Boss Mick McCarthy has been nominated for the Sky Bet Championship Manager of the Month award for December, having carried off the gong for November when Town striker Daryl Murphy won the Player of the Month award.

McCarthy is up against Leeds manager Steve Evans, Middlesbrough’s Aitor Karanka and new Brentford boss Dean Smith.

The Blues, who are sixth in the Championship, won four - three of them away from home - and lost two - against the Championship’s top two Boro and Derby - during the final month of 2015. The winner will be announced on Friday.

Only Neil Warnock (twice), Steve Coppell, Roy Keane (with Sunderland), Chris Hughton, Brian McDermott and Sean Dyche have been named Championship Manager of the Month in two successive months since its introduction at the start of the 2004/05 campaign.

Last season, McCarthy won the September award, becoming the first Town boss to win Manager of the Month since Joe Royle in November 2004. He was also nominated in December 2013, November and December 2014 and in August this season.

McCarthy picked up the award three times with his previous clubs, once with Sunderland and twice with Wolves.

Meanwhile, Town and QPR are reported to be considering a move for 20-year-old Cagliari centre-half Dario Del Fabro, who is currently on loan at Ascoli.

Italian U20 international Del Fabro, who made one appearance while on loan at Leeds last season, seems an unlikely Blues target with Town already having Piotr Malarczyk as cover at centre-half and skipper Luke Chambers able to move inside from right-back if required, while Barnsley youngster Paul Digby, also 20, was signed last week.

Matt Clarke, 19, and Josh Yorwerth, 20, have been allowed to move out on loan for the remainder of the season to Portsmouth and Crawley respectively.

McCarthy has played down the likelihood of additions to his squad during January, having repeatedly stated that he is happy with his squad.

Photo: Action Images

osborne added 06:19 - Jan 7 You're a star MIcky Boy! COYB
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sidtheswan added 07:08 - Jan 7 It seems unlikely on both counts . We lost 2 home games so don't see how that makes you manager of the month . Secondly why would we buy an Italian centre half ? Unless MM thinks he's better than what we got or somebody's leaving we don't know about !
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iaintaylorx added 07:15 - Jan 7 would be surprised if he did win, as I think Karanka will be the easy frontrunner. regarding the centre back, Italians are known for being solid centre halves, so we'll see. I guess it's just a rumour though. however, it does feel good being 'linked' with players.
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big_gaz67 added 07:34 - Jan 7 How anyone who engineered the dross of the last three home games can be nominated for Manager of the Month is amazing.
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jert16 added 07:46 - Jan 7 Super Mick Mcarthey.. Our saviour!
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Stato added 08:35 - Jan 7 Agree with you big gaz. The Brighton away performance was great but the stuff at Portman Road in December wasn't great and that includes the QPR win.
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BlueBadger added 08:41 - Jan 7 This award is massively devalued by the fact that Roy Keane has won it..
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Cheshire_Blue added 08:59 - Jan 7 .......and still some want to moan!
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SamWhiteUK added 09:29 - Jan 7 Of course, they can't possibly take the Boro loss into consideration, as that was the game subject to the curse that this award imposed on him. That just wouldn't be fair
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Fatboy added 09:40 - Jan 7 Arguably, our December results were better than November's; losing out narrowly to the division's top two (both matches could have gone either way) and winning the other four games. However, Middlesbrough gained the most points from the fewest games and so Karanka is a shoe-in for the award.
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chevvymalc added 09:47 - Jan 7 Its results on the pitch that count not mickey mouse awards!!!!!
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dirtydingusmagee added 10:13 - Jan 7 OHHHH SH#T, we are doomed .
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Stato added 10:28 - Jan 7 @cheshireblue so what performance at Portman Road in December did you think was worthy of manager of the month ? Was it one or both of the defeats or the stinker against QPR that even Mick said wasn't great ? Or did you not even see any of the games and just want to cheer everything Mick does coz he saved us from oblivion and should never be criticised.
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SWGF added 11:19 - Jan 7 Thanks for pointing out the "with Sunderland" in relation to Keane's awards...Just in case anyone thought he deserved any kind of recognition while here!
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vanmunt added 11:53 - Jan 7 I am aware I am a bit of a moaner on this site and as much as hoofball annoys me, we are quite lucky to have the old stubborn git as our manager.
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big_gaz67 added 12:26 - Jan 7 -6 ? Are you folks happy to pay good money to see a team at home not even attempt to pass a ball to each other for a least the first 70 mins? HOOF HOOF and HOOF!
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COYB11 added 12:33 - Jan 7 "Agree with you big gaz. The Brighton away performance was great but the stuff at Portman Road in December wasn't great and that includes the QPR win." That terrible win, in the last minute, against a decent QPR side, on Boxing Day, with club captain and die hard player, Luke Chambers getting the winner. That was awful! I have told myself to stop reading these comments due to the fact that there are so many fans on here who can't see the unbelievable progress that has been made over the last 2 months and longer term, 3 years under McCarthy. But you do have to respect other peoples opinions so us McCarthy lovers are just going to have to shout louder, and I have no problem with that! Mick, TC, and the players, you're doing a great job! Keep it up. COYB

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Fatboy added 12:39 - Jan 7 These awards are based on results, not entertainment value or quality of football, so the QPR match goes down as a win.
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Kirbmeister added 12:54 - Jan 7 Some people will just never like MM whatever happens. I'm not saying it's perfect but he's doing a decent job with no money to spend and the club in a huge debt. Whether he gets it or not I say good luck to the guy.
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clive_baker added 12:58 - Jan 7 Don't listen to the haters, Mick is doing a wonderful job for Town. I'm not going to say on a 'shoestring' budget because it isn't, we're certainly competitive when it comes to salaries and have been since Evans got involved. The likes of Berra and Chambers wouldn't be here if we weren't. That said, we can't compete with the likes of Boro and Derby spending millions on transfer fees. Downing and Nugent alone cost Boro £11m! We're lucky to have Mick & Terry, I dread to think where we would be with an average manager in charge.

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sgtlargent added 13:01 - Jan 7 Not sure what more people expect from Mick, no money to spend and has us competing at the higher end of the league. Would stick my neck out and say there is no one else that could do what he does in this league and yet some still moan, yes the football isn't great but what do you expect? We should be proud of how our club is being run and looked at from the outside. Amazes me how short sighted some of are and seem to forget rather quickly where we were 4 seasons ago...

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sgtlargent added 13:04 - Jan 7 p.s would love to see the Steve Evans celebration party if he wins this.
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big_gaz67 added 14:24 - Jan 7 COYB11 Can you honestly say you were entertained by the football v QPR before the last ten minutes. If you go to a restaurant and they serve you an awful starter and main course are you happy because the desert is satisfactory? Did you see the football served up here in the 70's and early 80's and gain in the late 90's. Proper passing football - the quality football at Portman Road this year has been pants....

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BlueandTruesince82 added 15:10 - Jan 7 we had a manager who played pretty, exciting passing football. We often scored 2, 3 or even 4 goals. The problem was the opposition frequently scored 3,4 or 5 goals. His name was Paul Jewell. Micks style might not be the most attractive on the eye but I find winning any way (and with regularity) far more entertaining than watching the team score 3 and still lose. This "it doesn't look nice so I don't like" nonsense is stupid. I don't like Jackson Pollock paintings, I think a 5 year old could knock them up, doesn't mean they arrnt worth millions upon millions of pounds. Some people don't like the Beatles, doesn't make them crap though. Some people don't find Abbey Clancy attractive, doesn't mean she's not a looker People accuse Evans of not wanting us to go up in one breath and then in the next savage the man who has got us closer to the promised land then anyone else in 15 odd years and call for his exit, so you tell me who doesn't want us to up? PJs pretty ticka taka got us nowhere near.

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Cheshire_Blue added 15:27 - Jan 7 BossMan, I have seen most games this season home and away, and look at the bigger picture, as clearly do those who judge. A couple of narrow defeats against quality teams who have spent millions is no disgrace. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK MICK!
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