Town boss Mick McCarthy felt his side deserved their 2-1 victory at Wigan despite the home side’s late fightback.

“I thought it was an excellent performance,” he said. “Maybe at the start they surprised me, I thought they’d play 3-5-2 but I knew even if they played 4-3-3, which they did, we were set up to play against that, and I thought our front three would cause them problems whether it was a three or a four and that’s what happened. It was a good performance.

“After the first five, we got a foothold, we got organised a bit better and once we did that we were the dominant force in the game.

“I know there’ll be talk about the last 10 minutes when they hit the post and they had a shot that missed, but we could have been more than the ones up by that stage, I thought.

“It’s nice when a plan comes together and works and I think it did tonight. I can come up with all sorts of high-falultin ideas about what to do and how to play but unless the players buy into it and do it, I’ve got no chance, and thankfully they did.”

Asked whether the recalled Luke Hyam was trying to make a point with his goal, the Blues boss added:“That’s lovely if that’s the case. The last thing I want to do is put somebody in and he has a sulk up. I never expected that he would because he’s such a good professional.

“I think he’s proved that with his performance, and he’s scored, which was maybe one of the reasons he got left out because we haven’t had enough goals from midfield. Well, he’s given me nice headache, hasn’t he?”

McCarthy was similarly delighted for Conor Sammon, who scored his first goal for the Blues: “Thrilled for him. He had one where it just hit him in the first half. I thought he grew into the game. I thought he got better and better, Conor.

“He’s not played a lot, he was a sub at Derby for a lot of games and you need to ply your trade to do it properly and let’s hope he’s going to do that for us on a regular basis.”

Sammon celebrated joyously after netting against one of his old clubs and McCarthy says he’s no fan of the modern fad for players not to celebrate against their previous employers.

“I think it’s bollocks that, personally,” he said. “I think it’s the biggest load of nonsense ever. Are you ever going to go back to that club?

“My club’s Ipswich, I’ve had a few, but let me tell you I’m not bothered about who we’re playing against. If we win I’ll be giving it large, and that’s from every club I’ve been at. My loyalty is to Ipswich.”

He says Jay Tabb wouldn’t have started even if he hadn’t been unwell: “Jay wasn’t playing anyway, I’d left him and Ando out, but he was poorly. He would have been on the bench, but he was poorly so he went home.”

Regarding Jack Collison, who played for the U21s against Huddersfield this afternoon, McCarthy says the offer of a contract is still on the table: “I’ve offered him a short-term deal, exactly the same as Darren Ambrose. If he wants to take it, I’m happy to do it.

“I’d like to help him, he’s a great lad, a great pro, he’s a had a bit of a tough time with his injuries and it could end up being symbiotic deal.”

Wigan boss Uwe Rosler felt Town went into the game with a physical approach: “I felt we started very well in the first 10 minutes and then we lost momentum. I think Ipswich came with a clear plan, they wanted to rough us up.

“They tried to make the game a scrap. In periods they dominated our midfield, we couldn’t get the ball down to the midfield and weren’t strong enough to win a lot of second balls.

“I felt the goals came out of nothing. For the first goal we had I don’t know how many we had in the box but we were watching the ball and not taking people out.

“The second goal was a typical description of the game plan that they had; the long ball bouncing into the defender, it came back, second ball, running from them, then a quality through ball from McGoldrick and we were ball-watching and not staying with the man.

“But in general I thought the response we showed in the last 20 or 25 minutes speaks for the character for the players and the spirit in the camp.

“We should have got something out of the game. When you have 19 or 20 attempts you should get more out of the game and we had good chances, it’s not like we had chances from distance.”

Rosler was disappointed with referee Andy Woolmer and particularly with his decision to only book Christophe Berra for the first-half foul which eventually led to Callum McManaman being forced off injured: “It was a very debatable performance from the referee.

“When you let that go and let players get away with it, then obviously they will do that. I spoke about it weeks ago, a player like Callum McManaman needs to have some sort of protection but you saw the outcome today, he had to come off and it doesn’t look so good.

“I think they targeted him, they wanted to take him out of the game and they succeeded and I would have liked the referee, probably, to have stopped that.

“Watching Premier League football yesterday and the sort of yellow cards they were giving out there compared to the ones given out today, it looked like I was watching two different sports.”

Photo: Action Images

Surco72 added 10:29 - Sep 23 Muccletonjoe .. he has stopped his critics because he has done what we were criticising him for ? Stop playing Skuse , Tabb and Hyam in the same midfield as it lacks creativity , since Bishop has come in we look a different team . Stop playing 3 centre backs and choose your best 2 and a natural full back , he has and we have only conceded 1 goal in three games All true fans want MM to succeed as it means Town will thrive , there is a difference between positive criticism and just moaning . 4 wins in a row is achievable now which is outstanding for this league COYB

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Surco72 added 10:29 - Sep 23 Muccletonjoe .. he has stopped his critics because he has done what we were criticising him for ? Stop playing Skuse , Tabb and Hyam in the same midfield as it lacks creativity , since Bishop has come in we look a different team . Stop playing 3 centre backs and choose your best 2 and a natural full back , he has and we have only conceded 1 goal in three games All true fans want MM to succeed as it means Town will thrive , there is a difference between positive criticism and just moaning . 4 wins in a row is achievable now which is outstanding for this league COYB

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scooterblue added 10:41 - Sep 23 Uwe been eating too much sourkraut again.
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roytheboy added 12:02 - Sep 23 Some really good and accurate passing football, a thrilling performance, very well done Mick and the whole team, I was quite surprised and very happy to see us play three up front, it worked beautifully, who knows what we can achieve with this style of attacking football, I am really looking forward to the Rotherham game now and hope we attack in the same manner, well done again Mick, yes we did deserve that win.

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TimmyH added 12:22 - Sep 23 Spot on! - You can't say that @Surco you'll be seen as one of the 'doom and gloomers'. As you quite rightly mentioned last season we were asking for a proper right back (2 full backs and 2 centres) - now that looks like it is being achieved with the introduction of Parr and the increasing talent of Tyrone Mings.
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warktheline added 13:01 - Sep 23 TimmyH, stop throwing your toys out of the pram. You don't rate the manager, we all know that, by your cloak and dagger posts on the forum. You make management sound so simple, sadly you don't understand the difficulties associated with the job, for example, lack of funds, lack of talent etc. I guess, that's Mick's fault as well. The dinosaur has bitten back, keep licking your wounds......they will heal, in time.

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irishtim added 14:15 - Sep 23 Have to agree totally with warktheline. Timmy h and blueboy always moaning. MM saved this club and is improving it all the time. Our team last night cost 10 grand what is it worth now?
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bohslegend added 14:30 - Sep 23 Totally agree with warktheline too. The impatience shown by so many on here towards MM and the team earlier this season (and last too) is now being replaced by qualified/conditional credit given because so many are afraid to say they were entirely wrong. MM has a difficult job to do, with no money, and in a league where teams like Wigan, Fulham, Forest, the Scum and Derby all have wads of cash o throw around, he's continuing to do a remarkable job. Who knows, we may even get in the playoffs?? He still wouldn't get the respect he deserves form the same old boo boys.

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PeekFreans added 15:41 - Sep 23 3-0 to Town on Saturday
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Jonaldo added 16:29 - Sep 23 Best way to answer your critics is on the pitch - well done Mick and Co!!! Only 3 points behind the budgies now!!!
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warktheline added 16:30 - Sep 23 PeekFreans, steady on boy, the anti mick posse won't take too kindly to such posts. Please refrain from such foolhardiness....4 on the bounce for the dinosaur, no....surely not.
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warktheline added 16:59 - Sep 23 My dear lord, have you heard the latest from Rosler, his team were beaten by illegal tactics....' They bullied us', maybe he might find a sympathetic ear in the form of TimmyH and Blueboy. Just a thought!
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BlueandTruesince82 added 17:31 - Sep 23 As I have always said it takes time to build a team. Some people do seem to expect an instantaneous turn around from bottom of the league to walking it. In the real world that dosnt happen christ Man u have spent 100m quid and still dont look like getting back in the top 4. Mick has systematicly overhauled the team and despite what many claim progress has consistently sometimes slowly but always surely progressed under him. Do people think he wasnt aware of the need for a rb, midfielders etc? Are we really so narsasistic that we think he has drawn his conclusions from reading the forums? With a limited budget you adress areas of mist beed and whiIst not ideal Chambers did a good job last year. As a squad has been built we have seen fewer and fewer loans and now have a squad that allows various formations which in turn affords mick more options tactically that means we can plan for teams and switch it up and do look like a better and more balanced team all round. Added to that young players are getting chances despite what people might say. Bishop, Hyam and Mings are all proof that if you're good enough you will play. We answered every question asked of us last night, what more do you want?

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irishtim added 17:51 - Sep 23 lol warktheline.
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LWNR2013 added 19:36 - Sep 23 ...........if we had beaten Nodge we'd be 2nd (or 3rd) just a thought. Reality is .. 3 great back to backs
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Walk_the_Wark added 19:45 - Sep 23 Good result. Well done Town. To be honest I rather us pass teams off the park than foul them off it, but its McCarthys way, and we'll all have to put up with that for the time being
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blueboy1981 added 19:50 - Sep 23 Surco72 and TimmyH .......... always a pleasure to read honest, realistic and sensible posts. We'll still be here when many of the 'excitables' have long changed their allegiance - no doubt. Progress is definitely being made - but anyone who thinks we weren't extremely lucky, playing the way we did in the last 15 minutes last night, and get away with it - is POSITIVELY deluded. We have to be happy with the result, and should be, but we won't always be that fortunate to come away with ALL the points. Much more composure was needed, and will be, going forward. That's the REAL world assessment.

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warktheline added 19:58 - Sep 23 Blueboy, so now you concede progress is definitely being made? That's a start!
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blueboy1981 added 20:02 - Sep 23 warktheline ............ Rosler is entitled to his opinion, as you are yours, no more no less. Personally I see it as being a 'mans' game (no sexist comment) and a bit of 'bullying' within the rules is all part of it. If I were Rosler I would have been far more disappointed that they didn't at least gain a point in the last 15 minutes - after being contained extremely well for the previous 75 minutes. They could have made us pay for that lapse - we were anything but good during that time, but thankfully rode the storm, is the truth of it.

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blueboy1981 added 20:12 - Sep 23 ......... anyone who thinks otherwise - is probably as deluded as some of you in their views. But as some have already pointed out - the progress has resulted from much of what has been called for, by some of us, for so long. Just check the past posts for proof of that. I will point out however that we make no claim to it having had any influence on MM - before we are accused of claiming that. It just makes bloody sense - to do what has recently been the case, in terms of the team formation, and bringing some legs and flair into it all.

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TimmyH added 20:20 - Sep 23 warktheline - did you read my first post last night? obviously you didn't or chose to ignore it but all you wanted to do was post about the 'anti-Mick brigade'...and throwing my 'Toys out the pram' please explain? - when have I done this ? If you actually look at a few other regular posters I think you'll find Blueboy and myself are not the only one's who aren't backwards at criticizing or analysing or what ever you want to call it, isn't what this forum is for?

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TimmyH added 20:23 - Sep 23 Also depends how far back you are looking in regards to progress?...since last season, when Mick took over, since Magilton's reign?
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whizzkid added 20:24 - Sep 23 Having been critical before of the lack of goal threat and enjoyment, I have to be fair and say I thought this was a very good performance. Yes, the last 10 mins were "Alamo" material, but the high energy, intense pressing game in the first half in particular was very very good. Hyam was impressive and Bishop composed although not hugely influential. Murphy I thought worked very hard and effectively and Didz looked much fitter than recently. Same again next time please!

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whizzkid added 20:27 - Sep 23 And Berra. I forgot Berra. Very good. Think I might be developing a bit of a bromance.
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blueboy1981 added 20:36 - Sep 23 .......... one thing ITFC has, that really taints the Club, is plenty of excuse makers. You all know who you are - without naming you. We know that FFP exists, we know the funds limitations, and we know that MM has, allegedly anyway, had no money to spend. We know all that, but other teams have worked successfully within similar restrictions and proved successful. The only way around it - is make the best possible use of the potential of younger players, mixed sensibly with experience within the squad / team. This, at last, seems to be happening - GREAT - long may it prevail at ITFC - whoever the Manager.

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