Town boss Mick McCarthy says he has no intention of walking away from his Blues contract and is looking ahead to next season when he plans to rebuild, believing there need to be changes in the squad. The 58-year-old, who has a year left on his deal, with Town having an option for a further two seasons, also reacted angrily to terrace chants claiming he’s “ruined” the club during Saturday’s 3-1 defeat at Fulham.

Asked whether he he ever considered walking away from Portman Road during this season’s struggles having spent the larger part of it under fire from fans, he said: “No, because I enjoy my job and as for some of the stuff about ‘Mick McCarthy, you’ve ruined our club’, what the biggest load of cobblers that I’ve ever heard in my life that is.

“I saved the club from relegation and I’ve had three top 10 finishes and the one time I have a bad season then people have turned their backs on me, which is a bit of a surprise and it’s disappointing.

“But hey ho, I’m not walking away from here, I have a year’s contract to run and unless something else is done then no, I’m not walking away from it. I’ll be here and I’ll be planning for next season and I’m looking forward to it.

“I’m looking forward to my holiday actually. I’m looking forward to getting enough points to make sure that we stay in this league, I can go away and have a break and I’ll come back full of vim and vigour again.”

In January McCarthy said he would make a decision on his future in the summer, has he already made up his mind?

“I’m not walking away from my contract, not a chance,” he reiterated. “I’m not walking away from a job, which I see it as, and it’s a good job.

“I’ve no intention because I’d like to build it again. I don’t want to walk away, I’m not walking away, no way.

“I’d like to have it again as we had it two years ago, even last season. Saved them from relegation is what I did, then we had three top 10 finishes, and this year it’s been bad.

“I don’t think it’s justified what’s gone on, to be honest with you. My intention is to stay here and build another team, and hopefully it’s as successful as it was when we finished sixth. And if that pisses off a lot of people, so be it.”

Put to him that he has said he wouldn’t be happy if he turned up on the opening day of 2017/18 and season ticket sales were down to 10,000 - as it seems likely they will be - and that was down to him he wouldn’t be happy, he added: “Marcus might not be happy with that either. That might be the case, but I seem to remember there were 20-odd thousand in here most weeks when we finished sixth and guess who that was down to.

“My objective is to get it back to that. And you know what, if it’s only on a one-year contract, so be it, it’s a one-year contract. Not a chance would I be drive out of anywhere. No way.”

Regarding the ongoing criticism from fans and in the media, he said: “I don’t read the media, that’s for sure, any of it. I don’t listen to the radio station, I certainly not locally. I talk to them but don’t listen to them. You might think that that’s nonsense but I don’t.

“Unless I put ear plugs in I can’t do anything about the crowd on a Saturday or a Monday or whenever we’re playing.

“I guess I have to be a bit brass-necked about that and just understand but, as I just said, apart from ‘ruining the club’, that’s the biggest load of nonsense I’ve ever heard in my whole life.

“It’s been tough this year, it has. We’ve not been good. And it’s sad that a lot of people have turned on me and turned on the players but they’re going to have stick me out for another five games anyway.”

He continued: “If Arsene Wenger can get stick, Alex Ferguson got stick at one stage, he was getting vilified by his own punters and Sir Bobby could and everybody else, it’s part of the gig.

“You [the media] keep asking me about it and I talk about it but I’m not whinging about it or talking about it every day. I come in and I do my job.”

He says not all fans have been on his back this season: “I’ve had some nice comments, nice letters and nice support from people. And, of course, the ones who come [and] were at it from very early on in the game on Saturday, I can’t do anything about that. As I keep telling you, win games and that stops.

“There’s not a lot [you can do], play well and win games. We’ve not done enough of that this season. But I don’t think it constitutes some of the vitriol which is going about, but hey ho.”

Looking ahead to the summer and next season, he says the playing staff will need refreshing whoever the manager is.

“The squad’s going to have to change,” he admitted. “You said ‘Whoever’s charge’, at this moment in time it’s me that will be in charge.

“If that’s the case, things have to change, of course. It can be that you’re with players too long and eventually maybe they need to change and the manager needs to change.

“If for some unknown reason it’s somebody else, then it will change because they’ll want different players.”

He added: “Players under contract, there’s not a great deal that they can do. They can ask to move, they can make noises towards that, they can stamp their feet and pull their hair out and tell their agent what to do.

“But if they’re under contract there’s not really anything they can do if a club wants to keep them.

“There may well be some that want to move on, there will be some will move on. There will be some I want to move on, and some I don’t want to change. That’s going to be a natural process that in the summer, I think.”

Are there players who are out of contract who he is yet to make a decision on? “They’re all my thoughts and I’ll keep them to myself for now.”

McCarthy feels he and his squad have done well in previous seasons having worked with a budget which is among the lowest in the division. Will he have to ask owner Marcus Evans for more money as he looks to rebuild?

“I’ve performed particularly well, and the players have, with what we’ve got and sometimes you have to deal with it,” he insisted.

“And I’ve never complained about that. My conversations with Marcus will be exactly that, with Marcus.”

The finances of the Championship have changed significantly in the two years since the Blues finished sixth, does McCarthy believe it’s now tougher for Town to hit those heights?

“It is,” he agreed. “I’m glad I didn’t say that because it might seem like an excuse. I’m glad you said it. [But that is the reality], absolutely it is.”

Managers at all the established Championship clubs without parachute payments or owners investing around £20 million a year are working in much the same situation as he has been, aren’t they? “They are and trying to get results and some, with their budgets, are doing well.

“I’d say Cloughy’s doing well [at Burton], Barnsley have done brilliantly, they’ve come up with momentum from League One.

“Huddersfield are doing great. David Wagner’s got some good players, some good loan players, he used the German market, he knew it and he’s done really well with it. Fantastic, as I did in my second season, to be honest.”

So, it can still be done? “I’d say so, but as you said, it’s a lot harder now.”

Photo: TWTD

bressinghamblue added 21:23 - Apr 12 MM is to football and ITFC what Gerald Ratner was to jewellery. Google it!
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cat added 21:31 - Apr 12 Jesus wept!! I nearly choked on my sisha when I read this, added to the fact that I have had to pay for data roaming as I'm out of wi-if range, proper choker on both fronts!!. So our (to quote) "ROYAL RUDNESS" (lol) is gonna tough it out!!!, can't say I'm completely surprised that our leather skinned DINO is taking this stance, thinking about it, his on a good little number at our lovely endearing club. Theres two options here, put up or shut up, I'm gonna put up, as I've always said, his gone passed the point of no return for me. As MM stated many times though, if we win games the fans will be happy, and that's where his hopes lie. Our only hope is ME will weld the axe, but based on this interview that's looking very unlikely. I always try and find ap positives in situations like this, and the only two that comes to mind is 1/there will be another season of total enjoyment on our very own TWTD site!! 2/ save a few hundred on a season ticket.

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RoyalAscotBlue added 21:51 - Apr 12 My only hope is that this is Mick saying to ME "you are going to have to fire me." As much as I (now) hate this man I cannot blame him for refusing to resign. His contract is worth a million pounds isn't it? It will be his last as well so it is perfectly understandable that he refuses to throw it away. So, over to you ME... Fire him and watch the season ticket sales ramp back up again. Leave him in place and I suspect the number will be below 8,000. It's time to let the fans know, so that they can decide whether or not to let their renewals go through.

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SpiritOfJohn added 21:53 - Apr 12 "seem to remember there were 20-odd thousand in here most weeks when we finished sixth and guess who that was down to" - Murphy.
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dukey44 added 21:55 - Apr 12 Reading some of these comments... can't believe we still have mugs up for Mick?? What the hell have u been watching ? U not getting under 23 squad mixed up are you?? MICK YOU ARE A FOOL AND 95% at least Don't want you here??? And Evans pi ss off to!!! Sad sad sad days for a once great Club. We need this fool out!!! And you Mick fans hope u enjoy lower league football and sitting in an empty ground. Fools as big as our so called Manager and owner!!!

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cobsterblue added 22:05 - Apr 12 Bang goes mine and my sons season tickets for next year. Just can't watch that football any more.
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VulpineBlue added 22:08 - Apr 12 I made the correct decision not to renew. Foul language again, and mentioning himself in the same breath as Robson, Ferguson & Wenger. Sorry MM but their footy wasn't boring and they had players who captured the imagination. I don't want to go any more to watch Marcus Evans UTD.
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norfolkbluey added 22:12 - Apr 12 I can't believe some of the comments being posted regarding MM being retained for yet another year. I vowed never to go back after 25 years of regular attendance whilst he stayed. He has to be the most boring manager in the division. I honestly don't know if ME is a problem but I do know what I saw when I gave up my season ticket. Buying players like Skuse and Douglas suits MM's style of play. Belligerent and resolute with little or no creativity. I suspect we will just about manage to stay in this division. Next season will be a mirror of this one. Such fun! With so much money coming in from increased ticket sales there will be cash flooding in for new players......in your dreams MM

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midastouch added 22:15 - Apr 12 Billybaxterwasastringvestcitypest seems to have lost both his keyboard and tongue! Maybe if you nip down to your local PC World in Norwich tomorrow morning Billy and get yourself a new shiny yellow and green keyboard you can enlighten us on how on earth you think Mick Mugabe is the man to lead Town back into the promised land? Because you never comment you lead some of us to assume you might be a Budgie Bandit. Please would you be as kind as to put those suspicions to bed? Seriously, we're interested to hear your thoughts. Mick McCarthy supporters are as rare as honest politicians in this day and age. I reckon Mick has many more supporters down the wrong end of the A140 than the right end! I remember the Chase In banners when Robert Chase was public enemy no. 1 in those parts, I wouldn't be surprised to see some McCarthy In banners around Carrot Road in the not too distant future! If he was their manager I would be wetting myself with laughter, so you can't blame them for doing likewise as he really is turning us into a laughing stock! Get Mick Out, Get Mick Out!

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cfmoses added 22:19 - Apr 12 I can't help but think of the time all supporters said Robson should go and dear old John Cobbold backed him. No one at the time thought Sir Bobby would achieve what he did for the Blues. John Cobbold may have seen something in SBR that we didn't. I doubt very much that ME sees the same qualities in MM..all he's concerned about is CASH. So my beloved club that I have supported for 58' years is now caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. The devil is of course MM. Hanging on to finance his luxurious retirement. It's the deep blue sea however that now needs to consider whether a Tsunami is appropriate ...or as I suspect what He might do is simply order a few parasols and watch the waves roll peacefully towards him. Very sad times to be a supporter.

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Dissboyitfc added 22:28 - Apr 12 So out spoken Mick loves to say it how it is, but he doesn't like the truth in return! " your football is crap" This club will go nowhere, funds or not with this man in charge! MM OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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PSGBlue added 22:31 - Apr 12 DirtyOldNodge - clearly you are not up to much intelligence wise! Especially having to resort to such bad language to get your point across. I am not threatening children, I was actually advising them not to be present on the lap of honour. It will possibly be a final time for fans to show their disapproval, I would not like the players children to be there when it happens. Clearly following a good or even average season the atmosphere would be more suitable.

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vanmunt added 22:32 - Apr 12 I can't lie, this is one massive kick in the nuts.. I was up the pub on Friday talking about going to the first game of the season with my friend and cheering on the town with a new manager and a fresh start, guess that's not happening now. I refuse to go to Portman road whilst he is still there, call me a non fan I really don't care.
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DanSuperTown added 22:35 - Apr 12 One of the problems this season has been the loss of Murphy and the goals he provided for sure. But with his loss, we had to change the style too. We've played slightly more football this season and the squad has not been good enough to do it well. With the additions of Huws and Toumani it has improved slightly, and if as expected Williams comes to us next season, then we have the makings of a much better footballing side. But its at the back where i really worry for us. Berra and Chambo are past their best, Smith is a donkey, and while he bleeds blue, he is not a quality defender, which leaves Webster, who i fear could be pinched. Add to that Skuse in front of them, who again is apst his best and thata major re-building. I just hope thats its re-building with @football@ intended rather that finding a new lump upfront.

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ITFCRealist added 22:37 - Apr 12 Dinosaur, are you having a laugh? Sod this, pitch invasions every game til he is gone. So fckin angry now
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TimmyH added 22:43 - Apr 12 The bottom line is Evans will not sack McCarthy as the pair 'have been in bed with each other' since his reign here, McCarthy got us a play-off birth by the skin of his teeth and no doubt Evans was probably ecstatic about this considering the money given to Mick just as important though is the money made through cheap transfers that has been made for net profit for Evans. These 2 factors are why Evans gave MM a contract extension which no doubt Mick will honour and top up his bank balance in the process with little expected in return now from the quite frankly unambitious owner whose benchmark of how a manager performs were the dire Keane and Jewell. What you have to ask yourself once a club goes backwards can the same manager get the club performing again? - in general the answer to that is no (if anybody else can think of an instance then correct me) - if he's here come August don't expect anything from next season.

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IpswichT62OldBoy added 22:47 - Apr 12 Well, that is not what I wanted to hear, it is not a lack of squad but paucity of tactical/strategic sense. He has done some very odd things with formation and personnel with enough regularity to distress me, the anti-football strategy has sucked my enthusiasm dry, I hate that.
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Lightningboy added 22:50 - Apr 12 It's sadly got to a point where off the field stuff is far more entertaining than anything that goes on on the pitch...the only thing that's keeping me interested now is seeing McCarthy self-destruct...there is no way he can carry on here much longer serving up his dreadful brand of football...not possible. We all know he's only digging his heels in to pi55 us all off. As has been pointed out our owner needs seriously notifying about the revenue that extra season ticket sales will generate (when McCarthy's sacked) to be more than enough to pay him off.

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Pencilpete added 23:02 - Apr 12 If what he says is true and he intends to shake things up, get rid of the deadwood and change our style of play then i'mall for all of that. but we've had so many false dawns over the last 18 months i'll need to see it to believe it.
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bobble added 23:14 - Apr 12 the atmosphere is too toxic staying any longer will damage all involved even more.
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itfchorry added 23:26 - Apr 12 Couldn't agree more From Ipswich - Baxter loves that minus click as he trolls on his Galloway Coach -
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bobble added 23:29 - Apr 12 not good enough, is he ?
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ormey75 added 23:56 - Apr 12 Nightmare,when will this pain end ? All hope is lost!
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KiwiTractor added 00:30 - Apr 13 Boooo!
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tpsontour added 00:38 - Apr 13 For those posting about MM's agent, he doesn't have one. For those posting that increased season ticket revenue would cover the cost of ME firing MM, it wouldn't come anywhere remotely near. it wouldn't just be a case of paying off MM but him, Terry Connor, Dave Bowman and Ian Evans - ie his whole coaching and scouting entourage. And then replacements for them all would have to be hired. MM, understandably, is not going to walk away from a lucrative contract. And ME is not going to spend millions on changing his manager, who does a good job limiting his annual losses on a shoestring budget. The reality of the sitaution is that ME was persuaded to buy the club by Sheepy on the basis a bit of investment would get us up and make him some bucks. He ballsed up hiring Keane and Jewell and has been in damage limitation mode ever since. MM has had an impossible job juggling dust. We have the 16th highest budget and 16th highest average attendance in the division. All things being equal we finish 16th. He's massively overachieved for three seasons but struggled this season after the Murphy sale and injuries galore. Very few managers are going to do any better on ME's budget. The vast majority without MM's experience of the division and ability to work on a shoestring would do worse and I have no faith in ME or Milne being able to find one of the few - the next Wagner - who could do better or as well with more progressive football. We're screwed until someone comes along who wants to buy a club £80m in debt and making annual losses of £6m. And I don't see Chinese consortia queuing up to buy us rather than, say, that lot down the road with far healthier finances and crowds. The root cause of our problems is under-investment by ME compared to our ever more megabucks rivals but it's his money, so unless the simpletons now kicking off minutes into matches telling ME to get out of our club and abusing a decent manager and man have a spare £100m plus to put in themselves I don't see why any of the rest of us should bother taking any notice of them.

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