Boss Mick McCarthy said he was proud of his team after their 2-1 home victory over Sheffield Wednesday saw the Blues to ninth in the Championship on 68 points, four from the play-offs, their best finish in six seasons.

“It was an open game, both teams have got nothing riding on it except for the three points and a bit of pride,” McCarthy said.

“I should imagine the Sheffield Wednesday fans went away thinking their team put up a good show but we go away the winners. That’s what matters in the end, but they played well.

“It’s progress and I don’t really do ‘enough’ or ‘it’s ordinary’ and ‘it’s fine, it’s acceptable’. I do prefer better than that and I expect better than that.

“What I would say is that I’m immensely proud of the lads and the season they’ve had, they’ve been great. If you consider that we’ve not spent a coin on anybody coming in.

"It’s strange that because Marcus still has to put in £5 million or £6 million in or whatever it is, but we’ve not bought anybody.

“I’m just really pleased, really proud of them. I look at teams below us, Nottingham Forest, Bolton and Huddersfield and all of them that seem to have done it differently and I’m really proud of the players.

“I looked at the league and I thought barring Burnley, and they went out and bought Ashley Barnes for £750,000 or whatever it was at the last knockings, [no one above us has spent less] I think ours have been brilliant.

He was pleased to see Tommy Smith net his sixth goal of the season, rather better than his own highest total, with Smith's regular central defensive partner Christophe Berra scoring five and skipper Luke Chambers three.

“It was a good goal, they’re all good goals," he said. “I only scored 12 out of 500-odd league games, two was probably my best!

"The two of them [Smith and Berra] have been great. When we’ve got good deliveries in the three lads have all contributed. The area where we haven’t contributed enough is from midfield, to be honest with you.”

McCarthy gave Jack Marriott his second Town appearance from the bench late on and admits he considered giving him longer: “There was not a lot at stake then. I could have done something different with the subs but I wanted to win the game.

“You could see the size of them, if we’d put Jack on too earlier we might have got done from a freekick and I wanted to win. As much as I would have liked him on and I could have done something different, but he got on.”

He says the three-man backline was something he’d wanted to look at: “We were in on Thursday and I said ‘Let’s just have a look, we’ll try it’.

“I’ll never know whether it would have worked because we started and there wasn’t one of our players that could pass to anybody in a blue shirt, we were f-----g hopeless.

“If you can’t keep the ball, you can’t pass it, they kept attacking us. I’ll never know whether it worked.

“It wasn’t down to a system because we gave it away. I thought that if we weren’t playing well off that solid 4-4-1-1 at least we’re not going to give something away, so that’s why I went back to it.

“I tinkered with it but there was nothing at stake. Then at the end when we were winning, I wasn’t going to give that up easily.”

Sheffield Wednesday manager Stuart Gray felt his team ought to have made more of their opportunities: “My analyst tells me we’ve had 21 goal attempts.

“I think we’ve dominated possession, we’ve had good counter-attack opportunities. It just shows that if you don’t get it right in both boxes you end up losing a game of football.

“I’m disappointed that we’ve conceded two goals but pleased with the performance. I thought we deserved something out of the game. Unfortunately, people will see the scoreline tomorrow, 2-1 to Ipswich, but with 21 goal attempts we should be working the keeper a bit more or scoring more goals.”

Photo: Action Images

ITFCed added 15:45 - May 3 we're proud of you mick.
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AbujaBlue added 15:46 - May 3 Stuart Gray, did your analyst also tell you that only 6 were on target, or are those facts conveniently hidden? Well done to MM and the team, a great note to finish the season on.
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TrumptonBlue added 15:52 - May 3 @Abuja If you read what Gray said - "with 21 goal attempts we should be working the keeper a bit more" - I think it's clear he's well aware that few of their attempts looked likely to produce goals.
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Reece87 added 16:15 - May 3 Like or dislike him but the way Mick has built this team and what he has added to it is remarkable under such difficult circumstances. A Mick McCarthy team may not play beautiful attacking football but you can never question their determination and commitment to the club. We've improved massively over the year and were slowly becoming a team ready to push for promotion. Next season maybe too soon but the boys have performed way beyond a lot of people's expectations including mine.

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brockleyblueboy added 16:18 - May 3 Congratulations on a good season. Let's take stock, build on this and have a great 14/15 season. Well done mick, TC and of course the team.
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Tommyc added 16:39 - May 3 Not bad for an end of season game and Wednesday fans were outstanding (particularly fat bloke!) Some promise for next year and undeniable that we have made good progress, but if we are honest probably 3 players away minimum from a real force at this level. Will we push the envelope in summer to go to next level?
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Ipswich121 added 16:42 - May 3 We don't play the most attractive football - but I see glimpses of attacking passing game - we are working from the back and the front - the midfield is the problem- sort that and I am confident the attractive passing football, but it will take time. In Mick We Trust.
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TimmyH added 16:52 - May 3 'I could have done something different with the subs, but I wanted to win the game' (in reference to Jack Marriott not being brought on earlier and Taylor instead being brought on) - Well Mick you haven't brought on Taylor in quite a few other games this season to win games! People will say we've had a good season being 9th and the best one since Jim Magilton and it's something to build on but the fact remains Mick got far more from a team/squad in turmoil after PJ was sacked in a short time than what he did this season after he had been in the job over 9 months!

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rambohambo added 17:10 - May 3 Can I just say what a utter disgrace the stewards are to home fans making a fan leave with his little kid becoz he chucked the ball back at the player , and another thing on the lap of honour , where's the honour players should be shaking are hands thanking everyone when walking past not just a little clap and wave , us supporters spend alot of money to follow the town

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JWM added 17:10 - May 3 Give it a rest Timmy you're like a stuck record!
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Pip50 added 17:26 - May 3 Yeah yeah and we are proud of you. Can you fcuk off now and we can get someone in who knows what they are doing aka playing a bit of football, encouraging our youth, not looking after previous connections, and progressing our football club. Plus 8 points on last year isn't doing it for me. PS Appreciate no money to spend but so what neither have many others in our mid table zone anyone watch Bournemouth lately !!

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braveblue added 17:43 - May 3 Outplayed at home again
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BehindBlueEyes added 18:06 - May 3 @pip50 Bournemouth spent £3.3m last season & a further £3.5m this season. How much have we spent in that time?
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Bluetone added 18:15 - May 3 @Ipswich 121 quote " I see glimpses of attacking passing game" Give McCarthy time he'll soon stamp that out.
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Mark added 18:25 - May 3 Well done to Mick and the lads. The best finish in six seasons is quite some achievement considering the fact McCarthy spent next to nothing on fees, whereas Keane and Jewell before him spent millions. We need to continue the building and bring in some more key signings on free transfers over the summer. I thought Gerken was probably man-of-the-match with some excellent saves to keep us in it. In midfield, Green had a good game and with two goals in the last two home games in a season our midfielders cannot hit the net, perhaps he is worth keeping as a squad player. It's nice to end the season with a win. Just Norwich's relegation to enjoy (effectively tomorrow) then we can focus on the World Cup for a few weeks.

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TimmyH added 19:03 - May 3 Come on guys let's get the facts straight re: Bournemouth - yes they did spend near £3.5M in the season just gone but that was largely on 1 player the South African Tokelo Rantie who has been very much in and out of their first 11 and only scored a couple of goals. Eddie Howe has bought in a few others but certainly no big names and built a good footballing side, let's not get confused that spending that money has brought this about because it's nonsense.

2

hancockingoal added 19:16 - May 3 Big Mick says he wanted to win the game, but the result was meaningless, why not give the young and fringe players a start? Marriott would surely have benefited for 90 mins? Surely we can take risks when there is nothing at stake? I don't want to be seen as negative but can't we be a bit adventurous?
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MicksZzzTactics added 19:39 - May 3 TRIVIA OF THE DAY: When was the last time and who was the opposing team to have an astounding 24 or 23 shots (varies a bit depending on where you look it up, although no more than 7 were on goal) against us at PR in a league game??? Nothing really to add regarding the "proud" side of the equation which haven't already been posted by some of the objective and none-all-out-rosy-tinted fans still roaming here on TWTD..... thankfully! But the fact is that concerning today's game we were very lucky, and also good in goal thanks to Gerken having one of his better days, not to concede more than just that single goal and thus grab ALL the points!

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TimmyH added 19:48 - May 3 Mick McCarthy record at Ipswich so far: 2012/13 - W15 D8 L10 Win% 45.5 Ave points per game 1.6 2013/14 - W18 D14 L14 Win% 39.1 Ave points per game 1.48 No progress there according to those stats - just for you JWM. :)
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Walk_the_Wark added 20:33 - May 3 See ya later Mick… NEXT!!
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WestNorfolk_Blue added 20:36 - May 3 Stats are fine and you cant ignore them but this was a full season and before Mick came in last year we were getting tonked for 4, 5 and 6 a game. probably not the most attractive but league position is probably a big marker on progress, there has been loads of talk around FP but i hope ME is going to dip in his pockets a little. It would be nice next year to have similar discussions around how well Mick has progressed while spending some. All in all progress so thanks to the team Mick and especially TC who i dont think gets as much credit as he should. Oh well out with my Chelsea shirt for tomorrow and looking forward to next season. Cheers.

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MW20 added 20:48 - May 3 No point getting rid of PaulTaylor! He's got the best work ethic in our whole squad. Maybe with the exception with Williams and Berra! But I feel that if we kept him, he would be one of the. Strikers that come off the bench and score a lot of goals! ( that's what I think )
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TimmyH added 20:49 - May 3 @WestNorfolk - you can't argue about those basic stats - if we were getting tonked last season before Mick came in then surely that would have given us more confidence for the 2013/14 season that he'd been here 9 months and in less chaotic circumstances!? A full season is no argument.
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Blue041273 added 21:03 - May 3 Well I believe I speak for the silent majority when I say that this season has been the most satisfying in years particularly for those that actually see games at PR. We have been competitive most of the time, rarely being destroyed or humiliated as in previous years. Many of the games have been good games with no quarter given; few have been boring. Most of the people in my area at PR are steadfastly behind MM and trust him to make further progress next season. The tide of anti MM on here is not reflected in the wider views of Town fans and while not denying anybody's right to a point of view, I don't believe some of the hysterical comments on here are representative of Town supporters in general.

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Talbs77 added 21:06 - May 3 I think perhaps when we got in the top 6 earlier in season and flirting with it throughout, fans expectations went above this squad's ability this season. I will say I have not particularly enjoyed the style of football this season but appreciate where we were when Mick came in. Real positives, wouldn't swap our back 4 with any from league, apart from the goalkeeper, mcgoldrick/Murphy have been superb. Midfield has been to workmanlike, you need more than that even in this league. But I feel we've made real progress this year and think next we will finish higher than 9th, how high is open to debate. But let's have less negativity and more looking forward to next, in Mick I trust COYB!!!!

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