The pressure is beginning to mount.
Ahead of the East Anglia derby against Norwich City, Ipswich Town boss Mick McCarthy is certainly feeling the pressure.
The club currently lie in 15th position in the Championship, 17 points off the playoff positions.
McCarthy, who is the longest serving manager in England’s second tier, doesn’t seem to have lived up to the expectations of fans this season.
The former Republic of Ireland manager rescued the club from relegation in his first season in charge, before reaching the playoffs in culmination of his third season.
So the team’s performance this season has definitely been a let down.
However, McCarthy is dealing with an extremely limited budget, which is more troubling when you consider the big spenders in the league such as Newcastle United and Aston Villa.
For the 58-year-old, it seems he would be receptive to the option of being at a club where promotion is expected due to the monies being allocated.
“I said to Marcus (Marcus Evans – Club Owner) ‘if somebody said here’s a team, and we spend a 100 million quid on it, and we expect to get promotion or you will be gone at the end of the year’, I would be more than happy to have that. To have that pressure,” McCarthy told The Sunday Times.
McCarthy only has one year left on his contract and he suggests that if the fans continue to be unhappy with his role, then something will have to change.
“I want to know if we can be competitive, can I be competitive, and if I’m going to be here that the club’s going to be happy with that.
“The fans are the ones that dictate it. I love doing this job and I give everything for it , but me turning up on August 7 going ‘Hello’ and they all go ‘f*** off, we don’t want you’ – that’s not going to be any good to anybody.”
Due to the cut-throat nature of England’s second tier, it’s impressive that McCarthy is currently in his fourth season with the club, but with the ideology that almost all clubs in the Championship are entitled to be in contention for promotion, the 58-year-old may not be around too much longer at Portman Road.
