Town boss Mick McCarthy admits that the Blues were “awful” against Rotherham last time out but says that performance shouldn’t be viewed as typical of the season as a whole or his time at Portman Road.

McCarthy’s pragmatic approach has been criticised since the 1-0 home defeat to the relegation-battling Millers, but he says that it was what led to the year-on-year progress achieved since he took over in November 2012.

“I’m not going to lose that now because I’m 57 now and I’ve probably had that pragmatic edge to me all my life," he said.

“My pragmatic side is probably why we’re in eighth position, four points off the play-offs.

“We’re still pushing for the play-offs as opposed to being in League One, where we may well have been, because of my pragmatic nature.

“We stayed up with 50-odd points in the first year because of my pragmatic nature. We did 14th the next, then ninth, then sixth and now we’re in eighth because of the way I do it and how I do it.

"Unfortunately, if we don’t win it’s not pretty, sometimes it’s not nice. Well, hey ho.”

The Town boss says it would be difficult to take a completely different approach: “I think it’s very hard to change the way you are, completely flip and do something mad and different, ‘I know, we’ll have both centre-halves outside the 18-yard box and we’ll have the keeper rolling it to them’.

“And I know what’ll happen, we’ll roll it back to Bart and somebody will close him down and everybody will go ‘Oh shit! Get it up the pitch!’. That’s what’ll happen. So, that isn’t going to happen, that’s not going to change.

“But I’m not going to sit here and take it that one triple P, one piss poor performance, is representative of my season or my time here or my players’ time this season. I’m not having it. Not a chance.

“So, yes, we were awful against Rotherham, they were good, and good luck to them, but I’m not taking that in any shape or form off anybody.”

Meanwhile, McCarthy continues to be linked with the vacant Aston Villa manager's job.

According to the Daily Mail, the soon-to-be-relegated Premier League club see McCarthy as an option to become their new boss, viewing the 57-year-old as a safe pair of hands and believing he would be interested in taking the role next season.

Speaking on Thursday, McCarthy admitted he was flattered to be linked with the position which Remi Garde left by mutual consent earlier in the week.

The Town manager remains third favourite with most bookies behind David Moyes and Nigel Pearson, although having slipped back from 3-1, the shortest price quoted on Thursday, to around 7-1 or 8-1 depending on bookmaker.

Photo: Action Images

Hamish1979 added 06:34 - Apr 2 You have to say he had done a good job in terms of league position, points etc. The problem lies in the style in which it has been done. Watching football is supposed to be exciting and entertaining and unfortunately Mick, it isn't good to watch!
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HackneyBlue added 06:35 - Apr 2 Not representative-what a load of rubbish,i did not give up my next seasons season ticket after that one performance,Rotherham was a typical performance but without the result,Blackburn was a lot worse,maybe 1-or 2 games have had mild entertainment but most have been shocking.I now know 9 people who are not renewing for the same reason,my11 year old son falls asleep and thats not just the night games.

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Benters added 06:40 - Apr 2 Anyway you try and tart it up,it has been grim viewing this season,and as Skuse said yesterday anything less than the playoffs this season must be seen as a failure.
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therein61 added 07:08 - Apr 2 It's due to your pragmatic nature that performances have slipped this season(mainly due to selecton policy) compared to last year.
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hoppy added 07:19 - Apr 2 A lot of people seem to forget that we can and do play football at times, and I'm sure we would've done a lot more this season had Fraser not got injured, had McGoldrick not been out so long, had Bishop not missed the whole season. With Fraser running at defenders, it was exciting - Mick had brought him in, as he had Oar too, to play with that type of player. I don't think he brought them in with the thought of playing how we did against Rotherham. Hopefully Didz will play some part today and with Murphy being out, we're possibly not as likely to play so many big balls up from the back that come to nothing, and we can avoid another big balls up like the Rotherham game...

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Benters added 07:24 - Apr 2 hoppy,other teams around us and above dont get injuries then ??
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hoppy added 07:30 - Apr 2 I'm not saying they don't Benters, but when the injuries are to certain types of players, such as creative ones, and they're all out at the same time, it will invariably affect the style of play.
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Dissboyitfc added 07:31 - Apr 2 The sad thing he actually believes what he says, The truth is we have picked up many points playing exactly like that. It really is that awful to watch. Its good to have belief and conviction in all you do, however not so good when arrogance and pigheadedness takes over and prevents any sort of change.Take the back four, square pegs in round holes and that persistence and stubbornness is why we have such an awful GD. He shoehorns his favourites in to the detriment of the team. He knows his back four is poor but he persists with it and plays 3 defensive midfielders to protect it. WE only made the play-offs last year because of Murphy's goals, yes you can site injuries as not helping, but a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I dont agree with the way he sets his team so defensively especially at home, but if he is going to play defensively play people in their strongest positions, our defence is so disjointed it effects the whole team, thus the policy of just kicking it forwards in hope. So obvious to almost everyone but not the man who could change it.

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Chicago_Blue added 07:32 - Apr 2 The team selection against Rotherham at home was unforgiveable. Two weeks on and I still haven't quite got over the shock of it. Standing in front of the screens in the Sir Bobby Upper concourse and seeing the team sheet appear, I stood there slack jawed. Players like Bru and Feeney on the bench, with THAT midfield three. Unbelievable. Yes it got changed, but too late. Anyway, I really must move on, but come on folks, the football at times, even when we've won, has been dire.

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Benters added 07:40 - Apr 2 hoppy isnt that why the other teams strengthened in Jan ? you know for the final push ? Whilst we were told there wasnt any player better than we had ?!
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Dissboyitfc added 07:53 - Apr 2 I really am hoping he goes to villa. Just been reading some supporters reactions to this story and they are saying a collective "no thanks" no one is saying "yes please", says it all really! I hope, maybe dream is a better word, that for the remainder of the season he really goes for it, we play some attacking entertaining football and it yields the results we need to have a right crack at the play-offs. Do it and proves us doubters Wrong Mick. ZZZZZZ, only dreaming but was a lovely thought.

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Dissboyitfc added 07:58 - Apr 2 Oh and another thing, to suggest Rotherham were good is an absolute joke, we were so awful, we made them look good. Thats quite a bit different to them actually being good!
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Woodbridgian added 08:08 - Apr 2 For Pragmatic also read arrogant, stubborn and obstinate
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ChrisFelix added 08:39 - Apr 2 I expected more from an experienced manager who has been linked to the Villa job. My decision to cancel my season ticket direct debt has been made over the whole season However many times have l left PR this season happy
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jas0999 added 08:42 - Apr 2 It's remarkable that we made the play offs last year and are in with a chance this year despite MM only spending around £500K during his time here. However, the performances this year have been very poor and extremely boring on the whole. Certainly not worth the premium prices ME thinks he can continue to increase. Burnley, Leeds and possibly the final third of the game against QPR are the only ones standing out for me. I missed Birminham so can't comment on that.

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Dolly2.0 added 08:44 - Apr 2 Diss Boy - in what way are the back four square pegs in round holes? Knudsen is a left back, Smith and Berra are both centre backs. The only one you could have a case for is Chambers.
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jas0999 added 08:45 - Apr 2 Hoppy - agree with what you say in principle, but in January we knew about injuries to two of the three creative players who are key. What did we do when others strengthened? Got rid of four. Signed two. Blaming injuries is okay to an extent, but we should have added creativity to the squad in January. ME and MM must take responsibility for that.
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Dissboyitfc added 09:02 - Apr 2 Dolly we have 2 very left footed centre halves and a right footed centre half at right back, Having no dedicated RB and a left footed centre half playing in the right centre back position has cost us dearly. Even MM has said in the past, Chambo is no RB and that playing smithy on the right side of the defence can cause problems. Perhaps you could explain our woeful GD? I will concede that Knudsen is a left back, just not very good one! And Brera has not been half the player this season! There needs to be changes, but he wont make because of stubbornness

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bluey123 added 09:05 - Apr 2 Dolly2.0 surely as a football fan anyone can see that Smith is totally left footed Chambers is not a RB so playing them on the same side is rubbish as for Knudson he would be better if in a Sunday morning side nowhere near good enough so I think the term square pegs in round holes is correct
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essexboy added 09:17 - Apr 2 OK,most of us dislike the way we have been playing this season,and many games have been lost through idiotic tactics and team selection.BUT,as we still have an outside chance of getting into the play-off's we really need to get behind the team for the remaining eight games.MM possibly being linked with Villa I feel is far off the mark and I think MM is playing up to this as I think deep down he would like the job,so do we all)!!.Having said that lets hope we put in a good performance this afternoon and get three points.I am on my way there now,so COYB.👍⚽️👍

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strikalite added 09:30 - Apr 2 "And I know what'll happen, we'll roll it back to Bart and somebody will close him down and everybody will go ‘Oh sh!t! Get it up the pitch!'. That's what'll happen. So, that isn't going to happen, that's not going to change". You better get used to another season of Bart&Co thumping it up the pitch then gentlemen..says everything about the touch of our back four unfortunately,now 100% we know it's ALWAYS instructed to punt long....really frustrating, name me a side who has gained promotion to the Prem doing this constantly?

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Garv added 09:46 - Apr 2 Must say I disagree. The Rotherham game summed up the way we play. Like Cole Skuse said in one of the pieces on the homepage, the style of play has not changed in three years since he's been here.
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essexboy added 09:52 - Apr 2 Do we think the players are unhappy with the style of play they are asked to do.!!
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christiand added 10:02 - Apr 2 We'll I think MM is saying that's as far as I can take you. Pragmatic is very limited and works for getting you out of relegation trouble, but not for promotion and that next level. We are a very limited team compared to sides above us and lack in quality. The standard of football at Portman road this season has been very poor. The Rotherham game WAS a reflection of how we have played at home this season, it has been dire at times. MM needs to take his blue tinted glasses off and have a proper look at how we play because we aren't going up any time soon if this is what we have to look forward to.

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alfromcol added 10:28 - Apr 2 Unfortunately Mick the Rotherham performance WAS representative, end of.
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