Striker David McGoldrick says the Town dressing room remains firmly behind manager Mick McCarthy, even if the Blues boss has faced criticism from some fans during the latter part of 2015/16.

“Don’t worry about what goes on outside of the changing room, trust me, everyone in there trusts him with our lives,” the 28-year-old Irish international said after Saturday's 1-0 final day win at Derby.

“Nobody argues with what he does, the decisions he makes or the signings he makes.

“His record proves that it and we respect him, he respects us and there’s no question about that.”

Saturday’s ninth away victory, achieved via a McGoldrick penalty, his fifth goal of his injury-hit campaign, saw the Blues end the season in seventh, five points off their pre-season target of a second successive play-off finish.

Next season’s Championship looks like it might be even stronger given the clubs coming down with Aston Villa already relegated and at least one of Newcastle and Sunderland set to join them.

However, McGoldrick says former Premier League clubs don’t always live up to their billing.

“We say that every year but the teams which come down aren’t always all that,” he reflected.

“When Fulham came down we were like, ‘Wow, Fulham are going to be the best team ever in the Championship’, but that wasn’t the case.

“The overall standard is going to be better and there are some big clubs coming down, but Ipswich is a big club and we can’t be scared of anyone. Next season will be tough, though.”

Photo: Action Images

hampstead_blue added 09:09 - May 10 I think DM makes a very good point. MM and TC have a great track record and the fact that the creative players signed for the past season where crocked had a huge impact on the way things panned out. If we look back at the squad at the start of the last season there would be great excitement. I've no doubt that MM and TC will improve the squad more after the lack of depth was highlighted.

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iaintaylorx added 09:18 - May 10 I don't think anyone doubts how much Mick knows about football, but it just his stubbornness on hardly changing the team during that baron spell which cost us the playoffs and getting in dead wood like Douglas and Varney. Also the style of football must change for the sake of it being disgusting to watch. I want Mick out but if he does stay which I am 99.9% sure he will, things need to change.

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PortmanTerrorist added 09:40 - May 10 There is a difference between wanting to win promotion and being driven to achieve it all costs. The soundbites from the Club imply the former and there lies the great disconnect with us fans. If scraping into the play-offs constitutes a good season for MM & ME (as comments suggest) then just say so. MM has been a revelation compared to previous recent managers but even allowing for injuries he has gambled too heavily on the wrong players over past 6 months. The style of football only makes things worse, and the lack of trust in our youth (until it was too late) another failing. Out of 10, MM has been a consistent 9 for me until this season, but only a 5 this year. That is sacking form if not arrested. I am not convinced he can change again but believe he has earned the right to show he himself can get back to a 9. If he does regain that, then with fewer injuries, a spattering of youth, and some meaningful (not necessarily expensive) signings we can seriously challenge for promotion......not 6th place ! Follow one of your own phrases Mick and go back to basics. Play the best player at the Club in a given position, in that position. Have a Plan B, but not necessarily change formation 5 times a game. Set our team up in OUR most effective formation rather than compensate for the opposition. PLEASE

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carsey added 09:41 - May 10 At the risk of being called cynical He would say that wouldn't he. My concern is still as much with the lack of style and creativity as the results. Hopefully Bishop McGoldrick and a couple of decent signings will allow the team to get back to playing on the grass and not in the air. Whatever happens I will once again be there supporting the team but I won't support more of the dross from McCarthy that we have had to put up with this season.

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Bluebell added 10:04 - May 10 Love the fact Phil doesn't mention Norwich as being one of the 'stronger' clubs coming down from the Prem. Just Villa and one of either Sunderland and Newcastle.
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Wallingford_Boy added 10:15 - May 10 "Championship being stronger than ever"?!?! Don't think so, it will be the weakest for a long time, decent clubs going up to Prem, average clubs coming up from League One. Villa on a downwards spiral, only Norwich/Newcastle being a threat I reckon.
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BlueysNosebag added 10:16 - May 10 I thought that @Bluebell but if, as looks likely, they do come down with Villa & probably Newcastle, I actually think they'll be best placed of the 3 to go straight back up. It pains me to say that but there, it's done!
3

Currie10 added 11:35 - May 10 Walling - disagree with that. Only 1/4 sides in the play offs will go up, lets pretend it's Brighton. Wendy + Derby are going to chuck ££££ at it again. Hull have more parachute £££. Bristol City seem a team on the up, new stand complete who have ££££ to chuck at it - they bid £9 mill for Gray. Leeds have offered fans £££ back if they don't make top 6, so I'd assume they are going to have a proper crack at it. It never gets any easier! That's without having any clue as to what QPR / Forest / Fulham / Blackburn and the list goes on on and on are going to do. Ridiculous league.

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unknown100 added 11:41 - May 10 Annoyingly I do trust in what McCarthy does and the players he brings in... The only thing that really does my absolute head in is that he plays people out of position! Not having a proper right back for 2/3 years is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen! And Sears started the season electric up front and did amazing the second half of the season but I think we run the risk of losing him because of the managers stubbornness, I personally would like to see a new manager to improve playing style but if anyone's going to do it on a shoe string budget, it will be him, might not be pretty but its a results business

1

Penguinblue added 11:48 - May 10 Everyone (presumably the favorites) trust McCarthy because he plays them come what may irrespective of form or ability. There are examples of better players, Parr a great one, who was better than 2 or 3 favorites in the team, but for some reason did not fit it. Would a creative player want to join us? I don't think so. McCarthy's hoofball is prehistoric. It is interesting that he is now blaming injuries on our failure this season. When was McGoldrick last consistent? He has been missing for one reason or another since Derby away last season when there was the alleged interest from Leicester. Bishop is great - but how many time did he play for Town before his injury. I might be wrong but from memory about 25, and even when he was the the best player on the pitch McCarthy would sub him (ok I accept he is young) - but subs were often to 'shore up' the team and had the adverse effect. Murphy has been with Town (partly on loan) for some time. Sadly I think last year was a one off. I go on about hoofball because I see the ball hoofed forward continually - we are not even good at it - invariably it goes straight to the heads of the opposition. Fortunately I sit in the upper stand so don't need a neck brace yet - but would love to see some football - and we have the players if only we had a football manager. Is that a better explanation for those who do not like my opinion?

9

positivity added 12:04 - May 10 bishop played 36 games last year, a massive amount for such a young player, it would have been bad management & irresponsible to play him for 90 minutes every game at his age. of our more creative players mcgoldrick & feeney have both played 100% of the games they were available for, fraser & sears are close to that. last year shows a similar pattern. creative players have joined us regularly and played for us regularly under mccarthy; unfortunately from williams to fraser to bishop to didzy, they've been unlucky with injuries, wouldn't say that's mcarthy's fault.

10

GiveusaWave added 12:09 - May 10 Penguinblue I do get how you feel, but MM is going to be here for a while yet so we ought to show support for our manager. I saw us play 12 times this season and didn't see us score once. I still think MM makes a hell of a lot less mistakes than Jewell or Keane and though I am not defending the style of football it's put is in 6th and 7th for the last two years. It's not good watching grinding 0-0 draws but it does give us hope. I am positive things will be better next season with our returning players anyways.

7

sirmichealmills added 12:31 - May 10 I wish scum had stayed up, wasn't exactly the most positive couple of games last time, eh?
1

BrettenhamBlue added 12:35 - May 10 You can actually feel the fear round PR when we play them. I hate the humiliation. The fist pumping and excitement when we drew with them at home speaks volumes.
5

Elto added 12:53 - May 10 sirmichaelmills and pjisagod Weak minded nonsense.
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essex57 added 13:18 - May 10 Yes penguin blue a better explication still can't side with you though.
1

BrettenhamBlue added 13:42 - May 10 Elto Exactly. That makes sense. The last time we beat them was in 2009 under when we were managed by Magilton. I was there for the 5-1 humiliation in 2011, hard to forget. I have NEVER seen us beat them in the 6 games I have seen.
3

Keaneish added 13:49 - May 10 For the love of God, when did human beings become so numbed by the media that they're willing to believe any diatribe thrown at them. Whatever happened to critical thinking? Can you remember at any point in the season where a conscious effort was made to go and replace these jewels in the crown? Bishop was never replaced. McGoldrick wasn't replaced. Fraser was arguably replaced with Feeney later in the season but not after his first injury. If these players were so intrinsic to the way the team performed, why was there no move to replace them and why were players of the calibre of Toure and Coke brought in as back-up? If we felt that they were a big loss, why did we not have a tactical or recruitment strategy to deal with this? The simple fact is, the club thought they could cope with what they had and that resulted in the turgid season its been. There have been so many bad decisions made this season i'm not going to swallow rhetoric about "key players being missing" as a reason - its spin and apathetic spin at best.

2

positivity added 14:42 - May 10 keaneish, hindsight's a wonderful thing, but with injuries you can never tell if they're going to be recurring or sorted out after one go. fraser, bishop & didzy all seemed close to a return on a few occasions before relapsing. if we'd have brought in someone for bishop and then he'd returned to fitness and spent the season warming the bench, the moaners would claim mccawrthy was blocking the progress of our youngsters! toure and coke are a complete smokescreen, they were never considered as replacements, but ultra-cheap squad players who were bought in when everyone was fit' they started a grand total of 4 league games between them! pringle and feeney were the replacements and did ok, but we were never going to get another fraser as an emergency loan...

4

midastouch added 15:38 - May 10 Bring on Naaaaaaridge, they hardly look world beaters from what I've seen of them this season. It's time to exact some revenge! It's well overdue so why not next season? It won't be an easy game but it certainly wouldn't be impossible to beat them in one of the fixtures. Yes they'll be favourites but it's not beyond Town to win if they play to their full potential.
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Kikapu added 18:10 - May 10 And keaneish how do you know what efforts were made to replace these players. Know something we don't?
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Keaneish added 18:34 - May 10 Kikapu - yes, because nobody replaced them. If we're that concerned about losing that type of player (and we had none in reserve), then we get a replacement - and there were plenty out there. positivity - the writing was on the wall for Bishop from the start. Mick said way back in September he wouldn't be featuring for a while and McGoldrick was in and out of the starting line-up at the start of the season too. As for Coke and Toure, players aren't brought into the club as "smoke screens" are they? They're brought into the club to compete and be backup players if they fall short. Unfortunately, they're were woefully short of being worthy of even back-up! I'm not behind Mick and i haven't been for a while. He's slowly killed any enjoyment i had of football and i won't respond to spin now the season is done and dusted. Some fans have short memories (not insinuating either of you do) but its rife these days!

2

blueboy1981 added 19:15 - May 10 ....... his favourites certainly do - and daren't do otherwise - for fear of losing that privilege, which means you don't have to perform to be one of the first names on the team sheet. Unless you 'force' your way back into the team, like Bart has, by being not just good or excellent - but totally outstanding.
1

Elto added 19:26 - May 10 pjisagod We will never beat them if we don't play them. Fixtures with them are to be relished, never feared.
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Pip50 added 19:38 - May 10 Understand how the Hammers fans feel leaving Upton Park tonight, know how I felt when the football left Portman road three years ago!
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