Caretaker-manager Ian McParland paid tribute to his players for bouncing back from Sunday’s 7-0 thrashing at Chelsea to defeat Arsenal 1-0 at Portman Road in the first leg of the Carling Cup semi-final. McParland expects to hear officially that he’s leaving the club on Thursday with new manager Paul Jewell set to formally take over.

McParland said his players did everything he asked of them: “They sweated blood, they were fantastic. It showed a lot of character for them to bounce back after Saturday’s game.

“I knew when I spoke to them yesterday morning that they’d be fine. They came in after we’d done little bits on the training ground and I knew by looking at them that there would be a performance going in tonight.”

The Scot used veteran midfielder Mark Kennedy in midfield holding role he hadn’t previously occupied for the Blues, but says it was a position the 34-year-old had played before elsewhere in his long career: “I asked Sparky if he could play in there and he said he used to play in there sometimes at Wolves for Glenn Hoddle. He’s a clever footballer and that three in the middle were fantastic.

“The whole XI were fantastic but that three in there, Healy, Norris and Kennedy, they kept Arsenal from penetrating. Carlos wide and Connor Wickham worked hard down the line.

“They did a great job, a fantastic job. I said at half-time, ‘Stay in the game and keep it 0-0’. We needed to stay in the game and keep it 0-0 for as long as we could as I thought we’d make a goal.

“I thought we were always dangerous at corners and long throws. I’m absolutely delighted for the players, really proud of them.”

McParland says he’s not too upset to be leaving Portman Road, having seen it all before in football: “I’ll just dust myself down and get on with it. I’ve been in the game a long time and I’ve suffered a lot of disappointments and there have been a lot of good things.”

The 49-year-old is yet to hear officially whether he will be kept on but expects to be told he is leaving when he meets with new manager Paul Jewell when he takes charge on Thursday morning. Jewell’s regular assistant Chris Hutchings and West Ham coach Wally Downes have been linked with roles on the former Bradford, Sheffield Wednesday, Wigan and Derby manager’s backroom staff.

Jewell stayed away from the dressing room before, during and after tonight’s match and will meet his squad for the first time in the morning.

McParland says he expects the new boss to be a success with Town: “I know Paul Jewell well, he’s a good lad, an honest lad and he’ll do well here.”

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger felt his side had a lot of possession but didn’t do enough with it: “I’m disappointed and the players are as well. We had a lot of the ball but didn’t make a lot of it and Ipswich defended with heart and intelligence, and gave us problems on the counter-attack.

“They showed that you can have 70% of the ball and lose games. You have to give a lot of credit to Ipswich, they defended well. We were not sharp, were not creative and looked vulnerable defensively.”

The Frenchman dismissed suggestions that his team was complacent: “No, I don’t think so, I feel we had an off night. You could see from the start that every single pass was a problem. We rely on a lot of sharp and crisp passing, and that was always a problem for us tonight.

“Ipswich won, you have to congratulate them. They fought for their win, you can say that,” he said.

Wenger refused to blame his defenders for the loss, believing his entire side were under-par: “As a team we didn’t have the performance we were looking for tonight and were below our usual level in every department. It would be unfair to put the blame only on the defenders tonight, as we weren’t at our best in any department.

“When you play in one half, the long ball has 50 yards in which to be dangerous. That’s normal. But I felt we had more and more problems as the game went on.

“We looked more in control in the first half but in the second we looked much more vulnerable defensively in the second and I put that down to fatigue.”

Despite the defeat, the Gunners’ boss still expects his side to reach the final: “I believe that we’ll turn it around in the second leg, but we got a good warning tonight that we’ll have to produce a different performance.”

Photo: Action Images

Paul_Jewell_Manager added 00:04 - Jan 13 A thoroughly deserved result, I look forward to our meetings in the morning!
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Eeyore added 00:05 - Jan 13 Amazing, 77 minutes. I was with 2 Arsenal supporters and I had predicted 1-0 with a goal in the 77th minute. I was joking!!!!!!!!! YES !!!!!!!!!!! Sh*t there are 2 legs! But you never know. Mc Parland should stay. He is the real thing. Kennedy, in midfield? Ridiculous! RK
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whippet added 00:06 - Jan 13 Proud to take my son to that performance tonight. Awesome, shows we DO have the players. Keep Priskin and Wickham, sensational. Healy played the best I have ever seen him. Fulop was awesome.
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Hereford_Blue added 00:07 - Jan 13 Amazing performance from start to finish. Every player on the pitch in a blue shirt played with passion and total commitment. First time for a long time that I've had to wipe away a tear whilst watching a game; 11 players playing together like they wanted to win it more than anything else in the world. COYB - Ipswich til I die
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GiveusaWave added 00:09 - Jan 13 Hope CM stays in the new set up, deserves it after that brilliant performance. Don't care if we lose the 2nd leg, that was class! Best I have seen Town play this season. Notice the passes and crosses we strung together! Totally different tactics and great to see,we mixed it up all game. Well done and COYB!!!!
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Eeyore added 00:10 - Jan 13 I was rudely interupted by an computer malfunction there! RK....... would have lost that game - was what I meant to finish with
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GiveusaWave added 00:11 - Jan 13 Surely they can find a role for CM in the new management team???
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GiveusaWave added 00:12 - Jan 13 Why so few posts? When we lose there are 200 posts on here!!! When we have our greatest victory in years- 30 posts!!
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ElvisMariner added 00:14 - Jan 13 MAGNIFICENT !!!
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Eeyore added 00:18 - Jan 13 That was awesome, thank you town. Last night some one set fire to my car. Tonight was much better!
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GiveusaWave added 00:24 - Jan 13 Just had to write one more time, so proud of the team tonight
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zebra added 00:27 - Jan 13 guenchev - most people are probably still at the pub celebrating. Lucky so and so's.
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Keaneish added 00:30 - Jan 13 Immense, every last one of them. If Healy plays like that every week he can be a permanent fixture in the side for me. Him Norris and Kennedy were top notch. Jaime Peters showed Keane what a cock he is. Outstanding again. I'd get him on Walcott for the away leg. Agree with you Papa, McParland got it right tonight and if Priskin wasn't the most frustrating footballer alive we could have had 2 or 3! Same team for the Emirates?

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La_Paz added 00:43 - Jan 13 Wenger can bugger off-long ball my A*se. They were awful. Why can't he buy a goalie? No excuses-we won! COYB, let's get something at Millwall and get our season moving. All credit to Charlie for picking the right team tonight. Big Paul Jewell's Blue and White Army!
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bobble added 00:44 - Jan 13 BLUE SKY'S NOTHING BUT BLUESKY'S
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Eeyore added 00:45 - Jan 13 SouperJim - you got it dead right amidst the pessimism !!!!!!!
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itfc1981 added 00:48 - Jan 13 Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh Happy Day!
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truckertractorboy added 00:51 - Jan 13 Well thats my voice lost again lol what a night from town all 11 of them ( and murray ) and a big pat on the back for the supporters we all done well im glad I got my away tickets on monday cause I think they are going to b like gold dust
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truckertractorboy added 00:51 - Jan 13 Well thats my voice lost again lol what a night from town all 11 of them ( and murray ) and a big pat on the back for the supporters we all done well im glad I got my away tickets on monday cause I think they are going to b like gold dust
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woodpecker added 00:53 - Jan 13 Fantastic Night
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garethch added 00:56 - Jan 13 That is absolutely stunning!!! Can't believe after watching ALL the terrible recent TV games live or virtually live down here in Oz, I was stuck at work while that one was on! Can't wait to get home to watch it. Well done lads...let's hope this is the start of the long awaited revival!
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adamisablue added 00:57 - Jan 13 a few drinks in the pub 15 pounds missing a high five with a random liverpool supporter my dignty going '#'0- mental when ipswich scored in a pub full of arsneal supporters priceless! in fairness keanish, his first 1 on 1 was an awkard bounce (thigh high is awkard for anyone whos names not ronaldo) good performance tonight, the heart desire and sheer ''##' offness of it all reminded me why i am an ipswich suppoter and why i fell in love with this club. (somthing i feel has been lacking for the last 6 years) CM should get some sort of role, maybe director of football (still not sure what one of them does) maybe even PJ assistant. but bottom line, thank you for restoring my faith in football and itfc. allow me to finish by saying C'MON YOU BLUES!!!

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TractorBeezer added 01:02 - Jan 13 That was fantastic! We were supposed to get a live feed from Setanta in Canada, however, it was trumped by the Blackpool v Liverpool game and was shown 2 hours later. After half time they started showing the first half over again. So I sent a desperate e-mail to Setanta pleading with them to fix it and fortunately they obliged. Was it worth the wait? You betcha! I am so proud of everyone of the players, Charlie and the noisy fans. So pleased that Paul was there to see what it can be like with a full house behind the team. We all needed that shot in the arm didn't we?

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62WasBest added 01:11 - Jan 13 Just confirms what many have been saying on here. The players are good enough if they show the right application, and that if they play constructive, attractive football the fans will get behind them and return in droves. Let's hope Mr. Jewell can build on what Town achieved tonight. As much as I'd like to see us get to the final I really don't care too much because what is really important is the effort, pride and direction has returned. With those qualities we can move up the Championship and out of danger. Well done. Keep it up!

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brogansnose added 01:15 - Jan 13 Now because im calming down a bit, due to a medley of alcohol left over from Xmas. Charlie got that team selection spot on ( with a lot of players out ) the tactics also spot on, and after the twonking at Chelsea the players all fired up. Porno Paul give him a job.
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