Stevenage boss says his side will go to Portman Road optimistic of getting a result

Teddy Sheringham has praised the job Mick McCarthy has done at Ipswich Town ahead of Stevenage’s trip to Portman Road.

The Tractor Boys made the Championship play-offs last season, only to lose out to Norwich, and hope to be among the teams battling it out for promotion again this campaign.

They drew 2-2 in their opening league match of the season on Saturday after conceding twice in injury time against Brentford, and on Tuesday evening they host Stevenage in the Capital One Cup first round.

Speaking ahead of the game Sheringham said that his side could not have been handed a tougher draw.

Asked by the Comet what he thought of the job his former Millwall team-mate had done with the Tractor Boys, Sheringham said: “Fantastic. The limited funds that he’s had there. I know Mick very well, he was at Millwall when I was there and he’s a good lad Mick.

“I’ve often complimented him on his teams and the way they play and it’s a tough draw for us, but one that we’ll go up there and compete for.

“It’s probably one of the most difficult ties of the round, it’s a big test for us. We’ll go there with optimism because I’m impressed with my players.”

For all of the medals Sheringham has won during his glittering career – the Premier League title, the FA Cup and of course the Champions League – this competition has eluded him.

“It’s not one I’ve won, no,” Boro’s boss said. “I’ve had a couple of goes at it with Nottingham Forest and Tottenham. I’ve been in finals with both of them but I’ve not actually won it.”

Asked whether it was a good thing his team was back in action so soon after Saturday’s defeat to Notts County, Sheringham said: “If it’s not a league game it’s a cup game chucked in early in the season [and makes] it very intense.

“It’s a proper shock to the professional man’s body after training and playing friendlies.

“That’s one thing, but when you play [a competitive] 90 minutes with the intensity that we did as well – and we were still in the game until the last couple of minutes, we were trying to push forward and create something to get back into the game and that was great from my perspective –it is a shock to the bodies.

“We were trying to come to terms with that yesterday and today and get our legs going again so we’re ready physically and we’re prepared for Tuesday.”