TWTD understands that Mick McCarthy will be confirmed as Town’s new manager in the next couple of days with his Wolves assistant Terry Connor and with former Blues skipper Matt Holland as part of his staff. McCarthy has been favourite to succeed Paul Jewell since he was reported to be in talks with Town at the end of last week.

The 53-year-old was sacked by Wolves after six years in charge in February. His assistant, one-time England U21 international Connor, took over for the remainder of the season but couldn’t prevent the Black Country club from dropping into the Championship.

Born in Barnsley, centre-half McCarthy played for his hometown club, Manchester City, Celtic, Lyon and Millwall as well as winning 57 caps and scoring two goals for the Republic of Ireland, the country of his father’s birth.

He began his management career with the Lions in 1992 before moving on to manage his former national side in 1996, a spell which saw his famous clash with ex-Blues boss Roy Keane at the 2002 World Cup.

A few months after that tournament — in which Holland was a regular in the Ireland midfield — McCarthy resigned, joining Sunderland as their boss in March 2003, taking the Black Cats into the Premier League in 2004/05. Having failed to keep them in the top flight the following season he was fired.

In July 2006 he took over at Wolves and led them into the Premier League as Championship winners in 2008/09 and kept them there until his exit in February.

Connor, 49, was a striker with Leeds, Brighton, Portsmouth, Swindon, Bristol City and Yeovil during his playing days.

After hanging up his boots, he coached at Swindon, Bristol Rovers and Bristol City before being taken to Wolves by John Ward in 1999.

In February he took over after McCarthy’s sacking, rejoining the backroom team under new boss StÃ¥le Solbakken. But four games into this season he left the club.

Holland, 38, needs no introduction to Town supporters having played at Portman Road between 1997 and 2003 during which time he skippered the side in the 2000 play-off final victory over Barnsley at Wembley.

Previously with West Ham and Bournemouth, Holland moved on to Charlton before retiring in 2009. More recently the Bury-born midfielder, who won 49 Ireland caps, scoring five times, has been working in the media and is the patron of the ITFC Charitable Trust.

Blues skipper Carlos Edwards previously played for McCarthy during a two-month spell on loan at Wolves in 2008, making five starts and one sub appearance.

Loanee Daryl Murphy was signed from his hometown club Waterford United during McCarthy's time as Sunderland boss, after he had had trials at Portman Road.

Coach Mark Kennedy previously worked with the new boss as a youngster at Millwall and for the Republic of Ireland.

Photo: Action Images

ameron added 20:43 - Oct 30 Get in !!! Praying that it gets confirmed. MM is just the man we need at this desperate time. Great to hear that Matty Holland may be a member of the management team.
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Tractorboysi added 20:48 - Oct 30 Totally agree AdrianPaz, time for all town fans to support the new manager, whoever it is going to be, weather there your favourite choice or not and need to all move forward together and get some positive feelings back around the team and make this club great again :)
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silkcutblue added 20:53 - Oct 30 Att Codfather, That is not portman road
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Keaneish added 20:55 - Oct 30 Wonder if Hutchins and Kennedy will stay on. Good appointment, exactly what is required at this point in time. Interesting he rejected Forest as he wanted to manage in the Prem. Guess he thinks he needs to do it all over again and get someone promoted for that to happen... Now, lets see what changes in four primadonnas on our books. Welcome Mick and co - 43 points from 99 is what you must do and you will be a success in your first season.

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johnnyTGrotten added 21:00 - Oct 30 I can't help but take the mick! Badum tish
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StuartBrett8 added 21:00 - Oct 30 The Nottingham forest link was a non starter... they have a transfer committee to decide upon targeted players, an absolute nightmare for a manager. it's why Steve Mac gave up on the job. Welcome to Ipswich BIG Mick :) COYB!!!!!
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Lower_North added 21:00 - Oct 30 Get in their Mick.. Believe it, the fans have suffered the worst over the last few years. Kick some harris.Underperforming crock of sh+te..
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Stunnicliffe added 21:01 - Oct 30 Sorry but I really don't understand everyone's enthusiasm for McCarthy. Have you studied his track record? Sunderland - failed to save them from relegation, got them back up at the second attempt (with the unfair benefit of parachute payments), then departed the following season with them hopelessly marooned at the bottom of the table. Wolves - failed to save them from relegation, got them back up at the third attempt (with the unfair benefit of parachute payments), then, after a few seasons of mediocrity, struggle and deterioration, departed with them hurtling towards inevitible relegation. Sadly it seems as if Clegg & Evans are set to spurn the opportunity to make possibly the club's best appointment since Bobby Robson by ignoring the far superior record of Alan Curbishley in favour of a manager who, if he lives up to his most recent achievements, is likely to take the club down, bring it back up, and then leave with it struggling in exactly the same position it is in now! Sadder still, if the poll on here is to be believed, a vast majority of Tractor folk endorse this decision, apparently on the basis that McCarthy is more likely to do a passable impression of Mr Angry! Rant over - if it is to be McCarthy then naturally we must all get behind him, give him time, turn a blind eye to any primitive methods employed and pray that he can produce the goods. It will, however, be interesting to look back in 5 years time and compare the interim records of McCarthy/ITFC with Curbishley/who ever he ends up managing (I've no doubt another Championship club will bite his hand off before the end of the season - could be Palace, if not then Birmingham or even a return to Charlton). Whose record will be the more impressive? - I know who my money's on.....

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StuartBrett8 added 21:03 - Oct 30 It's not about his Premiership record... his championship record will get us out of the sh*t
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paulleekelly added 21:04 - Oct 30 i wanted to share this picture
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planetblue_2011 added 21:07 - Oct 30 Yes well done itfc this is the best news we have had in a long time. Good luck Mick hopefully u can get us up the table. COYB
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Ravenblue52 added 21:13 - Oct 30 If this is going to happen im gonna get behind the decision cause it seems to be bringing us back together as supporters and that makes me alot happier. Its not been a nice place to be, the last couple of months especiallyand if he puts some boots to asses then hopefully get everyones mind back on the job at hand and rescue the season.
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Daleyitfc added 21:15 - Oct 30 Just about the closest you can get to Paul Jewell, so the club has obviously decided they want more of the same. May be good enough to keep us up this year, but not a long-term answer. This will be another 2 wasted years.
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Stunnicliffe added 21:18 - Oct 30 .... but Stuart, he hasn't managed anybody in the Championship who were in the same mire as ITFC - only the biggest ex-Premiership clubs with the biggest parachute payment-influenced budgets!I guess he did OK at Millwall all those years ago, but he left them sinking like a stone, too! I hope it works out, I really do, and if AC hadn't been available then maybe I wouldn't be quite so sceptical / dissapointed. But AC is available, and in my view a far better candidate.

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StuartBrett8 added 21:18 - Oct 30 You're talking sh*t... MM is a million times better than P.J just from the fact he will show passion and yell from the touchline, I can't be bothered with negative posters
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bluesman added 21:18 - Oct 30 Yes well don't get too excited. Clegg hasn't done the deal yet.....
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StuartBrett8 added 21:19 - Oct 30 Fair comment... if Big Mick can't save us maybe we aren't worth saving at all
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donore added 21:20 - Oct 30 McCarthy maybe, but can he shake the over-paid prima donnas (some loanees excepted) out of their lethargy and get them working?
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Tractorboy1977 added 21:20 - Oct 30 like the set up hope it comes of good luck mick,terry,holland,you going to need it ;)
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rcman225 added 21:21 - Oct 30 :D<---- This is me write now! #COYB
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StuartBrett8 added 21:21 - Oct 30 Well I'm going on the Xbox (guaranteed to win) Fingers crossed for all true blues for saturday COYB!!!!!
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Keaneish added 21:24 - Oct 30 @stunnicliffe - Strange no-one has bitten off Curbishley's hand in the last 4 years isn't it? I'm a Curbs fan and would love to see him here but he also took Charlton up and subsequently straight back down only to go back up...with the 'unfair parachute payments' so i think your argument is a little tainted. The difference beween Curbs and Big Mick is that Curbs has maintained a side in the prem better than Mick and also taken that side to Europe. Then again, Mick took Ireland to the verge of a world cup quarter final so we can spin it either way. Either appointment would be good for me. What i am still delighted about is that we can attract the best available managers out there! Something i feared was slipping from our grasp. Then again, even in Jewell's exit interview, you could still see the passion and excitement the club possesses as he looked around the stadium calling it a 'proper football club with a proper football ground'. Now it's time for us to give proper support and be proper fans for the new regime.

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RetroBlue added 21:30 - Oct 30 Lots of negative comments on here I see. Good old negative Town fans eh!
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bluemikey100 added 21:32 - Oct 30 its mm stands for mick mccarthy not merlin magician well if he gets us out bottom 3 he will be god
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Blue_Again added 21:32 - Oct 30 hmmm, not really sure what to make of this (if its true). Not really in keeping with what we would want. That being a manger with the respect of the players who promotes a quick and confident passing game. The last time we saw that was under Burley and possibly Joe Royle. I struggle to see McCarthy as this kind of manager. Yes his good at forging a strong enough team for the champonship and even promotion, but in the long run he wont last once in the premiership. For me Holloway was the man to both take us up and keep us there. Seeing as under us he would hopefully have more money to play with than he has had at Blackpool. This is a rather predictable and short cited appointment if made. Yes we may stay up and even eventually get promoted but surely we will then go directly back down. Maybe im wrong...i hope so

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