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This is merely spontaneous but it's a question that appears more relevant as the games pass by and another season is well underway. In short it's a simple Yes or No, there are no gray areas

Would you wish Mick McCarthy to depart as manager of this club by start of next season ?

Let's be clear on this, I have no ill feeling towards McCarthy, believe without question he's the best there's been here in 10 years, but this game is a results business, and if the manager can't deliver or do what he's paid for, then eventually there's only one option. There has to be a name that can put together a premier league team. Some would argue, McCarthy is not that name.

I voted for No

Why ?

Because I strongly believe McCarthy is good for another twelve months, I still have faith in his ability - but can he really take this club back to the premier league ? Royle was great for a time, but even then he couldn't pass the play-off stages.

In other words, I'm prepared to give him another go. I'm prepared to stick with it for another twelve months after May and see what he can put together. Ok the recent loan players weren't for everyone, there was disappointment from sections of our support and even before that there were actual calls for McCarthy to go, which I was against.

But there have been many instances since January where I have become increasingly frustrated with what occurs out there including scores, formations and players brought in, and as manager, McCarthy has to take his share of responsibility.

He's a decent man, a fine upstanding individual, has lots of managerial experience, but is he really your choice to lead this club for another season when we're done again in a few short weeks ? By that you maybe feel there's someone else who could do a better job. People will have their own names and ideas.

This is not an opportunity to berate our manager. I would stick with him for the benefit of this here article and wish him well, but for arguments sake - and many people have alluded to that we won't see a promotion this year - could you see someone else in charge of team affairs by start of next season.

For me its a total no-brainer. Mick McC must stay. With the club rebuilding from the academy upwards, the players he attracts for little or no transfer fee, and the considerable over-achievement this season despite a disappointing 2015 so far.
We are still within touching distance of the top two and well in the play-off mix. 30 points to fight over - anything could happen. My prediction is for a finish in the play-offs - but not promotion. How many clubs get rid of their manager after achieving that?

I cant believe the question is even being raised, it beggars belief. However I do get why the OP is asking it because some of the nonsense being bandied about amongst Town fans justifies it but for me those responsible need help. I have always said that Town fans are amongst the worst for knee jerk reactions and fickleness and everything I am reading and seeing now fully backs my thoughts up.

bluemike wrote:I cant believe the question is even being raised, it beggars belief. However I do get why the OP is asking it because some of the nonsense being bandied about amongst Town fans justifies it but for me those responsible need help. I have always said that Town fans are amongst the worst for knee jerk reactions and fickleness and everything I am reading and seeing now fully backs my thoughts up.

Totally agree. The fact people are even thinking this is ludicrous. A slight bad spell and we need to sack the manager. What!

Mick will be judged on the position we finish at the end of the season.

Be that 7th or 6th - he's still done a great job this season and he's put bums on sits at Portman Road. I'm sure merchandise sales went up before Christmas when the feel good factor was about, we've been on TV more times than I can remeber and we've been talking about promotion all season.

Mick and Terry are the best thing that's happened to Ipswich since Joe Royal bought Shefki Kuqi.

Long live the king(s)

I dont really subscribe to either option , I think from what we ahve seen since xmas along with MM decisions and style of play and given finances to me MM quite probelry may have taken us as far as he can..but does that warrent moving him on...No...because this given our finances and the way ME decides to control them this is as good as it may get for a good while yet unless the academy really produces a few gems so on this basis MM has done a great job

i still think the question has validity though...i know a few think our fans are fickle...but aren't all football fans?? however due to the way MM plays the game and what i would call his apparent unwillingness to make real meaningful squad changes for games , we do have a section of fans who are becoming more vocal and to some degree (this is being substantiated by MM actions or lack off) in the way we play...which despite our arguments against when other mangers said it ....hoof ball...our defense is off song and has been for quite a period now...January loans appear to give us very much at all and were very uninspired to many...our MF is poor to say the least (since xmas particularly).

I tend to think we have what we have, and could be in a much worse state..do i think MM along with ME will ever take town up with our current playing and financial model...NO.!!!

I can't believe anyone is even thinking MM has not done a great job.
Look at the only facts that matter:

10 games to go.
5 points off the top of the league.

What were the doubters expecting??

NO......NO........NO.......NO!

IN MICK WE TRUST!

alants32 wrote:I can't believe anyone is even thinking MM has not done a great job.
Look at the only facts that matter:

10 games to go.
5 points off the top of the league.

What were the doubters expecting??

They expect to win every game and play like the Brazil side of the 70's, they expect us to spend millions on new signings while at the same time slashing ticket prices.

Should we get rid of MM by the start of next season. No

Even if the majority of fans wanted this (which they don't) it wouldn't happen as no doubt Mick is in the group of the highest paid managers in this division and was given a new 3 year contract before the start of this season.

If we fail to make the top 6 this season after being where we were at the start of 2015 should questions be asked? Yes and I would hope that the management team and owner would question what went wrong to try to ensure that if we are in this position again that the same thing didn't happen. Far better than just sweeping it under the carpet and saying yes we did over achieve this season.

For me the interesting part will come next season. I feel there will be more pressure on Mick to obtain that top 6 place next year and even his staunchest supporters may start to become restless if we don't. I feel the original post may become far more relevant then.

NO

I don't think there is anything wrong with the question. MM isn't Jose Mourinho after all. However, with that said I think MM has done wonders with our budget. The one thing I feel MM could improve on is maybe having a bit more faith in our fringe players, especially the younger lads. I don't see how bringing in either Connolly, Stewart or Henshall for the last 15 minutes of a game is going to cause us to collapse. Give em a chance!

If anything needs to change, it's the quality of players and the depth of the squad. How we accomplish that depends on many factors. But that won't change just by changing the manager.

There's still a chance we'll be promoted this season!

No, MM is best we've had for ages, and Terry too, stick with them and this tree will bare fruit eventually.

If MM does not apologize for telling hard earned supporters who dare to disagree with his substitutions to "F off",then perhaps he should go. As a fella i have met and spoken with many times,I like the guy, But i would like him to "man up" on this occasion.

Core supporters are the very heart of any football club and they have opinions too.

Did that happen ??? First I have heard of it, I suspect it is merely idle reporting.

In my opinion he's the best manager we've had since Bobby Robson. I know Burley had a decent run but in my opinion he wasn't a good manager and MM is in a different class.
McCarthy took over a very poor team and arrived at a club in poor shape and has transformed the place with minimum budget.
Yes I know we all get a bit frustrated sometimes because we want more, but in reality we have no right to expect as much as we've already achieved in such a short timescale.
Yes he is a bit blunt sometimes and speaks his mind, but isn't that part of his charm.

As far as I'm concerned the fella is welcome for at least a five year term at which time it's probably worth having a review.

YES !

He should leave Ipswich.... leave the championship behind us and LEAD us to the Premiership....

Here Here Andy.

this is a tough question, if only he would visit this and TWTD & EADT sites, and listen to blues supporters team selections, of which he's not paid to do by the way, it might be Mick & Tel out and Mike or Liz in but no way should Mick go, this is the best league position we have been in since BFJ & GB were in charge, he did say it wont be pretty at times, and he's kept his word on that, and besides I'm playing golf with him on Tuesday 31st March at Ufford Park, so he cant leave, and I want to take some of his owt tight Yorkshire brass.

In one or two above responses it mentioned that 'why are we talking about firing the manager' -or words to that effect. Let's be realistic - there is no chance in hell that McCarthy will be fired or terminated from his position - the only way our manager will leave is by resignation. In other words - McCarthy may believe he's done a very good job, gave it a great shot, but may be tempted to move on if another club shows interest or he believes he can be more capable elsewhere.

You can take a moment to look at what Bournemouth have done this season, Howe is his name or something, now there is an example of a manager doing what he is paid for and providing an outstanding success. Probably working on less than what McCarthy has at his disposal. I apologize unreservedly, but it has to be said, the new man at Norwich has been a revelation in his short time and you can't help but be impressed. That is the only admiration I will allow them.

Point being, and just to reiterate so there is no ambiguity, I have nothing against Mick McCarthy as our team manager, why I even voted for him to remain in position for another year. I realize we're most likely not going to get a promotion this year, but looking ahead beyond that, wonder if in fourteen months from here, if we find ourselves in a similar scenario, if it would have been better (in retrospect) that McCarthy had resigned / we had brought in another name to undertake team endeavors.

The thing is, a few short months ago I would not even have entertained anything like this, McCarthy was something of a genius and we were without question enduring the best spell at this club in a decade, but as things have fallen away in recent weeks, have become more irritated and have been thinking more regularly that maybe a new name in the summer wouldn't be such a bad thing. There was never any malice or animosity towards the man, it's merely for the good of the club above all else.

2 seasons ago we were bottom of the league fighting relegation, now we're challenging and have loads to talk and shout about again.

He's a brilliant manager.

Eddie Howe of Bournemouth is a great manager too, but he has had a bigger budget to play with. Bournemouth have had quite a lot of investment in them over the last couple of years.

ashfordblue wrote: this is a tough question, if only he would visit this and TWTD & EADT sites, and listen to blues supporters team selections, of which he's not paid to do by the way, it might be Mick & Tel out and Mike or Liz in but no way should Mick go, this is the best league position we have been in since BFJ & GB were in charge, he did say it wont be pretty at times, and he's kept his word on that, and besides I'm playing golf with him on Tuesday 31st March at Ufford Park, so he cant leave, and I want to take some of his owt tight Yorkshire brass.

If he listened to what people on those sites said, he'd have been sacked a long time ago. Also if you're playing golf with him, maybe you can tell him about all of his problems yourself eh?

Mick is playing golf on March 31st? Get him the effin fk out! Fkn part timer.

SJ, Bournemouth have a massive budget compared to us, spent millions on Callum Wilson and in January had an offer well in excess of 5 million turned down for Demarei Grey of Birmingham, if MM was fortunate enough to have that kind of money we would be miles ahead of bournemouth.

Just say we can't get out of our recent dip in form and finish up 7th/8th or whatever, not a bad season on paper.

I am not saying for a second MM should go, but is there a degree of truth in the fact that after the two previous Managers our expectations have been lowered a bit over recent years which makes Mick seem better than perhaps he is?

No, I think he is every bit as good as he appears to be. We were down in league One when he arrived and he dragged us up to mid table. This season has exceeded everyone's expectations bar none and lets not forget it isn't over yet !!!!

As Hallam has pointed out in the past he is rebuilding the club on Two fronts at the same time, we have the here and now with players such as Berra, McGoldrick, Murphy etc etc coming in for nothing, we alos have the academy youngsters coming through and being given a chance, Bishop, Clarke, Mings (ok not academy), Kundai Benyu, kyle Hammond, Andre Dozzell, we have also signed young Darren McQueen, Dylan Connolly and McDowell with an eye on the future, I think things are looking bright where the academy is concerned and while that isnt all down to MM it is when he bloods these kids into the first team squad.

I think 'brilliant manager' is a bit much...just my opinion. He's a very good Championship manager with vast experience which isn't too shabby. Alas, he does like his football the old fashioned way, but I am willing to give him a chance to get us promoted. Who the hell else could get us out of this league at the moment?! I have to say much of the Academy's progress has to be credited to Klug and his return. I was happy to see how quickly Bish got blooded, and I'd like to see MM take a few more chances on our youngsters.

loudnproud wrote:If MM does not apologize for telling hard earned supporters who dare to disagree with his substitutions to "F off",then perhaps he should go. As a fella i have met and spoken with many times,I like the guy, But i would like him to "man up" on this occasion.

Core supporters are the very heart of any football club and they have opinions too.

Wasn't at the game but appears it was only a minor incident, or others may see it something more relevant. Yes, in short it would appear a select few in the family enclosure found McCarthys decision to substitute Sears questionable, and the former made a response back in no uncertain terms. Some took issue with it, some didn't make much of it. Guess in the heat of the moment something was said and while some would frown on such behavior from a team manager, you could imagine plenty of previous managerial figures have done similar at some time or another. Personally I didn't take issue with it.

frostynz wrote:Just say we can't get out of our recent dip in form and finish up 7th/8th or whatever, not a bad season on paper.

I am not saying for a second MM should go, but is there a degree of truth in the fact that after the two previous Managers our expectations have been lowered a bit over recent years which makes Mick seem better than perhaps he is?

That works to a certain extent as before Mick came in, we had the ineptitude of Keane and Jewell, and can't always remember much of Magilton's tenure for some reason but can recall vaguely there were a number of calls for his resignation at some point or another.

Point being, the general crap we have had to endure in the last 10 years, McCarthy at times has almost resembled Jock Stein or Paisley, in comparison with the fools before him. I think if for arguments sake had one or two of those aforementioned names seen the club regularly finish in or around a play-off place instead of the often garbage they provided, then McCarthy would not receive so much adulation. For the last time, No I don't want him to leave, Yes I realize what a fine job he has done, but trying to a lend little perspective here.

Hmmmmmmm.......some interesting comments on this thread.

What amazes me more than anything is how some people can alter their opinions so swiftly.
There are a few who - recently - have expressed their utter frustration at the tactics and team selection, but they now declare that MM is the best manager in the Championship. You cannot have it both ways.

I have said before that I feel sorry for MM in the fact that he has had no backing at all in terms of resources from the owner.
In that respect, he has done a superb job in getting us to where we are currently.
But considering where we were at the turn of the year, could it be better now?
Could we be in a higher position than we find ourselves?
If we could, then why has it gone wrong?
Is there any truth in the rumour that ME made funds available in the January transfer window but MM was not keen on spending?

So to answer the OP question, I have asked myself the following questions:

1) Am I happy with the style of hoof ball currently being played? NO
2) Am I happy that players are being played out of position? NO
3) Am I happy that we play narrow and with very little pace? NO
4) Do I think that if we played a different system to 4-4-2 and with players in their proper positions we would get better results? YES

No brainer for me, then. I would rather see us play attractive football and lose than see us play boring hoof ball and lose.

Thats the age old question Rossi style over results??? Whilst you can have both from a team its rearely that you can have them both from a team over a length of time. Liverpool og the eighties man u of the ninties brazil of the seventies, spain from 2004 the list goes on. We are not and never have been a side with massive resources or a huge gate that could warrant massive spending.
The late great Sir Bobby achieved massive success on a relative shoestring and those of us that remember those glory days ,cant help but yearn for those glory days to come back in some way or form.

Getting back to the OP its clear that certain fans a dissappointed as to the recent run of results (which is their prerogative) but i dont think anyone with hand on Heart would say Mick and TC have´nt done a wonderful job bearing in mind the resources at their disposal.

Players out of position is another question and i refer you to my recent post of "Square pegs" where in a nutshell i think professional footballers should be able to cover a position similar to their favoured position without it being the end of the world.

In short Big mick like us all has over the course of the season made mistakes but hes done an awful more things right than wrong and deserves praise as does TC.

Other side of this coin is - will MM stick with us?

Yes, he's undoubtedly being well paid and doing a job he appears to enjoy - despite the frustrations he has recently admitted to: as we all have.

But being an individual with ambition and desire to move us forward, and knowing the limitations of his hard-working squad, he will surely be seeking some modest support from ME next term in order to achieve that. If not, he may well conclude that he's taken us as far as he can. If, and the hope remains alive, we triumph via the play-offs then this obviously takes on a whole new dimension! It's his assessment of next season's chances if we don't that looms large.

I very much want him to remain - at this point in the club's long existence he's unquestionably the right man for us.