Boss Mick McCarthy felt there was little in the Blues’ 1-0 defeat at Cardiff aside from Bruno Ecuelle Manga’s 19th minute goal, which he said came from a free header in the Town box.

“It’s frustrating because I don’t think there’s anything in the game except for one corner kick,” McCarthy said.

“They will say was well-worked, as I would if we’d scored it, a great cross and a great header, but he shouldn’t get a free header in our box. And apart from that there hasn’t been a great deal in it.”

Having also conceded from two corners at Bristol City recently when Aden Flint netted two headers, is McCarthy concerned with the way the Blues are defending flag-kicks at present?

“I’m concerned any way we concede goals, we’ve conceded too many this season,” he added.

“[Corners are a problem] if you don’t mark. I’m not convinced [that was the case] against Bristol City when you’ve got a 6ft 5in tall fella and he runs and the ball comes on his head.

“That was hard to deal with and I saw he scored exactly the same goal against Forest the week after.

“If you get the right delivery and you get the right movement and you get the right ball, it’s really difficult. But I’m not convinced that was the case today, he got a free header.”

The Town boss admitted that his side didn’t create many chances, despite having four strikers on the field by the end.

“Possibly, and maybe the fact that they sat in their half for the second half and didn’t leave a lot of room for any creativity," he said.

"And there probably ended up being too many long balls and they got their heads on them rather than us. They dealt with it really well.”

While praising the Bluebirds’ defending, McCarthy didn’t think the Welshmen were at the top of their game: “I don’t think they were at their best, not at all. I’m hearing them saying to get the ball down and pass it but all they did was stick it in behind us and turn us around.

“They got freekicks and corners from it and caused us problems in the first half. In the second half, they had a break and I think it was from us losing the ball but other than that [they didn’t create much].

“But we haven’t troubled the goalkeeper enough, we’ve not done enough to win it but I think we should have defended the corner better and it ended up as a 0-0 draw.”

Cardiff manager Russell Slade said his side ground out their win and did to Town what they’ve done to other sides, and the Blues boss concurred.

“I saw in Russell’s programme notes that they’re the qualities he wants and I think they showed all those qualities for him today.”

The game was somewhat flat throughout. Did the Blues boss feel both sides having had two tough games this week was to blame?

“Possibly, they’ve had a home game, so they’ve not been anyway, they’ve not been sat on the bus for 10 or 11 hour there and back,” he continued.

“The whole atmosphere was [flat] for 18 minutes prior to that corner kick. Who it was that was losing the ball in the middle of the pitch did us no favours.

“I’m settling for a horrible, scruffy turgid game, we’re away from home. We might nick it with a freekick or a corner, but unfortunately it’s turned out to be the opposite way.”

Looking ahead to the back-to-back home games against Blackburn on Tuesday and Rotherham next Saturday, he added: “As I said, I don’t think there’s been a lot in the game today. We’ve conceded from a restart, which is disappointing.

“We’ve got two home games and we really need to win them to keep us back in the mix. It won’t be easy.

“They’re both scrapping away for their lives. Rotherham were 3-0 down and drew 3-3 with Derby. There are no mugs in this league, we’ll have to play really well.”

Cardiff boss Slade felt it was a significant victory for his side, who remain seventh but are now three points ahead of the Blues in eighth with a superior goal difference, although Town still have game in hand.

“It was a big win,” he said. “I’m not a great believer in six-pointers because that’s impossible, you can never do that, but the three points are huge to us at this moment in time.

“I’ve said in the recent press conferences that it’s about the results at this time. We had a fantastic game on Tuesday, I thought we played really well and we collected nothing for our efforts.

“Today was a different type of game that asked different questions of us against a really direct, efficient team that are going to service our box and we’ve had to defend really, really well today.”

He felt his side gave Town a taste of their own medicine: “Grind is a great choice of word because that’s what Ipswich do," he continued.

"They’re probably the best in the league at grinding out the result but it’s us that’s actually ground out that result today and I’m proud of what they’ve done there.

“We’ve had to do that, we’ve had to be a little bit ugly in terms of defending. It didn’t look pretty at times. It was important that we protected our goal, we stopped as many crosses as we possibly could.

“If it was coming in the box we were winning the first contact, if not the first contact the second. All those little things were vital today to get us over the line.”

He added: “When [sides competing for the play-offs are] playing each other - and we’ve got a few more to play between now and the end of the season - they’re big, big games.”

Photo: Action Images

DannyITFC added 22:37 - Mar 12 That's the nail in the coffin for me.... Going there for a 0-0 draw against a promotion rival? I have had enough of watching absolute crap every week so I 100% will not be renewing my season ticket.... Sounds like many more are doing the same looking at various forums and other season ticket holders I know. What has happened to our club? George Burley please come back!

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blueherts added 22:43 - Mar 12 We can't defend set pieces and corners .we can't find a creative midfielder better than the ones we have even though bishop not been available all season .I sorted out me and TC in Jan so we got our new deal .what is the ambition of our club?
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clint_eastwood added 00:59 - Mar 13 George Burley?? They say never go back....but at least Georgie plays his passing football on the ground.
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MyBlueHeaven added 04:43 - Mar 13 Not only is MM saying it was a defensive error, he's also saying the defence has been poor all season ('too many goals conceded'). Yet he often sets up with two defensive midfielders - or at least defence-minded - and continues to game-after-game pick the same four defenders. Speaks volumes of MM's coaching and tactical abilities...
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MicksZzzTactics added 05:04 - Mar 13 My exact sentiments ... almost to the letter!, Keaneish. So full thumbs up to you for your apparent telepathic skills lol and obviously for yet another great and thoughtful 'Anti-Mick' post. The Dinosaur has obviously admitted to his "Parking The Bus" ... then "Hoof, Hoof (to ALL the travelling fans's hearts desire! :-) Yep those same faithful & high-spending away fans The Dinosaur somehow didn't even bother to thank or applaud today!!!!!!!!!) and Hoof it some more" .... "Then close your eyes" .... "And basically just hope for something tantamount to pure Divine Intervention at some point over the 95 minutes allows my 'grinders' to SOMEHOW 'grind' the ball over the opposition's goal-line" (or simply "nick it" [read: steal it!] set-piece or no set-piece) shameful & hedgehoglike away tactics on prior occasions during his tenure at ITFC ............ only they are not exclusively just "away tactics" nowadays are they??? ............ But O Brother Where Art Thou, today I was really rather flabbergasted when I read those exact same lines as Keaneish referred to: "I'm settling for a horrible, scruffy turgid game, [as] we're away from home. We might nick it with a freekick or a corner"???!!! .......... and btw he then also continues with similar inputs about this ultra preferred style and it almost unfortunately "being uglyyyyyy" and non-pretty yada yada yada. Ladies and Gents this is about as close to a full-fledged 100% "confession" to the man's deeply deeply rooted ANTI-football philosophy, a philosophy which is simply intend to 1st and foremost 'destroy' or 'prevent' the other team playing football rather than simply primarily focusing on his OWN team and players playing football .... to the best of their capabilities ... and a "desire-to-win" football (mentally too not merely tactically!) at that!!!!!!!!! Whatever drove our beloved tactical inept HoofBall advocating football fossil to THIS new level of honesty I'm not quite sure ........... Hmmm perhaps it was that sexy Russian pseudo-skeezer Maria "I don't know who Sachin Tendulkar is" Sharapova's utter "Cock & Bull" story as it was presented publicly in the tennis-star's carefully orchestrated tearful "forthcomingness" this week, about her decade long use of seemingly innocent "Performance Enhancers" that simply inspired old Mick??? :-) lol

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Penguinblue added 06:45 - Mar 13 Any one fancy starting McCarthy out banners? Jim Magilton got that treatment, undeserved in my view. If the kids start singing the stupid Mickma song tell them to sing for the team instead (even though some of the players are just his yes boys) MM is taking our money under false presences, he has nothing to offer except dire hoofball and pathetic comments For goodness sake stop thinking we owe him anything. Ipswich were in a false position when he arrived due to the abject failure of the previous 2. Any half decent middle manager could have lifted us

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therein61 added 07:02 - Mar 13 Totally negative again Mick you have run out ideas(re being creative) as we have patience this club deserves more than you are giving, the majority of the side today just went through the motions Cardiff just sat back and picked up our hoofs all game long it's about time these guys had a kick up the rear
4

Penguinblue added 07:06 - Mar 13 Why would the team want promotion? So few of them could play in the premier league and MM certainly could not manage
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Keaneish added 07:20 - Mar 13 Penguin blue - I prefer the Borrusia Dortmund approach of throwing tennis balls on the pitch to interrupt the game. I'd be in favour of getting the balls printed with sentiments reflecting our thoughts, "boring", "dull", "monotonous", "predictable", "archaic", "life less" - this could be a long list...
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compton added 07:41 - Mar 13 Dross again this year from mm.me has to invest to make it worth another season ticket.
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yorksblue added 08:42 - Mar 13 Keanish. I'd go one better. Exploding tennis balls
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essex57 added 09:17 - Mar 13 Prebsad do you think that 10 minus arrows is representative of the 20k regular supporters?
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Carberry added 09:49 - Mar 13 So Evans hired MM because he knew how to get sides promoted. They put together a plan to do it by hiring cast-offs and securing loans of players who could do a job and not cost money in transfers. Evans thought he had hit the jackpot, the Prem was within sight and without spending even more, after the two jokers he had hired previously had done his money. So things looked good, play-offs last season and surely an improvement this. Pitman, Fraser and Douglas strengthen the squad and everything looks rosy because with McGoldrick and Bishop providing quality, not to mention 20+ goals from Murphy, promotion would be assured. And then Reading away and we get beat 5-1 with our refreshing new style and the brakes are applied. Our best players are injured, Murphy can't repeat last season's haul and with the plan being spend no money, MM can't find replacements. There are no creative, quality midfielders waiting to be snapped up on loan or shown the door by their clubs. So with this master plan in place we aren't going to get promoted. I don't know if MM could keep us in the Prem, maybe not with his record, but I do think he could get us there given the financial backing. It's up to Evans.

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grumpyoldman added 09:50 - Mar 13 We have not got 20k regular supporters the average is just over 19k and surely some are away fans, and the average is 3.5% down this season
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prebsa added 10:11 - Mar 13 Essex57 I know you are not the representative that's for sure. Just the laughing stock! 😂
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planetblue_2011 added 11:00 - Mar 13 Evans needs to give Mick at least 5 or 6 million for next season to spend on at least 5 good players. Keane & Jewell had money to burn. Fraser being first signing would he get in Bournemouths team next season!! He could easily cost 2 - 3 mill but hey he's what we need, plus a creative midfielder like Lewis Mcgugan he only warms up the weds bench, cost us 500k I reckon. Another weds player Liam Palmer plays at Rb he's meant to be a good little player also cost us 500k. See how McGoldrick goes early next season & if he's still injury prone another striker to come in like Nahki wells who has 15 goals this season & a good championship player who could get us up. Play him & Sears upfront it would be lightening!! he'll cost us a good 3 mill. See how Pringle goes he could be worth a punt too, 250k - 350k maybe for him!! A very good 5 players who could do some damage next season!! Or is it wishful thinking..... Maybe!! Something needs to happen

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MicksZzzTactics added 12:17 - Mar 13 LOL Prebsa! Will you and The Essexonian ever take this here little but apparently weekly ongoing/recurring fight hmmm "outside" I wonder??? :-) Okaayyee I usually try not to mingle in other folk's Mud-throwing Contests .... but here is a little 'something' (Anti-Mick obviously!) that definitely gonna result in a down-vote from TWTD's most "representative" member of the general thinking among the about 19K Hoof Town supporters .... the esteemed poster -- and "wannabee" season-ticket-holder -- known as Essex57! :-) rofl So I'm a small-time football gambling man ... among many other things :-), who quite often prefer to rather place non-astronomical combo bets on sometimes the most obscure and/or low-level incl. even literally non-league teams around Europe -- provided it after careful studying and all possible pre-game info included makes "somewhat" sense to me (lol!) on a given day!-- than on say just the "Usual Suspects" i.e. the slightly more predictable top & favorite teams in the 1st or 2nd tier of the various European leagues (as most of them they are usually set at quite lowish odds unless you bet with negative "handicaps" on them or simply to do something other than just win). Lately though my occasional night-time job have had me beginning to turn an eye to late night South American ball too .... and it was here I just this week accidentally stumbled across the "PERFECT" new home for Mick McCarthy i.e. the ultra stubborn and ultra unwavering Hoof & Anti-Ball aficionado known here locally as "The Dinosaur" ..... after he hopefully quit Ipswich Town FC and thereby also our media-shy, tax-benefit fixated, super Fair Play abiding and apparently not the slightest interest in providing funds to strengthen the squad owner Marcus "Just call me Ebenezer Scrooge" Evans in the summer! :-) The place??? Well the place is called M_O_R_O_N!!! HaHaHaHa yep MORON!!! Pretty inconspicuous in Spanish (and with its proper 'diacritical mark') I gather .... not so much in English though!!! And is actually a city of around 100,000 in the Argentine province of Buenos Aires!. And here the name of one of their better football teams is thus aptly called DEPORTIVO MORON (currently playing in "Primera B Metropolitana", the regionalised 3rd division of the Argentine football league system) ... the new "PERFECT" home of The Dinosaur!!! Here Mick should have the challenge of his life .... trying to be a popular manager with his hmmmm very special "style" and "tactics" in this the biiiig biiig football crazy nation, and a nation ehhhhh not exactly known for neither it's HoofBalling, Ant-Football nor it's Anti-Footballers!!! HaHaHaHa Now let the down-voting commence.... :-)

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jas0999 added 12:58 - Mar 13 Perhaps not, but we lost and they won. They didn't really have to work hard for the win either. Free header and then sit on the goal lead. They knew our midfield lacked the creativity to get back into it.
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essexboy added 14:45 - Mar 13 WELL,it's sh@t or bust Tuesday.What a shame the whole season could be over if we loose this match.I fear it will be too much to catch up.I suppose we will all look back and say 'if only'.This is only my opinion,but we have lacked a creative midfielder all season and a really good right back.Dont get me wrong Chambers has done a good job in a position which he has been forced to play in,and would have been much better in the middle,but you cannot leave out either Smith or Berra.Injuries to Fraser have not helped.You cannot bring Bishop into the equation as he has not been available all season.D Mc. May well have made an improvement but we will never know now.Sears should have played down the middle all season,he is totally wasted on the wings.If only MM had been given a bit of cash in January we possibly would be in a better position now but as I have said previously this is a business firstly and sport secondly.Hope I don't sound too much of a defeatist,but that's how I feel the season has gone.I just hope we can build on what we have because many of the squad are very good.I bring into question again'Are the tactics right'! Has MM gone as far as he can with what he has.Who know's.I think he is. Top man but sometimes that is just not good enough.!Well roll on Tuesday night and let's hope we can stuff Blacburn 3.0

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Seasider added 16:36 - Mar 13 Horrible scruffy and turgid game-Mick McCarthy quote. Ipswich are a direct side,and the best in the league at grinding out results;but we gave them a taste of their own medicine today.=Russell Slade,Cardiff Manager. This says it all really,with each keeper only having a couple of saves to make during the whole game. Return of Murphy and Skuse didn't make the slightest difference. Although Skusy was the only player to receive praise from his Manager,he didn't supply much to the front men,who ended up 4 in number;but does the Dinosaur not realise that you need forward thinking players in midfield like Bru who was subbed at half time. Don't suppose that Evans is bothered by the result,even if his daughter is maybe;because the falling income next season should provide Marcus with a bigger loss to write off against profits from other parts of his empire,as we know he doesn't like paying tax from his recent spat with HMRC

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oldegold added 18:14 - Mar 13 "Nothing in it" ..yes.we offered nothing as our manager has nothing to offer tactically and will continue on his merry way. Tactically limited and belonging to another century of football, I invite all supporters to watch this weekend's football on MOTD to see what it means to take a game to the opponents with the idea of getting a win. Tactically we are light years behind with a manager who can't even be bothered to salute his own fans as he probably knows he has messed up again and they have paid hard earned money and travelled afar to see mediocre football..what was it now..one shot on goal..again ? Do me a favour.. He has invented the art of somehow trying to win games without shooting on goal..maybe I'm missing something here. There is no passion, no drive just a woeful style of football that belongs to a bygone era.

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Bluetone added 19:29 - Mar 13 So what are the plans of our present owner? As the weeks pass by I cannot help but think that what ME's plan is is to carry on using the tax losses in other parts of his group of companies meanwhile investing here in our /his club the minimum he can get away with.. McCarthy being instructed to try to achieve promotion on has beens, freebies and might-be's If the day of promotion finally happens that will herald the point when ME will recoup his "loans" to the club, pay McCarthy for a job well done and sell the shell left to whoever will take it on in an asset stripped state.. The team will be relegated and will need rebuilding by a younger enthusiastic team from new owner through the management to a youthful team full of promise. How long will this take? I won't see it as I am in my late seventies and if you are over sixty I doubt if you will see it either but it will happen we are doughty people when we and are club are up against it we will prevail.

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brittaniaman added 20:22 - Mar 13 Our Strikers are not Striking, and come to that our defenders are not defending ??? what the hell has happened lately MM.?????? Next season when we are representing ourselves again in the Championship Loanees are only available on half season or full season no in betweens MM. so that is a make your mind up time !! that rule will certainly mess up our managements plans. unless of course there are some more aged players about ???? (that way seems to be following in Jewellios footsteps) which of course was the beginning of the end for him !

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Gazelle added 20:42 - Mar 13 Free header yes but once again where was the full back on the goal line.
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roytheboy added 22:53 - Mar 13 Four decent proven Strikers on the pitch and hardly a shot on goal again, it's got to be down to the coaching and the horrible style of so called football, surely the players are sick of it too !
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