Mick McCarthy: There's no clamour for my services

Now in his fourth year as Ipswich Town manager and, having just fallen short of emulating last season’s play-off place, Mick McCarthy is familiar with the perception that limited finances at Portman Road mean he has probably taken the club as far as he can.

But McCarthy insists he is “on board” for the remaining two years of his contract.

“I know what the gig is,” he says. “If there’s not huge funds there to spend, then I accept that and make the best of what I’ve got. The lads do as well, which is great. I continue to get the best out of them and they out of me.”

The same, he notes approvingly, could be said of his relationship with Ipswich owner Marcus Evans.

“There’s a way forward at my club which is that Marcus, who I get on great with, has trusted me to run his club and leaves me to run his club. I hear of all these other clubs where owners are supposedly picking the team or have so many picks in the team and they interfere all the time — I don’t get any of that.

“And if anyone wants to speak to me or make an offer, they have to contact Marcus and he would have to tell me if there’s been some contact and would I like to speak to them? That’s the way it is. And, as yet, I’ve not had any call from Marcus saying that Everton, Villa or anybody else have been in touch.

“And I don’t anticipate they will actually. I don’t think there’s a clamour for my services, if I have to be honest.

“I’ve not yet been named where there’s been a Qatari billionaire and somebody says: ‘Mick McCarthy would be great for that job’. I’ve not heard that one yet.”

Such self-deprecating humour has always been an attractive trait of McCarthy’s but it shouldn’t be confused with any lack of belief in his managerial abilities.

“I’ve been one of the top 26 managers out of 92 for the last 24 years,” he points out. And the Republic of Ireland — we went from, what, 39th to 13th, was it? I reckon I’ve had a pretty good managerial career. And I’m proud of that, I’m pleased with that.

“I’m only 57, and I’d like to be as good as I possibly can be but I’m not touting myself around. For however long I am at Ipswich, I’ll continue to ply my trade and 100% try to be as good as I can.

“I’ll try to get into the top six next year and try and get into the play-offs. It will be harder still with the clubs that are coming down, of course.”

A broad grin.

“But it would be nice to rub their noses in it when we finish above some of them as well”.