Town striker David McGoldrick has responded to critics after a run of just one win in six games has seen play-off hopes all but evaporate.

Welcome as McGoldrick’s return from a hamstring injury undoubtedly is, with just six games left in which to close the seven-point gap on the play-off places, most supporters have written off the team’s chances of a second successive top-six finish.

Manager Mick McCarthy has taken the brunt of the criticism, with some even claiming the time is right for a change, but McGoldrick said: “If I was them I’d look back to four years ago and where the club was then.

“Look at where we are now — it’s night and day. If they want other stuff to happen and go back to those times that’s not a wise move. I think we’re in very good hands where this club is now.”

Town have failed to score in their last three games — and in four of their last five — and this has been a major source of frustration for fans, many of whom are considering their options with season ticket renewals already under way.

But McGoldrick, a substitute in both the Wolves and Charlton games and likely to be on the bench again when Brentford are the visitors to Portman Road tomorrow, added: “There is never a lack of effort from the players. It’s just one of those things, we’re not scoring, but if it was in the middle of the season I don’t think we would be paying so much attention to it.

“We’re at the stage of the season where we have must-win games and it’s getting pinpointed a lot. There were a few chances the other night against Charlton and we should have won at Wolves.

“The chances were there and we’ve just got to take them. We all have to stand up and be counted.

“There’s still all to play for and we’re not short of attacking options with players like me and Murph coming back from injury. Searsy has had a great season even though he’s not scored for a bit. His contribution to the team has been brilliant.

“Pits as well, he gives it his all, and we’ve got Varns to come on. We’ve all got to chip in because in the games we have left we’ve got to get some stuff out of them if we’re going to go to the play-offs. We need goals from all over the pitch.”

Meanwhile, McGoldrick is clinging to the hope that he can do enough in what remains of the Championship season to show he has something to offer the Republic of Ireland as they prepare for the forthcoming European Championships taking place in France.

He said: “There’s been no actual contact between me and Martin O’Neill but I’m sure our doctors have been in touch with the Irish doctors about me. My first goal was just to come back but I would obviously like to be going to the Euros with Ireland.

“First of all, though, I need to play for Ipswich because if I don’t play for them I won’t be going anywhere.

“Maybe if I start playing well enough for Ipswich I’ll get the call-up and that would be different class.

“Everybody wants to go and play in the Euros but I’ve just got to take it one day at a time. I’ve been training for a bit now and if I’m fully fit at the end of the season it will be down to them.

“I like it when I’m with the Irish squad. The boys are great there and the manager and his staff are all good. I’ve been on the bench a few times and started a few times so it’s been good. I feel part of it and I’d love to go away with them.

“After being out for four or five months, if I kept going through the summer with Ireland it would help both me and Ipswich.

“But we’ll cross that bridge if we come to it. I’ll have to be active in the summer anyway, to keep my fitness up, stay on top of the injuries and then come back with a bang in pre-season.”

Photo: Action Images

footyblue added 15:09 - Apr 8 we are stable yes but there is no football being played, us the fans want some entertainment for the hard earned money we pay. we have had 3 good games out of 20 so far this season to me that isn't good enough Playing 4 forwards doesn't give us better atttacking options it just means the manager cant get the balance right to play football
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Michael11 added 15:09 - Apr 8 Must be the end of winter as McGoldrick's out of his 6 month yearly coma chirping up again.
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blueherts added 15:09 - Apr 8 Dids - if you score afew hatricks between now and end of season , score the winner at Wembley to take us up - I reckon O Neill will notice !
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ArnieM added 15:10 - Apr 8 “First of all, though, I need to play for Ipswich because if I don't play for them I won't be going anywhere. “Maybe if I start playing well enough for Ipswich I'll get the call-up and that would be different class ...and that in a nutshell is what Didsy's REAL focus is on now . Dont care what anyone else says.
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harmitfc added 15:12 - Apr 8 Let's hope you get into the Irish squad Dids. If you do it would be because you will have been fantastic for the Town. That could mean we still have a chance...
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ArnieM added 15:19 - Apr 8 essex57: swivel on it mate
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blueherts added 15:21 - Apr 8 Needs to start playing behind Sears and Pittman up front Foley Bru and Feeney Emmanuel Chambers Berra and Knudsen
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blueherts added 15:21 - Apr 8 Needs to start playing behind Sears and Pittman up front Foley Bru and Feeney Emmanuel Chambers Berra and Knudsen
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Currie10 added 15:24 - Apr 8 Good job you aint a gafa Blueherts that is nothing short of an embarrassing lineup
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Len_Brennan added 15:48 - Apr 8 @Currie10 It won't be the starting team against Brentford and it may not be the first XI I'd pick, but it's far from an embarrassing line up. The back 4 are all picked in their natural/favourite positions for one thing. There have been many worse looking line up suggested on here over the course of the season and it could well be argued that a few worse line ups have been sent out by Mick this season also, so I don't understand why you've chosen blueherts to have a pop at.

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KuqiCoup added 15:52 - Apr 8 If I'm paying £500 and putting myself in someone else hands then I'd expect to get excited at some stage!
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KuqiCoup added 15:55 - Apr 8 McGoldrick can keep his snout out too when it comes to how supporters should feel. “Look at where we are now — it's night and day. If they want other stuff to happen and go back to those times that's not a wise move. I think we're in very good hands where this club is now.” Why does getting rid of Mick mean a 100% chance we'll go back to being a relegation threatened joke? There's a perfectly good chance a new manager could get us in the top 10 - 12, which is where I feel we will end up this season, and probably play a lot more entertaining football. This whole notion that Mick is the head of the ITFC monster and if we cut the head off we die is laughable. We had two terrible managers in a row, but Mick is no longer performing miracles. He did in his first 2 years. Since January 2015, a year and a half almost we've been no better than where we probably should be based on the squad we have, whilst playing awful boring painful football.

6

jas0999 added 16:10 - Apr 8 Ah, the classic spin option. Poor negative performances and woeful results. Increased prices. Season tickets a very hard sell. Send out a popular player to spout rubbish and convince the fans to buy premium tickets.
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Beattiesballbag added 16:12 - Apr 8 With the teams MM is putting out there is just as much chance of being relegated next season as when he arrived! So might as well try some one new with the desire to build up our youth system back up........& use them!
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Mark added 16:43 - Apr 8 The way I look at it, it is very probable that ITFC will play in the Championship for a few years to come. Going up or going down is unlikely, whoever the manager. That being the case, we might as well play good football so that paying fans can ENJOY the matches, tell their friends, increase attendances, and increase the club's income. Changing managers would not necessarily mean a return to the dark days, not if we made a good appointment. When we sacked Magilton we were linked to Pardew. When we sacked Keane we were linked to Hughton. How different it could have been, as those managers would have been given decent budgets at the time. I am not calling for McCarthy to go but, come on, we do need to improve the football somehow especially given the sky high prices we charge.

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bohslegend added 16:52 - Apr 8 Didzy you are wasting your time backing the manager and the club on TWTD. Anyway what do you know about football??? pfff the real experts are on TWTD forums and comments. Leave your opinions at the door because they hold no value here.
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bohslegend added 16:55 - Apr 8 seriously though. Some of you have made an Oluympic sport out of moaning about Ipswich. You need to have a good talk to yourselves.
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bohslegend added 16:56 - Apr 8 yeah, Oluympic, I said it
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sproughtonblue added 17:06 - Apr 8 @bohslegend Bit early to be on the wine!
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Bluetone added 17:08 - Apr 8 @bobslegend if you had written Olumpit we would know you were referring to McCarthy's preferred style of hoofball.
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Langdon_Blue added 18:18 - Apr 8 Yeah McCarthy out..next...."Welcome to your new job as the Manager of Ipswich Town, you have 3 years to win us promotion before fans turn on you. You must sell players worth £12million during that period but we will hand you back £500k of that to buy replacements. Oh and make sure we have more possession and passes than the teams we play, make it attractive, even against teams with parachute payments from the Premier League. We should be able to compete with them, afterall we are Ipswich and were a fantastic side in the early 80's"

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Pip50 added 18:47 - Apr 8 Langdon fair point(s) clearly though you didn't watch us against the likes of Portsmouth, Rotherham etc who played us off the park wasn't about ££ then just incompetent management.
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Kikapu added 19:05 - Apr 8 Langdon Blue - well said. Totally unrealistic expectations on the part of the supporters. It's going to take longer to get to the promised land.
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Terry_Nutkins added 19:20 - Apr 8 Langdon has summed it up nicely.
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Woodbridgian added 20:16 - Apr 8 Langdon Blue - Do you really think that any future manger of ITFC while no doubt having to work within the financial limitations you no doubt correctly identify would have to play the same dull boring route one football we have to endure week in week out
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