New Blues boss Mick McCarthy felt he’d been out of the game long enough when Town came calling in the wake of Paul Jewell’s Portman Road exit a week and a half ago. The 53-year-old had been without a job since being sacked by Wolves in February.

McCarthy says managers can get forgotten when they are without clubs and can also lose their edge: “I’m sure you can also get rusty. I didn’t want to be out for so long. Eight months is enough.

“I was neither mentally nor physically exhausted but I was quite happy to have a break away from it.

“I had three years at Sunderland and six at Wolves. It was full on. Everybody else has to work but it is slightly more pressurised than most jobs. Better paid, but more pressure.

“I could have sat around, waiting and waiting, and it mightn’t have happened. I wasn’t prepared for that. I wanted to get back to work.”

While he says he would have liked another top flight club, he’s not sure those he might have got would have been too much more attractive that positions with Championship sides: “If I got a Premier League job where do you think I would get one? In the bottom three, bottom four.

“Even then they are the ones supposedly under pressure and Harry’s name is mentioned for all of them.

“It’s a tough job, this. I’ve got to keep them up and that isn’t going to be easy. I just have to find a formula.”

Inevitably, the events of Saipan ahead of the World Cup in 2002 have received more than a few mentions in recent days with McCarthy taking on the job vacated by Roy Keane in January 2011.

However, McCarthy says that’s nothing new for him: “I’ll be about 75, walking my dog and somebody will say ‘There’s that bloke who sent Roy Keane home’.

“It’s always the same. I can’t go 24 hours without somebody bringing it up. I don’t know if Roy gets similar. I haven’t a clue but it doesn’t affect me. Did I ring him up before I accepted this job? No.”

McCarthy was in charge of the Republic of Ireland from 1996 to 2002 and, although playing down recent links with the role, he doesn’t rule out returning to that job at some point in the future.

“I’d go back, but when it’s right, when it’s available,” he said. “I’m not trying to add pressure on to anybody else.

“Giovanni Trapattoni has got the results that I expected him to get. He has beaten Kazakhstan, beaten the Faroe Islands and lost to Germany. Ireland are playing for a play-off spot because Germany will win it.”

Photo: Action Images

kizaitfc added 15:55 - Nov 4 Dont like to be negative, but it really doesnt seem like McCarthy wants to be here at all!!! Still a great manager though! Lets just hope a bigger club doesnt come knocking
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TownLad21 added 15:59 - Nov 4 great to have big mick here and i'm sure he will keep us up but i have to agree he doesn't actually sound like he wants to be here and got stuck with us
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Stato added 16:02 - Nov 4 I disagree, he is just being totally honest and transparent and we have to get used to that. nothing wrong with him saying he wants to manage in the prem and hooefully he'll do that with ipswich
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oscarwhiting added 16:12 - Nov 4 I'm reall looking forward to Tuesday and the rest of the season. I really think mm is the man to take us forward a win on Tuesday will really put some belief in the players and I might take us out of the relegation. COYB
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bluelad7 added 16:23 - Nov 4 agree with you BossMan. Of course he would have liked a Prem job but he sounds like he down to earth, honest and realistic. He will do us just fine and I doubt he's one to jump ship once he has built HIS team. Really warming to the man and his traits. Get in Mr McCarthy, you are our "special one"!
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TractorBeezer added 16:43 - Nov 4 He certainly tells it like it is without the gobbledegook! I would prefer though that he referred to ITFC as US rather than THEM. Looking forward to another 3 points at Palace.
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casanovacrow added 16:49 - Nov 4 its a job. anyone would want to be at the highest level they can. Can't hold that against him. If someone does come knocking I'm sure we'd get plenty of compensation wouldve been the same with anyone in charge
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oldelsworthyfan added 17:26 - Nov 4 I would be surprised if MM here simply to advertise himself for a possible move to a bigger club. He's here because he thinks he can succeed where others have failed. His idea of success is not only to keep us in the Championship this season, but then to take us to the Premiership. It would be totally out of character if he's not thinking that way. What a good start he made yesterday. Two changes to the side which led to a clean sheet. Expect some more.....but not all at once.

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bluefeast added 17:31 - Nov 4 Its interesting isnt it , if he is successful we want him long term , however the flip side is so will others. Apart from others in general so will the national side hes been with before. So on the basis that buses come along in 3s , damaged byIrish Magilton ,ruined by Irish Kean ,let hope the Micks keep away from our Mick ,otherwise it will really be taking the Mick out of Ipswich lol

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Langdon_Blue added 17:59 - Nov 4 He sounds very honest, if he'd have come out and said 'being Ipswich manager is a dream come true' then it would have been as cheesy as it would have been stretching the truth. I like his hunger to return to the Prem or International work, as that will only come with being a success here...
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TerryButchersBandage added 18:39 - Nov 4 Was just having a quiet drink in the golf on foxhall rd and see MM talking to no other than George Burley and a few other faces I didn't know. Managers reunion past and present or purely just a old friend catch up. It could of been a meet up up for the weekly pub quiz. But I doubt it, my team always wins!!!!! Lol
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StuartBrett8 added 18:52 - Nov 4 I think it's mutually beneficial for club and manager... we need a boost in fortunes and BIG Mick is after some form of success to add to his already impressive C.V. It's in his best interests not to fail here.... let's enjoy the ride COYB!!!
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JWM added 18:57 - Nov 4 The only thing I'm worried about is that he hasn't got MM emblazoned on his coat yet! Does this mean that he really dosen't want to be our manager or the club shop forgot to put his initials on all of his stuff! Lol
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Talbs77 added 19:28 - Nov 4 Yeah he's not letting fireworks off at his new job is he, although to be fair I think he's the type of charactor that would have the same long face if he won the pools!! We would naive if we thought any ITFC Manager wouldnt leave if a bigger club came calling (or international team), even Bobby Robson left us in the end so lets hope when MM leaves, we will be a top 6 Premiership Team full of internationals!

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Frase1987 added 19:28 - Nov 4 I agree these are odd comments, especially the talk about the Ireland job and what conditions would need to be in place for him to go back. (you've just joined us?) Still I wouldn't read into it, I'm sure he doesn't mean it in a bad way, and we should probably get used to this bluntness.
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Lightningboy added 19:42 - Nov 4 Mick tells it like it is - no bullsh*t. Can someone please record the result of the current poll too - 86% on here are happy with Mick..so let's get behind him whatever happens this season..he's a top bloke and we're lucky to have him here..let's not get on his back when we're going through some inevitable tough times.
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Mark added 19:45 - Nov 4 McCarthy's comments about the Ireland job are a little strange, I hope he doesn't end up leaving us for that position a few months down the line! Being bottom of the Championship we were lucky to get Mick I think. 688 wins on his CV and only 237 defeats according to Wiki.
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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 19:57 - Nov 4 Mark - think you may have looked at wrong column mate. With those figures he would best manager in the world.
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Pip50 added 20:08 - Nov 4 Hopefully someone will snap him up sooner than later.......we are doomed doomed
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Guthrum added 20:21 - Nov 4 Somebody probably asked him why he joined Town, when he'd been talking about Prem jobs a few months ago, and about managing Ireland. So he answered them.
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brockleyblueboy added 20:47 - Nov 4 Did anyone else see that we had 3, that's right 3 players in The Suns Team of the day (chambers, higginbottom and Henderson) It's been ages that that has happened and more surprisingly it was our defence getting the praise!! COYB
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riley26 added 21:20 - Nov 4 The way he refers to Ipswich as "them" rather than "us" does evoke a sense that he isn't feeling overly affiliated with the club yet, however he has only been here a few days! On the flip side, I think it is good that he comes across slightly 'above' the job, and rightly so, he has managed much better outfits than us, and been successful. I think that attitude is more preferable than Jewell's, who from reports sounded like he was to 'nice' and probably couldn't believe his luck to get such a job. Furthermore he always had the whiff of a man who knew this was probably his last chance at managing at a decent level.

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Dissboyitfc added 22:17 - Nov 4 PIP50... have you been drinking? you are writing some strange things.
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ketton_itfc added 22:48 - Nov 4 I think you need to remember that Mick is being asked questions and he is giving an honest answer. What he says can be skewed to give whatever impression the reporter wants to convey. It's not Mick just sitting there and speaking for 10 minutes and then getting up and walking off. I think we our perfect for each other, for us,someone to stop the rot and hopefully build on and get to the Premier League and for Mick it's a chance to further enhance his cv and maybe get a final shot at a top ten Premier League club.

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Marcus added 01:41 - Nov 5 @brockleyblueboy. I'm sure many didn't notice as not every here is a Sum reader... Thankfully.
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