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McCarthy Impressed By Brighton
Saturday, 29th Aug 2015 18:42

Town boss Mick McCarthy praised Brighton following their 3-2 defeat of his side at Portman Road, and also his own team for the spirit of their second half comeback.

“I think Brighton are a good side, I think they played very well,” McCarthy said. “They started well, they were the better side and they got the goal.

“It’s always the same, I’m looking at it thinking we could have defended it better but if we’d scored it I’d think it was a wonderful strike, and it was.

“The second goal was a great delivery, we didn’t get a head on it and it’s one of those that Gerks can’t do anything about.

“So, we’re 2-0 down and they’re playing well. They can keep the ball, we have to chase it.

“First half, I thought they were excellent, so let’s give them credit rather than attack my own team.

“In the second half I thought we started well. I know we got away with it but we were winging it a bit trying to leave three up with Didz almost in a free role.

“I had to, it’s not being tactically clever or being really astute, if you’re 2-0 down really you’ve got to get back in the game, I had to do something and that worked.

“When they hit the post, obviously we got away with that, but I thought it was a great response from my team, it was fantastic.


“It was just disappointing that when the cross comes in [for the third goal] it takes a deflection and it just wrong-foots our lads and I think Tommy’s going to head it except for the deflection. It was one of those days. We know how everybody else feels now.”

He added: “I thought Brighton were very good, let’s try and give somebody else a bit of credit because when we’ve gone away and won away I don’t say ‘Oh, by the way, the opposition were hopeless’.

“I tend to credit my team for playing well or if we’ve had to scrap it out I give my team the credit for it. I think Brighton deserve that because they were on top and they deserved it today.”

He outlined his thinking at the break when he switched Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Josh Emmanuel for David McGoldrick and Piotr Malarczyk: “Well, we didn’t want to go 3-0 down. We had to try and get the ball and play.

“They do it well, they sit back in and they don’t give any space in behind. That’s what they were doing. There was no way we could get up the sides of them.

“I put Didzy on to try and get hold of the ball a bit more, which he did, to be fair, and leave Freddie, Ryan and Brett up the pitch just as an attacking threat.

“It was [a good response]. We made a few little errors prior to their third goal and we just didn’t deal with it.

“Very often it’s the case that it’s not one glaring error it’s tiny little ones. We don’t clear it, we don’t deal with it. Didz came on and helped change it. I thought the substitutions were good.”

He continued: “You don’t see many games like that. They got 2-0 up and they would have liked to have shut the shop up and not concede, but they didn’t, and that was because of our reaction and the spirit of the players, the way they went at it. That was great, a real positive out of the game.”

Regarding referee Keith Hill’s decision not to show Brighton defender Uwe Hünemeier a second yellow card for his very high challenge on Ryan Fraser just before the break, McCarthy said: “I’ll answer that by saying that when I saw that he’d been substituted at half-time, that was of no surprise to me.

“I asked the ref coming on at half-time ‘Do you not think it was a second yellow?’. He said he was going for the ball. I said ‘There were lots of times I went for the ball and missed it and if you kick somebody in the head…’.

“But I’m not bothered, I’m not bemoaning that, not at all. I don’t like seeing players sent off. It’s the rules of the game, I think. But it’s how we perceive it. He’d just booked him and it was one of those amber cards which could come out.

The Town players claimed a penalty when Lewis Dunk appeared to handle the ball prior to the spotkick which was awarded, but McCarthy said he couldn’t comment on the incident: “I don’t know.”

Australian winger Tommy Oar was at Portman Road today and the Town boss says the deal to sign the 23-year-old should go through: “Providing all the paperwork and medical is OK, I don’t know [if it's done] yet.”

Brighton boss Chris Hughton’s only disappointment was his side letting their two-goal lead slip.

“I thought it was a super game, a very good spectacle for the Championship,” he said. “Probably the only disappointment for me was that having gone 2-0 up, when I thought at that stage we were the better team, was for them to draw that back to 2-2, which I didn’t think was a fair reflection of the game.

“I thought we showed great character after that to go on and win the game, and I thought we got the right balance of trying to defend well and breaking very well. I thought we had some good chances."

Hughton admitted that it had been an “emotional week” for the club following the Shoreham air disaster in which Matt Grimstone, a member of their groundstaff, and fellow Worthing United player and Seagulls fan Jacob Schilt were killed.

Brighton’s training ground at Lancing is being used as a control centre for the police investigation into the disaster.

“It’s something that has affected all of us and all of [those who lost their lives] have affected all of us. But the club has done an outstanding job and it’s been our responsibility to try and do the best that we can.

“Certainly I think it’s a wonderful tribute from myself, the players, the club and all the staff to dedicate such a real good win today in particular to Matt and Jacob because they had the closest ties to the club and to all that lost their lives.”


Photo: Action Images



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battyblue added 18:53 - Aug 29
well Mick all i can say is why don't you set up the team to play like Brighton instead of playing block ball most of the game .WE were skinned alive today.
-11

muccletonjoe added 19:06 - Aug 29
Defensively we were a long way from being cohesive today, and the midfield would benefit from bru and bishop being back fit, add those two to berra and Murphy and Bart and we probably would have got at least a point today
11

raycrawfordswig added 19:10 - Aug 29
You got it wrong against Brentford and again today mick.
0

oddball added 19:18 - Aug 29
Stop whingeing u big girls :-)
3

TheSelkirk added 19:18 - Aug 29
Not much credit to be given from our side today to be honest.

Midfield was outplayed and Douglas was very poor. Pitman looked lightweight up front - doesn't seem to want to get stuck in.

The worst we have played this season with a lack of that determination, quality and composure that we have been showing previously.

3

bluesi added 19:19 - Aug 29
I wasn't at the game today,but 10 pts from first 5 games,I think most would of settled for that at start of the season? Swings and roundabouts. Maybe a reality check !!! ☺
18

brian_a_mul added 19:42 - Aug 29
Well done Brighton, its a positive for their club and the town after a tragic week.
Best of luck to them I hope they do well this season.

Our squad has good depth and that was displayed by the subs that MM could make to change the game despite having so many key injuries.
It doesnt matter how big a club is, if you are missing your best GK (Bart), Def (Berra) and striker (Murphs) and two first choice midfielders (Bish & Bru) it weakens the team.

The fighting spirit is clearly there, the RB spot has hopefully been sorted (with Parr & Piotr) ready to battle it out for the spot with Chambo. Considering we are 3rd, with the key players we have coming back after the break, plus the new recruits I am very optimistic.

This will be a learning curve for Emmanuel and a good lesson for the team in general.
On we go! COYB!!
22

cartman1972 added 19:43 - Aug 29
And the moaning Marys start, only Friday we were celebrating what a good team we have and mm is the best thing since sliced bread now after one poor day at the office they are all suddenly inept..... We are on 10 pts after 5 games and won 2 cup matches it's a solid start and we are scoring 2 goals a match last year we hardly did that.
16

jas0999 added 19:47 - Aug 29
Brighton were the better team and deserved to win. We have had an excellent start to the season, but there were many positives but also many negatives today. A wake up call in all honesty and for me room for improvement before the transfer window closes. Where is that attack minded midfield player who scores goals? It could be Bru or Bishop, but not convinced. But biggest issue is keeper. If serious about promotion we need better.
13

SpiritOfJohn added 20:07 - Aug 29
Brighton seemed to surprise MM and the team today by their aggressive and positive approach. Our defence were at sixes and sevens for the first half. Good to see us rally and score twice against a very good defensive unit but we always looked open to the counter attack. Those who call for our captain to be moved to the centre of defence need to have a rethink on this evidence.
7

Stato added 20:09 - Aug 29
Long time since I remember 2 forwards giving our defence sure a tough physical challenge
1

Stato added 20:14 - Aug 29
For me Parr Bart and Berra walk back into defence. We miss Murphy up front and Bishop or Hyam to join Skuse in middle and maybe Oar will play on opposite flank to Fraser so maybe 6 players to come into starting 11 ?
4

Mark added 20:18 - Aug 29
We missed Berra, we missed Murphy, we probably missed Bialkowski (even though he was on the bench), and we could have done with Parr too. Starting the two teenagers down the right against the outstanding Lua Lua just didn't work, and too many players did not perform well today.

Malarczyk needs work on the training pitch and time to settle in, to say the least.

Oh well, it's one defeat in an otherwise excellent start to the season. We've just added another signing, so I expect Ipswich to return strong after the international break.
6

ArnieM added 20:47 - Aug 29
For the blinkered whingers on here. Town have got 10 pts out of a possible 15. WTF is the matter with some of you? I bet Derby would swap with us!
10

WoodfordTim added 21:06 - Aug 29
We were played off the park today by a much better team, both technically and in their overall teamwork. Very, very disappointing. Still plenty of games to go and players to come back into the team from injury. Does hurt though.
5

JimInGreensboro added 21:12 - Aug 29
How does our keeper "not have a chance" on the free kick that never strayed from its path from 30 yards out and wasn't particularly well placed to the corners? The first goal, good strike. The last goal, deflection (although not a major one). But the second? Don't agree.
7

essex57 added 21:30 - Aug 29
I don't think many teams will get much off Brighton this season they were much the better team however the referee had another shocker and I'm bad decisions cost us possibly a point.
3

Green_Army added 21:55 - Aug 29
Without doubt Brighton deserved to win today, played the better football and were rewarded when we were slow out of the block.

I did think we would miss Berra today, he's solid at the back and thought Chambers and Smith together wouldn't carry the same presence, safe to say that was proven right.

On the other side of things, Sears was the standout player on the park, he was direct, happy to try and take on players a perfect performance on a tough day - Man of the Match for town without question.

From the little (although I don't like to judge after one match especially in a game like today's) we saw of Piotr Malarczyk I saw a few concerning signs that should be drummed into a centre back from day one. He let the ball bounce from a high ball on one occasion, which should never be done EVER, and we nearly paid the price when the ball was taken down the channel and drilled across the 6 yard box. He also was beaten in the air a few times against smaller players, he needs to be dominant in this league.

Perhaps as Mick said, the travelling wasn't ideal for him so hopefully it was an off day.

This loss will not hurt us in the slightest, for me I think it's best that it's come now as when we are winning it's easy to gloss over the things we can improve on or things we got away with.

This is a short term negative, but I'm confident it will result in a long term positive effect.

International break then we go again. COYB!
4

blueboy1981 added 22:23 - Aug 29
........ we lost today (according to some posters) because:- we had Players out, the Referee wasn't on our side, etc; etc; etc; ......... in other words :- the same old 'reasons as applied many times previously'.

The truth is:- Brighton came to Portman Road to win from the off, and set up accordingly from the off. Mick now says they are a 'good team' - now that should have been built into his thinking / planning / tactics much sooner than after the first 45 minutes, during which time we were totally inadequate.

Why make all manner of excuses for such ? - just make sure 'WE get it right' from the off - NEXT TIME.
-5

tractorshark added 22:56 - Aug 29
Don't understand the negativity.
Brighton were very good, the two Israelis and LuaLua in particular.
As a side, they had plenty of pace, good movement and they pressured us into mistakes.
Defensively, we were shocking in the first half and LuaLua had a field day against Emmanuel and Maitland-Niles.
But hindsight is a wonderful thing. What starting XI would you have put out? Would it have differed from Mick's? McGoldrick/Bart possibly but they wouldn't have stopped LuaLua, Hemed and Baldick ripping us to shreds.
In fact, most people were relieved Emmanuel was at RB because they feared Chambers would be skinned by LuaLua.
Chambers didn't have a good game but he handled him better in the second half than Emmanuel.
We didn't get the run of the green from a truly awful ref but I can't honestly say we deserved a point.
But I will leave you with three positives.
Firstly, we're 3rd with 10pts and playing relatively well.
Secondly, Sears will be this year's Murphy.
Thirdly, poor as we were at times today, we got it back to 2-2 and fought til the end. In years gone by we would have lost that by four, five or six. Eg. Southampton and Norwich.
6

oldegold added 05:07 - Aug 30
39 minutes to get our first shot at goal says it all really. Should have taken the game to them but our cautious approach once again cost us dearly. Wake up call...
2

grumpyblue1966 added 05:56 - Aug 30
As soon as we lose 1 game we slate m.m I think we have done brilliant. Cartman1972 is spot onill never slate our team even if we lose ill back them everytime .i strongly feel not many teams will beat us this season.
3

Adrian_Paz_Uses_Daz added 06:40 - Aug 30
Out played unfortunately.

One massive positive, some people are forgetting, is that we fought back. No shame in losing to a good team, did we expect to go unbeaten all season?

Yes defence needs bolstering, but I think MM is fully aware.

COYB
7

Warkys_Tash added 11:28 - Aug 30
If we we going to lose then it seemed right that Brighton were able to give a tribute to their groundsman & others that were tragically lost last weekend - it really does put losing a football game into perspective.

However, if we are going to pick over the reasons we lost, I don't think we can just say Brighton were very good - they were, but we were also poor. We started sluggish & flat, with only Sears & Fraser proving any energy. Sears was almost a one man show in the first half - what a revelation he has been.

Douglas & Skuse - usually very commanding & solid - looked like they had both run a marathon pre match, they were so off the pace.

Berra was a huge miss as predicted, Chambers didn't know if he was playing centre or right & apart from India goal saving tackle, had an afternoon to forget.

Great start to the season from the team but should have got a draw from this one once it was 2-2. Didn't hold parity for long enough.

However, I am happy with our start & think we have a stronger squad this year, look at big spending Derby County - no win so far! Roll on Reading away..

One final word, best wishes to Tyrone - let's hope your injury is not a serious one.
4

Europablue added 14:02 - Aug 30
McCarthy is getting the defence together, it was just a shame that it hadn't quite gelled. I haven't seen how Gerkin did, but generally feel that Balokowski gives the back four more conifdence.
3


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