Ipswich Town striker Brett Pitman says the club’s players are fighting for manager Mick McCarthy.

It’s been a forgettable 2016 for Town and, for the first time, a section of Blues fans called for McCarthy to be sacked during the limp 2-0 home defeat to Fulham on Boxing Day.

Owner Marcus Evans has today made public his backing of the Yorkshireman via an article in the programme, ahead of tonight’s Championship visit of Bristol City, and Pitman insists the players remain united behind their boss too.

“None of us want the manager to go,” said the 28-year-old. “One thing you can’t level at this group is that we’re trying to get the manager sacked, far from it, because everyone is fighting for him.

“He put a team out that was more than capable of beating Fulham and we just didn’t perform. We’ve got to put in a performance that hopefully goes some way to rectifying that.

“Everyone to a man is behind the manager and are all pulling in the same direction to turn this around.”

McCarthy said: “I don’t feel under any pressure whatsoever from Marcus. I’m certainly under pressure from the fans and the more they sing negative stuff about me and Marcus, or decide not to turn up, that puts pressure on.

“I come into these press conferences and I end up talking about my job and it’s quite disconcerting that. I understand it, but I’ve never had that discussion with Marcus at all.

“He’ll support me the best way he can and that’s by not being negative and not putting any more pressure on me.

“It cuts both ways. When I was having a great time and Aston Villa and Ireland and whoever else were wanting my services, I never courted that at all, I never went looking for it.

“That’s when I gave my support, in a lot of ways, and we’ve had a good relationship all the way through.

“Do you know what, if it does end up that I leave the club at some stage – because ultimately I will, whenever that might be – I don’t think that will be acrimonious at all. It just might be the time.”