Mick McCarthy has taken a belated swipe at the Ipswich Town’s supporters who ‘hounded him out’ of Portman Road but says he’s sad to see his former club relegated to League One.

Now working as Republic of Ireland manager, McCarthy left the Blues towards the end of last season after almost six years in Suffolk, following a total breakdown in relationship with some Town fans.

“I was doing a good job there,” said McCarthy. “My job is to win games and stay in that league was my remit, and that’s what I continued to do.

“I’m sad that they’ve gone down. Some of the lads are taking huge cuts in wages who were with me and who were brilliant for me. The staff, I’ve no doubt people will be losing their jobs because of it so that’s going to be sad.”

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The former Sunderland and Wolves boss steered the Tractor Boys clear of relegation after arriving midway through 2012-13, lifted them to ninth the following season and then achieved a play-off place in 2014-15.

That famously ended in a 4-2 aggregate defeat to Norwich in the semi-finals and the Yorkshireman failed to beat the Canaries in eight attempts during his reign, losing five of those games.

He also bizarrely celebrated a late goal at Carrow Road last season with an angry gesture towards the away supporters, only for Timm Klose to score a late equaliser for City.

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Ipswich finished seventh in 2015-16, 16th the following season and were safe in mid-table when McCarthy left earlier than planned last April – but Town have nosedived without him, under Paul Hurst initially and then ex-Canaries boss Paul Lambert.

The Blues have won just four games all season and sit rock bottom on 28 points with two games remaining. They were also beaten 3-0 in a feisty encounter at Carrow Road in February – and are set to play in the third tier for the first time since 1957.

“It’s a great club and pretty much most of their fans were brilliant with me,” McCarthy continued, speaking to Irish football website Balls.ie.

“The ones that hounded me out, I hope they enjoy watching the sexy football in the first division (League One).”