Ipswich Town manager Mick McCarthy says he holds himself responsible for getting more out of the players he’s got, rather than ‘stamping his feet’ over the restricted transfer budget given to him by owner Marcus Evans.

The Blues boss stabilised a club that was seemingly heading for League One when he took over in November 2012, then oversaw Championship finishes of ninth, sixth and seventh.

All the while he has been restricted almost exclusively to free transfers, swaps and loans, despite big transfer fees being received for the likes of Aaron Cresswell, Tyrone Mings and Daryl Murphy.

A carefully assembled group of good, hard-working professionals – both on and off the pitch – have had relative success because the whole has always been worth more than the sum of the parts. There was always a sense that Town had hit a glass ceiling with that approach though and things have gone backwards in 2016.

Ipswich are placed 16th in the table ahead of this afternoon’s visit of a Cardiff side in the relegation zone.

QPR boss Ian Holloway recently preached that Town fans and media should ‘be careful what they wish for’ when criticising McCarthy and should instead question why he has had to sell his best players.

That question was, therefore, put to McCarthy and he responded by bursting into laughter.

“The reason I’m laughing is just because Ollie’s telling you to ask that, it doesn’t mean I’m going to answer that question to you,” he said. “I’m not quite as green as I’m cabbage-looking me.”

McCarthy recently said there were ‘double standards’ about the questions he faced. The suggestion was the restrictions he has had to deal with are never recognised, but always highlighted for the opposition.

So, therefore, does he want a platform to talk about that? McCarthy replied: “You give me a chance and a position and a profile to stamp my feet and pull my hair and to say ‘it’s not fair, I wish I was doing something else’.

“Why? Why would I do that? From day one, when I came here, I’ve never changed what I’ve said which is probably unusual for managers because normally they change their mantra time and again.

“I’m holding myself responsible. These are my players, the ones I’ve signed, and I’ve got to do better with them and make sure results are better.”

But if he’s saying his players can’t work any harder or be any more professional, then surely the only way to progress is by spending more money to recruit more quality?

He dryly replied: “Either that or get another magician manager that can turn them all into wonderful players better than I can, getting them up the league and promoted. They’re the options.”

He added: “I’ve done those things – I’ve sold Murphy, I’ve sold Mings, and others, and we’ve stayed competitive. I’ve done a bloody good job under the terms and conditions of what I’ve been asked to do. I’ll continue to do that.”

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