Town boss Mick McCarthy wants a performance and result which will “unite everybody again” when the Blues face Fulham at Portman Road this afternoon.

A crowd of around 19-20,000 is expected for the game against the ninth-placed Whites, the highest home attendance since the Norwich derby in August.

“It will be fab if we do [get a crowd of that size], will be great,” said McCarthy, who is looking for his 15th-placed team to record back-to-back victories for the first time this season.

After what’s been the most fractious period of his management at Town with a large section of fans making their disenchantment clear on the terraces and elsewhere, he’d like to see a unifying performance and result.

“It would be fabulous,” he said. “[At the AGM on Wednesday] they asked me what I’m going to do and I said I’m going to continue working and try and make sure we get results so that people enjoy coming back to watch us and enjoy being at Portman Road and we're going up the league and not looking over our shoulders and scrapping around in the bottom half of the league.

“It would be lovely to have a good performance and a good result and just unite everybody again. If it’s 50/50, let’s get back to 70/30, I’ll take that if 30 per cent don’t like me, I can happily live with that.”

He added: “We want the ones who have not been turning up to remember a good game and a good result, not to come and go ‘That’s the reason why we haven’t been coming’. We want a good performance and a good result.”

He admits he had expected the criticism he received from some PLC shareholders at the AGM, although was heartened to hear others speaking up for him and praising the job he has done during his four years at the club.

“I wasn’t surprised,” he said when asked what he made of the AGM and the split opinion among shareholders.

“Actually I was surprised by the first chap’s comments and pretty humbled by that, it was nice of him, but from the smattering of applause quite clearly not everybody agreed with him. But that’s OK.

“And the guy at the front probably summed it up. He said he kind of agreed with the chap from the back but he said, ‘Mick, I’ll be honest with you, I’m not enjoying everything, some good, some bad’, and I agreed with him.

“I’m not sat here arrogantly thinking we’re doing great and I was, as I usually am, as brutally honest as I’m ever going to be.”

Today’s opponents Fulham are one of a number of clubs who have been linked with moves for McCarthy during his time with Town.

“It’s funny, over the last four years when I’ve been doing really well at this club I’ve been touted for a lot of jobs,” the Blues boss reflected.

“And now I’m not doing so well I shouldn’t even be keeping this one. The irony of football, it’s wonderful.”

Photo: TWTD

Penguinblue added 06:58 - Dec 26 I should wish all including MM Merry Christmas an Happy New Year but in all honesty I think our club would be better in so many ways without McCarthy and his proper blokes. So best wishes - bur please get out of our club
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battyblue added 07:01 - Dec 26 50/50 N0.........more like 80/20 but lets see some entertainment but it will take a lot more than one game to win back the fans i am afraid .
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blue75 added 08:13 - Dec 26 McCarthy will never change his style hence why so many fans stay away! Boxing always has a good turn out tickets give as Christmas present and family days out. Today's game will be the normal bore the opposition and try to nick a goal or 2. I hope I'm wrong but McCarthy hasn't changed in all the years he's been a manager!
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martin587 added 08:20 - Dec 26 The last paragraph on this report just about sums it up.Say no more.!!
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Suffolk_n_Good added 08:32 - Dec 26 Right let me be honest here, this is only my thoughts, but I honestly believe someone (probably Milne & Evans) have had a quiet word in McCarthys ear, over the last couple of weeks his tone & attitude towards the fans has changed remarkably. I remember reading on TWTD that MM had had a meeting with the owner, where he said lots of things had been discussed, players, style, money, dwindling crowds etc... I just feel that a conversation my if gone along the lines of: Evans: Mick look we think you've done a great job in your 4 years, you've bought players & sold them on at great profit, great business for the club, you've made us a hard unit to beat, you've carried out the job remit to a tee, however, we can't keep losing fans & season ticket holders at the rate we are, therefore we need you to "tone down" your anger/disappointment in the post match interview, getting the fans backs up isn't going to help with attendances, tied into this, I know money is tight & I understand this is my fault, I will be giving you extra funds to help in January, & let me reassure you, as the owner I'm more than happy with the job your doing, & your job is safe, you have no worries on that front, but I want us to play a more creative/entertaining game, we have to, to keep the fans on board, & that's were the extra investment in player funds will help you, so you happy with this plan Mick? McCarthy: well yep you're the boss Marcus, if that's what you want from me then that's what me & TC will deliver, I'd like to thank you personally for your backing, your a "proper bloke" Marcus, a "proper bloke" (handshake) right, I'm gonna get back out on the training ground, I'll relay the news to my captain Chambo & the boys. Can just hear this happening!!!!

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jas0999 added 09:19 - Dec 26 Agree with him on this occasion, but the proof will be in the pudding. It's a home game against decent opposition, so the team selection should be an attacking one. That means under no circumstances should Skuse/Douglas start. Then, we should look to attack from minute one.
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Dissboyitfc added 09:34 - Dec 26 One minute i think i wish i was going, next i am glad i am not wasting time or money on the rubbish he continues to serve up. Forget about lack of investment, MM plays his style, he could inherit the Barcelona squad and in no time he would convert them to his hoofbal, with only the proper blokes starting,l its all he knows. He is out of date. I WONT BE STEPPING FOOT INSIDE PORTMAN ROAD UNTIL THERE IS CHANGE. A sentiment echoed by a growing number of fans.

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hogster1970 added 10:13 - Dec 26 Suffolk and good I think you are spot on mate. Something has changed that's for sure. And it has to because fans want to see a great performance aswell as the result. And the 2 go hand in hand. If you as a team put in 100% performance week in week out then the results will follow. Yes some times you may draw instead of winning or loose instead of a draw. How ever long term it's better for the team and the fans as it will be genrally good entertainment and that is what us fans want even if it means staying in the camp. But as we all know the team selection has been very defensive. And that is mainly to the fact the back 4 mick doesn't trust which in turn means it effects attacking style of football which in turn it's more turgid to watch. Let's hope he has seen the light because if not it's a big downward spiral.

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brendanh added 10:28 - Dec 26 You'll have to select a unifying team then rather than your overcautious favourites. A team the crowd will get behind, win, lose or draw.
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christiand added 10:35 - Dec 26 From what I read from the AGM (thanks Phil and Gav), MM got off very lightly. The mood of that meeting certainly didn't reflect what the majority of us feel towards Ipswich at the moment. Simply the fans are staying away because of the poor football and MM only selecting his mates regardless of performance, we've had enough and I'm one of those too-not wasting my money on getting a neck-ache to watch pub standard football. It will be interesting to see what his selection is today, especially with the injuries we currently have. Please not Douglas, he just isn't good enough and his legs have gone!

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heathen66 added 11:02 - Dec 26 Mick I am unsure the split is 50/50, and I would not expect 20k there today. The way to unite everyone is to start trying to win games (instead of trying not to lose them). Try to entertain instead of grinding out a nil nil, and hope you snerak something Play players in their correct positions instead of shoe-horning your favourites into positions where they are either a liability or perform poorly Play players who play well and not just those whose face fit. Teach your defensive players to attack as you teach your attack players to defend...it is a two way thing !!! In all honesty, it is quite simple really, as football in general is Oh and by the way...when we do win, don't have a go at the fans telling them you are right and us fans know nothing !!! Yes you do command some respect for what you have achieved in football, but so do we, as believe it or not, us fans are also sometimes right !!!

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Dissboyitfc added 11:18 - Dec 26 Heathen66 a top post!! well said.
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terryf added 11:56 - Dec 26 Yes, 4 years ago he was the right bloke to steady the ship, but do we still have to keep hearing it again and again. If you owned a business would you pay a guy a million plus to fail. No, so lets move on please. The bottom line with us disgruntled fans is we just want to watch some entertaining football and for McCarthy to have a go, rather than putting out defensive minded teams and worrying about how the opposition are lining up, irrespective of the opposition, week after week. I'm not saying we have to go out gung ho every match, but lets have some balance to team selection and tactics and please give some of our promising youngsters a chance. Playing them for one game, praising them up and then bringing back your old favourites must be demoralising. If things don't improve I'm seriously thinking of giving up my season ticket after 55 years and I'm sure I'm not alone. I'm realistic enough to know we will not see the glory days ever again at Portman Road, but please grant our new year's wish for some entertaining football!!

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Mark added 13:11 - Dec 26 A sub-20K crowd at home to a London club on Boxing Day would be disappointing, and I hope isn't trumpeted as a success. I usually buy tickets for family as Christmas presents but this year there is no interest due to the poor quality of football. Entertainment is the issue more so than league position. Good post from Suffolkngood - I agree it feels like Mick has been spoken to as his approach in what he is saying to fans and the way he is saying it is rather a u-turn. We CAN all pull together and turn this around I think, IF the club carries out the strategy mentioned at the APM. Let's really invest in some quality youngsters in January and give the club a brighter future that we can look forward to watching develop. If a youngster comes into the team and does well, keep him in. COYB!

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hogster1970 added 14:17 - Dec 26 Well I take back what I said as just seen the team sheet. And yep Douglas is back in. What's wrong with bru ffs
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emergencylime added 17:49 - Dec 26 Looks like MM is uniting the fans in one sense
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bluesi added 18:50 - Dec 26 So January is a big month now, Pretty sure same thing was said about December! 4 pts out of 15 pts so far in December!
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