Town boss Mick McCarthy says the fans play a “massive part” when a team is winning but can also “be a massive part of us getting beat as well”. Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s vital Championship game at home to Wigan, the Blues manager says a negative atmosphere can help the opposition.

Saturday’s 1-1 home draw with Birmingham was played in a fractious atmosphere with fans booing after the visitors took the lead, then aiming chants at McCarthy, owner Marcus Evans and MD Ian Milne.

Prior to that match McCarthy had said he and his players needed the backing of their fans as they look to secure their Championship status and he says they need it again against the second-bottom Latics with the Blues six points off the drop zone with seven games left to play.

“It’s their team, it’s their club,” McCarthy said. “Any negativity is detrimental to the team. And if it’s detrimental to the team and we don’t play well, we don’t get the result we want, they’ve been part of it.

“I’m sorry, but that’s the way it is. They are part of it. Forget us. Generically, when a team’s winning, a club’s winning we’re all winning together, it’s fantastic and ‘Aren’t we great?’ and we, we always tell the fans we’ve got the best fans in the world and ‘Aren’t they brilliant’ and all this and all that. We all win together.

“But when we’re playing badly and we’re losing, we are shit. Maybe we were, I said we were and, by the way, I’m the first to come and admit to it. I never come and try and dress it up and say ‘We played well today’, anybody that’s ever said that about me, forget it because it doesn’t happen.

“I get grief of people who say ‘You were a bit brutal with your team on Saturday, that was a bit harsh, saying you’d played badly’. Well, we did.

“And on a Monday I might come in and think that we weren’t as bad as we thought we were.

“But they are part of it. They are part of it when we’re winning, they’re a massive part. They can be a massive part of us getting beat as well.”

With fans having called for McCarthy’s sacking and expressed their frustration with owner Evans and next year’s season ticket prices, there appears to be a divide between fans and the club.

“There can’t be,” McCarthy added. “They’re a massive part. I know it’s up to us, we’ve got to set the tone, definitely, I get that, it’s our responsibility and I would never pass it on, but then there is a time when you need a dig out, a leg up and maybe that’s tomorrow.”

Does the negative atmosphere impact upon the players? “Of course it does and it affects the opposition positively. That’s what it does.

“I’ve played enough - ‘Happy days, this mob are getting pelters!’. It’s great. And it’s amazing, you see the confidence rise and you can see the other side fall.”

Speaking recently McCarthy said he hoped performances in the final weeks would help mend his relationship with fans. With only seven matches left, does he believe that can still happen? “Win tomorrow they’ll think a lot better about me, won’t they?”

Pressed further, he says he’s not looking any further than Tuesday’s game: “Win tomorrow.”

Photo: TWTD

Bobby_Petta added 20:27 - Apr 3 I agree you shouldn't boo you own players, the way Douglas has been treated is a disgrace. Yes he might not be that great but its not going help him play any better, the guy must dred touching the ball. Yes blame the manager for picking the a defensive midfield, give Douglas a break should support the players, the buck ends with the manager and the board. Should demonstrate after the final whistle, we could still go down, so important every comes together. I do blame the board as Mick should have gone at Christmas but he won't be leaving till at least end of the season, so we got to get on we it. :(

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ssmith added 20:48 - Apr 3 Any negatively is detrimental !!!!!!! Why pick negative team with negative tactics then
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warktheline added 21:00 - Apr 3 Evans, Milne and McCarthy, the three wise monkeys!
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Umros added 21:02 - Apr 3 Ah, now that explains why we draw 1-1 each time then.......
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BluedanW added 21:11 - Apr 3 At least there will be less fans to blame next season!
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Pilgrimblue added 21:37 - Apr 3 MM's arrogance is breathtaking! He signed the plays, he picks the team and he decides how they play. So how is it the fans fault? Even us stupid fans know that picking defensive teams doesn't get you 3 points. Take QPR away when fans were buzzing when team took the field and then contrast that when MM brought on Dougie. I'm sure he's a great guy but is well past his best. Then Villa away when MM was forced to change and new team played with style and determination. We won and fans were on cloud 9 but did he learn, no not a thing as he was back with Skuse playing for a point. When you look at the squad of 40+ there's so many that shouldn't be here. And yet he's never used his Irish lads that were heralded or tried reserve strikers but signed Moore. We're safe as neither Wigan nor Blackburn will get enough points to overtake us but will MM change, I doubt it

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VulpineBlue added 21:37 - Apr 3 MM speaking of the fans: 'It's their team, it's their club'. It actually isn't their club. It's part of Marcus' Evans business empire. It's good customer relations to pretend that the punters have a 'stake' in it. In a 'club' the members have both some say and responsibility. MM is asking for responsibility from the fans without any input or comment on their part- 'I'm the manager, I know best'... 'I don't listen to all that stuff'.. I'm afraid that I see the ITFC that we have at present has become a soulless Golem, a shadow of a living club. It's a not so slowly creeping alienation, not the players fault, but a very poor ethos in the running of the club. It's an incredibly serious situation for the future of ITFC.

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leahcar88 added 21:52 - Apr 3 It's about time we supporters took control back of our club and get rid of this guy!!! Any ideas? petitions? Protests? He needs to be gone asap!!!!!! Let's rally together and get this potty mouthed, intelligence challenged mother f....... (thick mick Mugabe knows the rest) OUT
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norfolkbluey added 21:52 - Apr 3 Martin587 I agree with your comments completely. Booing the players is so wrong. They have been told what tactics and pattern to play to. Its down to the manager and coach. The players can only play to their instructions. The grim truth is the team as such is just playing defensively all the time and our opposition teams know how to unlock us enough to get at least a draw. MM otherwise known as Dinosaur just hasn't got enough about him anymore to think creatively. I took the decision last season to never go again until he left because I knew he would bring the club no joy. I WAS RIGHT A new manager is our only hope. A Roman general would fall on his own sword if he was to blame for losing a battle. How many lost battles will it take for MM to fall on his. Still waiting!

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madmouse1959 added 22:05 - Apr 3 What a fool !! How intelligent and intellectually gifted of him to struggle answering pathetic questions from a two bob local journalist. All McCarthy can do is state the obvious far too often and utter cocky little one liners instead of offering the supporter any form of optimism. His choice of words do little to impress and are a disgrace. A poor example how to handle a journalist. As time as gone by this smug attitude has lost more fans week on week. He must of known that the team he put out versus a poor Birmingham team were going to struggle to score goals. Why bother signing players who are unfit to play, not good enough to play or he will not play simply because he would rather put a defensive team out to kill a game off and grab a point. To then mention a poor crowd atmosphere after a game like that is ridiculous. A completely sad ending to a sad season.

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bingboast added 22:28 - Apr 3 Two points - I believe the thoughts that by picking Douglas on Saturday Mick Mcarthy was putting two fingers up to fans, that, for fans to suggest that MM is blaming fans for our problems because of their attitude is also rubbish its common sense if fans are cheering you the players respond & the same applies if the fans are anti their game will reflect that to fact not MM trying to pass the buck. The fans on here don't deserve anthing better.

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marshallmania added 23:39 - Apr 3 Whether it's MM , Marcus Evan's, the players, the fans or a mixture of all, I won't be a season ticket holder next season. Portman Road is a negative place to go and the football is terrible. I'd rather be walking my dog on a saturday afternoon
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kevinocallaghan added 23:40 - Apr 3 I agree Bobby Petta , booing Douglas or any player that pulls on the blue shirt of Ipswich is an absolute Disgrace. He's playing for Our club and every player playing for Our club should be supported by our "supporters " . And Mick says it's not helpful when our players get abuse. Well of course it's not , he's right. What else can we expect him to say ? Into recent comments I read he's had a conversation with Evans ... if we're not in a position to compete then there's no point in me hanging around but give me a budget to work with and we might achieve something

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rickoshay2 added 09:59 - Apr 4 My first game was in 1965,I have stuck with Town through thick and thin since, but the club now bears no resemblance to the one I have supported through the years, the only thing that has stayed the same is the name ,Ipswich Town but even that is now held in disrepute with the football world with a foul mouthed manager who obviously holds the fans and the club with contempt , and a owner who has a warrant out for his arrest in Brazil. How did it come to this ?when we once renowned for attractive football and the club was at the heart of the community ,with real gentlemen on the Board and managing the club. The Cobbold's ,Alf Ramsey and Bobby Robson must all be spinning in their graves at what has happened to our once proud and mighty club. I too will not be setting foot in Portman Rd until I see drastic action.

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