Hard to look past McCarthy as Ipswich hone in on new boss
Published:Mick McCarthy has shortened into massive favourite to replace Paul Jewell in the Ipswich hot-seat as it looks as though both Lancashire clubs that he was heavily linked with will go in different directions.
With Bolton having already appointed Dougie Freedman and Ian Holloway in pole to take over at Blackburn, former Republic of Ireland supremo McCarthy has seen his price whittle down to 2/5 assume control at Portman Road.
The job is one many managers tend to appreciate, where they are allowed plenty of time to get results on the pitch and get minimal hassle from those in the boardroom off it.
This would be a perfect fit for McCarthy whose no-nonsense approach has seen him involved in many a spat with players and chairmen throughout his managerial career.
Having achieved plenty of success in England’s second tier with Wolves and Sunderland, he is sure to be a welcome choice for the fans, who will be willing a quick appointment following their 3-0 defeat to fellow basement boys Sheffield Wednesday last time out.
One of the frontrunners to be avoided is Alan Curbishley. At 6/1, you could be forgiven for assuming this to be a good price, yet he’s been out of the game far too long to be a guaranteed hit – look at how Kenny Dalglish fared at Liverpool, for instance – and the Tractor Boys can ill-afford to take gambles when picking their new manager given their league position.
Having said that, even giving a manager of McCarthy’s ilk the job does not guarantee success due to the substandard squad he will be inheriting, where has-beens like Michael Chopra are relied upon to score goals.
A name that could be worth an outside punt, given his over-achieving in England’s second tier in the past, is Billy Davies. He got an incredibly average Derby side promoted in 2006/07, after threatening to do the same with Nottingham Forest in previous seasons.
Having proved he can get results on an almost non-existent budget, with players of similar ilk to that of the current Ipswich crop, Davies could be the man to turn their fortunes around and is available at 16/1 in this market.
All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date
