Boss Mick McCarthy says Town will keep scrapping away and will see where they end up after climbing to fifth in the table following a September which has seen them claim 13 points from a possible 15.

“We’re hard to beat and we’ve certainly improved,” McCarthy said after Tuesday's 1-1 draw at Sheffield Wednesday. “We’ll keep scrapping away and we'll see where we end up, if we beat last season’s position.”

He added: “I’m happy with the squad. We want to get promoted, we set off with desires and designs of the top six.

“I don’t think we’re one of the best teams in the league or one of the best squads, although we’re turning out to be a competent squad.”

McCarthy looks certain to be at least nominated for September’s Manager of the Month award and could become the first Town boss to carry off the gong since Joe Royle in November 2004.

The Town manager, who while with Sunderland was coincidentally amongst the nominees to lose out to Royle, has picked up the award three times with his previous clubs, once with Wearsiders and twice with Wolves, most recently in November 2008.

McCarthy’s biggest current problem, aside from the possibility of suffering the infamous Manager of the Month curse, is deciding which of his players to leave out.

However, he says he’d rather have too many players than too few: “It’s better than looking round at the bench, keeping looking, keeping looking and realising your best XI are on the pitch and you can’t change it. That is a real worry. Having options on the bench is lovely.”

He says Paul Anderson is amongst those who have been unfortunate to be left out of some recent games: “Ando’s been unlucky. I changed it at Wigan and we won handsomely there. I thought it was a really good performance and left it alone for Saturday and we won again.

“It’s difficult to have a chance to coach what you want to do on a Monday if you’re going to change it because all the lads are still recovering and knackered if you have them running around. And then when we have to drive up to Sheffield that doesn’t help.

“So, it was easier to leave it alone but change a couple of the personnel. Ando’s a wide player really, but I thought he did well on Saturday.

“Kevin Bru played Saturday, so I’d got Skusey, who had been a mainstay of the team, and Bish, who has been great, so I just put them back in and that gave us fresh legs.”

The Town boss was impressed with the Owls during Tuesday’s game: “I thought they were decent, Sheffield Wednesday. I think they’ve had a really good start to the season.

“I think they’ve got a good shape to them. Stevie May’s added something to them, Atdhe Nuhiu, the big fella up front, he’s a proper handful in this league.

“Jacques Maghoma, Chris Maguire, I think they’ve got a good shape. They didn’t change it to play against our 4-3-3 [from the start, although] they did at one stage during the game. I think they’re a decent side.

“Like the rest of us, they’re hardworking, they always put a shift in and if you do that you’ve got a chance.”

Photo: Action Images

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 12:03 - Oct 2 At the start of the season, I would have preferred Bialkowski, but there's no doubt Gerkin has stepped up to the plate (!) recently. Perhaps that's due to having Bialkowski in the wings.
2

battyblue added 12:22 - Oct 2 Gerks is an average championship goalkeeper, Murphy is an average championship striker,both do okay but neither stands out,Gerks prone to silly mistakes and murphs hit the target rate is low although he normally scores when on target so room for improvement in both areas.
-2

bobble added 13:07 - Oct 2 the bad medicine that the dark lord left behind is wearing off...
2

bigrob46 added 14:00 - Oct 2 Why do people have to moan about any of our players I for one am an admirer of gerken being an ex keeper myself we are only as good as the players in front off us all teams should defend from the front the opposition has to get past ten players before beating the keeper it's a team game so if we conceed blame the whole team not an individual COYB
3

Special_A added 15:05 - Oct 2 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/the-filter/11133756/Who-is-the-greatest-living-Yo Get voting!!!!!!
1

WindsorBlue added 17:26 - Oct 2 Mick is under performing, no question! 13 pts out of 15 is awful after having spent £10000 on players. Gerks is rubbish...I think he thinks he's some sort of Viking with that beard which I think is the route of his problems. My mate was at Sheffield, and he said gerks kept us in it with a wonder save from close range, but I didn't hear that on radio Suffolk. That may have something to do with the cheese and onion crisps I was eating at the time. They were overly crunchy, and in my mind that is unacceptable. Whilst chewing some of the commentary was inaudible. Right I'm spending too much time on the positives here, I'm off to the Walkers Crisps forum to ensure my views on their overly crisp crisps is heard!

2

theobald1985 added 17:42 - Oct 2 anybody who speaks out against gerkin on here seems to be getting slaugtered but it is wrong to judge his form over just the last few games where he had had a decent run tom be fair-overall though over the last 2 seasons he has not been a good enough keeper for a side with aspiration of getting promoted-during the summer even mcathys supporters were saying it was the place we needed to strengthen so in the few games we have had this good run dont change the fact that we is dodgy on crosses knowing when to come and when to stay and his kicking can be poor.Im sure he is doing his best and he makes some eye catching saves but I think many other teams in the league have a better keeper. The idea from some that taylor going has been a catalyst is a nonsense-he was with the u 21s most of the time its more likely that keeping mcgoldrick , the arrival of williams and a bit of luck at last have been more important. its great to have a spell with such good results and I have said before that if we are going to play in this mcarthy style(which im not a fan of personally) then I expect that he should get us promoted-he has been allowed to build his own squad been allowed to keep 10 millions quid worth of talent and bring in collison willaims ambrose sammon etc so its got to be top 6 now or the project has not worked

-2

WindsorBlue added 18:30 - Oct 2 We are a bunch of average players, who outperform as a team under MM. I thought we looked decent at Sheffield, against a good side, similar to our own. To put promotion as an expectation is ludicrous. If it happens I'll be jumping around, but similarly I won't see 10th as a disappointing season, given our resources. By placing expectation on promotion is only setting you up for disappointment pal, and will just fuel moaning. Mick has done an exceptional job, and if we all step back and see we have had consistent progression on a shoestring, there will be less to moan about and more to embrace!

-2

StirlingArcher added 18:48 - Oct 2 "That Gerken should have done a back flip caught the ball and then scored with a solo run then save a cat off the North stand roof then put out a Fire with his beard.." this just this :)
0

BlueandTruesince82 added 19:08 - Oct 2 Erm didnt we only sign him last season? When admittedly he was average but as with most players under Mick some time working with him shows marked improvement. Fact is right now he deserves his place in the team. That may change but if it does Mick has shown hes not scared to drop players, bloke called loach who looked a bit shakey against us the other week can testify to that. l

2

TimmyH added 20:07 - Oct 2 I think big_gaz67 has been watching to much of Gary Neville on Sky Sports...criticizing Mignolet at Liverpool for doing the same thing and now has decided to emulate him...haven't you?
0

Warkys_Tash added 20:49 - Oct 2 Keep scraping, Mick, keep scrapping, I'll settling for scrapping if you can keep us in the top 5 from now until the end of season. Let's scrap at Forest on Sunday, score first & their crowd will get desperate - They haven't hit a barn door for the past three, let's make it four..
0

ForrestsFingers added 01:50 - Oct 3 Will people stop having a go at our keepers! As an ex keeper, my body doesn't like me anymore, the biggest thing that can affect a keeper is lack of confiedence. If Gerks reads this from so called fans, it isn't going to help. Back him up and shut the **** up
0

Blogs 296 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls