their firepower.

Does McCarthy believe it’s becoming impossible for the Blues to compete given the money spent elsewhere?

“It’s making it very difficult, isn’t it?” he admitted. “There was £13 million spent at Wolves [on Helder Costa]. I remember the conversation I had just before I got the sack, that the Premier League money was going to go down and people wouldn’t be buying or selling, wages were going to go down.

“We didn’t have that much to spend in the Premier League then and they’ve gone and spent it in the Championship.

“It’s really tough to compete, to try and get that top six. Sheffield Wednesday, did they get Jordan Rhodes in for £10 million? It’s pretty bonkers, isn’t it?”

Do the Blues need to change their approach to recruitment going forward? “That’s all well and good but I don’t see anybody walking into anybody’s house and telling them they’ve got to go and get the garden tidied up and get a nice new car and make the street look better just because the neighbour wants it to happen.

“It’s Marcus’s club, it’s Marcus’s money and I think he has to decide - well, has decided - that is what we do. And that is how I manage the club, that is how it is run.

“And, to be fair, up until this season we’ve been competitive, the last two seasons before, sixth and seventh, we’d done particularly well. But it’s proving to be tough this year.”

McCarthy signed seven players during the January window, but does he believe he was given sufficient backing?

“What do you want me to say to that? What answer would you like to that?” he responded.

Pressed further to give his thoughts, he added: “I’m pleased with the ones we’ve got but we did try to get others. I’m disappointed that we didn’t but that’s not through the want of trying.”

While the Blues didn’t land their targets, other clubs did sign players in the million-pound-plus market in which Town were shopping, Grimsby’s Omar Bogle joined Wigan, while Fulham’s Matt Smith moved to QPR, however, McCarthy says he wasn’t going to spend money for the sake of spending money.

“It’s easy to go and spend a million quid just to says we’ve spend a million quid,” he continued. “I think the ones you buy at a million quid have got to be better than the ones you’ve got.

“So, if we’d have been targeting those then perhaps I didn’t think they were value for money either, some of those deals which were done.

“You go an buy one now at a million quid just because you’re desperate to get one for a million quid and actually you’ve got him now for the next three, three and a half or four years and it perhaps wasn’t worth it.”

Given the money spent elsewhere, did he feel underpowered in the January market? “I always revert back to the fact that if the household has got a budget and we’re going to a restaurant, I spend my budget.

“I don’t go looking in the window of another one, that’s what we’ve got. If I’m going out to a decent restaurant I don’t go looking at the Michelin star one and think ‘I wish I could be eating there’, I’ll get on with it.”

Does he believe clubs were expecting bigger fees than players were worth having seen the size of deals elsewhere? “Do I think the market is unrealistic and bonkers? Yes, I do. Completely.”

Were clubs expecting everyone to splash out the big fees, not just those in the division with the bigger budgets? “What you’re saying is Ipswich fans would like to see more money being spent.”

Since Tuesday's deadline fans have expressed their frustration that no replacement for Murphy was signed - “We’ve not been able to get one, have we?” - and McCarthy says he’s equally as frustrated as they are: “Absolutely.”

Photo: TWTD

cat added 18:04 - Feb 2 OwainG1992 MM would not know how to change it if you gave him a Billion!. Mick loves to play the Marta when it comes to no money to spend. The reason why we ain't signed any top draw players is because of where we are. Who want to play mid table boring hoofball.
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Michael11 added 18:30 - Feb 2 I think our tin pot budget excuse would be much easier to accept if our owner wasn't worth £800m. He's just using this club for tax evading and something to tell his golf buddies he owns.
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Cr0wman added 18:50 - Feb 2 I agree that the problem is Evans and this worries me. When he bought our club and saved us from administration he did not wipe our debts away, he transferred them to himself and his other companies. I believe he was in a no lose situation, if we had got promotion in the early years of his ownership he would have made a massive profit on his investment. Now that it did not happen is it possible that he is happy with the clubs debt and failure to decrease that debt because he is using us as a tax break for his other companies? I believe anyone wishing to purchase the club from Evans now would have to also purchase the debt the club owes to Evans and his companies. Which to my mind means Evans was never going to lose money in our club.... No risk...No commitment to progress.... No love of our club

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GiveusaWave added 18:50 - Feb 2 It's obvious that money is a major issue with the club and has been for a few years. However, I feel Bogle (Wigan), Smith (QPR), Joao (Blackburn), Taylor (Bristol City), Woodrow (Burton), Brown (Huddersfield), Morris (Rotherham), Mandron (Wigan), would have strengthened us in attack. I don't know what the club was doing in those final hours, but relegation rivals all made good, realistic signings in that period all within the wage bracket, as did a number of League 1 teams. After the Lincoln City game MM raved about how good Theo Robinson is and he ended up signing for Southend Utd. In the strikers department, ITFC really made a mess of it. Honestly, I have no idea about Samuel, only that he was meant to be signing on loan at a much lower level and I have been surprised about Morre as it's hard to imagine him being unable to get into the Forest Green Rovers team (he doesn't look non-league). But there were players aplenty out there who could have signed. Makes me wonder what the hell happened.....

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tomitfc added 18:52 - Feb 2 I'm just sick of the same old rubbish and how many times has this guy said the word 'bonkers' in the last 5 years?! It's bonkers that you're still in charge mate.
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norfolk1 added 18:58 - Feb 2 What manager would want to come and work for scrooge ME. nobody in there right mind, I'm old enough to remember the good old days, ITFC is a complete shambles
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cat added 19:02 - Feb 2 Apologises Michael11 meant to vote you up!! Tony88 I have noticed you have become very trigger happy on down voting arrow lately, why don't you enlighten us with some of your opinions??????
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itfchorry added 19:09 - Feb 2 It is totally transparent - Evans has done a deal with McCarthy. McCarthy will be given to the end of the season. He will then leave by mutual consent. The players bought in during this window, have been Purchased to plug the leak on the sinking ship with the aim of avoiding relegation on the cheap. Dangerous game - McCarthy - OUT Evans - Sell
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Mark added 19:23 - Feb 2 The market is the market though, so we can't just pretend it is 1997. I read that the prize for finishing bottom of the Premier League is £97M, followed by parachute money of £87M over the next three years in the Championship. That is why clubs are investing money in players to get them there. Also, if we have decided to operate on a League One budget can we please stop charging premium prices for match tickets? I believe we are the second most expensive in the Championship and more than some Premier League clubs.

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geminimustang added 19:35 - Feb 2 Do some of the contributors on this forum really believe that Marcus intends to let MM go and then spend £M's backing the new Manager?Failing that MM stays and freebies,loans and cheap deals will get ITFC fighting for a play-off place? My view is a new guy is required on the Board who has money to waste.Let's be truthful,he'd never see it returned.Marcus,MM,TC and Milne stay,no problem,but new money for players needed.

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itfchorry added 19:41 - Feb 2 Geminimustang - you are as deluded as your mates McCarthy and swn98
1

NoelTheDub added 19:45 - Feb 2 The main reason no deals were done is our horror shows of football even on tv its down to McCarthy.Any half brain footballer would stay well clear of this man as seen some of our targets have gone to lesser clubs than us why because they would enjoy playing shackles free football.Once again the windows closed shut on us disgruntled supporters and we are told the same bull sh't stories the fact that supposedly 2 or 3 mill bids were on the table for players has the owner ask why the hell are we always turned bloody down.ITS McCarthy for gods sake we are dying with him at the helm IMO..

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Spanishblueblood added 19:56 - Feb 2 Geminimustang you talk some sh!t
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dugoutdave added 20:00 - Feb 2 Repeating my earlier comment : My personal take on it all it that it has already been agreed that MM will leave in the summer and these short loans are to ensure we don't go down. At the end of the season they will go back to their clubs or move on. MM will leave and then a new manager will start. I also believe ME knows who he is gong for and i think its been agreed. Don't ask me why, I don't have any inside information , its simply my own take on things

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cranky_old_tractor added 20:00 - Feb 2 Frankly do not believe and totally bored of hearing this tw@ts comments
3

mickeyjb added 20:12 - Feb 2 Please just FOMM I really want you to leave with your head held high and the fans saying thanks for he effort but that is just not going to happen, not when you are so full of BS
1

ArnieM added 20:19 - Feb 2 So, If the concensus is shifting towards Town's plight being laid far more at Evans' door, and an acknowledgement that Mick McCarthy has worked wonders on f luck all funding over the last four years - albeit his sytle of footbsll is boring ( working with the standard of players he can bring in?), surely It has to be "Super Mick ", doesn't it??
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TimmyH added 20:20 - Feb 2 Bored wIth the same old same old from this club...McCarthy in 'bed' with the owner, he Knew money was tight when he took over the reigns, that's why he gets 'paid well' (his words not mine). Many supporters have now seen through the transparency of the PR spin machine.
3

itfchorry added 20:25 - Feb 2 Agree with you Dugout Dave ! I would still look to remove McCarthy as soon as possible - even a short term solution Burley/Butcher to the end of the season. McCarthy, appears to have totally lost the plot - His team selections are bonkers His tactics are bonkers By his own admission the relationship with the support has broken down and is now irretrievable. As mentioned by a previous poster - Have we ever seen an army of stewards behaving in such a manner as we saw on Tuesday night at Portman Road ! Jason If you had a shred of decency you would accept that your tenure of our club is over - in not doing so you will only divide us further. Very sad and concerning days.

4

grubbyoik added 20:26 - Feb 2 There are plenty of managers out there who have less budget than McCarthy and have bought cheaper players who manage to play competitive attractive aggressive football.. His tactics.. his training methods.. his staff.. his players.. his man management.. so in my book that makes him responsible.
7

Suffolk_n_Good added 20:45 - Feb 2 What a load of s%#*!!!, they've all known for nearly 6 months that we needed to secure a replacement for Murphy, they should of put two bids in for Hugil over the first 3-5 days of the window, when rebuffed, we should turned to a plan B, say Ward, 1 or 2 bids, 3-5 days for the parent club to respond, if not move on to plan C..... etc. But like we have no plan B, C, D, or any other bloody plan on the pitch, we don't have any transfer back up plan, 31 days to sort a replacement & we get a non league striker for £10,000, & a 22 year old who can't even get into the Reading squad, let alone the team!! Evans you are a bloody crook, just do one, take those idiots Milne, McCarthy & Connor with you.

5

No32 added 20:46 - Feb 2 If I had 6 months having sold an asset - and a further 30 days to negotiate a replacement in my job without the success that we have just witnessed - I would be sacked. To say you are frustrated MM is an insult to the average human being whom invests his/hers hard earned cash supporting this club. Having been a season ticket holder for 25 years - and having spent quite frankly a fortune in that tenure - I am not accepting your pitiful frustration. 'Frustration' summarised for me echos into insignificance in your life. ITFC for me had been a constant in my life since birth, and right now I feel like I am having the proverbial 'wool pulled over my eyes' in investing my hard earned unproportional cash from my very average wage into this lie of a club. You can move on in the summer with no hard feelings, no regret, and no suffering - where as I having paid religiously in support of my lifelong hobby and religion are left feeling betrayed, short changed and deceived. For months we have been hanging onto a significant striker signing... I - along with, I suspect others cannot continue as sheep to be led along the garden path for much longer.

6

leahcar88 added 20:49 - Feb 2 The article ClausThomsen posted, we're a mirror of wolves 10years ago spent £45m on players he didn't even keep or play lol
2

Stewart27 added 21:00 - Feb 2 Just go away Mick, please. The entire club is rotten to the core. We have a chairman who has absolutely no interest in this club or the fans. An apparent businessman, who doesn't seem to see the level of fans deminishing throughout his reign. If money was the only issue then the manager should do the decent thing and show some pride and walk. He is not capable to take this club forwards on a shoestring. There are clubs with a lower budget than us who manage to breed good young players and play extremely attractive football the correct way. I have never been so low as a town fan. I signed my daughter up as a junior blue and have 4 free tickets for myself, wife and 2 children. I've been so excited to take my son to his first town game but will not trade the FREE ticket voucher in to see the dross served up at PR.

7

runningout added 21:29 - Feb 2 George Burley? That would not workout well. Butcher NO too.. Think a few of could guess who, if there he's lined up. I'd suggest Guidolin (spelt wrong) ex Swansea, wont happen
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