Mick McCarthy has offered his opinion on Ipswich Town’s out-of-contract players but insists it would be wrong to now have a major influence over their futures at Portman Road.
McCarthy, who is leaving the club in the summer, had been planning for next season while his own future remained in the balance but, since it was revealed he will be moving on, he has insisted that is no longer his responsibility.
The club must decide whether to take up the one-year options to extend Teddy Bishop and Luke Hyam’s deals, while Welsh goalkeeper Michael Crowe, midfielders Kevin Bru and Stephen Gleeson, winger Mustapha Carayol and striker David McGoldrick all have contracts which expire this summer. Bartosz Bialkowski’s contract is also up this summer, but the club are certain to take up the one-year option while a long-term deal continues to be negotiated.
Managing director Ian Milne recently suggested it is owner Marcus Evans who will now decide on the players’ futures, with McCarthy having offered his opinion.
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“Players coming out of contract are not for me to deal with now,” he said.
“Luke Hyam’s playing. He quite wanted to go out on loan in the window because he didn’t think he would be getting any football for us but I told him he would.
“He’s better off playing here because he knows everybody and doesn’t have to settle in. He’s come on, had a couple of games and will get more football before the end of the season.
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“I’ve given my opinion on all of those and it would be wrong, wouldn’t it, for me now to be doing that in terms of anybody’s future not to be here. That’s not for me to deal with.
“It’s for the people who are going to decide now to watch and see whether they think they adds value to the squad.
“I would only say that we’ve got, currently, Tom Adeyemi, Bish (Teddy Bishop), Emyr Huws, Dozzer (Andre Dozzell) all injured. Tristan (Nydam) and Flynn (Downes) coming through who can play. We’ve had more midfield players than you can shake a stick at this season but they’ve all been injured and we’ve needed more, so it’s up to somebody else to decide who will come and who will stay.”
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McCarthy later added: “Let’s just clear something else up, before people put two and two together and get five,” he said.
“I said I wouldn’t talk about the players, whether I had recommended them or not, doesn’t mean my thoughts are negative on any of them.”
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