Boss Mick McCarthy is delighted that opposition managers see the Blues as a potent threat from set pieces.

Reading boss Nigel Adkins and Birmingham manager Lee Clark both commented on the height in the Town side and the Blues' potency from freekicks and corners, although McCarthy says teams tend to be bigger in the Championship these days.

Town came within a whisker of claiming a point at the Madejski Stadium when Tyrone Mings's late header was diverted onto the bar from Paul Anderson’s corner.

Then at St Andrew’s on Tuesday Christophe Berra’s first equaliser came from an Anderson freekick.

“It’s part of the game, isn’t it?” McCarthy said. “I stand in the tunnel with both sets of players and I used to get called ‘Big Man’ when I was up in Scotland, but I don’t know where that came from, I’m smaller than most of them in both teams.

“I didn’t see any of the Birmingham back four that were midgets. Did anybody see any small ones in their back four or their centre forwards, who won lots of headers?

“I think they’ve got a fairly big team, Lee Novak must be 6ft 1in tall, so I think that’s a bit of a [exaggeration] to say we’re a huge team.

“And apparently we have the smallest player in the league [Jay Tabb], who despite that gets his foot stuck in, according to the Birmingham programme.

“It’s part of the game, freekicks and corners, throw-ins whatever it is. However you can score your goals, it doesn’t matter to me how we get them.”

Meanwhile, Town striker Jack Marriott was pleased to make his Carlisle debut as they drew 0-0 at Cheltenham on Tuesday.

The 19-year-old, who was replaced after 82 minutes, joined the Cumbrians on a month’s loan earlier in the week.

“It was good to be involved at Cheltenham,” he told the Carlisle official website. “This is a move I’ve looked forward to because I feel I’m ready to play league football.

“I loved my time at Woking and I’ve got a lot of time for that club because they did a lot for me.

“However, I’m now ready for the challenge of League Two then, hopefully, I’ll get back into the Ipswich Town first team.”

Photo: Action Images

TimmyH added 15:40 - Aug 21 Well we were good last season at set pieces mainly thanks to Cresswell's left boot and some good ability in the box from Smith and Berra with their heading and shooting and basically being in the right spot at the right time. Now Cresswell is not here will we be as good?...
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Hegansheroes added 19:29 - Aug 21 Any true footballer would not consider joining ITFC as we don't play football & never will under MM. All you lovers of the pricx cannot be real ITFC fans, we had a legacy of being a good footballing team, now we are a team of hardworking journeymen where any talent is shipped out or relegated to the reserves, go now MM to Barnsley or some other banal outpost of football

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Surco72 added 19:56 - Aug 21 The if MM builds a team and we win is all well and good if we are winning. Lose Saturday and it is one win in five no clean sheets and very boring negative hoof ball with a massive team who run around a lot. I had the balls to hold my hands up after the Fulham game who have since lost all games , will others do likewise who claim we are in such a good position if the results go against us ?

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Marcus added 08:21 - Aug 22 I'm just waiting for the day when all the tall players are tightly marked and Jay Tabb scores from a header. It could be a long wait.
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