Mick McCarthy believes keeping Town in the Championship this season is up there with any of his other achievements in football management. The Blues were bottom of the table with seven points from 13 games when he took over on November 1st.

McCarthy, who took Town to 14th and 60 points by the end of the campaign, rates beating the drop alongside his previous successes: “It’s as good as any — winning the Championship twice, last 16 of the World Cup.

"I took a chance in taking a team which was bottom of the league. I didn’t want to get relegated out of the Championship.

“When you get a job where they’re bottom of the league you don’t come in and find a team that’s buoyant and buzzing and full of confidence and everybody’s feeling good about themselves.

“It’s quite the opposite and your job is to turn that around. Why ever [the previous manager] loses it is not my point, generally that’s the feeling and it’s the new manager’s job to turn that around and make sure you get some good feeling back.

“We all have a different way of doing that and I’m just delighted that I managed to do it and [we were] safe with a game to play.”

McCarthy says it’s only ever your most recent success that people talk about: “Nobody ever says to me when it’s going badly and you’ve lost a couple, ‘You did well getting to the World Cup finals, didn’t you?’ or ‘Weren’t you really good at Sunderland winning the Championship?’, ‘Didn’t you do well at Wolves?’.

“Nobody’s bothered about them, they’re just consigned to the history books, the record books. Your current achievement for me is always the best one.

“And I think it’s a particularly good one anyway. If you remember when it was lashing down with rain on the Thursday before our first game against Birmingham, there wasn’t too much confidence around the place, was there?”

Photo: Action Images

irishtim added 06:49 - May 7 Thanks MM. Will always appreciate what you did for us this season. Looking forward to a promotion challenge next season. Oh thanks TC and players also.
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marcusevans added 07:26 - May 7 Already legends in my book. Awesome performances from MM & TC
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DiamondGezzer added 07:26 - May 7 Looking forward to next season with optimism. Grateful thanks to all at ITFC, especially MickMac and TC for a season of turn around.
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howdonblue added 07:46 - May 7 Legends indeed IN MICK WE TRUST ..
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Dissboyitfc added 08:21 - May 7 think we are for a good season next season. Well done Mick. coyb
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oldelsworthyfan added 08:27 - May 7 MM's achievement looks even more remarkable now. Back in November, who would have thought 60 points would be possible? No praise could be enough for what he has done to lift ITFC out of the misery we were in - and to give us genuine reason to believe that we'll be in the playoffs next year.
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debenturedave added 09:21 - May 7 Playoffs...... no top two please Mick !!!
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Town22 added 09:36 - May 7 I'm looking forward to a summer full of new signings I've never heard of before. Not signing Premiership "has beens" like Jewell and Keane. Just because we might be able to afford them, doesn't mean we have to sign them. I think MM and his scouts will get in some good team players that will be up for the fight and challenge like we did under Burley. COYB
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itfcbarmyarmy added 10:02 - May 7 Bit Off topic but thought i would have another moan at chopra. Don't know if anyone else saw but he also aired his views on not being played on Saturday. When one fan asked him about not being played he replied still got paid. This is the sought of egotistical crap that TC and MC will get rid of this window and I really look forward to it. It annoys me more that I was fairly excited when we brought him but look at us and look at cardiff. He obviously wasn't that good.

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wkj added 10:13 - May 7 I mick gets us promoted next season that truly will make him one of the ITFC greats- imagine going from an unmotivated team of misfits leaking goals and wasting leads to a clean sheet churning point grabbing team in after of weeks! mick and terry are truly is not human beings but footballing wizards!
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Earl60 added 10:13 - May 7 Town22 you want a summer full of new signings, when we've peformed so well with the current players since Nov. Have a lie down mate
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wkj added 10:18 - May 7 @earl60. N'Daw, Drury, Stearman possibly even JET may warrant the need for a summer full of signings. If we land Alan Judge it will be a total coup- just like when we got Matty Holland- THAT idea is what makes us need a lie down- to cope with the excitement
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roytheboy added 10:29 - May 7 Thank you Mick, Terry and all the players that made the effort, it would have been absolutely dreadful to have been relegated, I am truly grateful and hope sincerely that Mick and Terry will be at ITFC for a very very long time, please.
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Earl60 added 10:31 - May 7 wkj Teams need time to gel, looks like we had a great team spirit, which helped us out of trouble. One or two signings yes, half the squad going NO. MM can do no wrong by most, another test for him next season, I have my doubts whether he can do again
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wkj added 10:36 - May 7 Earl60. fair point well made
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Michael11 added 10:51 - May 7 Thanks for everything Mick and Terry. Whatever happens in the future we'll always have respect for what you've done this year. If we can keep hold of them i'm positive we'll be pushing for promotion next season!
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kiwiblue added 10:58 - May 7 Cheers Mick and Terry job well done and the future is you making. Well done to the squad who started believing and cheerio to those that arent good enough for the future. keep on taking the wages while you can. checkout Gazza.
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bluemikey100 added 11:21 - May 7 MICK THE MAN MCCARTHY thanx for saving us cudnt bear to go down said wud eat my scarf if we stayed up but i just cant do it i love my scarf to much its a bit like the wife apart it dont moan lol
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Blue92 added 12:26 - May 7 Super Mick McCarthy!
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brendenward35 added 13:42 - May 7 Well done Mick and Terry and all the back room staff a massive achievement which looked impossible a few months ago. Not only have we survived but the whole club is 100 times more positive than it was a few months ago. All doom and gloom before Mick took over now look at it full of promise and loads of positive stuff bouncing around the place. Mick has proved all the doubters wrong I personal was over the moon when he took over thought it was the best choice of managers Town has made for a very long time. Can't wait for next season and see what Mick brings in during the summer.

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Stu_Magoo added 14:30 - May 7 As well as the hilarious banter and straight-talking from Big Mick, there is also a kind of arrogant streak in him which quite I like. It fills you with confidence that he is a man not only with a plan but the confidence to execute it.
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bluemikey100 added 14:52 - May 7 cant wait for next season already plus look where norwich are derbys cud be back on hope wigan beat swansea tnite
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broadside added 15:59 - May 7 How Wolves could sack this guy is beyond me? But they hounded him out and supporters calling for his head forced his leaving the club literally by the back door. That could never happen at ITFC. Now we we have MM and TC, and you could argue there is no better managing team in any division - and much better than Hodgson who was paralysed into inaction as we were being overrun by Montenegro. MM woluldn't have stood for that as he has shown for us this season. Change the formation, substitution if needed. ACTIVE management. That's what we have now and next season we can look forward to at least play offs

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Keaneish added 16:18 - May 7 Itfcbarmyarmy - where did you hear that? I used to like Chops but the more he talks the more I want to smash him in the mouth! After all the club have done for him! Love to know what head space he'd be in had we not bailed him out of his debts!
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TimmyH added 17:56 - May 7 I feel Mick might be underplaying other achievements in his career but he's done what's been required since he's been here, if he gets us into the play-offs at least then in my opinion he will really be achieving something in a relatively short space of time.
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