Today marks the fourth anniversary of Mick McCarthy’s appointment as Town manager. McCarthy, 57, took over as boss on November 1st 2012, Paul Jewell having left by mutual consent just over a week beforehand.

Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Rotherham was McCarthy's 201st match as Blues boss - including the 4-0 home victory over Middlesbrough in February 2013 which he missed as he was unwell when his assistant Terry Connor took charge - with his overall record standing at won 79, drawn 59 and lost 63, a win percentage of 39.3 per cent.

Having taken over when the Blues were bottom of the Championship, five points from safety having taken only seven points from 13 matches. He led them to 14th in that first campaign, then ninth, sixth and the play-offs in 2014/15 and then seventh last season. Town are currently 16th.

Speaking at the end of last week McCarthy said he was proud to be reaching the four-year milestone and believes he has done a good job over that time, even if he admitted after Saturday’s match that he is “disappointed in my own performance at the moment that we’re not getting the results that I think we should with the team I’ve got”.

“I take huge pride in it because quite clearly I’ve done a good job over the four years, no doubting that. I don’t want you to say it, I’m telling you I have,” he said.

“I’m thrilled I’ve had four years, there’d be a lot of others who would like to think they’d, not ‘get’ four years but ‘earn’ four years through their job, through how they do it and what they’ve done.

“[Owner] Marcus [Evans] hasn’t just kept me, Ipswich Town haven’t just kept me because they like me, it’s because I’ve done a good job. That’s why I’m still here.”

McCarthy, who has said he is very happy at Portman Road and has no plans to move on with his contract running to the summer of 2018 with an option for a further two years, is the longest-serving boss in the Championship, which illustrates the precariousness of the job at this level.

“I think 12 months is the average tenure,” McCarthy reflected. “I was looking and there’s me and Simon Grayson, who is just behind me on almost four years.

“And the next one to me is Gary Rowett, who is two years. And then you start looking down then and I think it’s Chris Hughton, who is one year and 10 months.

“You don’t get long and you look at some clubs since I’ve been here and they’ve had six, seven or eight managers. And they’re still not doing any better than they were when I came here.”

What have been your highlights and lowlights of McCarthy’s four years in charge of the Blues? Add to the News Comments below.

Photo: TWTD

happybeingblue added 18:21 - Nov 1 If you add the keane/jewell years into the mix its been a long old barren spell of footrball for itfc fans with the playoffs v norwich and the semi final v arsenal the exceptions. i personally have not really enjoyed watching the town since super jim was sacked by clegg ironically after we had just beaten norwich i am starting to fear for itfc s future at present tbh

3

Cotton_eyed_joe added 18:21 - Nov 1 Grumpyoldman. I couldnt agree more with what you wrote, Wasnt it Mcik who said h'he couldnt get any better than what he has' thats why he never bought anyone once before. He is given money but refuses to spend it. so all those using the 'got no money ' should check back on what Dino has said in the past.
8

blues1 added 18:21 - Nov 1 * ne worse. Darned predictive text
0

blues1 added 18:31 - Nov 1 And at the end of the day, those of you who say evens is the one to blame? Look at the players we have? A much better squad than last year. Does Evans pick the team from that squad? Does he pick the tactics? Does he play players out of position? Does he play his favourites regardless of their form? No. Just one man does that. And thats why 90% of town fans want him out. The other thing is. All u guys who Want Evans out. Why do you think nothing would change with a new owner. The fact is, it would cost any prospective new owner so much money to buy the club ( with an £80m debt to be paid for to start with), that it's unlikely thered be any money at all for signing players. Forestvnow being bought for £50m so unlikely anyone's gonna be paying prob double that for itfc anyway

6

Surco72 added 18:34 - Nov 1 Georgi... Don't agree at all , I don't want MM to have funds to spend on players as the football he plays ruins flair players and they look worse under his coaching and tactics . Coaches of youth football don't have funds but they teach the players to pass and move not kick it hard and high and stop the opposition at all costs . Mms squad has got worse yearly since Jewels squad it was just Murphy had one exceptional season that carried the rest of the team and papered over MMs flaws . The reason there are more teams above us than below is due to the fact that they will change the manager if it's not working , I bet MM is in the top 4 highly paid managers in the league shame he cannot get a team to match his salary

9

superblue70 added 18:36 - Nov 1 Highlight...when he walks away, lowlight...everyday before, and his arrogance, and for all the obvious scum fans posting on here today haven't you got your own manager problems, your probably happier to watch us bore to death than sort your own problems out, MM OUT.
6

therein61 added 18:47 - Nov 1 Milestone!!t's turned into the biggest millstone this cub has carried(and I include Keane and jewel at least we got shot of em!!)
5

grubbyoik added 19:06 - Nov 1 Is it only four years.. Feels like a life time of s#it football.. Mind you add Keane and Jewel to that and it pretty much is..
6

TractorJed added 19:09 - Nov 1 I honestly believe, I am possibly wrong, that the remit has been - we will pay you a decent wedge and your job is safe on two conditions ‘a' don't ask for any transfer funds and ‘b' you flirt with the play offs each season. On that basis he has probably done what was required. Unfortunately for me that isn't enough and for this reason our family are no longer season ticket holders or make the effort to attend the majority of away games. For me football isn't simply about winning or finishing just outside of the play offs, for me I want to go to games full of anticipation and excitement with the possibility of witnessing a moment of magic. Something to look forward to all week, It's just been too long.

9

brittaniaman added 19:22 - Nov 1 Lets face it guys UNFORTUNATELY we are a mid table club ??? with this management and owner.!!! Premiership is just a far distant Dream, 15yrs. we have been in this league, and looks as though we are stuck here for goodness sake how long. We have witnessed many teams who have been down and up have bypassed us and are doing nicely Bournemouth,Southampton come to mind ???? But when we FAILED to beat Rotherham at HOME (more embarrassing nearly lost) it was the last straw That should have broken McCarthys back

4

GeorgiDoundarov added 19:29 - Nov 1 grumpyoldman I agree with you to the extent of the different point of view we look at the things. You, as I see by your comment, are really about the attractive football, which of course is my wish and any fans wish for that matter. But to me it is more - "all about getting to the Premiership at any cost" so I would sacrifice the attractive football for getting into the Premiership. And yes - it is a fact that ME subsidises the club every year but not in players although we sold Mings for 8M and Murphy for another 3M and didn't see any of this back to MM for new players and I hope you can't deny that without at least some (I don't talk about crazy money) investment we are never going to get the quality we need to get into the Premiership. As of the examples of other Managers with limited funds being able to play more attractive football and getting good players - I don't know who exactly are you referring here but I can guarantee - none of those would get promoted. Just look at the promoted clubs in the last few years - Leicester, Watford, Middlesbrough, Norwich, Fulham, Cardiff, Southampton, Palace, Hull, Swansea, Reading, even MMs Sunderland and Wolves, and etc. with maybe the exception of Bournemouth (to some extent only), tell me who was promoted without spending huge on players? It maybe unfortunate but the reality is that you need to spent money these days to get to the Promised Land. All the "attractive playing" low budget clubs are maybe nice to watch but will not go up. That is also based on facts...

0

GeorgiDoundarov added 19:44 - Nov 1 blues1 and Surco72 - Agree MM is on the high end paid managers in the Championship but again you pay for what you get (good managers and good players worth more)- and if ME pays that salary to the Manager he should also give him funds to spend on players. Instead he used Jim who was not a Manager at all at the time (very low paid) and gave him the 12M to spent. And then hired Keane who was more of a name to use and get noticed as the Club sponsor (and investor) instead of a quality Manager and also gave him tons of money. Tell me who should be hired who can do the job assuming no funds for players will be available and I will agree that MM should go. My fear is that getting MM out will leave us with a very unknown and incapable next Manager and for this alternative I don't want to swop MM...

0

corkblue added 19:47 - Nov 1 4 years of lumping!
3

blues1 added 20:10 - Nov 1 Georgidoundarov. Again a post full of inaccuracy. The mings money has been spent on players. We've signed prob 20 odd players since he left. You say none of the Murphy money been given to mm for players. We got £3m for murphy(goes up to 4 with promotion). £2m of that was used to sign Williams, Lawrence and Best plus we had bids in for 2 other players on deadline day. U go on about getting an inexperienced manager? Why would that necessarily be a bad thing. Had Huddersfield fans even heard of Wagner before he got job. An inexperienced manager who has improved them considerably.There are managers about in the lower divisions with experience such as justin edibburgh for instance. Or karl robinson is available, a good manager who took mk as far as he could and needs a new challenge. Would get us playing good football. Was Eddie Howe experienced when he got job at Bournemouth, look where they are. A young ambitious manager with something to prove could be just what we need.

2

bressinghamblue added 20:11 - Nov 1 Come on everyone .... Mick's moved us up 8 places in 4 years. Only another 8 years of boring boring football and we'll be Champions!
3

GeorgiDoundarov added 20:41 - Nov 1 Hi blues1 I hear you but the way I see things is: getting a young inexperienced and energetic manager approach is a "hit and miss". To all the successful ones you have listed you can add that many more examples of unsuccessful ones starting with Jim Magilton. I am tired of waiting for ITFC to go up and I would like a Manager with higher odds to promote us as since we got relegated we tried so many different options and every time it was: "hiring a Manager with a long term plan" which assumes at least 2-3 years of rebuilding with no success every time. I am not a big MM fan, don't get me wrong, I just don't want to go again with another hiring exercise that will lead to at least 2-3 years of rebuilding with a very low odds it will be successful. My idea is - if ME gives money to MM for permanent players, that process of getting up could be shortened and with much lower risk as MM has done it before. You are saying the Mings and Murphy money was reinvested for loan players, I think the reason of getting so many loans (which I hate) is because has closed his pocket and take the cheap approach as whatever you can call MM - he is not an idiot and he would not be using the loan market that much if he had the funds for permanent players....

2

Premierbluez added 20:44 - Nov 1 Well done Mick. Congratulations on achieving 4 years. To all the fans who are making these negative comments none of you say who you want as manager instead. I wish the football we played is more attractive and that we didn't play players who are regressing.
-4

blues1 added 21:02 - Nov 1 Georgia. He was offered money in the mast Jan window and told evens he didn t want it. He was happy with what he's got. Yes the 2m went on 2 loads and an out of contract players but also had a 7 figure bid in for a striker and another bid in on deadline day. Hear what it saying about an inexperienced manager being a risk but so is getting any manager. Getting in a big name is no guarantee of success. Personally I'd rather see us lose games playing good football and trying to win games than be bored to death week in week out. And that's why fans are staying away.

2

Vizslaraner added 21:05 - Nov 1 Derek Adams or Paul Cook Wd be an ideal fit for me, Graham Alexander or Justin Edinburgh. All play the game the right way with a hunger to succeed. Recently done their badges and understand the modern game as it has changed quite considerably. Every appointment is a risk, but as someone else said a good coach will improve players.
3

pragmatic added 21:52 - Nov 1 Whilst everyone is entitled to their opinion & yes we all want better what the team needs is some positive support irrespective if you like or dislike tactics/ personnel because to get on players backs is like an extra player to opposition
0

blues1 added 22:20 - Nov 1 Pragmatic. Agree with what you say but no1 is getting on the players backs. Its the manager that's the problem. Everyone knows the players would perform better with a manager who'd let them play and play them in their correct position. Thst wont happen under McCarthy.
6

thundercat600 added 07:25 - Nov 2 Oh dear, here we are at the beginning of November and look at the negative posts on here, for goodness sake wise up people. Yes results are not as we hoped or expected, bearing in mind how many players have been in the treatment room this has to be expected. To us, who have been Town Supporters for many years cast you memory back to when Sir Bobby Robson took over the reigns of Ipswich Town Football Club, yep, he was treated exactly the way MM is being treated now, why, because in the Town fans eyes then his results were poor and according to the Town supporters he was not good enough. Thank goodness the Cobbolds did not have a knee jerk re action because of the chants from the Town fans to got rid of him. Look at the Towns eventual performance under Robson's control. There is still a long way to go till the end of this season, if things have not significantly improved come January then you can justifiably start to moan Till then stop moaning get more positive and more importantly get behind the Town, this in return will lift the players spirits and their self belief and performances

-8

Razor added 10:28 - Nov 2 Sadly we will be going nowhere under the present regime which is very depressing. New manager----I know one who would walk over burning coals in his bare feet to get this job, he loves the club and his name is IAN HOLLOWAY. You may laugh, but he would immediately relate and engage with the fans and bring some much needed new energy and drive which would lift everybody. Oh, and he may actually try and win cup matches which would be a nice change.

1

bobble added 10:29 - Nov 2 Micks good at keeping clubs up, but not at taking them up. No reason to despise him, just time for a new manager now the club is safe and stable.
1

blues1 added 13:42 - Nov 2 Thundercat. Theres a massive difference between the McCarthy and the Robson situations. Sir Bobby had not been at the club for 4 years and wasn't using negative tactics every week. He went out to win every game. It was the fact We weren't winning that caused some fans to call for his head. Plus He was a rookie manager at that stage of his career. McCarthy sets out not to lose and in hope we might sneak a win and were still failing to win games. And he is a vastly experienced manager. He can't use injuries as an excuse. Theoretically we haven't actually had that many anyway. Williams wasnt her at start of the season and he signed him injured. Mcgoldrick has been almost constantly injured . So its only really been pitman varney and hyam who have missed any substantial number of games. Yes Webster missed a couple as did grant but both been back some time.

4

Blogs 298 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls