Ipswich Town boss Mick McCarthy believes the club should be lauded for its prudent financial approach, but admits it will now take “a whole chunk of money” to improve his squad further.

Owner Marcus Evans saw a lot of money wasted by previous managers Roy Keane and Paul Jewell and, subsequently, has tightened the purse strings during McCarthy’s three years in charge.

Inward transfer activity has been limited almost exclusively to free agents, swaps and loans, while there have been a couple of big money departures in Aaron Cresswell and Tyrone Mings.

As a result, Town were recently able to announce their first pre-tax annual profit since Evans’ takeover in December 2007.

And that’s set against the backdrop of steady on-field improvement, the Blues’ recent Championship league table finishes being 14th, ninth and sixth.

The worry now, however, is that a strategy based around sustainability could hit a glass ceiling as Championship rivals continue to splash the cash chasing the riches of the Premier League.

With the January transfer window fast approaching, McCarthy said: “We’ve got a group of lads looking at players all the time and we continue to do that.

“It always strikes me that, even now, when we’re doing alright, it’s like ‘what can we get to be better?’

“Actually I don’t think we can do better than the ones we’ve got, unless we spend a whole chunk of money and blow the wage bill.”

The Blues boss, as ever, refused to criticise Evans’ approach though.

“It does help if you don’t spend anything doesn’t it?!” he joked, when asked about the recent profit announcement. “I’m sure selling Tyrone helped the finances, but listen, it’s been prudent finances from top to bottom. It’s not just down to me, that’s for sure.

“I think the club the whole club should be lauded for the way it is working at the moment if they are making more money, or not losing as much.

“The finances are better, the team is not far off the top six, we’re playing well, we’ve still not spent a load of money, we’re still not paying a massive wage bill and we’re not sending loads of money to agents.

“I think people should be enthusiastic about the club. Part of my job, definitely, is trying to get fans to be proud of the club. And I think, at the minute, that’s where people are because of the way we conduct ourselves.”