The January transfer window ended at 11pm last night with no further additions to the Blues squad but with manager Mick McCarthy happy with his squad, believing it would be difficult for him to have improved on the players he has available to him given his budget.
The Town boss also feels there’s no point in adding players who aren’t any better than those in a squad which he feels is big enough already.
"We’ve had 22 [outfield] players training this morning, who are all contenders for first-team places,” he said.
"I’m not really at liberty to bring another two or three in and add to that while there are 24 players who could play there.
"Yes, some of them have more of a chance of playing than others, but the reality is that I’ve probably got 18 or 19 of them who are first-teamers on a regular basis.”
He added: "I’m not saying for one minute that there aren’t players that could make my squad better or enhance the team, but only if I can do them within the budget, the parameters of what we can do.
"And they’re not available. We’re pushing for the top six with these lads, who have been brilliant. I prefer to give them the support.
"The players would appreciate it if we could go out and go and spend £5 million, £4 million, £3 million and get four players.
"All the lads who are playing would be thinking ‘Hey ho, we’re all going to be better off next year because we might get promoted’.
"But that’s not the case. So, if you can’t do that, stick with what you’ve got, keep getting the best out of them and let’s make sure we’re in the top six.”
The Blues boss says there will be greater pressure to succeed on the clubs who have spent big money in the transfer window. Derby have again been amongst those splashing the cash, while Middlesbrough finally sealed their £9 million move for ex-Town striker Jordan Rhodes last night.
"Of course there is,” McCarthy added. "We’re seeing it now. Derby ended up finishing eighth last year despite whatever budget they had last year and suddenly they’re fifth now.
"I thought when we played them and Middlesbrough that they looked like the top two teams.
"Burnley are spending money, Hull, they’ll spend money, there are some really good teams at the top of our league and some spending power as well. Of course it adds extra pressure. But it gives you a better squad.
"And by the way we’re not talking about them taking a loan deal for two or three grand a week, we’re talking about £9 million and 40 grand a week. And we’re talking about £3 million or £4 million players and 15 or 20 grand a week.
"That’s beyond a lot of us and whilst it would be fab if that were the case, but it’s not, so I think you should revel in what you’re good at, what you do and keep doing that and make sure that we stay at the top of our game with what we have and not be bitter and twisted and jealous or anything of anybody else because I think we do it well what we do.”
He says plenty of clubs in a worse position than Town have splashed out plenty more cash.
"If you consider the teams below us, if you start looking at them I think they’ve spent a few quid over the time that I’ve been here,” he said.
"The teams in and around us, Sheffield Wednesday have spent, Leeds have spent money, Fulham have spent money for heaven’s sake - Ross McCormack [cost £11 million].
"And when I looked last we were above a good deal of them and I would think that a few of them in the top places are worried about us overtaking them.
"That’s my point all the time. I understand what my job is and I think as a club we do it well, and long may it continue.”
Perhaps surprisingly, he says no one made an approach for any of his players during the transfer window, at least up to his press conference at lunchtime yesterday.
"No I haven’t, maybe they haven’t got my number," he joked. "I’ve only had it for 28 years. I’ve not changed it since I was a player at Millwall, so they must have it!”
He added: "That would worry me, that would be the concern that I walk in there and there’s some bonkers offer for Murph or for Freddie, for some of the lads who have been really ripping it up, Skusey.”
Reflecting on the success of Cole Skuse and Daryl Murphy, amongst others, he continued: "We’ve been all right at getting them for nothing, on free transfers, we’ve had some good ones. Didz, Murph, Skusey, Berra. A few good free transfers we’ve had.”