McCarthy happy to silence the doubters

Mick McCarthy believes masterminding Ipswich Town’s escape from relegation will have silenced some of those who doubted him after his sacking at Wolves in February last year.

After eight months out of work, the 54-year-old took over at Portman Road on November 1 following Paul Jewell’s departure with the Tractor Boys bottom of the table on seven points from 13 games.

Last week’s 3-1 home victory over Birmingham confirmed their Championship status for another season and saw them move up to 11th in a remarkably tight division.

McCarthy says he still believed in himself, but feels that wasn’t universally the case elsewhere.

“I didn’t doubt myself but I got the distinct impression that one or two thought I was old news and a little bit tired for some reason because everybody wants a young up and coming manager it would appear,” he said.

“Lots of jobs came and went, so I got that feeling because we’d been scrapping at the bottom of the league [with Wolves] for three years.

“But I never doubted myself that I could do it and I would like to think that anybody who did doubt me has had that pushed to one side after coming in here with seven points and we’ve got 60 now.”

Asked whether keeping Wolves, who look set to have their second successive relegation confirmed at Brighton today, in the Premier League was an achievement in itself, McCarthy is quick to respond: “It’s looking that way, isn’t it!”

He added: “I didn’t get relegated by the way, I was in the bottom three on goal difference. I did not get relegated.”

McCarthy says he’d love the chance to improve that record in the Premier League, ideally with Ipswich, with whom he has a contract until the summer of 2015. “I’d like to get the opportunity to rectify it, of course I would!.”

Meanwhile, McCarthy plans to bring Ipswich squad to Ireland this summer as he prepares for his first full season in charge of the Tractor Boys. The Championship side will play one friendly with McCarthy hoping to utilise the facilities at Carton House in Kildare where he brought his Wolves squad in 2010.