Disappointment But Mick Remains Proud

Ipswich Town fell at the final hurdle really when it came to our play off hopes this season, but despite being obviously disappointed, manager Mick McCarthy has said he remains proud of the team for their efforts and hard work this season.

A solitary goal from already promoted Burnley was enough to consign us to defeat in yesterday’s game and speaking to the Official Site following the match McCarthy talked about games hinging on small margins and in many ways, despite getting so close, the Burnley match was the perfect example of why we didn’t quite get over the play off line this season.

‘It was a good performance and when they scored we were on top. They started better than us but we grew into the game and had chances but then we made an error, they had Johnny on the spot in Michael Kightly to put the ball in the net and that cost us. That changes the course of games and while I’m very proud of my players and what we have achieved this season, I’m disappointed we have not made that top six.’

McCarthy goes on to say that really it’s difficult to be too disappointed this season because he feels we have come a really long way in a short space of time, referencing that when he joined the club we were fighting to stay in the league, and now we are disappointed to have missed out on a promotion shot, so the growth has been there we just have to try and go one further next season.

‘It’s been fine margins between us being in the top six and just missing out. It’s been those chances we’ve had that we have not taken and the mistakes we have made that have ended up in the back of the net.’

The gaffer goes on to say that in his mind the players deserve a hell of a lot of credit for what they have achieved though, but having missed out now he knows it’ll take him and the players – because of the disappointment they now feel – a few weeks before they’ll maybe appreciate the positives of the season.

Skipper Luke Chambers has also called on the team to channel the disappointment of missing out on the play off spots and try and emulate Burnley next season by focusing on the automatic promotion spots and going up in style.

‘I’m gutted right now but we can all look at Burnley and use that as a platform for next season. They’ve stuck together and won promotion and when you see scenes like we have done, with them celebrating on the pitch, it makes you want to have a taste of it.’

Chambers admits that looking back at the season, the players will do so in terms of seeing the growth and the development that we have made, but the overriding emotion following the game is ‘terrible disappointment’.