Town boss Mick McCarthy has revealed he expects to speak to owner Marcus Evans regarding his future over the next three or four weeks and says he won’t be “driven out” of the club by “a small section of fans”. He says he believes it's more likely that Evans will ask him to stay on rather than end his five-and-a-half-year spell in charge at Portman Road.
The Blues manager is out of contract at the end of the season but with Town having an option to keep him and his assistant Terry Connor for a further two years.
Despite celebrating his 26th anniversary as a boss next month, McCarthy says he still has the same burning desire he had earlier on in his career.
"I have,” he said. "And I look at my club, this club at the moment and I think about the players that are here and will be here next year if, please God for them as much as anybody, that they are injury free, and think that we’d have a good squad.
"I’ve still got to discuss that with Marcus but if Marcus wants me to stay then I’ll certainly consider that, and that’s where it’s at. Marcus has got to want me to stay, not anybody else, it’s got to be the club.”
McCarthy wouldn’t discuss what factors would come into his consideration if Evans were to offer him the chance to stay at Town.
"That’s for me and Marcus to discuss, not for public airing at the moment,” he said. "I’m due to speak to him. I speak to him on a regular basis but not about that.
"I spoke to him the other night about the game and how it went, but we’ll be sitting down to talk about that shortly.”
Although having been under-fire from fans for much of the last two seasons, McCarthy believes the club is in good shape going forwards: "Despite everything that goes on, I think it is and it’s managed well, this place is, the club is.
"I can’t always guarantee results or performances, nobody can no matter how much [money] you’ve got but it’s a good club and I’m particularly happy here as well.
"I’m not wanting to leave but - and I was asked about Luke Hyam, that’s the same, David McGoldrick as well, their contracts are up as well - there’s nothing you can do unless somebody wants you to stay.
"It’s interesting, I’m just reading Carlo Ancelotti’s book and it’s great, he talks about cycles and says that while ever you’re there you make sure you do the best you possibly can.
"But he also says it’s always nice to be loved and wanted and I thought, ‘Yes, well, it is’. Until we find out that’s the case I won’t know, will I?”
Speaking further about criticism from supporters, he added: "Listen, fans fluctuate on performances and results. And, by the way, it’s not all the fans, it’s a small section of them, I believe, that have decided that it’s me they don’t want, they want somebody else. I’ve had great support from the fans here. I’m not worried about that.”
Asked whether it would be good to get his future sorted before the club announces season ticket prices for 2018/19 at the end of March, he said: "That might affect how many are sold or are not sold! We might just keep that one in the balance, I don’t know.
"I’d hate to think me saying I was staying affected the season ticket sales. I’d like to think they went up. We’ll see.”
He added: "I’m due to speak to Marcus, I’ll be speaking to him over the next three or four weeks I’m certain. But I’ve said before, I’m cool with it.
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"For all the reasons I’ve just said, the players who are here, I like living here, I like doing the job and I’m certainly not going to be driven out by a small section of fans who are going to make my decision on that, let me tell you that. That’s not going to happen.
"I’m too long in the tooth and a bit too up to the fight for that to happen. If everybody else wants me around the place, then that would be the big decision for me.”
Whose opinions matter to him? "Marcus owns the club, his is the biggest one and I think you’ve got to have the support of him, you’ve got to have a relationship with the people above you, and I’ve got a great relationship with him.”
McCarthy reiterated that he is currently treating the situation as if he is going to be in charge next season with pre-season having been discussed.
"Yes, and talking about players for next season,” he continued. "I’m going ahead, as I said to you before, with the job of planning for it.
"I would never just down tools and stop anyway, even if Marcus came to say to me - and I doubt very much he’s going to - ‘That’s enough, we need to go’. I think it’s more likely it would be quite the opposite, ‘Mick, I’d like you to stay’, I think that would be the more likely scenario.
"But whatever one, I’ll continue doing the job until the end of the season as the good professional as I am.”
McCarthy goes through the full range of emotions on the touchline on a matchday - "I’m only 42 you know, look at me, I’ve weathered well, haven’t I?” - but says he still enjoys life as a manager.
"I still get the buzz from it, of course I do. I wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t,” he said. "The disappointments are horrible but the good times are great.
"I still get the buzz from coming in here though, coming in here and doing my job and going out on the training ground and managing the club and being part of it every day.
"And then the games, that’s the highs and lows, that’s the real stuff. But I get a buzz from it every day.”
He says he’s still got the addiction for football and for winning: "I have. It’s not just the games, you can’t have just the games, of course, you can’t just turn up and have the games on a Tuesday night and a Saturday or a Wednesday night whenever.
"You’ve got to go through all this, all the daily routine, but I don’t find that routine as such, I find that really enjoyable, I love that part of it.
"All it is is the build-up to the games and that’s what everybody else cares about and I’m still lucky enough to be stood on that touchline getting happy, getting sad, getting angry, getting emotional and fired up for it every time we play.”