Since Mick McCarthy arrived at Ipswich Town in November 2012 the Tractor Boys have steadily improved, first avoiding relegation that season before narrowly missing out on the top six in 2013-14 and making the playoffs in 2014-15.

Last season ultimately ended in disappointment as Ipswich were beaten in the playoff semi-finals by arch-enemies Norwich City, meaning a 14th consecutive season in the Championship for the Suffolk side.

Since then, Ipswich have cashed in on Tyrone Mings, selling the left-back to Bournemouth for a reported fee of £8m and also secured the services of Brett Pitman on a three-year contract and Ryan Fraser on a season-long loan in return.

The Blues could also be boosted with a cash sum of £250,000 if Town fan Spencer Todd is the lucky supporter chosen out of the hat in tomorrow's Sky Bet Transfer Fund draw.

Ahead of the draw, in which 10 Football League sides have the chance of winning, Sports Mole exclusively caught up with McCarthy, who is in Ireland with the Town squad for the first part of pre-season.

Town fan Spencer Todd has been picked as one of the 10 Sky Bet Transfer Fund finalists. How much would it mean to win £250,000 to spend on transfers?

"It would mean a lot, of course. One of our fans would get £5,000 if we won it as well, so that would be fantastic. He gets £5,000 and the club gets £250,000, it would be wonderful.

"It would be nice to have a few extra quid to spend to try and compete with those teams coming down with the parachute payments."

You've flown out to Ireland for the first part of pre-season. Have the lads reported back fit and well?

"Yeah they're remarkable, the lads. They come back fitter every year. It never ceases to amaze me."

You've taken plenty of youngsters with you. Will they be given a chance in the pre-season friendlies?

"Yes I am. We've got some particularly good youngsters I think. Two lads who have come out of the academy, Josh Emmanuel and Myles Kenlock, and we've got Adam McDonnell and Dylan Connelly who we signed from [Shelbourne] last year. They're all doing well so far and there's Kyle Hammond as well."

Talking about the young players. Ipswich have had success bringing players through in the past, but you've been unable to secure category one academy status in recent years. How frustrating has that been?

"Well, we've applied for category one so quite clearly that's what we're after. We still maintain that stature that we want to be that, but it doesn't affect the standard of the coaching that the players get. We still have an emphasis on bringing players through to the first team.

"Despite us not getting category one, we've still got three or four players out of the academy training with us and every one of them has got a good chance of playing this season."

How about Matt Clarke? He was on the fringes last term, it must be a big season for him?

"Well, when I'm doing interviews I sometimes forget players and I've forgot to mention Clarke who was excellent last year. My apologies to him. He has been one of the outstanding ones to come through the academy. The only reason he didn't get games last season was because we had Luke Chambers, Christophe Berra, Tommy Smith and Tyrone Mings, who were outstanding last year.

"He's been great. He's having a good pre-season and he should have a chance this season. If he doesn't, we'll try to get him out on loan."

Moving on to last season. You again made progress by making it into the top six, but the season ended in disappointment with the playoff semi-final defeat to Norwich. Have you talked about that, or are you just solely looking ahead to 2015-16?

"It's never been mentioned. It's behind us. I tend not to talk about what's behind me. It's all finished and we're looking ahead to the new season with optimism. The lads have come back looking like they're relishing the challenge again. They were fantastic last season and I'm looking forward to this season."

Since you took over at the end of 2012, the team has progressed steadily. Are you confident that you can progress again, secure a top-six spot and potentially push for the top two?

"Who knows! There's a lot of competition. There's the three teams that have come down - QPR, Hull and Burnley - who have got parachute payments. We've still got Fulham and Cardiff in the league with parachute payments. We've got Derby who seem to be spending at will, Middlesbrough who are supposedly looking at Stewart Downing and bidding millions for my players, apparently, if what I read is true.

"So there's gonna be a hell of a lot of competition and securing a top-six spot is going to be equally as difficult, if not more this year. As for the top two, we'll see. That's what we're aiming for and we'll see where we end up."

Do you think it's a little unfair how much money the relegated clubs receive?

"That's the rules. That's what we work with. There's no point complaining about that."

You must be sad to see Tyrone Mings go, but it's a massive opportunity for him in the Premier League with Bournemouth?

"Yeah, it's kind of bittersweet. We got him for 10 grand and sold him for eight million quid. That's pretty good business I think! It's slightly bitter that we lose the best left-back in the league, but we've got Jonathan Parr, who signed to play there.

"It's very sweet in terms of the deal. I mean £8m for a Championship left-back, I don't think there's too many of them gone. He was the best left-back in the league in my view and I think the price tag would back that up."

Mings's fee is reportedly more than double what the club received for Aaron Cresswell. Were you a little surprised by that?

"I'm never surprised in football. I've just been watching TV this morning and unless you're spending about £12m now in the Premier League, it would appear nobody gets a decent player.

"Bournemouth have signed a fantastic left-back who's got huge potential and the potential to get in that England squad at some stage if he continues to progress like he has.

"Cresswell is different altogether. Cressy was fabulous, he was obviously the best left-back in the Championship. I'm not so sure everybody at West Ham favoured that deal when Sam [Allardyce] bought him, but Sam turned out to be proved right as he won every Player of the Year award at the club. He's a fabulous player."

You've said that Jonny Parr can replace Mings, but he played all over last season in different positions. Are you confident he can revert to left-back?

"That's his position, so I've no worries or doubts about that one at all."

You've managed to sign Ainsley Maitland-Niles on loan from Arsenal. What can fans expect from him this season?

"He's an exciting player. He likes to take people on, he's a very good footballer. He's fitted in perfectly in training already, doesn't mind putting a shift in and working hard. He's got all the tools to be a top player, Ainsley and I'm delighted we've got him."

As it stands, you must be happy with your strikeforce of Daryl Murphy, David McGoldrick, Freddie Sears and Brett Pitman?

"If we've got those four strikers going into next season then we've got as good a strikeforce as anyone in the league."

The Sky Bet Transfer Fund Final Draw takes place from midday at the Sky Sports Studios. You can follow it live on SSNHQ.