Is Mick McCarthy The Future Of Ipswich Town?

Manager Mick McCarthy has said that he will discuss his future with owner Marcus Evans at the end of the season and not before.

Some might argue he is not in a position to dictate, given the woeful season we have had but of course there are mitigating circumstances for our demise.

If Mick found himself in the dock on the grounds of diminished responsibility, then the prosecuting counsel would surely ask, why are we as a club seemingly going backwards?

Our football has been anything but entertaining in the main and he has persistently played players out of position which has just added to our woes.

His insistence of always airing on the side of caution, often means that creative talent is sidelined at the expense of defence orientated defenders, who feel much more comfortable looking behind rather than in front.

If a graph was drawn on our progress since he took charge we would see a steady decline and now we are getting much closer to the table territory that he inherited when he first walked through the door four plus years ago!

Some are of the view that he is a football dinosaur and is out of touch with the modern game.

That just about sums up the arguments for the prosecution but what can we say in his defence?

Well, for four and a bit years he has had hardly any dosh to spend – unlike his predecessors Jewell and Keane and yet, he has managed to acquire a whole host of decent players; either on loan or permanently that could grace the Premier League!

In fact one of them, Tyrone MIngs, was bought for just 10,000 quid and is now playing in the top flight with Bournemouth!

Loan players such as Tom Lawrence and Jonny Williams are bound for the top and Ryan Fraser, like Tyrone Mings, is already there!

Mick McCarthy knows the Championship well and if there is anyone who could take us up then surely he fits the bill. He has a proven track record at this level as Wolves and Sunderland will testify.

Furthermore, Mick McCarthy even managed to take Ireland further in the World Cup than they have ever gone before so his knowledge base and pedigree speak volumes for the man.

To Sum up then I would say the following.

Instead of us perpetually blaming Mick for everything that goes wrong at the club, we should remember that his hands are tied financially and he has done remarkably well just to keep our heads above water over the last few seasons.

And the other argument is that if he had just half the spending power that some of the other Championship clubs have accrued, then reaching the Prem would be a cakewalk for his management team.

We cannot forget too how Sir Bobby Robson was hounded by supporters who demanded he be sacked. The Board decided to ignore it (sounds familiar) and we all know the results!

If we can end this season in a respectable position then there is every possibility (if resources are finally forthcoming) that Town can make major inroads into this division next term.

I am not someone who believes in the firing squad and therefore I am inclined to give the gaffer my continued support.


Frank Weston – Editor of Vital Ipswich