Boss Mick McCarthy believes fans have no reason to be pessimistic as the Blues go into the season’s final 13 games still having a chance of making the play-offs. The Town manager says the next two fixtures at Middlesbrough today and Yeovil on Tuesday could set up a “huge” home match against sixth-placed Wigan next weekend.

“I don’t think there’s any reason to be pessimistic because we’ve been on the back of the play-offs most of the season and we’ve still got a chance of getting in them,” he said.

“The next two games are big games. It depends what points we get, and then we’ve got Wigan here. The next couple of weeks are interesting.

“There’s no point us getting beaten in the next two games and Wigan winning and then expecting to catch them because we’re playing them at home because it won’t happen. And Brighton likewise.

“We need some points from the next two. We’ve got Wigan then, which will be a huge game if we’re on their coat tails going into it.

“If we’ve lost and they’ve won two, then it won’t be, they’ll have the big cigar on coming here, won’t they?”

He says Town will go into both away games looking for victories but says draws can't be considered poor results: “We went up to Leicester and we could have been eight points out of it because we lost. But we’ve lost and won and we’re four points out of it.

“I’d love to get some away points but if you’re asking me whether a point at Middlesbrough is a bad point, I’d say ‘no’.

“Yeovil are no mugs. We’re going to go and try and win both games. I’ve not got my crystal ball, we’ll try and win them and then I’ll take what we get.”

He believes most fans he has spoken to have been realistic regarding this season’s progress: “I think people do [appreciate the change that’s been achieved on a small budget]. I think it’s very much acknowledged and respected and appreciated.

“I haven’t ever met anybody who has said ‘By the way, you’re having a crap season because you ought to be doing loads better because you’ve had loads of players’. I think it’s just accepted that it’s been a fairly solid job that I’ve done.”

While he says challenging for the play-offs was his aim at the start of the season, his focus was very much on survival throughout the last campaign.

“When I took over, I’ll be brutally honest, I wasn’t dreaming of that. Every single week I came in here I was thinking about getting some more points to stay in the league.

“At the start of this season, I was. I thought, we’ll just see. I put together a squad of players and they have a good way about them and a good work ethic and team spirit. I think you’ve always got a chance.”

Photo: Action Images

trncbluearmy added 06:24 - Mar 8 COYB for the first time in ages we have a shout WE ARE IPSWICH
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nutter added 06:40 - Mar 8 we are indeed IPSWICH, COYB
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howdonblue added 06:46 - Mar 8 Thank you mick and tc . You have done wonders since at the club with no budget . Turning our club from relegation fodder to play off contenders in one year A fantastic achievement IN MICK WE TRUST
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muccletonjoe added 07:25 - Mar 8 The football hasn't been pretty a lot of the time , but mcCarthy has done a job on turning us around. However , now is not the time to be looking for 2 points out of the next 6 , throw caution to the wind and let's have a go. We can no longer afford the luxury of lightweights. Get our best players on the firld mick and if we don't make it at least we know we weren't good enough

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essexboy added 07:36 - Mar 8 WE ARE IPSWICH,BEST TEAM IN EAST ANGLIA,SO DONT FORGET THAT.COYB.
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bobble added 08:43 - Mar 8 9 pts nothing less will do////////
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runaround added 08:47 - Mar 8 Yes Mick you have done a solid job but 2 draws in these away games will not set up a big game with Wigan. A minimum of 4 points, ideally 6, from Boro & Yeovil is the only way we can go into the Wigan game still in touch. Here's hoping
5

KiwiTractor added 08:51 - Mar 8 Good luck lads, lets take the game to Middlesbrough and set ourselves up for a 6 point week.
3

coolcat added 09:19 - Mar 8 Got my ticket. Coming up from London. Tough gig, but as good a chance as any. COYB
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karls_dad added 10:27 - Mar 8 Its such a shame that we have dropped so many silly points, games that we should have won or at least drawn! only to take a sucker punch for countless reasons, If i was smarter than i am i could give some kind of a guesstimate, but having listened to every game up in rural North Norfolk and shouting at the laptop "not again" We have kept shooting ourselves in the foot! last minute/injury time etc i,m sure someone will have the stats? we really should be in the mix instead of four adrift...............hindsight is a lovely thing!

1

warktheline added 10:50 - Mar 8 You haven't met Punch and Judy aka blueboy and TimmyH then Mick.You can't please all of them Mick.....sure you won't lose any sleep over it,I know I don't. He he he.
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town93 added 10:59 - Mar 8 True Karls dad, but at the end of the day we have also won games that perhaps in all honestly we didn't deserve to win but did by a goal, last week being an example of that! Also it's worth remembering we've been on the positive end of some late goals this season too, Palace and Huddersfield just from the top of my head, I'd say the league table is a fair reflection so far this season! As others have said credit to MM and TC and here's hoping to another 3 points today!! COYB

2

Tractamatt added 11:37 - Mar 8 We need 9 points from the next three games mainly because Wigan have games in hand because of cup games etc etc but I think we can do it if we beat Brighton as well we're flying.COYB_
1

jas0999 added 11:39 - Mar 8 Can understand the logic of thinking a point at boro is decent ( providing we don't go there with sole purpose of playing for a point). But nothing less than three points at Yeovil will do. If you want to get in the play offs you ave to generally beat the teams at the bottom of the table.
2

Langdon_Blue added 12:10 - Mar 8 He says a point will be a good point at Boro to the media, but he knows it's a must 3 points today and there is no reason why not. COYB!
3

bluemagic74 added 13:44 - Mar 8 7 points 3 2day and yeovil and a draw wid wigan coyb could even pick up a win with wigin taylor gets goin like we no he can.. 1love ITFC
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JimInGreensboro added 14:10 - Mar 8 Cheering on from the States! Mick is the MAN. The only time I'd count him out is against Cain Velasquez and, even then, he'd find a way to draw blood. Ipswich have already taken the Premier League title (on my Xbox, yo), so making the Championship playoffs should indeed be doable. Just wish I could loan the real side Luis Suarez from my gamer side. COYB!
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Guthrum added 14:18 - Mar 8 @Karls dad Late goals (80th minute on) have changed the result of the game (League only) on 8 occasions so far this season. Against us: QPR (A) D->L -1pts Derby (A) W->D -2 Burnley (H) D->L -1 Watford (H) W->D -2 Charlton (H) W->D -2 Total: -8 points In our favour: Blackpool (A) D->W +2pts Huddersfield (H) D->W +2 Barnsley (A) L->W +3 Total: +7 points Aggregate: -1 point In addition, we've scored late goals (80th min onwards) on a further 5 occasions but which hasn't affected the result (Millwall A, Boro H, Blackburn H, QPR H, Reading H) - all but one of those reinforcing a win - with no other late goals scored against us.

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TimmyH added 14:51 - Mar 8 Give it a rest @ walktheline your getting really tiresome. Re: It's only a 'huge' game if we can get the results away from home this week and that means probably at least 4 points and Wigan will certainly have games in hand on us.
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tractorboybig added 16:24 - Mar 8 Just a ploy to get some fee paying fans in. The only chance this set up has of reaching the play offs is NO CHANCE.
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theobald1985 added 17:54 - Mar 8 howdonblue what a cringeworthy post -all this in mick we trust stuff is for people who know sod all about the game. as for the no budget nonsense -free transfers are far more common with FFP he has been able to bring in mcgoldrick ebanks blake skuse berra anderson etc he has hardly had his hands tied. the thing is he is insistent on playing hoofball and trying to nick a goal and defend the game out. its awful and he needs to get his p45

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