MICK McCarthy reckons there is no mystery behind why Wanderers have finally started to challenge for a play-off spot.

The Ipswich boss – who was strongly linked with a move to the Reebok when Owen Coyle was sacked back in October – yesterday reeled off what he thought would be the Whites' starting 11.

And McCarthy reckons the riches at Dougie Freedman's disposal are among the best in the divison.

Asked what has changed for Wanderers in recent weeks, the Yorkshireman gave a typically forthright answer.

“Good players – that’s what has clicked,” he said.

“You can probably name their team: Ricketts, Knight, Alonso and Dawson at the back, Pratley and Spearing are both Premier League players, Lee and Eagles are Premier League wingers and then you’ve got Kevin Davies and N’Gog (up front).

“There aren’t many Championship teams that people can name like that.

“Whatever happened before Dougie (Freedman) went in, I don’t know. But he’s playing 4-4-2 now, they’re very solid and, having watched the DVDs, they are working their socks off.

“If you’ve got good players who are prepared to work hard then you end up with a good team.”

Even though Wanderers have strength in depth, McCarthy still believes his Tractor Boys are capable of halting their opponents' five-match winning streak.

“They are a good team. I think it’s a really solid team in every single position, certainly in this league,” McCarthy said.

“ Cardiff were miles in front of us though (0-0 away draw), Nottingham Forest were on a good run and – when it was eleven v eleven – they never looked like beating us.

“Every game is different. They might come here and play awful, we’ll beat them and everyone will say ‘where did that come from?’ They might come here and be brilliant and beat us.

“It just takes one incident to change the whole course of the game.”