Former Town boss Mick McCarthy has admitted that he should have left Portman Road earlier than his eventual departure in April 2018.

Having made the play-offs in 2014/15, McCarthy, who left his latest job as manager of the Republic of Ireland earlier this month, became deeply unpopular with fans during the final two campaigns of his five-and-a-half-year stint at Portman Road.

“We got to the play-offs at Ipswich – that is a club I should have left earlier,” McCarthy told The Athletic.

“They got bored with me, but me being belligerent I wasn’t going to walk, certainly Marcus Evans, the owner, wasn’t going to sack me because I was keeping them up – we finished 12th the last season that I was there.

“But it did turn sour, which is such a shame because I had a great rapport with the fans when I first went there. We didn’t spend any money and we had really good results.

“And the rapport that I had with them from the start, I wasn’t doing anything different when I left. But I think they got a bit bored with pragmatic me.”

McCarthy, 61, has also been speaking about the impact of social media on the game, revealing that a Town player came to see him after Blues supporters called for his inclusion in the side on Twitter.

“People tell me the game has changed and players have changed but have they? I don't find the job any harder. I treat all the players well and with respect. Me and TC [his assistant Terry Connor] coach and manage them. That's it,” he told the Daily Mail.

“Social media has changed things a little but I have learned something there. I used to think Twitter offered only abuse to players. But it was pointed out to me at Ipswich that all the fans were bigging one of the lads up on Twitter and he was responding by thinking he should be in the team.

“It opened my eyes. Not that it made any odds, because when he came into my office I still wasn't bothered. I said, ‘The fact that you are getting a million tweets saying you should be playing doesn't make a blind bit of difference to me. I watch you train and perform, remember. I know’."

Photo: TWTD

midastouch added 14:07 - Apr 20 We could say that about our last 5 managers, and that includes the current one unfortunately. Not particularly enjoyed any of the football since Magilton. Sad times.
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readtheleaguetable added 14:07 - Apr 20 r2d2 I downvoted you by accident. Fat thumbs. Meant to upvote you. Forcing Mick out was absurd, we are still paying for it now and will do for many more years, I fear.
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PortmanTerrorist added 14:08 - Apr 20 The football was consistently dire but when he swears at us and my son saw him do it from the stand (his eyes are better than mine) opposite at Carrot Rd, then there is no coming back. I would actually say that only his positive media relationships ensured it was played down and kept him from being put in front of the FA for that action, if not the police. Our future is all over the place but there is literally NOTHING you could give me to want him back.

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readtheleaguetable added 14:15 - Apr 20 r2d2 I downvoted you by accident for your first vote. Thanks for posting again so I got a chance to correct my mistake. Forcing Mick out was absurd, we are still paying for it and will do for many more years, I fear !
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IpswichT62OldBoy added 15:09 - Apr 20 Douglas, season after season, why? Beligerance
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ThaiBlue added 16:16 - Apr 20 Why do we have to keep bringing this man up all the time,hes been hes gone move on guys even if things are not great at the moment.
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ThaiBlue added 16:16 - Apr 20 Why do we have to keep bringing this man up all the time,hes been hes gone move on guys even if things are not great at the moment.
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Michael101 added 18:52 - Apr 20 Left to late?? Yes 5 yrs to ###king late.
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algarvefan added 19:11 - Apr 20 Bored now. Does any of this matter at the moment, I would start thinking about if we will have a club or not at the end of Covid19. Seriously worrying times.
3

runningout added 19:38 - Apr 20 MM will easily get another good club. Watch this space when he brings them success. While we are in League 2 with normal low level of ambition. We're Losing all knowledge how to evolve in the professional game of football. Not exaggerating!!
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londontractorboy57 added 19:55 - Apr 20 oldegold The Ipswich way??? plummeting down div 3 You melt
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blueconscience added 20:26 - Apr 20 @londontractorboy57 It is the Evans way that has us plummeting down the divisions. You Melt.
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smellmycheese added 20:50 - Apr 20 Celina
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Michael101 added 21:13 - Apr 20 Watching a kick McCarthy team is the same as playing Mike oldfields tubular bells,you fall asleep after 45 seconds.
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Dissboyitfc added 22:38 - Apr 20 Running out that is priceless! And we were going to Evolve with a dinosaur in charge? Hilarious comment! Funny but sad if you really think McCarthy was the way forward. And although I don't think Lambert is the man to take us forward, I truly believe he values and respects the people who ultimately pay his wages, the fans of Ipswich town! I agree with him, he well overstayed his welcome!

1

Skip73 added 23:21 - Apr 20 This fabled 'Ipswich way' some talk of is actually the 'Robson way'.
1

TimmyH added 23:31 - Apr 20 You were the one signing the extension to the contract...too easy money with a club with little ambition, remember when I said it was bad news when he signed the first extension I think back in February 2016 (when I had -88 votes for one post! for saying it was not good news)...hindsight is an easy thing but i think I was probably correct, the next couple of seasons could bore the pants of a seasoned Panorama viewer.

1

Hegansheroes added 01:48 - Apr 21 I remember when it was announced MM was to be the new manager my heart sank. I knew what we were in for-crap, boring hoofball & did we get it. I vividly remember an interview with Brian Clough prior to an England v Eire match. Clough said that England's forwards should concentrate on attacking McCarthy because "he's actually not very good". I saw him play and Clough was spot on, unfortunately he wasn't a very good manager either despite how much he bigs himself up. Certainly the most boring football I have ever seen at PR. However, most of the blame for the demise of ITFC must be down to Evans, we have basically been in freefall since he took over. A friend of mine (sadlly he died last year) knew Evans well and ME's vision was to get in a big name manager-Keane & get promotion & then sell the club, hasn't quite worked out has it.

1

harlingblue added 06:34 - Apr 21 Mick did a good job at Ipswich, getting in the right kind of player required, due to his contacts in the game...BUT his biggest mistake that he made was when we were top of our league, and we played Manchester United away in the cup, 8000 thousand Ipswich fans went to that game, to be greeted by a reserve team, representing us. We made the playoffs that year, but never progressed. That was the day that MM lost the fans backing. I would like his view on this?

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bobble added 09:47 - Apr 21 should have been shifted after he saved us from the drop. he was never going to take us up, but was always going to stop us going down...2 years is the max you need that type of manager...otherwise you just tread water for ever....
2

Ipswichbusiness added 11:44 - Apr 21 Initially he did an excellent job, saving us from relegation and nearly getting us promoted. However, I shall never forget the Lincoln debacle. He should have gone gracefully at the end of that season.
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planetblue_2011 added 11:56 - Apr 22 Yes Mick McCarthys football & tactics did get a bit boring but I definitely didn't want him to go. He signed some real quality players & loan players, here's a list of just some of them, Murphy, McGoldrick, Waghorn, Garner, Celina, Fraser, Lawrence, Anderson,Webster & Bart. There are so many more. We won't be seeing them type of players here for a long while. We did get results under Mick even if it was a boring 1-0 win. It's gonna take one big miracle to get back to championship football in the position we are in now👎

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ITFCsince73 added 18:11 - Apr 22 Planet blue Your list of players cost the club 15k upto 30k per week each. Unfortunately all managers since and the future, work with wage budgets more accustomed to L1 and L2.
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shaunmahony added 10:04 - Apr 24 Harlingblue - agree about the Man U match. I took 5 family members to that game at huge cost - Man U played Rooney and Schweinstiger etc - we had reserves - I definitely fell out of love a bit that night with the club I have supported since my first match at PR in 1967. And we still failed to win the following Saturday anyway! Best regards and stay safe.
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