Town boss Mick McCarthy admitted the Blues are “making it extremely difficult” to make the play-offs following their 0-0 home draw with Charlton. McCarthy said neither side were good enough to claim the three points.

“It was a tough game, neither of us were good enough to win it, we both had chances,” he said. “Why the hell they’re in the bottom three heaven only knows.

“[It wasn’t the worst 0-0] as a game to watch maybe, but it does neither of us any favours, us trying to get in the play-offs and them trying to get out of the bottom three.

“I go back to my first point, I don’t think either of us were good enough to win the game, because we both had chances.

“They’re a pretty tight unit at the minute, they sit back in and we weren’t good enough to break them down.

"We lost the ball, they caught us on the break, as we did to them at times and neither of us were good enough to finish it.”

The result leaves the Blues in eighth, seven points plus goal difference off sixth-placed Derby with only six games in which to close that gap.

“We’ll probably have to beat them at Derby,” the Town manager admitted. “We are at must-win, of course we are, can’t hide away from that fact.”

He added: “Try and win the next game, for us that’s all it can be. We’re making it extremely difficult to get in the play-offs.

“It’s getting harder and harder. But I’ve just said to the lads, stick together, we’ll try and get as many points as we can and we’ll see where it takes us, that’s all we can do.”

McCarthy felt the mix-up in the first half between Christophe Berra and Bartosz Bialkowski didn’t help the mood on or off the pitch just as the game was starting to settle.

“It didn’t, and it gave them encouragement. The game had started as you’d expect with one team trying to get into the play-offs and one trying to get out of the bottom three, it was a bit of a scrap for 10 minutes, it was a tough old fight.

“It started to settle down and that just made us nervy and it gave them a bit of encouragement and it doesn’t help the game in our way at all.”

More positive, David McGoldrick and Teddy Bishop both came off the bench in the second half, the latter making his first appearance of the season.

“I’m pleased to have them back on the pitch playing and at the end of the game I had Reg [Luke Varney] on, Didzy on and I had Bish on and was conscious of the time I gave them. I thought Reg gave us a really good shift for 45 minutes.

“And the other two lads, it’s difficult coming back and trying to be as sharp as you possibly can and need that whatever it is, that little bit of something, that spark when you haven’t been playing. That’s a gamble, but it’s good to have them back on the pitch.

“It’s a gamble worth taking in my book to try and get them on the pitch and try and get them some minutes.”

The Town boss had praise for keeper Bialkowski, who made an important double save in the second half and put in another very good display.

“He did, he always does. I’ve no problem with that at all. We’ve managed to keep another clean sheet but we’ve not scored, which leaves us with a point.”

Charlton boss José Riga was pleased with his team’s performance, believing only a goal was missing.

“We did very well, we created good opportunities, had some very good action offensively, we were strong defensively and we were even better than Ipswich on the strength of Ipswich, the set pieces,” he said.

“At the end only one goal is missing and we had the opportunities. We deserved the three points but deserving is not having, so our situation is very difficult.”

The draw and results elsewhere leave the Addicks seven points off safety with their Championship status hanging by a thread.

Riga added: “Until the end, while mathematically it’s still possible, we have to think about being able to make a miracle.”

Photo: Action Images

MrDiddle added 16:22 - Apr 6 TotalBlue is spot on - our fans are possibly the worst part about the club at the moment. It's embarrassing to say the least, but luckily I don't think the 100 odd people who comment on each TWTD article represent the majority of fans. I'm sure ITFC wouldn't miss any of them one bit if they decided not to renew their season tickets anyway. Football has changed massively in the last 15 years, unfortunately so have the fans who these days crave instant success and perceive building a promotion challenging team from the ground up with sensible expenditure as failure. It is not - it's the right move and will eventually be for the good of ITFC. Just a shame some fans don't think before they open their mouths.

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Cheshire_Blue added 16:29 - Apr 6 Irish Tractor is spot on. It is a pity so many offensive and inappropriate comments are being allowed by a few who clearly watch but do not understand football management.
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bluey123 added 16:44 - Apr 6 Cheshire Blue you seem to understand management please explain why we should trust mighty Mick ???
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TotalBlue added 16:51 - Apr 6 Its sad to think back to the glory days under Sir Bobby and where we have fallen to now. The biggest problem is the shift from Sport to business which is such a shame. I think the fans still look at it as a sport which sadly it is not. I would love to return to the Conbold days when a disaster was the board room running out of red wine. Sadly those were the days which sadly will never return. I respect everyones views and everyone has a right to not renew their season ticket, to complain about the manager without a massive argument ensuing. The one thing I am very used to being a Tractor Boy is never take us as a cert for anything the amount of times I have thought yes we will do this or oh no we cant do this that's when we prove everyone wrong. Lets all get behind the players, each other and the town we can still make the playoffs and as David Sheepshanks always said the 12 th man in the stands can do amazing things. Once the season is over it will be time for everyone to take a good look and review the future where ever we stand. COYB!!!

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carsey added 16:54 - Apr 6 MrDiddle - I think you are being a little disingenuous in saying our fans are possibly the worst part about the club and calling those of us who comment publicly an embarrassment. You are absolutely correct to say football has changed massively over the last 15 years but unfortunately McCarthy hasn't kept up. This is not about money although I agree it would help, this is about a footballing style and for fans to be able to see a will to build a team. I do not crave instant success right now I would settle for a team who trys to pass and move, players played in their best/natural position, no more aimless punts up the pitch from the keeper, someone who can take a free kick and threaten the goal, the list is endless. McCarthy did a magnificent job keeping the club up when he arrived and I was happy to give him time to get the team stable but since then it has been awful with no sign of him trying to change. Everyone around me in the Lower North Stand is saying the same thing - why Douglas and Scuse together it should be either or. I could go on but it's pointless the fact remains as a team we are dreadful to watch, we score few goals, concede too many and under the current regime if we were to get promoted would be destroyed.

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ronnyd added 16:59 - Apr 6 gibbo1979, you can,t really compare us with places like Stoke, Swansea and Southampton as they are far bigger urban areas than Ipswich. In fact stoke is almost 1/2 million, the other two close to 1/4 mill. Also, no one has a divine right to be in the Prem as you have to work for it. Do agree though that the quality of uor football is dire and dull.
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grumpyoldman added 16:59 - Apr 6 Mr Diddle please can you explain how wanting to see the players playing in their natural positions, more than one tactic being employed, the turgid fayre served up by our team is building a promotion challenging team. Robson took time to turn the club around but did playing with style, Burley took his time before he got the team he wanted playing with style along the way, the supporters were not always patient but they could see improvement most seasons. I have supported the team for over fifty years so have experienced many up and downs along the way so do consider myself a true blue. If you honestly believe the club would not miss the money from the supporters who say they will not renew I suggest you study how to finance a football club more closely, in other words think before you open your mouth.

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Cheshire_Blue added 17:40 - Apr 6 Why should we trust Mighty Mick? He has the experience, proven track record and knows football management inside out. If he goes to Villa we shall find out by this time next year why we should have trusted him.
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MrDiddle added 18:02 - Apr 6 Sorry @carsey and @grumpyoldman but last night was now the second home game in a row where a small section of the support has singled out players, jeered them for most of the game, then booed the whole team off at the end. How anyone expects the team to play anything positive when the fans are being anything but is beyond me. Whilst I appreciate every paying fan has the right to air their frustrations, abusing the team is not the right way to go about it. I wonder how many fans who regularly moan on here go to the AGM's and other organised meetings and air their frustrations directly with the club? I suspect very few. I agree that what we are being served up at the moment is nowhere near as good as it was during the Ramsey/Robson/Burley eras, however all those managers had one thing in common - a patient boardroom and fans with realistic expectations. The club still has a patient boardroom. Cant say the same thing about some of the fans. I will still be getting my season tickets, and I will still cheer the team ive supported ever since I can remember. I've watched worse football in my time supporting ITFC but it's always got better, and I am in no doubt that the manager and owner are the right people to rectify the problem. And yes grumpyoldman, of course the club is going to miss 40k + a season from the select few fans on here not renewing. However gate receipts on their own are not nearly enough to fund any club in the championship hence why Marcus Evans continually puts millions into the club every single season.

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Elto added 18:20 - Apr 6 Nice work Diddle!
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essex57 added 18:24 - Apr 6 PREBS007 you say that Evans has got 750 million and doesn't invest any of it and you suggest we shouldn't spend our money because we are throwing it down the drain it's your choice not to renew but please don't belittle those that do.
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essexboy added 18:31 - Apr 6 MM has had three seasons to rectify the problem and get us into the premier league,but I'm afraid it looks like another wasted season.Do we really think that the same management team can go one better next season with what we have,limited investment,Poor team selection,and dire tactics.!!
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Dissboyitfc added 18:40 - Apr 6 yes essex57.. it is down to the players once they cross over the line. MM chooses the players to cross that line on to the pitch. He is very responsible for the awful hoofball and tactics that those players crossing the line try their very best to adhere to. they are following his instructions and as i have said he is responsible for the team he picks. I believe this will be the first season that Ipswich town have failed to score 3 or more goals at portman road. the facts speak for themselves!

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bluey123 added 18:54 - Apr 6 Cheshire Blue I am sorry but that is not a good reason it is an opinion please let us have facts like why he continually picks Douglas why he does nothing about the RB position facts please
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essex57 added 19:09 - Apr 6 Essex boy yes he's had 3 seasons one to save us one to get us to the playoffs and one ruined by injuries to key players. Diss I've watched the players when they've tried the passing game it's like them passing a time bomb they are so uncomfortable I reiterate they are bunch of hard working average players that this season have over achieved under MM
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essexboy added 19:16 - Apr 6 Tell me,why are they uncomfortable,is it the way they are told to play.hmmmmm!
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Mick_Mills_Tache added 19:46 - Apr 6 I find it ironic how the MM supporters on here can call the people who want Mick out an 'embarrassment' 'not true fans' etc. I'd be more embarrassed at the fact you can't accept other people opinions with directly insulting them. Our opinion is that the club would be better off without MM and a true fan wants the best for the club, so how're we not true supporters? I don't want instant success, I've said numerous times (on here and on Facebook forums) that I wouldn't care if we didn't get promoted for another 5 years. BUT in those 5 years, I want to see a younger manager building a younger, attacking and proper footballing team integrating players from our youth system (as we have some promising youngsters coming through in the likes of Emmanuel, Dozzell, Benyu, Kenlock etc) In five years time we could have half of our starting 11 being from the youth setup.

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essex57 added 19:51 - Apr 6 I don't think that's the way they are told to play you seem to have some strange idea that the players are puppets controlled by the dug out. Average players that have over achieved.
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essex57 added 19:56 - Apr 6 Mick mills what's to say there will not be 50% academy players in next two years. I state my opinion and respect other people's I feel that those of us that support the management and all their shortcomings are treated as idiots and know nothings.
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essexboy added 19:59 - Apr 6 Of course players are puppets to an extent.Do you believe the manager tells them one thing and they go out and play it a different way.you obviously don't understand football if you believe that.!!
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TimmyH added 20:03 - Apr 6 'One hand washes the other' as I've commented on before as regards to the relationship between Evans and McCarthy - very comfy relationship (which Mick has stated the other day that the owner has been great to him). I received -82 votes when MM had his contract extended which I made the above comment when this came to light, so far absolutely nothing has changed my mind. Possible 2 seasons of dull uninspiring football coming up and yes we will still be in this division.

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LordMamu added 21:11 - Apr 6 Essex57 The mealy mouthed drivel is irritating - either you misunderstand other people or you don't have the intelligence to understand...which is it? What is it that a) you want from the club and b) you predict will happen in the coming seasons?
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essex57 added 22:35 - Apr 6 Mealy mouthed drivel is that intelligence? I don't fee that such a condescending post is worthy of a reply.
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GiveusaWave added 23:36 - Apr 6 Sensible post MrDiddle Feel that there are many fans commenting who play too much football manager. You buy in a few players and then watch as your team come top of the league. Real football management is another thing entirely. You need to build from grass roots up and it takes real time to do that, It's sad that we live in a world that wants to see results yesterday and is unwilling to wait. Keane and Jewell caused a fair amount of damage to the club, and it takes real time to turn that around. Essex57 What is it that you predict will happen in the coming seasons? Just interested.

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bobble added 05:47 - Apr 7 We need to be going to 6th place derby 2pts behind them and get a win on the last day,and hope no one else has made alate move on 6th. At least with mick we dont have to worry about relegation just not making the play offs...prefer that to the dark lord and his mismanegement and general weirdness...
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