Town boss Mick McCarthy says the abuse aimed at midfielder Jonathan Douglas “irked” his team-mates as it would anyone else in a similar situation.

Veteran midfielder Douglas was controversially recalled to the team which drew 1-1 at Portman Road on Saturday with fans reacting angrily to his inclusion.

McCarthy says his players aren’t down about the current atmosphere at Portman Road but are frustrated with themselves as they shouldn’t be where they are in the division, 17th, six points off the relegation zone with seven matches left to play.

“Not down, I think they’re a bit pissed off with it, not down,” he said. “Maybe pissed off at themselves more than anybody else because we know we can do better and we should be doing better. And the only way you get crowds to support you is by playing well and winning games.

“Sheffield Wednesday’s U23s are here today, I believe their manager Carlos Carvalhal is getting grief, he’s been the hero for a long time up in Yorkshire but they’ve just dropped to seventh and suddenly the atmosphere’s changed, that’s what happens.

“It’s down to us. You keep asking me questions all the time about the crowd and about what they want, it’s purely and simply down to us.

“They sell pies and pints and shirts and everything else on the back of good performances. They get people in the ground by having a good team and good results.

“And nothing else, I’m not bothered what initiatives you can try and use, they’ll all help when you’re doing well but you’ve got to be doing well.

“Otherwise the crowd get pissed off and sing shitty songs at the owner, the manager and probably the best player on Saturday, strangely enough.

“And I don’t give a shite what anybody thinks about that, he was good on Saturday, Dougie, and it was a shambles that the shouted that at him.”

Does that sort of chanting affect the other players? “It irks them, definitely. You try going out with your mates or your family and see one of your family or friends get pilloried.

“I’d like to think it would upset you. And if you’ve ever been in a team of any sort then you don’t like that, that’s not good.

“They have a siege mentality and they don’t like anybody being singled out, it’s horrible.”

Did the players rally around Douglas, who has been on the end of criticism from fans from virtually his first game for the Blues after joining from Brentford in the summer of 2015, following Saturday’s match?

“They all kissed him afterwards and he felt a lot better!” joked McCarthy, who says the 35-year-old never let it get to him: “He kept wanting the ball and kept having it and he played well.”

He added: “It didn’t affect him on Saturday, he took it in his stride. He’s such low maintenance. He’s been here two years and however many games he’s played. Whenever he plays he just gives his lot and he’s a great character and I don’t think he’s that sensitive.”

Are situations such as that where you see players’ true characters emerge? I’d turn that around, we weren’t in the best position on Saturday, players had been away and it was fortunate that we had Dougie, who came in and was as solid as he was, certainly when Skusey went off.

“Anybody that’s reading this, and if you write it just exactly as I say it, all them that were screaming at me and ‘Why should he be on the pitch…’, well I think you know what they can do.”

They should ‘Foxtrot Oscar’, as he previously put it? “That’s a good thing that if you want to put that, that you said they should do that, that’s great. Thank you. I would never have used that, personally!”

Photo: TWTD

Michael11 added 16:58 - Apr 3 I do feel very sorry for Douglas. He shouldn't get the amount of stick he does, but I fully blame McCarthy as he shouldn't have been put in the firing line at such a fragile time for supporters. We're angry and want change, and I personally think McCarthy only picked him to deflect a potentially poor performance on to making the fans look like the bad guys. If you're that "irked" then why don't you Foxtrot Oscar yourself.

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Mullet added 17:05 - Apr 3 Some people never learn do they?
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Westy added 17:11 - Apr 3 I loath the booing of any Ipswich player, for to boo a player is to boo the shirt. Disgraceful.
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Cloddyseedbed added 17:25 - Apr 3 The hate and toxic atmosphere is created by the manager, team selection and tactics. That is where the anger and frustration is being aimed MM. It's not the players fault they are selected in positions they are not that suited to or the game plan they are quite clearly under orders to follow. Stifflement, that is a new word I've made up but it sums up our play well I feel. Personally I think the boo's etc are aimed at the manager and his tactics and a lot of us fans know what players are really struggling but get no help from the manager, in fact they are just being fed to the lions just to p*ss the crowd off. MM inject some energy and life into the team and the ground. Let some players have a real go going forward attacking, shooting and moving around, encourage it. You are the one encouraging stifflement and oppression on your own players, have you not realised yet that is why we never look like creating anything, shooting and actually scoring. Let Rowe have 20 minutes tomorrow, he can't be any worse. We're playing Wigan not Liverpool or Chelsea. Remember MM the boo's are for you and your selection, not the players!

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Marcus added 17:29 - Apr 3 I have to disagree with the majority of comments here. May I introduce the concept of the football players being humans with emotions and not robots. Singling out (bullying) one player is also showing a great disdain for one of their friends. Douglas is a decent human being, he's a professional with a distinguished career. He's not playing at his best, he's been asked to play a role that limits him, he's at the tail end of his career. He went through a poor spell and then it's worth considering just how much confidence is part of the game. How many of you have jobs where you CONSTANTLY hear people boo and criticise you from the moment you start work? If that was your work environment no matter what you're paid, would you perform at your best? Would your colleagues, seeing how their friend/colleague is being abused? It's time to stop picking on the one player, stop making him the scapegoat. It isn't about whether he's playing well or not, it's about creating an atmosphere of hate that can only result is dragging the club down and closer to relegation. Respect someone who wears the blue shirt no matter what. The crappiest of them is almost certainly a shed load better than 99.9% of those reading this comment.

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CornardBlue added 17:31 - Apr 3 All we want to see is Town going out and attacking teams and play with a bit of flare. He did not have to play Douglas on Saturday he could have played young Andre Dozzell which would have lifted the crowd. Instead it had to be normal negative tactics. Birmingham were one of the worst teams to come to Portman Road this season and we even made them look good because all we do is sit back and let other teams dictate the game.

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silkcutblue added 17:34 - Apr 3 We should be exactly where we are in the league. Rubbish football ,poor players, poor manager, poor owner. Next
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silkcutblue added 17:35 - Apr 3 We should be exactly where we are in the league. Rubbish football ,poor players, poor manager, poor owner. Next
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Gatehouse added 17:38 - Apr 3 Sorry mick but you blame everyone else but you, even an idiot would have known that picking Douglas with skues would alienate us fans in a game we had to win it hasn't worked all season surely it's a sign of madness to keep trying something that has proven never to work. Look I've never met you Mick you're probably a descent bloke but you are treating genuine honest fans as fools and with utter contempt you seem to be going out of your way to prove you are right and you know best well I've got news for you mick playing boring negative hoofball football driving fans away in their thousands and hopefully just doing enough to stay in this league does not constitute success or prove you are right please do the honourable thing and leave at the end of the season and let someone else breathe life into this great club again and give us true fans something to be proud of again

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grubbyoik added 17:45 - Apr 3 The booing is aimed squarely at Mcarthy for picking Douglas in the 1st place. Skuse and Douglas together in midfield in a must win home game deserves boos.. How many games have we won with that partnership.. Don't blame the fans for reacting to the dross football on offer.. it's been sh1te for the best part of 9 years.. We ve been unbelievably civil if you ask me.
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happybeingblue added 17:50 - Apr 3 dont agree with singling out JD lets face it,the other 9 havent been much better of late plus it is still our player so back off him i think is the best way
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prebbs007 added 17:53 - Apr 3 They were irked ???? How the feck do u think we all feel with his selection. They should all look a bit closer to home and ask themselves if their own performance was good enough instead of whinging about the fans. Fecking overpaid underperforming useless dross !!!
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blue75 added 18:09 - Apr 3 I feel sorry for Douglas he's not that bad a player. He just can't play in the holding role next to Skuse, just like Gerrard and Lampard couldn't for England. I don't abuse the play that McCarthy is saved entirely for you!!!!!
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Churchmanschild added 18:19 - Apr 3 If it's that bad vote with your feet and stay away people, need to have the courage of your convictions. I gave up my season ticket after being bored senseless last season. Mick hasn't got a clue what he's doing!!
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jas0999 added 18:34 - Apr 3 MM put him in that position. There was no need to start Skuse and Douglas. None. If doesn't work and is painfully negative. Mick knew that but stuck two fingers up anyway. Who knows - possibly deliberately.
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surgery added 18:40 - Apr 3 As will be obvious from my previous posts, I hate this man with a passion. But, let's be realistic. How many teams in this division are playing with so many freebies and loanees? With one or two exceptions, they are here because whoever it was they came from realised that they are not up to standard and outed them. An earlier poster said that he watched the Arse v Man City game and couldn't believe the difference. It's like me saying I play golf and so does Tiger Woods. If what's happening here is how the game was intended to be played, it would never have survived into the 20th century

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Kuqicoo added 18:58 - Apr 3 I'm really starting to dislike our manager now. It's a shame as I've respected him even though I feel his time is up. That respect is rapidly going. How dare he blame fans who shell out to watch the dreadful football he encourages. Those players earn more in a month than I earn in a year. Fans have a right to say what they think. And they are booing YOU mr mccarthy not Douglas. But you clearly like to twist it so once again fans are to blame. I've never felt so angry and annoyed by the way my club sees us. Like a commodity that has to clap and keep silent while we drift along with no ambition and play truly bad negative hoofball. I feel so disconnected now and Mick flapping his mouth at every given opportunity is fueling this. He used to entertain me...now I find him tiresome. But hey he doesn't care what I or anyone else feels. I honestly cannot wait for him to walk out the door.

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dangerous30 added 18:59 - Apr 3 No player who plays for town should get abuse and maybe injured players forced the manger hand in playing him. I also thought he was no worse or bad then the rest off the team.
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shakytown added 19:29 - Apr 3 A completely clueless git.
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pragmatic added 19:34 - Apr 3 Fully agree pink mist seems like some so " called supporters" take pleasure in putting the club/team down at every opportunity those of us who want to avoid relegation will support the team irrespective of who plays the rest can fx off!!
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Miles added 19:43 - Apr 3 On the Douglas abuse Mick makes a good comment. Singling out a player for abuse isn't the right way to do things and it's disappointing that we as a club have fans that do this. Doesn't matter if you think he's rubbish or not. You encourage and try and get the best from what you can. As said if you play in teams yourself you know giving stick is not the way to do things. That being said I like many others are bored. Massive revamp needed in the summer. Get the hunger and desire back.

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ArnieM added 19:49 - Apr 3 Whats McCarthy going on about? I can't remember anything being directed towards Douglas! The crowd booed when the team mentioned Skuse and Douglas in the midfield. But as Stuart Watson has so correctly stated the Town's are jot booing Douglas personally but more what his inclusion with Skuse represents - ultra defensive tactics. I thought Douglas did ok tbh. Certainly no worse than thd rest of the team. And if you compare him to thd likes of Didsy who played with tunnel vision most of the game, perhaps Knudsen constant aimless hoofs up the pitch, or our weekly Player of the match , Bart who seems incapable of kicking the ball up field and it staying in play, or Berra should constantly holds his opponents shirt because he can't match him for pace. The list can go on really. Mick McCarthy seems very adept at deflecting blame. Accusing the Fans of various things and yet he is incapable of reflection upon his own actions, comments and decision making. The summer can't come soon enough - for all concerned.

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AYACCA added 19:49 - Apr 3 Let's be honest, most fans opinions aren't their own anyway so chill Mick.
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OwainG1992 added 20:15 - Apr 3 To be fair the abuse should not be based at single players. It's cowardess in my point of you. It ain't Douglas fault he gets selected.
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Steelmonkey added 20:21 - Apr 3 Negative football breeds negativity.
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