Gerard Nash believes Mick McCarthy would have got Ipswich Town in the top six this season had he had a fully fit squad to select from – but admits it’s time for everybody to move on.

The 31-year-old has been selected, along with fellow academy coach Chris Hogg, to assist caretaker manager Bryan Klug until the end of the season following McCarthy’s decision not to see out his expiring contract last week.

“Mick McCarthy has been absolutely incredible for me,” said Nash, the Irishman having worked his way through the academy coaching system at Playford Road since injury forced him to retire as a teenager.

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“The only reason I am sat here really is because he gave me the opportunity to work with the Under-18 team a couple of years ago.

“He’s been absolutely brilliant to work for – both as a man, with a few things he has helped me out with personally, and also professionally he has been absolutely wonderful to learn from and work for.”

Town can finish anywhere between 12th and 17th heading into their final three games, starting with the visit of promotion-chasing Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon.

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The best part of a entire team is currently sidelined, with the likes of Emyr Huws, Tom Adeyemi, Andre Dozzell, Teddy Bishop and David McGoldrick having missed large chunks of the campaign.

“It is a surreal situation because, as he’s said, all of the staff liked working for him,” said Nash.

“My personal opinion is that if he’d have had all the players who were in the treatment room fit then I’d be backing him to get us in the top six.

“Obviously that hasn’t happened and he’s moved on. That’s what happens at football clubs. Managers leave and there’s always change. Everybody is quite adaptable to that these days.

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“I want to put my thanks to Mick McCarthy on record, but I also don’t want to speak too much about it because we all need to move on.”

He added: “There’s a void and we’re just keeping the fire going. There will be big decisions made by those in charge of the club as to what’s next.

“We want to be competing for the top six again and for that to happen I think we all – fans, players, staff; everybody connected with the club – need to be together.

“Hopefully that can start on Saturday because without that we will probably be in the same situation.”