Manager Mick McCarthy says this summer’s player recruitment will be crucial if Town are to challenge at the right end of the table in 2013/14. The Blues ended this season’s successful battle against relegation with a 2-0 defeat at Burnley on Saturday.

McCarthy took Town from bottom when he took over on November 1st after Paul Jewell’s departure to 14th in the Championship with the Blues sixth in a league table which started on that date.

He says pushing on during the next campaign will depend on his close season business: “See what we do in the summer, recruitment will be key.”

While Andy Drury, Arran Lee-Barrett and Lee Martin are set to move on, McCarthy is understood to be willing to listen to offers for Michael Chopra and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, who have been on the fringes of the side throughout the Blues boss's time at Portman Road. The pair have a year left on their Town deals.

Former loan striker David McGoldrick will sign a two-year deal when his Nottingham Forest contract is up at the end of June and another loanee Jay Tabb, whose Reading terms are up next month, is similarly expected to join permanently, while the Blues are believed to have agreed a three-year deal with Bristol City skipper Cole Skuse.

Striker Daryl Murphy is another loanee who could join permanently and McCarthy has also said he would be interested in keeping Guirane N’Daw, although the Senegalese international looks set to weigh-up options elsewhere and may receive more lucrative offers from French clubs.

It would be no surprise if Patrick Kisnorbo was offered a contract having impressed the Town manager despite his lack of games, but Aaron Mclean and Reece Brown are unlikely to be offered the chance to extend their time in Suffolk. Recent short-term signing Jason Brown is also set to move on, we now understand.

McCarthy would ideally like to keep Richard Stearman at Portman Road but agreeing a fee with Wolves for the defender, who has a year left on his contract, may not be easy and there could be interest from elsewhere.

The Blues are understood to be the favourites to sign Notts County winger Alan Judge, who is a free agent, having held talks with the Irishman, and St Mirren’s Kenny McLean is believed to be another target, while Wolves striker Kevin Doyle has, perhaps inevitably, already been linked with a reunion with his old boss McCarthy at Town.

Regarding the game at Burnley, McCarthy felt the lack of intensity was inevitable and wasn't too disappointed that the season ended in defeat.

“It was Burnley’s day, they got the deflected goal, then they got one from a corner, they brought [veteran keeper] Brian Jensen on [for the final minute]," he said.

“It’s the end of the season. It was just one of those days when it was relief all round, we can all enjoy it. I’m not happy that we got beat, I’m certainly not happy that we conceded from a corner kick. But it’s not going to bother me all through the summer.”

The Blues boss felt his side deserved a point and wasn’t going to be too hard on his players: “In no way shape or form am I going to come in and start criticising them and giving out to them.

“They have been fabulous, they have been amazing to get 53 points from the games that we’ve had and I can’t knock them.

“We had that objective and once you’ve reached that objective it’s a little bit hard to keep your foot to the floor. It’s a fair achievement to end up where we’ve ended up.”

McCarthy also had praise for the travelling Blue Army: “Fabulous support we’ve had. It’s a great club with great support. The away support has been terrific. I think they accepted it today that we’ve done our job, that’s the nice side of it.

“They’ve not come and given out because we got beaten in the last game, they’ve accepted that we’ve done our job and they’ve been fabulous.”

The Town manager didn’t keep an eye on the other scorelines on the Championship’s final day with neither the Blues nor Burnley having anything to play for: “No, not bothered. I’ve had that before when I’ve been involved in all that and it’s a trying old time.

“I’ve just got told them coming off, I’m delighted Barnsley have stayed up, that’s really pleased me. I’m disappointed though for [Peterborough manager] Darren [Ferguson] because I think he’s done an amazing job having lost the first seven. I like him. I think he’s a good guy.”

However, he feels the sides which have taken the drop are the ones who have deserved to do so: “It’s not unlucky. They’re the three worst teams in the league, that’s what they are. I’m telling you, if I’d have gone down with 54 points I wouldn’t be thinking I was unlucky.

“We knew it was going to take more, we knew at Christmas it was going to take more because we were all beating each other. And the ones who have got out of it have deserved it by hook or by crook.”

McCarthy says the Championship remains as tough a division as ever with the struggles of last season’s three relegated Premier League sides illustrating the point: “Bolton are not in the play-offs, Blackburn have just avoided relegation, Wolves didn’t.

“They’ve all got good squads. Put them in [the Championship], they don’t always flourish, do they? It’s a bloody tough league to get out of and I think the quality’s decent, except [the teams are all] just a bit closer. There’s not anybody that’s run away with it.”

Should the teams relegated from the Premier League this year learn from how those clubs handled the drop?

“I don’t know how they’ve handled it,” he said. “All I know is is that this league requires, as all of them do, a real 100% commitment to toughness and resilience because you play Saturday-Tuesday, Saturday-Tuesday, the games come around quickly, there are lots of them.

“And we’re all of a similar ilk. There’s never an easy game. How they’ve handled it, I’m not sure, all I do is praise my lads for handling the 30-odd games we’ve had and the way we’ve done it and maintained their standards.”

McCarthy wasn’t keen to say too much about his former club Wolves after their relegation to League One was confirmed - “I’m the manager of Ipswich” — but was sorry for the Molineux staff: “I feel for all the good people that work there that I knew, from the cleaners to the cooks and groundstaff, coaching staff.

“I had a wonderful time, so I do feel for them because they’re the ones who are really going to get affected. I’m not really good with sympathy though, I have to be honest.”

Meanwhile, today is the 35th anniversary of Town winning the 1978 FA Cup final by beating Arsenal 1-0 at Wembley.

Photo: Action Images

Len_Brennan added 07:13 - May 6 Chopra's time has looked up for quite a while now, & his wages of £18k will have made up Mick's mind with FFP a bigger factor next season. McGoldrick looks like being the main man up front for 2013/14, with Nouble alongside or perhaps Taylor just behind. We will need more options than that so an offer to Murphy, on significantly reduced terms to his Celtic contract, is likely. Marriot looks a real prospect, but will be pushing for a place on the bench at best to start with, so another striker will be needed and a finisher at that. I can't see Doyle being an option. His wage demands would be far too high for a start, so I'd imagine a team with parachute payments (QPR or back to Reading) or maybe Celtic will be where he'll end up. In any event he is not the type we'll need as his hold up play, touch & goal scoring is quite similar to what McGoldrick offers (except at much better/realistic value). JET I'll be disappointed to see go (if the EADT is accurate). He's been lazy & frustrating, but I really expected him to blossom under Mick & TC, with the right attitude & coaching. He is still only 22 & has bags of talent. He could easily be £5m+ player if he knuckled down. Carlos won't start every game next season, so a powerful attacking right winger will be needed & I don't see it as being the position from which to get the best of Taylor. All in all, I can't see us getting too much in fees for a pair of players who could & should be considered good enough to be in the Championship team of the season. Such a disappointment & waste of talent.

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BotesdaleBlue added 08:01 - May 6 Regarding Chopra, I suspect a season long loan is in the offing, with us continuing to payup a major chunk of his salary, unfortunately. I would very much like to see him move on, but a number of factors including his very high Championship salary, introduction of FFP, his personal issues and undoubted financial commitments and indeed his form this season, makes this unlikely I would suggest. Overall, I await news of new signings with great interest, as I am confident Mick and his two scouts he brought over from Wolves, will do a far better job on a far lower budget than we have seen in recent years - which won't be difficult.

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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 08:11 - May 6 BotesdaleBlue: I'm afraid you're right. At least I'm afraid you're right about Chopra. As regards the new scouts, I hope and believe you're right there too. I've been very disappointed with Chopra and his waste of talent. He has had his chances with us and he hasn't paid us back. Other clubs know this, and they won't be biting their hands off to get him because they realise they're in the driving seat on this particular issue. For the best of both parties, it's now time for Chopra to move on, and if it must be on a season-long loan, so be it. If anyone is willing to pay money for him, that would be bonus.

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Blueknight85 added 08:27 - May 6 Any chance of signing Dwight Gayle?
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Karlosfandangal added 09:13 - May 6 Plus Taylor will be like a new signing too
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meekreech added 09:36 - May 6 The scouts will have been working for weeks and the list of names will have been looked at and dicussed already . Some of the deals could already , going on MM's record , be done or almost done . The management team in place are well versed in the ways of getting the job done without publicity and ensuring they achieve their targets !
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theobald1985 added 10:13 - May 6 did mick not say the other day that he was keen to keep the squad together? i also thought martin had been offered a new deal? has he turned this contract down? i was looking forward to a stable summer and mick sticking with the players he has got who after all have been in play off form since he took over. we have tried bringing in loads of new players before and it just messes things up. i really think this team have earned the chance to represent itfc next season. martin and jet should not go.

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walberswick added 10:15 - May 6 how much can you get for a bad smell?
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Keaneish added 10:32 - May 6 Martin has been offered a new contract but on reduced terms Theobald1985. Despite that, i think given some fans were booing him last week...he'll probably go, after all, why would you want to stay when you're getting booed? JET is open to offers. I don't think anyone will come in for him so he'll probably be here next season. A player capable of the sublime but highly likely to spend another season watching games! Time to raid the lower leagues for good young talent to go out and express themselves with the reassurance of a solid back 4 behind them. Phase 1 is complete, now its down to who we can sign and how quickly this summer!

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xJoe_King added 10:34 - May 6 JET and Chopra out - shar.es/lwmjt Check out my forum post with my thoughts twitter.com/xJoe_King
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Wickets added 10:38 - May 6 I'm told a Chambers tweet more or less confirmed Lee Martin wants away. I will lose no sleep if this is so!
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miiikkeyyyy added 11:44 - May 6 I don't want Kevin Doyle. I don't like his attitude from September 2012 when he was quoted saying "I love life in the 'easier' Championship.. So easy that Wolves got relegated! I'm not denying, he has fantastic on-pitch attributes, but that statement wound me up when I read it. The Championship is a difficult league, we should know, we've been in it for over 10 years!

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SheffieldBlue1 added 12:05 - May 6 Chambers tweeted a picture of Martin captioned 'Last away trip with this fella' (or something along those lines), so it looks like he's going to reject the lower terms. He needs a fresh start at a new club. A quick thought regarding right midfield next season. Would love to see Lee Tomlin come in from Peterborough, as with him 1st choice, and then Edwards and JET coming off the bench, that would make for a strong squad.

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blueherts added 13:14 - May 6 Tomlin and Forrester if Brentford dont come up
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Guthrum added 13:34 - May 6 Theobald1985 - Most of those he's letting go are, or have become, fringe players, especially as the season's gone on. Securing some of the regular loan players is much more important for squad stability, with just two or three additions for a bit of extra strength/depth/quality. Don't think the budget will stretch to a massive spending spree, anyway.
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whittonite added 14:10 - May 6 just get some good ones so we dont have to splash out too much when we get to the premier!
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towntillidie283 added 14:30 - May 6 Reports and rumours Out Micheal Chopra (please as on to much money) Jay Emmanuel-Thomas (shame but understandable) In David McGoldrick (deal done) free Patrick Kisnorbo (good back up) free Jay Tabb (basically deal done) free Cole Skuse (reports deal done) free Richard Stearman (please make happen) £1m Anthony Judge (like Stearman please make happen) free Kenny McLean (good attacking Left side player a lot better then Martin) £500,000 Goal scorer Decent back up gk Decent back up cb (but might not need as have Stearman and Mings who can play cb) Squad for 2013/14 season Gk Loach, Back up gk Rb Stearman, Hewitt Cb Chambers, Kisnorbo Cb Smith, Back up cb Lb Cresswell, Mings Rm Judge, Edwards Cm Hyam, Wordsworth Cm Tabb, Skuse Lm McLean, Murphy Cf McGoldrick, Nouble Cf Decent cf, Taylor Keeping with MM saying he wants two players to every position. I really think next season will be the one for ipswich and I know that these players would want to come to ipswich because of MM and TC it will just depend on wages and fees. If town can get these players it gives them everything they need youth, experience, defence, better attacking threats the lot But please no Doyle just another Chopra

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bluemikey100 added 15:30 - May 6 good to see all the deadwood goin but shame jet is up up n away
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itfc1981 added 15:34 - May 6 There's no Clegg so there will be no problem!
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Earl60 added 17:29 - May 6 So summer recruitment is the key, but you had the formula, and the tools right, so why do you have to go out and change it. Completely peed off with his policy, and sick of the ins and outs year after year
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dizbon added 20:56 - May 6 chopra the 20 to 30 goal scorer 2012/2013 season!!!!!!!!!!. what odds did he get at the bookies? no wonder he had gambling debts. the club has looked after him. now he if gets the chance he should say thankyou and go.
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AndyUK61873 added 15:06 - May 8 We need to work on our away from, of the 53pts gained by MM only 20 game away from Portman Road, that is only 37% of the points. That needs to improve.
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runningout added 16:49 - May 8 Earl... cant stick with same squad year in and out.. Agree maybe not too much tweaking required.. Dont reckon Scott Loach will be first choice
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