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

Eeyore added 01:16 - Jan 13 McParlands comments after the game were spot on: "...maybe they should shut their mouths" !
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fatboyakasha added 01:47 - Jan 13 So this is why I support Ipswich Town. I almost forgot, but now I'll never forget! Literally the best game of football I have ever seen live tonight! After Priskin scored I started hugging a complete stranger next to me. If only that beautiful overhead kick was onside! So Proud. COYB!!!!!
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GiveusaWave added 01:58 - Jan 13 its obvious that the players have the utmost respect for McPharland, every effort should be made to keep him.
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GiveusaWave added 03:05 - Jan 13 Just seen highlights. Whole team was incredible but Fulop was impassable tonight! Outstanding performance from a goalkeeper!
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austractor added 04:06 - Jan 13 Yeah credit to Charlie, he did do well tonight and didnt panic one bit on the back of that chelsea result. I actually hope jewell keeps him onboard if they can work together. I also hope jewell sees that a bunch of those players are indispensable if coached and managed properly and that leadbitter isnt just an automatic name on the teamsheet. I dont hold a grudge against RK at all, but he would have been better placed as charlies assistant. he seemed to just get things wrong tactically and not really use his players in their strongest positions. he has alot to learn to be a successful manager, being focused determined angry isnt enough and I hope he trys to develop himself and not just think he is the finished article because of what he achieved as a player. 3 man central midfield was a great idea (and an obvious choice when trying to contain the Arse) but having norris and healy as the front 2 with Captain Coolhead behind them was genius! RK would not have picked that I am sure. Wickham out wide takes pressure off him somewhat, gives him more of the ball and plenty more space to run into - that performance will get him back to his best :) Delaney and Macca - reunited at last!! My god its been mind boggling the amount of times those guys were not played together even when both were available. Enough from me. BFP arrives in the morning and I hope for good times ahead!

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Jesney_Havoc added 05:30 - Jan 13 Well said IM. Symbolically this is a very significant result and I completely agree, absolutely bags of character after Saturday. Well done lads.
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Back_The_Boss added 06:05 - Jan 13 What a result, every player gave their all and showed a bit of passion and fight. Lets hope it's a sign of things to come, come on lads!
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gibborocks added 06:13 - Jan 13 Tonight proved that we have the team to succeed. Roy just had no idea what he was doing. All this with a depleted team too. Well done Charlie and the boys. Where have these players been all season??? Just fuels speculation that Roy had lost his dressing room and the lads wouldnt play for him. I hope Paul Jewell keeps this kind of play going. Cant wait to wind up the Arsenal whingers now!!! COYB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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gibborocks added 06:22 - Jan 13 And even if the Gunners smash us 5-0 at the Emirates, I dont care, Im gonna enjoy this moment!!!!!
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Somersetractor added 07:09 - Jan 13 Couldn't sleep last night and then I got up this morning singing, I remember this feeling!
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moomoosereni added 07:13 - Jan 13 BBC Radio 5 live commentator Mike Ingham: "These two Ipswich centre-backs, Damien Delaney and Gareth McAuley, they have been like Terry Butcher and Russell Osman of old. They've headed away absolutely everything." Just had to share that, agree with every word!
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floridaboy added 07:31 - Jan 13 Maybe playing Wickham out wide will get the best out of him. Something RK would never have even thought of! Same team for Saturday PJ Listened to Delaney after the game on FiveLive and he commented that all the players were really excited to meet PJ on Thursday morning. That says it all about the last 20 months IMHO!
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mental1 added 07:56 - Jan 13 Fantastic :-D
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bluelady added 08:09 - Jan 13 what a fantastic night!!! went down expecting damage limitation! got to 30 mins and thought this is when Chelsea kicked in - but actually it was us that kicked on! The line up suprised me but was tactical genious! Fulop - made their keeper like poor, kicking was an issue but you could see he was trying to pick out wickham on the flank. Think once the confidence kicks in he will throw the ball out more rather than hoofing up field. Peters - have said for a long time we dont have RB issue, he kept Arshavinn in his place! Mcualy - great in the air, think this weeks media played on is mind though.. Delaney - immense, best i have seen him play O'Dea - good game but for me distribution just not good enough think he will go Kennedy - round peg in round hole! superb in that position,it worked for us early season having a holding man and proved last night it works for Ipswich town. Healy - used to be a great player then bad injury loss of confidence and for a long time he has been seriously poor, maybe now is his time cause i thought he was great!! worked hard, attacking and ran rings around their centre mid Norris - led like a captain, worked hard and showed why we must re-sign Edwards - caused them lots of problems, he is a good player and now i think we will see him at his best Wickham - you can see why he is wanted, what a great job he did 'out of position' or was he out of position??!!! Prisken - look and learn Mr Keane, had a little falling out and week in week out you left this guy out of your squad, he was fantastic and prem quality. He would have put more away had it not been a lack of confidence installed in him by the irish clown. Murray - the little terrier came on for a couple of minutes and got stuck in straight away, definately one for the future. McParlane - dont think he did a good job motivating the team sunday, think he was still shocked about Keane going and that came across which would not have helped confidence. yesterday though a differant man, a tactical genious and deserves a job cause yesterday he was blue through and through. Jewell - clearly the boys like you, that was them showing you how desperate they all are to play in your ITFC team. get the tackets right, keep the players smiling and we will be close to the ipswich of old. sorry for such a long note, just buzzing still! off to get return tickets, had decided not to go, big change of mind :-)

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corunnaviking1759 added 08:19 - Jan 13 Well done! it was well worth the trip from Aldershot, I must admit I was swearing at Priskins lack of ability to finish last, until............All is for given now! Great to see the ground so full.
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Surco72 added 08:22 - Jan 13 It is amazing what you can achieve when you pick the right players in the right positions and give them a little belief.All were outstanding last night even Healy !! ,buts hats off to Peters ,Wickham,Priskin and especially Delaney who have all come back in from nowhere over past few games to show why they should have been playing . We have got a good squad for this league and i have no doubt Jewell will get us climbing the table as a unified team which has quite clearly been lacking for some time . Well done boys am as proud of the team as i was proud of the supporters on sunday ,good times are coming

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nobrain added 08:24 - Jan 13 A great, great night. Just shows what the team are capable of. Many thanks to Charlie M.
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alsagerblue added 08:31 - Jan 13 Performances like that only come around so often. A night to savour. Woke up with a smile on my face, I could feel it. I have my ticket for the Emirates but now go with some hope, rather than just collecting another new ground. Rather different from 1982 when I went up to Anfield already 2 goals down. Up the Town.
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FarringdonBlue added 08:34 - Jan 13 Ole!,Ole!,Ole!,Ole!,Ole!,Ole!
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froudy added 08:36 - Jan 13 Looking forward to the 2nd leg now...well done boys, a terrific performance. And excellent support. perhaps now we will see 25k there every week...?
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sonian_blue added 08:38 - Jan 13 We rolled back the years last night. Full house, passion on the pitch and in the stands, a will to win and a top team sent home with a defeat. Made a middle aged man very happy last night and the dream is still alive. Maybe, just maybe.... Am counting down the hours to the 2nd leg. Note to PJ. Give charlie a job.
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GermanTractorBoy added 08:39 - Jan 13 A night to remember! So proud of the lads. Just like the old days. Well done Charlie!
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Keaneish added 08:46 - Jan 13 Yeah i agree Adamisblue and i'm not knocking him seeing as he scored and he played up front on his own. 2 things about his game though. He never gets his arm up to hold defenders off so they always get on front of him or get back across him and he's offside more time than not. Frustrating but loved by all tonight!
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nobrain added 08:58 - Jan 13 "Can't believe that we are worried about Ipswich Town or whatever their name is..." Quote from Arsenal fansite before the game. Tee-hee
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whymarksmyhero added 08:58 - Jan 13 What a night !!! I'd predicted that we'd get hammered, but I'm very happy to be proved utterly wrong. Took me back to those play off nights with a full ground, cracking atmosphere, and shouting myself hoarse, something I haven't done for a long time !! Healy was immense tonight, was our "enforcer", getting in the face of their big stars, and just not allowing them to play, he upset Fabregas all night. Going to Millwall saturday, so hoping for a similar performance. Oh for more nights like last night !!!

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