Ipswich Town manager Mick McCarthy believes his side have entertained supporters at Portman Road this season.

Last night the club announced that season ticket prices would be going up for only the second time in eight years, with adult seats in the lower tiers increasing by £9 and top tier prices rising by around 6% for the 2014/15 campaign.

The extra cost may be minimal, but it has left many supporters seriously considering whether to renew, given that McCarthy has previously admitted that the style of football has been ‘stubborn not sexy’.

Town play at close rivals Brighton tomorrow looking to keep their fading top-six hopes alive. If the challenge does falter then it will be a 13th successive season of second tier football for the Suffolk club.

Asked what his message to supporters was ahead of season renewal packs landing on their doorsteps, McCarthy said: “The fans have been fabulous. I’m not going to send out messages asking them to come though because it’s their hard-earned money.

“We have to try and entertain them and I think we have done. I haven’t been cautious at all, that’s interesting if people think that. That’s a misconception.

“For most of the time we’ve played 4-4-2 or 4-3-3. We don’t sit back, we go and stop the opposition playing from the front. We may be tough and hard to beat, but we’ve never been cautious.”

The Blues boss continued: “I think we’ve had a good season. It could have been better, but it was always going to be a bit of a transition from where we were last season (bottom when McCarthy took over on November 1, 2013).”

“We now have got a solid platform to kick on from. There will be some changes in the summer, definitely. There will be players who haven’t been playing who will think they might have a better chance elsewhere and, as always, I’ll try and freshen it up. If I can equal the business I did last summer that would be wonderful.

“The back five/six are in good shape, midfield I think we’re in good shape. We’ve got the nucleus of a good side.”