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

bluey123 added 11:01 - Apr 2 As McCarthy says in the EADT today he is not going to change so that tells me he has no regard for supporters wanting entertainment or success as he also says he wants to get into the premier league no matter who it's with tells me everything about the man. Please McCarthy do the right thing and leave before you drag this team any lower if that is possible
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HarryS_H added 11:23 - Apr 2 People on here are more boring and negative than how you say the games are! What we see is championship football and we're not far from getting out of this league and into the premises where we get money and a better style of play. I'm personally entertained at Portman road because I'm going to watch the team I support which is what I enjoy. If you want to see Barcelona style football move to Spain or get sky sports, it must be dull being so negative all the time... WE'RE 4 POINTS OFF THE PLAYOFFS LIGHTEN UP A BIT!!!

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1RWR added 11:44 - Apr 2 I don't know if anyone watched the QPR-v-'Boro game last night, cracking entertaining football played on the grassy green thingy.............ah pitch! That's how football should be, pleasing on the eye not the dross we've ben dished up of late!
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essexboy added 12:15 - Apr 2 Harry,I don't think people on here are boring,we are all entitled to say what we think,if your happy with what you see then that's fine.We all love the club and are concerned with the way we are playing and the team tactics,that's all.COYB.Now in Wolverhampton,plenty of Town fans about,should have a good following today. 😄
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blue75 added 12:18 - Apr 2 Mick maybe you should have a sit down with Brian Klug he'll teach how to get a team to play football not hoofball!!
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Furrow added 13:15 - Apr 2 The problem with being pragmatic all the time is, there are no suprises for the other team. We play the same week in week out, so every team can counter our play.
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Edmundo added 13:52 - Apr 2 With you there @HackneyBlue. The Rotherham game was the straw that broke this camel's back: "Unfortunately, if we don't win it's not pretty, sometimes it's not nice. Well, hey ho.” If we win, it just takes the bad taste away till next time, Mick, whereas if we played better styles of footy we could at least take something from the experience. Hardly effective anyhow, are we? At home we're worse than away. Thousands now leaving the stands empty for next season.

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Steelmonkey added 14:01 - Apr 2 Having attended all home games so far this term I have come away on more than five or six occasions when I have thought that's a load of crap, and yes Rotherham was not a one off, and only one or two games stand out for me this season. Same with me, I'm hearing of lots of people not going to renew their ticket. I won't be one of them. Just convinced my doctor to up my anti depressants so should be ok for the rest of this season. Looking for a marked improvement at Wolves, but hey we are playing better at away games. COYB's.

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braveblue added 14:29 - Apr 2 Totally losing faith in him. The more he says the more I despair. Just seen that Douglas has retained his place against Wolves despite being pathetic last game. No room for Bru or Foley. To me that says it all.
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TimmyH added 14:36 - Apr 2 Mick this season we have played many many poor halves of football (at least)...occasionally we play a better second half or first half and on merit deserve to take the 3 points BUT there's no argument the entertainment is pretty poor consistently.
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Portman51 added 15:23 - Apr 2 Delusional. The Rotherham performance, if not the result, was totally representative of most home games this season.
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Tomairyn added 11:44 - Apr 3 “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 sh** Get it up the pitch!'. That's what'll happen. So, that isn't going to happen, that's not going to change. How about, we'll have the goalkeeper rolling the ball out to our centre halves, then we'll have the centre halves pass the ball along the floor to a midfielder. Just a thought Mick.

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