An angry Mick McCarthy felt the Blues let Bristol City off the hook after their 2-1 defeat at Ashton Gate. Ex-Town striker Jon Stead netted in the final minute to seal a victory for the Robins when the Blues should have gone in 2-0 in front at the break.

McCarthy pulled no punches after the game: “Livid, pissed off, annoyed, angry, disappointed. We let them off the hook, we should have won the game.”

He added: “If I wasn’t angry after that… and I really should be delighted by the performance in the main, but I’m not because we lost the game.

"Results determine how I feel over the weekend and I’m going to feel pretty pissed off.”

The result dropped Town to 21st with Birmingham and Sheffield Wednesday both winning away. The bottom three sides, Peterborough, Barnsley and Bristol City all have a game in hand over the Blues.

McCarthy believes his team should find themselves in a much healthier position this evening: “I think we’ve had the best of the chances in the game, but we’ve lost it, so there’s no point in me talking about what might have been.

“What has happened is that we’ve been beaten in the game and I see the others around us have won, which makes it harder still.”

Having gone ahead via Daryl Murphy, Town should have gone 2-0 in front when Lee Martin missed a golden opportunity from a McGoldrck cross, an incident McCarthy thought gave the home team a boost.

“Certainly, that gave them a lift coming out for the second half,” he said. “We should have been 2-0 up, there’s no question about that.

“And the goal we conceded just after half-time was awful, à la [the game at] Aston Villa. They’ll look it as a great goal by them, but it shouldn’t happen and we’ve let the right off the hook at the end of the game. We’ve got three defenders marking two, it shouldn’t happen, it was awful.”

The Blues boss admitted that he’s concerned that his team have a tendency to let teams off the hook and knows what they have to do to avoid similar situations from occurring again: “We make sure that we don’t get out of position, that’s all.

“We had a great chance to win the game with Lee,” he added. “But one ball up the middle has taken three of our defenders out.”

Bristol City’s winning goalscorer Stead, who played for McCarthy at Sunderland, was one of a number of players the Blues boss felt was out to impress new Robins manager Sean O’Driscoll: “They had a few with a point to prove.

“Steven Davies came on and played very well having lost Ryan Taylor up front. I thought he played well and Jon Stead had a point to prove.

“They’ve had their noses out of joint. A new manager - does it have an effect? Quite clearly it does, but it has an effect if you let them off the hook in the first place, which we did.

“It wouldn’t have mattered who had come on to the pitch if we’d defended the first. And if we’d put the second one in when we should have done, it wouldn’t have mattered, but all that’s hypothetical now.”

He says he may be able to take positives from the game later on down the line — strikers David McGoldrick and Daryl Murphy combined well — but not in the immediate aftermath of the game: “Of course there will be [positives], but that’s not for this moment in time.

“You’re asking me how I feel and everything else is a silver lining on what is a pretty dark horrible cloud on my head at the minute.”

As we go into the final week of the transfer window, McCarthy says there are deals for potential additions to his squad currently ongoing: “Yes, let’s see what happens.”

Bristol City boss Sean O’Driscoll was delighted with his team’s victory: “It’s always nice to get off the mark at home when you come to a new team.

“We weathered a bit of a storm and changed things tactically and I’m delighted with the attitude and character the players showed more than anything else.”

Photo: Action Images

scooterblue added 22:39 - Jan 26 can someone shoot Lee Martin. must be the worst winger we've ever had. bring back Nigel Gleghorn.
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walberswick added 22:59 - Jan 26 The damage has already been done. Going down.
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martleshamitfc added 23:19 - Jan 26 Early betting tip - kieran dyer to score winner for m'boro next week
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brittaniaman added 23:21 - Jan 26 One would have thought we are suffering from the manager of the month curse,, the way January. has panned out ??? not only today was a bad result, but our last 2 home games have been diabolical as well !! IT seems by the above reports that Martin and Edwards are having an awful time,, the last 2 home games they have been awful and I am very surprised that they are still in the team, and with Edwards still being captain is beyond belief !!!!! until these 2 are dropped I just cannot see how we are going to progress ?? we have not got a Messi or Suaraz who can get produce goals out of nothing ?? our strikers need the service from wide men,, We could have been comfortable now with the points we have lost this month ????

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R_LAMB3 added 01:06 - Jan 27 If Micks allowed to say pissed off then i think i should be. I am pissed off because we lost today and we should of won I am pissed off because QPR let me down on my bet fred coupin today. I am pissed off because some people on here are starting to knock young loach again and they seemed to have forgotting how many Henderson let in the first few games he played for us. I am pissed off because we have lost Campbell because like our new strikers are finding out its hard to score goals in the championship and Campbell was doing it for fun. BUT im not as pissed off as the Norwich fans are at the moment after getting one point out of the last eighteen and then losing to Luton in the cup oh that cheered me up a little bit oh lot of laughs.

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Walk_the_Wark added 01:43 - Jan 27 Not good enough Mick
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WarkyWonderLand added 07:32 - Jan 27 A lot of comments on here shows the fickle side of football fans. Yes, we lost but we are still 6 points clear of the bottom. Look at where we were when Mick joined so perhaps for the all the rubbish we have had we have been spoilt with the results we had. Everyone has a good spell and we will go on another. Mm would not have joined us without assurances over money so let mm do his job and we do ours on the terraces cos we will never get a better manager than the one we have. Coyb

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BrandonsBlues added 08:05 - Jan 27 We will be relegated this season not beacuse of MM or PJ or even RK, but because of the policy taken by ME & SC. This club has an owner who says the right things in statements, but despite monies put forward the contracts offered are so poor compared to our competitors that it is no surprise we cannot attract quality players. Gone are all the staff at Portman Road who understood the club and football, now we just have a dodgy business man and a load of suits who have no idea or interest in the club or football. Lets face it since JM was sacked the quality of player to replace those lost or sold has been slowly deteriorating and the current crop of players and loanees are a lot worse then we had under JM, so no wonder we find ourselves at the bottom of the table year after year. MM be honest like RK and tell it like it is. ME & SC do not allow the managers to bring in the qulaity players because they are not prepared to pay the wages. I understand that SC does not do the contract negotiations now, that has changed to ME and friend. SO dont blame SC anymore. Like the painting at the club, the turnstiles painted by prisoners and college students this club is being run on the cheap and you get what you pay for. Disgruntled fan who believes the heart has been ripped from his club and this will never return with the current attitude of the owner.

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Venus1984 added 08:33 - Jan 27 I think loach is getting an easy ride because he's a town fan. When he played the first game of the season in the coc vs Bristol rovers he was always panicking. MM needs to start from the back !
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lonelyblue added 08:50 - Jan 27 Wow. So suddenly we're going down again! I posted last week that we shouldn't be getting complacent about survival, but also that we should get behind the team. One late goal against, and suddenly it's all change, at least from the majority of the posters on this story. Look, we don't know anything about the transfer policy, and we don't know whether MM has particular long-term targets who may not be available this window. So that's a tough one for him. The worry is, if we carry on the rest of the season without alternatives to Lee and Carlos, then MM will be forced to put out a team every week with at least two players in it who are low on confidence, as surely they must be. Even bigger worry, the negative tone of this weekend's posts finds its way into the terraces, creating a really nervy atmosphere for everyone. Hopefully there'll be some additions this week. But even if not, the manager is probably good enough to see us safe, even if the team possibly isn't. So PLEASE get behind them all. As a footnote, if DJ is costing 20-odd thousand a week for three years, I can see why that's a bit much to ask. I think the strikers we've got can score enough goals, but it would certainly help if they received some decent ball. And remember that, assuming we can stay up, the addition of Taylor next year puts things in a more positive light. COYB

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walberswick added 08:57 - Jan 27 Taylor may be otherwise engaged.
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Keaneish added 09:05 - Jan 27 Completely agree lonelyblue, a very sensible post! Yes we're bitterly disappointed at the defeat yesterday which should never have been but in not too despondent today. If we'd have played badly and lost then I'd be worried! Orr going back will be a loss and a little disruptive but we need to bring in 3 players this week inclusive golf a right back and those players have to provide competition for Edwards and Martin. Campbell won't be coming but I'm not worried, there are plenty of goal threats at the club. I'd love three permanent signings, getting tired of loaners now simply because I'm tired of moron managers using our club. Paul Caddis, Matt Ritchie and Kieran Westwood on permanent deals would be a dream close to the transfer window!

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Karlosfandangal added 09:05 - Jan 27 Have to laugh it was all sign Martin up last year as he was the best thing since sliced bread now it's all get rid he is crap. All this about back the manager how many players has MM brought in. I think it 6 so far he has the backing but are the players out there that MM can see will improve the side
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lonelyblue added 09:22 - Jan 27 I was deliberately ignoring PT's legal concerns there! Trying to be all jolly and positive. I've got a -1 already! I wonder what I said to offend! Really, we might get beaten next week by a good team. That would be dispiriting too, but please get behind your club, folks. COYB!
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Kirbmeister added 10:03 - Jan 27 I agree Edwards and Martin need replacing but don't see the all the preoccupation re having to have two wingers. In modern football how many times do you see wingers skin the full back and cross for the big target man to head it - it doesn't happen like that anymore, footballs changed and most full backs are very quick. All we need is four decent midfielders - why not play a narrow midfield and let the full backs overlap. I know it's a long time ago but the Ipswich of 1981 era played with a narrow midfield and they did ok!!! Forget tricky wingers - we just need creativity from midfield full stop.

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TownOnTheUp added 10:20 - Jan 27 There's such a lack of quality in our team. Really, it's obvious why we are where we are. We need quality at right back, on both wings, in the centre of midfield, and a good striker. I don't think that anyone can really dispute that. Is Lee Martin good enough? No. Is young Hewitt, a fantastic prospect, ready? Mick says no. Is Edwards up to it any more? Not in my opinion. Are McGoldrick, Mclean, Murphy, Chopra, Nouble, or Emmanuel-Thomas going to score 10+ goals between now and the end of the season? I wouldn't count on it. I do fear that Evans won't be compelled to put his hand in his pocket, and we'll get none of those, in which case its a relegation battle until the end of the season, and one we might not win. I'll stress that I don't think we're a bad team, but we lack in really vital areas. Bristol were poor, but we didn't create, didn't have a cutting edge, and were let down defensively when it mattered. It'll be a big final few days of the window, that could dictate our season.

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wrighty_blue97 added 11:11 - Jan 27 Very poor result today, i went today and what frustrates me is that first half we were excellent could of been 2or3 nil up, but like many have said lee martin needs to go now i have backed him in the past but today he has proved to me he is no way near as good as other midfielders in this league. Bradley orr and carlos edwards were too slow we need a decent right back and a decent winger. However we dont need a keeper, scott loach has had three decent games in a row and as soon as we loose people turn on him, keepers need a decent defence and bradley orr i thought was too slow and could not deal with the pace of the game. on the plus side i know we will not go down under mick mccarthy, however what is funny is that bristol probably will go down. C'mon Me and Sc give mm the financial backing to take this club forward. IN MICK I TRUST.

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yorksblue added 12:18 - Jan 27 Karlos - Re Martin. I was never one to sing his praises. He's a proven waste of space and money. The sooner he is shown the door, the better IMO.
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h32 added 12:34 - Jan 27 Well MM - IF you have got the backing of the 'men above' (which I'm not convinced of in terms of purse strings) - it's over to you !!!
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IvorFeeling added 12:56 - Jan 27 calm down all. Be thankful your are not MMs cat! We are,based on the past two seasons, just 10 points from going down, realistically we should be aiming for 18 points and 50 points in total to be safe. That is 1 pt per game and within the grasp of this team. Bear in mind that mick had 7 points when he took over 25 points from 16 games is over 1.5pts per game which is good, especially with the squad and the state it is in. On this last point there is much to do but Mick knows it. I can see Murphy and McGoldrick making a good partnership but hope we can still reassess the value of DJ. A wide, pacy winger is what we really need,maybe two so we have good opions to push Martin and Edwards. Lot more i could say but we have the best man steering the ship - keep the faith but remember it won't be plain sailing.

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TimmyH added 13:04 - Jan 27 Nice to see MM speaking his mind! problem is if you stop winning it can become a habit, whether you play well or not, add this game with Cardiff and let's face it a poor Villa team and we've won none of them. DJ has gone and so has Orr which will do nothing for the moral, Edwards game seems to have gone for some strange reason which isn't helping and we have some tougher on paper looking games coming up so we really need to strt getting that winning habit back. As for the loan situation - when will we see this end? surely ME can't expect to carry on as per PJ's reign with loan after loan.

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billlm added 15:05 - Jan 27 edwards and martin must go now to save us from relegation were a mess some hard games coming up we could be back in the bttm 3 very soon and our club may go down were not fighters and before i get slatted i love this club but 5 years of mediocre to rubbish isnt what town fans want cheque book out mr evans or sell to someone who wants itfc to do well again
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theobald1985 added 17:22 - Jan 27 yorksblue your comments about martin demonstrate a lack of knowledge of the game and that goes for every other person on here slagging him off.I could name loads of world class players who have missed a sitter before.Such a negative reaction to a player making a mistake is not on and will just ruin there confidence.All these people who slag martin off week in week out should ask themselves why he gets picked so much by managers at the club.Keane purchased him played him til they fell out then loaned him to charlton where parkinson played him all the time.Then jewell recalled him and consistantly started with him and now Mick plays him whenever he is fit....now is it likely that Lee Marin has pulled off the biggest con in football history by getting managers to play him when hes no good? OR is it far more likely that all the martin slaggers on here are clueless negative drones....COYB

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lonelyblue added 19:11 - Jan 27 I like your balance theobald, and it's an interesting argument. I sort of disagree with you, but am happy to admit to the possibility that I don't know as much about football as a professional football manager. The main flaw in your thesis, however, is historical but may be summed up in two words. Jermaine. Wright.
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Fatcatevans added 19:16 - Jan 27 A very emotive defence of Mr Martin theobald 1985 but unfortunately you have failed to really look at his contribution or lack of it to the team. In all he has made 94 appearances for itfc scoring 6 goals. This season he has appeared 31 times and score zero ,diddly squat, nil. He has however picked up 7 yellow cards . He has one assist to his name. Sure he runs around a lot but the end product is negligible.

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