Town owner Marcus Evans says it’s unlikely that the new Blues boss will be appointed before the end of the season. Last night Mick McCarthy and his assistant Terry Connor left the club with Bryan Klug put in temporary charge for the final four matches.

“Appointing a manager is one of the most important - if not the most important - decision an owner of a football club will make,” Evans told the club site.

“I have started the process but I will take all the time I need to find the right person.

“A lot can happen around the end of the season with managers so I want to be in the best position I can be before making an appointment.

“I can’t rule it out completely but I don’t envisage confirming our next manager until the season is finished.”

A number of the potential candidates for the job - including former skipper and coach Tony Mowbray - are currently in work and are unlikely to be in a position to decide on their futures before the end of the season.

Lincoln boss Danny Cowley remains the bookies' favourite, 5-2 with Bet Victor, ahead of Blackburn manager Mowbray at 10-1, while other possible contenders such as Shrewsbury's Paul Hurst and Wigan's Paul Cook, both 16-1, also still have something riding on their seasons with their current clubs, as have Luton's Nathan Jones and St Mirren's Jack Ross, both 25-1.

Following the departure of Mick McCarthy, Ipswich Town owner Marcus Evans will be speaking on-camera for the very first time in an interview that will be made available to all #itfc supporters. pic.twitter.com/JTAyvk529B

— Ipswich Town FC (@Official_ITFC) April 11, 2018

Former Blues striker Shefki Kuqi, currently without a club and at 12-1, is among those to have formally applied for the job, while it's understood ex-Reading manager Jaap Stam, 33-1, is also one of those in the running. Another Dutchman, VVV-Venlo's Maurice Steijn, has been repeatedly linked.

It's understood Town are keen to look at recruiting from the younger crop of up and coming managers rather than a more senior figure.

Former England manager Steve McClaren, 10-1, and ex-Rangers, Brentford and Nottingham Forest manager Mark Warburton, 14-1, have been linked by the tabloids.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, who was at Griffin Park to watch Saturday's game against Brentford, is also believed to be interested but appears very much an outsider having been sacked by Northampton recently, while Leicester City assistant boss Michael Appleton, 25-1, is another who could apply to become only the 16th full-time manager in the club's history.

Ex-loanee David Unsworth, 25-1, is also said to be keen but again would be a surprise choice given his lack of first-team management experience.

Portuguese boss José Gomes claimed he was in "early negotiations" with Town earlier in the week but again seems very unlikely to be in contention.

Photo: Action Images

ITFCsince67 added 15:58 - Apr 11 Good to hear but don't expect everyone to take advantage of the early bird prices until they feel their hard earned cash is going to be well spent.
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RedDust added 16:01 - Apr 11 Maurice Steijn for me. Also for this new era can we clean the green mildew of the top of the stadium and atleast project some self respect? Thanks
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Edmundo added 16:11 - Apr 11 Totally agree with @bedsitfc, the most successful clubs I can think of (e.g. Barcelona, Ajax, Man Utd) have had a style of play that is consistent from u9 to senior level. Build from youth. Klug is key to this and needs to be able to share a similar philosophy with the new manager.
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TimmyH added 16:31 - Apr 11 10th in spending last summer and currently 12th...so inhale on that swn98 - McCarthy is not and will never be the messiah like you and a few others make out, unfortunately I feel your judgement is swayed by having before him the 2 poorest managers I can remember at this club.
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Pilgrimblue added 16:40 - Apr 11 We'll probably see Klug remain on youth side so hope new man will compliment his style. For me Steijn would be ideal but in light of delay I can see Evans waiting to see who's available at end of season. Time to cancel loans and bring back Downes etc so that we'll see if they can measure up. Delay could also mean that players coming to end of contracts will be in limbo and may look elsewhere (but are we bothered). Loans we have will go back to their clubs so not bothered as other teams and players will be focus of new man. Perhaps we'll have a chance of Chelsea surplus but definitely no more Irish for a while.

2

grumpyoldman added 17:06 - Apr 11 I can't see Mowbray coming as he already at a comparable club, Cook's Wigan are on the rise so I don't think he will leave. Either of the Dutch men or Michael Appleton would be my choice
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blueboy1981 added 17:18 - Apr 11 RedDust ......... you're absolutely right the appearance of Portman Road (IP1) has faded with the standard of entertainment. Evans - prove the Club means as much to you - as it does us. Address the relevant issues, or sell up to someone who will. Albeit easier said than done - I must say.
1

itfchorry added 17:28 - Apr 11 Make the Villa game a ticket promotion game and let's fill up the stadium - Time to put these dark days behind us and move onwards together.
3

itfc2001 added 17:47 - Apr 11 SWN98. Anyone who claims to have followed ITFC for 45yrs and finds the so called football MM has dished up over the last 2 years acceptable clearly has a problem. I for one did those trips and watched a team that took the game by the scruff of the neck and set standards now being upheld by those in the top tier of the premier league. We may never see those days again but we can at least have ago at playing similar to those who represented our club in the 70's and 80's. Those who think it was all about money are deluded. If you cannot see or accept our club was being destroyed by MM then clearly you have no real knowledge of the game or the history of our club.

8

armchaircritic59 added 18:03 - Apr 11 Sounds like the penny might be beginning to drop with Marcus. I say take as long as is necessary (within reason!) to get it right, and ignore "yesterdays men". For me, first choice is Maurice Steijn, (doing a great job in Holland over the last few years) but there are a number of possible candidates, mostly relatively inexperienced and untried at Championship level. There's only one way to know whether any of them would succeed!

4

Taricco_Fan added 18:10 - Apr 11 @RedDust... Agreed; Portman Road is in dire need of maintenance. It's really looking sorry for itself these days. As for the extensive growth of foliage under the SBR roof...
2

jas0999 added 18:30 - Apr 11 Fair enough. Hurst would be excellent. Not convinced by Cowley.
1

Gcon added 19:15 - Apr 11 Timmy H - How about a breif intake of truth. MM spent £4.2m on new players whilst recouping £14.75m in sales - 21st in the league in terms of spending, over his tenure.
-4

norfolkbluey added 19:22 - Apr 11 None of us devoted fans have a clue as to who is coming. The fans will have no say in the matter. Whoever comes we can only hope that they will be an exciting choice. Our club is so far down in the dumps the fans have to be excited at the prospect of someone coming in with a new approach. I think MM is deluded to think he will get a premiership managers job. Lets hope ME has become more intuitive and experienced by his past mistakes. All I ask is please don't bring in McClaren or Pardew.

2

Burley4ever added 19:28 - Apr 11 Interesting that George Burley has been a regular at matches recently wonder if he could take a director role. If so a younger manager looks to be where we are heading. And great to see Brian Klug as caretaker, hopefully see some youngsters for the last few matches.
0

jas0999 added 19:35 - Apr 11 Gcon - I'm not actually sure he spent as much as that. Huws was allegedly £200K. Doubt Garner was as much as quoted. By the way, I'm pleased that MM has gone as I do genuinely believe it's right for the club. But I also don't think he had anywhere near enough financial backing.
2

warktheline added 20:06 - Apr 11 Take Mings ( McCarthy never spotted the lad ) over inflated sale, and Murphy's ( one hot season ) again over inflated sale, McCarthy 'the salesman' isn't going to win 'salesman of the year award!' Never deputed the lack of financial backing but that said why 'go through the motions' for 3 yrs! Cushy number, safe seat! New day, new era, COYB!
1

warktheline added 20:08 - Apr 11 Totally convinced by the Cowley brothers, and I'll be surprised if they don't get the job!
1

herobobby added 21:35 - Apr 11 Nailed on it's Cowley Just waiting for Lincoln's fate to be decided, as soon as their season is done the next week he will be in I was as a town fan disappointed with how things were going under MM but was mindful of what I wished for....so for me wanting a change of manager next year I might get what I want I might not But some people on here need to take a look at them selves...some of the comments are a disgrace to the club and very distasteful and disrespectful to professional man who had tried hard for us and yet come up a little short if our frankly over optimistic expectations

2

midastouch added 22:30 - Apr 11 Chris Sutton on 5 Live tonight saying Ipswich are no better than a mid-table Championship side at best and we should of been satisfied with our lot. He was told by the show host that Town fans should "Be careful what you wish for" he'd be given a yellow card! Seriously :-)
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midastouch added 22:32 - Apr 11 Correction, he was told by the show host that if he said Town fans should "Be careful what you wish for" he'd be given a yellow card! Seriously :-) Chris Sutton is a total k**b!
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armchaircritic59 added 23:56 - Apr 11 Don't forget, Chris Sutton was a Norwich Player!
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midastouch added 00:10 - Apr 12 Indeed armchaircritic59, my memory isn't that short. Somebody once told me Sutton preferred playing cricket to football and given how he got on at Chelsea maybe he might of been better following that as his sporting passion! :-)
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shakytown added 03:30 - Apr 12 Swn98. Anyone is progress after Mucks cr.p football.
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shakytown added 03:33 - Apr 12 Whoever the new manager is it will take a long time to change the negative culture and playing style of this team so patience will be needed.
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