Town boss Mick McCarthy says the Blues will be aiming for a top-six finish when 2017/18 gets under way on Saturday 5th August with a home game against Birmingham City.

“That’s where we’ll be aiming, we always do," McCarthy said when asked if the play-offs will be the target.

“We lost quite a number of players in the summer but it was probably time to freshen it up and I’d still like to freshen it up, whether we can move some out and get some more in [remains to be seen].

“I’m always optimistic, I always think we’ll be competitive. There will be teams, of course, coming down with how many millions I’ve no idea, there’s two from the previous year, Villa and Norwich, who have still got their parachute payments.

“That makes life difficult, Sheffield Wednesday threw money around last year, Derby as well.

"It’s become a really tough ask to get in it, but I guess if anybody broke the mould it was Huddersfield last year, so congratulations to them and everybody will be looking to do it like that now.”

Huddersfield now provide a blueprint for clubs such as Town, the Terriers having finished 19th in 2015/16 before winning promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs last month.

“It used to be Charlton,” McCarthy reflected. “I think they spent a few quid on players, I’d have to have that confirmed but they didn’t come for nothing, although I think they had one of the sensible wage bills.

“I thought they were brilliant, they were outstanding, they played some wonderful football, so I guess that is the blueprint for everybody - to play football like that, to get out of the league and get to the Premier League.

“But it won’t be easy. I remember 10 or 15 years ago everybody was trying to emulate Charlton and stay in the Premier League. Look what’s happened there.”

How different does he expect his XI which starts against Birmingham to be from the team which ended last season? “I’ve not given that too much consideration. But if you want to consider it now, Christophe Berra won’t be here. Tom Lawrence won’t be here, Toumani Diagouraga won’t be here.

“Jonny Douglas won’t be here, Jonny Williams won’t be here, Tom Lawrence is not here. There are a few missing. Whoever started our last game, there are going to be a few changes, that’s for sure.”

McCarthy, who took over as Town boss in November 2012, believes now is the right time to freshen up the squad.

“Without a doubt,” he added. “Some are always forced on you, others are necessity and some just run their course. It needs freshening up, definitely, without any doubt.”

Despite having been under fire from a significant section of fans throughout last season, McCarthy says proving people wrong isn’t something which particularly motivates him.

“I’m not really bothered about proving people wrong because I probably didn’t think they were right in the first place,” he insisted.

“I’d like to be in charge of a team that plays better football, which we had done over the past four years prior to last season, and have better results and please more people than we annoyed. I’m not so sure, it was probably 50/50 last year.

“I don’t enjoy that, but I not thinking I’ve got to prove people wrong because I’m not so sure they were all right anyway.”

What would help to turn Town from a team which finished 16th last year into play-off contenders?

“We certainly wouldn’t want to lose our best striker [shortly before the transfer window closes], that’s always going to be a bone of contention, although it turned out we got a good deal.

“We need to play better because I don’t think we played particularly well, but from Christmas onwards we were in a relegation scrap and it was a means to an end.

“And to be fair, that’s how it happened in the last few games when we beat Burton away and Newcastle here. We had to make sure we stayed in this league so we could fight again.”

With season ticket sales having dropped by around 15 per cent to just below 10,000, does he feel a sense of responsibility to persuade those fans back to Portman Road?

“I always feel a responsibility, of course,” he continued. “It’s a big responsibility on my shoulders to get the team to perform. And I’ve said, I don’t think we did last year. It wasn’t as exciting as previous years.

“From Christmas I’d recognise that we weren’t that good. It was a scrap, there’ll be a few fans who are watching Rotherham, Blackburn and Wigan who are going to feel a lot worse than ours do.

“But I get it, we have to play a lot better. We weren’t that entertaining and we’ll try to improve that this year.”

Photo: TWTD

therein61 added 17:24 - Jun 26 Top six!! better stop playing for a point at home then big man
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Smithy added 17:25 - Jun 26 We've not been entertaining for at least 2 years now, the past 4 years before last season were not that entertaining just had better results, last season I really enjoyed 1 game at home the previous season 2, I want to enjoy at least half the games I go to not a handful.
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Ferguson added 17:30 - Jun 26 We had a terrible end to the season Mick. The result don't lie. The more I look at it the more I think MM's motivation wasn't there. All negative and evasive. Was he undermined over transfers in and out as it seems from his comment above “We certainly wouldn't want to lose our best striker [shortly before the transfer window closes], that's always going to be a bone of contention..." between him and Evans ? Maybe one day someone will tell us

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Mark added 17:31 - Jun 26 First day back and guess who is mentioned? :-) “Jonny Douglas". Will we have a new inclusive approach to reach out to fans? “I'm not really bothered about proving people wrong because I probably didn't think they were right in the first place,” McCarthy clearly recognises the need to improve, and I hope he finds away to build bridges with supporters rather than take pops at them. 'What would help to turn Town from a team which finished 16th last year into play-off contenders?' That is the key question. Not losing our best striker isn't really an answer to that, I would hope something along the lines of implementing Marcus Evans' 5 point plan including significant investment in young players such as Huws and introducing our own academy players to the first team would be the response to that.

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yungblue added 17:48 - Jun 26 We will do very well this year, forgot bottom half of the table, I can see us hitting the play offs, hit the minus button but mark my words.
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mojo added 17:59 - Jun 26 So we have lost Tom Lawrence twice ;-) Is that Alex Brooker on the right of the picture?
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TimmyH added 19:45 - Jun 26 yawn!...wash and repeat wash and repeat, groundhog year. It won't happen with MM in charge, what the hell is the point of bringing an amount of different players in for this season if Mick is only going to be here one more season? (personally wish he wasn't here at all)...Makes no sense what so ever.
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cat added 20:11 - Jun 26 Don't you just love that fresh optimism (this is going to be our year lol) that a new season usually brings, glad 'The Dino' suffers from it like I used too for many years, in laymens terms = DELUDED
0

RegencyBlue added 20:54 - Jun 26 Still cannot see us troubling the top half of the table without further significant signings and keeping hold of Bart!
5

christiand added 21:08 - Jun 26 MM either has had too much sun or is delusional, we played better football in the previous four seasons? I must've missed that too!! Shows he doesn't know how to create a better passing side, looks like it's going to be the same rubbish served up - even with a little more investment in players.
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Seasider added 22:10 - Jun 26 A leopard doesn't change its spots! He isn't looking to prove people wrong as he does not think they were right in the first place! de'ja' vu.
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Lathers added 22:55 - Jun 26 It's going to take all of Mick's experience just to keep us up this season let alone top 6. Not being negative, I just really fear for us with the quality of the teams in the championship. We've been slowly sinking for years and for the first time ever, I start the season fearing the worst. New season so I will back Mick and give him a clean slate, but we have to start fast and make the most of our early fixtures.

3

Paulc added 23:28 - Jun 26 “I'm not really bothered about proving people wrong because I probably didn't think they were right in the first place,” - Yes that's what proving people wrong means Mick!
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braveblue added 11:35 - Jun 27 He will never change. Talks absolute rubbish and bigs himself up.
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Radlett_blue added 12:26 - Jun 27 The positive is that, assuming we get Huws & Celina, we will have brought in a few players who might improve the starting XI. Tom Lawrence will be a big gap to fill. I suspect more signings will need to be funded by getting rid of Bru & Pitman. Hope we don't sell Bart at the 11th hour of the transfer window!
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Wickets added 12:28 - Jun 27 When someone comes out and says proving people wrong does not motivate me, they often mean just the reverse! Lets hope he gets it right this season.
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Kirtonspanner added 12:36 - Jun 27 Top 6! Eckey thump!
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Michael11 added 12:40 - Jun 27 I just want to see us try and win every game and attack teams home and away. Last year was so predictable 'Wouldn't have got on the bus if you offered me a point' against absolutely rubbish teams that were there for the taking. You can't be top 6 by trying to avoid defeat every game.
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goat_man added 12:49 - Jun 27 Better start aiming for at least 70 goals across the season then Mick.
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Pilgrimblue added 13:09 - Jun 27 50/50 Mick having a laugh! What he doesn't say is how he's going to achieve top 6 and nor does he acknowledge his part in last 18 months of dire football. But of course he wasn't his fault, so who's was it? Clearly we need to get better players in as some that were released were just not good enough but more than anything Mick needs to pull his finger out. His style and attitude were pants but I still don't think he's got it!

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Suffolk_n_Good added 13:18 - Jun 27 I'm aiming to be a millionaire by the end of next season, but it doesn't mean it will happen, especially when I work within the NHS!!!!
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BobbyBell added 13:57 - Jun 27 Less than 50% possession, maybe 2 or 3 shots on target per game. Telling your players every single team lower than us is in a false position. Playing TWO holding midfielders. Playing our best players out of position. I'm sorry but I just can see the logic. Please please change the whole mentality and attack the opposition. Maybe we may get somewhere if we do.
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barrystedmunds added 14:21 - Jun 27 'Fraid, I don't share your expectations Mick, given that we both know the "entertaining" style of hoofball that you embrace will probably mean a season of us trying to remain out of the relegation quagmire!
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HarryWright added 14:35 - Jun 27 Never looks forward, always looks back making excuses. One dimensional, backward thinking manager.
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woohoo added 14:39 - Jun 27 Yup, well, all sounds wonderful Mick. Time will tell...
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