Town boss Mick McCarthy says the Championship play-offs have to be the target for the campaign ahead but doesn’t expect the division to be any easier than it was last season. The Blues ended 2013/14 in ninth, having faded away from the play-off battle in the final few weeks.
McCarthy, who yesterday put pen to paper on a new three-year deal along with assistant Terry Connor, admits that there is pressure to reach the top six during 2014/15, but feels the same was the case last year anyway.
"It was there last season, nobody’s putting pressure on me any more than myself, doing it to be successful,” he said.
"We’ve kept the nucleus of the squad, the team that started the season last season could actually start this season.
"We’ve got that and we’ll be trying to look to get some other players in, somebody to come and help us and just make the squad stronger and better.
"The play-offs have got to be the target. We were so close last year, we ran out of steam in the end and we perhaps finished where we deserved.”
He added: "The play-offs were the ambition last year, we didn’t make a song and dance about it. We probably ended up where we deserved to be in the league.
"We had a bit of a spell just near the end where I think we ran out of gas, we had a small squad. But it was a good season overall and an improvement on the one before.”
McCarthy expects teams coming into the Championship from both the Premier League and League One to be amongst the contenders: "It won’t be any easier, that’s for sure.
"I see Wolves as a threat having come up with more than 100 points and Kenny Jackett’s put a good young team together there.
"He’s re-signed Richard Stearman as a bit of experience in the team. It’s a big club, it’s got a good support. They’ll be a threat, I’ve no doubt about that.
"And I thought Rotherham were a good side last year, and Steve Evans has gone and spent a few quid. He’s signed Frazer Richardson, I think they’re interested in Paul Green [that deal was confirmed last night], so he’s trying to get a bit of experience in, some Yorkshire lads, so that’ll be all right for Rotherham.
"As for the teams coming down, Norwich, Fulham, Cardiff, I think they’ve got good squads, depending on who they lose, of course. They’re all in a position to buy, so it’s going to be hard.”