Ipswich Town manager Mick McCarthy believes abolishing the emergency loan system would cause ‘mayhem’.

In addition to the summer and January transfer windows (during which permanent signings and half/full season loans can be made), Football League and Skrill Premier clubs in England can also sign players on ‘emergency’ loans – for up to 93 days – during an 11-week window between September and November and another six-week period between February and March.

FIFA, international football’s governing body, had previously said it would outlaw the emergency loan window at the end of this season but decided in December last year that it would be extended until the end of the 2014/15 campaign.

There are roughly 500 emergency loans in the Football League every year, with Ipswich having utilised the system to bring in the likes of DJ Campbell, Stephen Henderson, Paul Green and Frazer Richardson in recent times and send out Paul Taylor, Jack Marriott and Elliott Hewitt to get competitive game time.

“I had this discussion with the LMA (League Managers’ Association) last week,” said McCarthy. “FIFA are not completely happy with the loan system but I think it’s the lifeblood of some clubs.

“I think it’s the lifeblood of players actually because the Under-21 league is absolutely pants. It’s not done anything other than what a reserve team league would have done. You can only play three over-age players, so where do you play your football if you can’t play in there? The next thing to do is go out on loan.

“Being out on loan, as we’ve seen with Jack Marriott, is hugely beneficial for the player.”

He continued: “We had nine loans last season and that was too many. This year we’ve had what’s been necessary. We’d have found it difficult without (Ryan) Tunnicliffe, (Paul) Green and Frazer Richardson.

“We’re the only country which has the emergency loan system and there are talks about stopping it from 2015.

“There are a lot of issues there and the one I raised was ‘where will players get their football?’ It all seems cock-eyed to me, it just doesn’t seem right. If they close the loan window I think it will cause mayhem.”