Town boss Mick McCarthy says he’ll make a decision on his future in the summer with his Blues contract up at the end of the season. McCarthy signed a two-and-a-half-year deal in January 2016, which also included an option for the club to keep him for a further two campaigns.

Next Wednesday is the fifth anniversary of the 58-year-old taking over at Town. Asked whether he sees that as an achievement, he reflected: “I would say in this day and age it’s a good achievement to be anywhere more than 12 months, bearing in mind the managers that get the sack.

“I won’t be looking upon it [in any particular way], I’d like to be looking upon it that we’ve won a couple of games between now and my fifth year anniversary. Just another milestone.

“I’ve enjoyed every minute of it, some more than others, I might add, but nevertheless I still come in here full of enthusiasm and vim and vigour to do my job on a Monday morning, whatever it is, whether win, lose or draw.

“And I still come in here and do it exactly the same as I’ve done it for five years with you guys [the media] as well. How much longer it goes on, we’ll see.”

He says he’s not yet talked with owner Marcus Evans about his situation come the summer: “I’ve not sat down [with him], I don’t look beyond it. It’s not my intention to be looking beyond it or even worry about it, or to be here next year. I’ll finish my contract and I’ll see what happens.”

Asked to clarify what he meant, he added: “I’m not assuming there’ll be an offer and I hope anybody’s not assuming that if I’m offered anything then I’m actually going to accept it and stay because that’ll be dealt with, but I’m not assuming anything.

“It’s my decision, nobody can sit me down and make me sign something whether I wanted to or not. It’s my decision, my contract will be up in May and I’ll decide what I want to do.

“It’ll be my decision what I want to do, I’ll have been here just the guts of six years [by then], if I get to the end of May, of course. And I’ll decide what I want to do. Isn’t that a nice position to be in?”

McCarthy has enjoyed a good working relationship with Evans with the pair remaining similarly grounded regardless of Town’s position.

“He’s very consistent because I hear exactly the same and exactly the same amount if we’re top of the league or bottom of the league and he always has a very consistent demeanour, which is why we’ve had a really good working relationship over the last five years,” McCarthy said.

“I guess there are not many owners who have been fortunate enough to have a manager who has spent £3 million over five years [on fees] and taken £14 million, by my reckoning with Murphy, Mings and Cressy, although I didn’t sign him, but I still sold him, and still maintained promotion pushes and stayed in the league and not had to sack three, four, five managers in the meantime and had to pay them off.

“So maybe we’ve both been fortunate. Me to have a guy that’s trusted me and let me do it and for him to have somebody that when you do trust them he can do it.”

Photo: TWTD

blueboy1981 added 19:20 - Oct 26 Gcon - accept the fact that an almost open cheque book would not change MM in terms of how he see's the game, and how he ensures it's played. He prefers to work on a very limited budget, so that expectations of him will ultimately be less - the last 5 years have proved that. All he's done is ensure the monetary balance leans favourably towards him - kept his job in so doing - and laughed all the way to the Bank with a few million quid in the process over 5 years. And ITFC remains rooted in the Championship. He's no mug on that front - unlike some ... !!

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blueboy1981 added 19:27 - Oct 26 ........ also Gcon - prove to me that MM has asked for more in terms of budget - I am not at all convinced he has. For reasons he has stated, clearly to most people, in his last statement.
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OohArrPaulGoddard added 20:02 - Oct 26 I hope he goes soon but I am not sure that any decent manager will want to come. No money to spend, no leadership from Milne and Evans, no vision. Since Sir Bobby very few itfc managers have gone on to better things after leaving. Why did Evans buy the club if he did not want to compete? How can Evans bear getting beaten by a cookery book author every year? 10 years with no progress is not good enough for our great club it does not do justice to all the great people who have served it so well in the past. We did not lose on Sunday because the players did not care or Mick got the tactics wrong we simply do not have the quality players to compete at the top end of this division.

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wayway added 21:01 - Oct 26 I hope he goes sooner as soon as possible but it will still be the same owner whoever is manager. The club will still be in this sorry state while Evans PLC bleed the cub dry and use it for the purpose of a tax dodge. What we may get however is a new manager with a different football outlook, but don't hold your breath. EVENS OUT McCARTHY OUT
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warktheline added 21:08 - Oct 26 Again HE'LL decide what HE wants to do in the summer! What a ruddy disgrace you are Evans! A man at the helm of your 'club' performing ( over more years than I care to remember ) no more than mediocre at best, and you allow him to continually dictate ! The club has no passion, desire or drive from the top through to the management and players. If god forbid HE decides to stay on the fans base will drop well below 9,000! Really can't see any kind of future at Ipswich presently, and what a helpless feeling that is for the vast majority of fans. McCarthy IF you decide to LEAVE can you take swn and gcon with you, many thanks!

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BlueMachines added 21:17 - Oct 26 Ultimately if there is no contracted offered it won't be Muck's decision however much he pretends it was.
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Berts_chin added 21:17 - Oct 26 If the club has an option to keep McCarthy for a further two years when his contract runs out at the end of the season, I cant't see how it is his decision to make. If the club choose to exercise the option, then I would assume that he is obliged to stay. If the club don't choose to, then MM is on his way whatever he might want.
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warktheline added 21:23 - Oct 26 Bring in COWLEY, he'd work for a pittance compared to McCarthy's wages, and twice as hard! If he failed it wouldn't be for the want of trying, unlike McCarthy who's been free wheeling it for two years and some! Cowley knows the lower divisions inside out and would utilise this knowledge . Face facts Evans and you'd realise this is YOUR way forward ! No CASH so do your best, and Cowley fits the bill....he'd do us proud, I'm bloody sure of it!

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Gcon added 21:50 - Oct 26 You do talk nonsense, Blueboy. No manager in the world 'prefers to work on a very limited budget'.....
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lightingblue added 21:58 - Oct 26 Who we get and how will they move the club forward I ask. Will it be any better? Who would you guys want?
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BlueArrow added 22:16 - Oct 26 Evans wasn't at the game on Sunday, too many police about
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ArnieM added 23:20 - Oct 26 I think McCarthy has just given his biggest hint yet, that he will NOT be Towns Manager next season. He can dress it up how he likes, Evans won't be offering him another contract because if he does, Evans KNOWS the ST sales will plummet even further. No, this is the drawing to a close of Mick McCarthy's tenure here. He did ok, but it's time to move on.
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Seasider added 23:33 - Oct 26 It is obvious from this,if we didn't know already that Manager doesn't care about our club; and if Evans doesn't get rid NOW, then he doesn't either; so should sell up because the way things are going we could well exit this league at the wrong end !!!
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Carberry added 23:34 - Oct 26 The only way he will remain is if he gets us promoted and we know what that outcome will be.
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SickParrot added 23:35 - Oct 26 What an arrogant arse McCarthy is and what a pathetic excuse for an owner Evans is to allow McCarthy to get away with saying that he will decide his future, even though it is the truth! It is therefore unlikely that McCarthy will leave when he knows that he has a job for life, regardless of league position and fans dissatisfaction, as long as Evans owns the club. Consequently McCarthy can flaunt his massive ego and be as belligerent as he wants.

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oldegold added 00:05 - Oct 27 His time was up after the shambolic Portsmouth defeat in early 2016. Sinking and rudderless ship..that is what we are now and norwich have shown the way with ambition and since they beat us in the 2015 Play Offs they have rebuilt whilst we have continued going backwards. He doesn't need to be told to go but he's just running down his contract being the coward he is...

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evansblue added 01:51 - Oct 27 The comments on here are priceless - some really don't have a clue. Mick keeps us competitive on a shoe String yet you all mock behind your keyboards. How many of you will be at Burton with me and my Sons cheering on the team?
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shakytown added 02:20 - Oct 27 evansblue. There wont be much to cheer about. Another insipid display of boring C..p is far more likely with the blind hope of trying to nick a point.
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blue75 added 03:52 - Oct 27 It's no good waiting until the summer. Season ticket sales were down for this season, he needs to be gone and replaced before renewals go out. At worst he should stay until we have 50 pts at best lose to Burton sacked Saturday night.
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TimmyH added 11:29 - Oct 27 Agree oldegold!...that's when I really had reservations about McCarthy as well - it's just too easy picking up nearly £1M a season with an unambitious owner who probably thinks he's done a good job if we're in the top half and also in turn gets a good profit from selling some players for profit. Not just about football.
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Swn98 added 13:37 - Oct 27 i will evans blue
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blue75 added 18:35 - Oct 27 Evansblue joe royle has us competing with a smaller budget and playing entertaining football. Such a shame some are willing to accept mediocre performances from our club.
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Dissboyitfc added 19:04 - Oct 27 Evansblue supporting the downward spiral is something many of us can no longer stomach. When we play lower league opposition in cup games, teams with tighter budgets i might add, we get played off the pitch. Please explain why you think it is ok for us to be a team that's only aim is to survive with very little in the way of excitement and entertainment?
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TimmyH added 20:22 - Oct 27 9th in the table for spending over the summer @evansblue
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