Town boss Mick McCarthy says the only way he can end the current negativity among fans is to improve performances and results. The Blues go into Saturday’s game at Blackburn in 16th place in the Championship without a win or a goal in four matches.

McCarthy’s side were booed at the end of the 1-0 home defeat to Huddersfield prior to the international break, during which time the Town boss and his players took a few days off.

“I’m not that aware of it because I haven’t been in Ipswich for the last week,” McCarthy said. “I don’t go looking for it, but of course I’m aware of the fact, even after the last game.

“If anybody thinks I enjoy that kind of feeling and negativity, that’s quite the opposite. We’re all doing our level best to improve on performances, improve creating chances, improve scoring goals.

“We’re having a tough time, but you can judge everybody by how they react when you’re having a tough time.

“If the negativity means that they want to get shot of me and want to change it and want to do something else, I can’t affect that.”

How does he react to calls for change at the top, does he feel they're unfair? “I’m not bothered. All I can do is get back to when they’re not calling for my head by getting results.

“The only way I can affect that is by going to Blackburn and getting something, beating Burton on Tuesday night and suddenly we’ll have a different reaction to it all.

“And when I say I’m not bothered, I prefer it when they’re cheering when we’re going off rather than jeering and I prefer it when they’re applauding us rather than booing.

“They’ve not seen a particularly good performance, so I get it. But I can’t do anything about it except work with the players, try and get better, get players back on the pitch and try and improve performances and results. That’s the way it bothers me, that’s the way it’ll affect me and that’s where I’ll try and improve.”

After the Huddersfield game McCarthy said the current spell is his toughest at Town, despite having inherited a team which was bottom of the Championship and seven points from safety when he took over as manager in November 2012.

“That kind of wasn’t my fault, was it?” he explained. “Nobody blamed me for that. They’re blaming me for that now. Any negativity that surrounds it is down to me, down to me and the players and the team.

“When I came here, you get a bit of a free one for a while, don’t you? Thankfully we won 1-0 in the first game [at Birmingham], then, of course, we got slapped [5-0 at Crystal Palace], then I think we won [2-1 at home to Burnley], then we got slapped [6-0 at Leicester], but even then nobody’s giving me any grief because it’s the regime before’s fault.

“And that works everywhere, that doesn’t matter where you go, and you fully understand that and you’ve got to take that bit of a free one and make sure you turn it around.

“But at the moment it’s down to me, it’s down to the players. That’s a different feeling, so of course it’s harder.”

Speaking to the media prior to McCarthy yesterday Jonathan Douglas said he and the rest of the squad are determined to turn things around for their manager, who the midfielder says takes the flak when things aren't going well.

Asked whether he tries to deflect the attention away from the players in such situations, the Town boss said: “If I get to November 1st you’ve known me for four years. Have I ever come in here and blamed anybody? I’ve never blamed players in my life, ever, ever, ever,” he added.

“I’m the leader, I’m the boss, I make the decisions, I pick the team and whatever else goes with it, whether it might be suspensions, bookings, injuries, all of that, I never come in here and use that and I’m not about to start now.

“It’s a tough time for all of us, but what’s great about it is that you have Dougie saying that and they all believe that, they all want to do it, there are none of them thinking, ‘I’m sick of this place, I don’t want to play’, quite the opposite, they all want to win and get that good feeling back.”

Photo: TWTD

jjhbruno added 13:18 - Oct 14 “The only way I can affect that is by going to Blackburn and getting something, beating Burton on Tuesday night and suddenly we'll have a different reaction to it all." Not for me, 2 results will not paper over the dreadful football and ridiculous comments you have made since January 2015. You have had nearly 2 years to change your spots. You haven't so you should admit you have failed and do one.

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Ashinbarnsley added 14:24 - Oct 14 Very true from McCarthy not once has he ever blamed or criticised his players, he is the leader he is the boss and it's about time we backed the team he puts out because it could be alot worse without him. Key players back very soon a rather easy month October let's av 3 points this Saturday, COME ON YOU BLUES!!
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Vizslaraner added 15:42 - Oct 14 There is one big problem here, he doesn't know another way. If we did win two on the bounce it won't fool me or many others. He served a purpose and for that thank you, but now we need to kick on as we have better players who don't want to watch the ball flying over their head. You could see the frustration on Grant Ward's face against Huddersfield and Lawrence is on a different level to the two in the middle. It wont be long before he's coached all the goodness out of them two. Poor Connor Grant not getting a game is scandalous, a real talent and has done more in the minutes he has played than the bearded wonders have all season.Only team I know to play two defensive midfield players and at home. Against Huddersfield Wagner took Whitehead off at half time and threw on Van La Parra as he knew we were no threat! The rest is history. And FFS get Freddie back up front. He started last season with 6 in 8 and was bang at it, but old dino has ruined him and played him in more positions than anyone else. Leave young Josh in as well as he has been the only bright light recently. We know he won't though and it will be more of the same. When he walked in here he said Carlos Edwards will never play right back and I believe in playing people in their right positions to have good shape. What a load of claptrap as he's the biggest culprit of doing it I've ever seen. And as for Dougie believes it, it's because he knows he wouldn't get a game anywhere else as he's sh..e! League One is too good for him. Can't see us getting anything tomorrow or scoring Tuesday night, so next Saturday he may fall on his sword. COYB.

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halsteadblue added 16:10 - Oct 14 Not interested in anything you do or have to say anymore..............Just go,and take all the negativity with you.
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Seasider added 18:11 - Oct 14 McCarthy says above that he is not aware of the negativity as he has not been here,but noticed it after game against Huddersfield. Says it doesn't bother him though.Well it Jolly well should. Also says cant do anything about the performance,yes you can,play more positive players,and drop the negative boring attitude that you instill on your players.
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warktheline added 18:30 - Oct 14 McCarthy's loyalty to his 'cozy club ' won't change, when he first arrived nobody's position in the team was safe. Hard but fair, not the case now, it happens in all industries, people become too comfortable and production suffers. Unlike the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson, our manager is obviously incapable of assessing himself, if he did, he may realise it's his failings as a manager, that are the root cause of our woeful form over the last 18 months or so. Undoubtedly wasting my breath, but anyhow " McCarthy, clean slate, view the squad as strangers, you may spot some of your glaringly persistent mistakes!".

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Penguinblue added 01:35 - Oct 15 Never made excuse? Never not made excuses more like. a terrible deluded throwback of a 'manager'. McCarthy OUT
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