Boss Mick McCarthy conceded that Leeds United had deserved their 1-0 victory over Town and admitted his team put in a “poor performance” at Elland Road.

“Leeds deserved to win,” the Blues manager said. He felt there was little in the game until Chris Wood scored in the 35th minute with the Whites then dominating the final minutes up to the break and then most of the second half in which they might have added to their lead.

“I don’t think the second half started that way, to be honest with you, in fact I know it didn’t.

“But they’re a good side, they’ve got good players. I thought Chris Wood was outstanding today, he was probably the focal point and the big difference in the team because when they hit it up to him it stuck up there and he ran in the channels. He showed why he’s had good moves and is a good player. They deserved it.”

He added: “You have to give the opposition some credit sometimes, don’t you? We were poor with the ball today, really poor.

“Even the freekick at the end, I know Freddie had hit the target twice last week, but it was probably too close and we let them off the hook there.

“You get the one chance and we could have nicked a goal out of it. Whether it would have been deserved or not I wouldn’t have cared, but you’ve got to hit the target and we didn’t. That summed us up today.”

McCarthy was frustrated by his team’s display but says he’s not felt that way too often in the opening couple of months of the campaign.

“I’ve not had that many frustrations this season so far in terms of performances,” he reflected. “Brentford away in the second half. We were poor today, it was a poor performance. I am frustrated, I always am when we don’t play well.”

The Blues lost Adam Webster - “hamstring” - Grant Ward - “his knee” - and Brett Pitman - “ankle and knee” - to injury and McCarthy doesn’t expect the trio to be involved in the home game against Brighton on Tuesday.

“Probably impossible for any of them, I think,” he added. “Roll on the international break, I would say, so we can get some back.

“You’ve seen today what we’ve got on the bench in terms of back-up, we’ve got Josh [Emmanuel] and Myles [Kenlock], the two defenders. Josh has had to go on and he did all right actually, put one great cross in.

“And we’ve got Dozzer, Bish will be all right for Tuesday, Conor Grant. We came here with 19 players, we’ll be tipping up with 16 on Tuesday.”

Webster’s absence, with Tommy Smith already out having undergone back surgery, means skipper Luke Chambers is set to move back to his favoured central defensive role.

Having played at right-back so often in the last three seasons, does McCarthy believe it will take his skipper time to adjust? “I don’t think so, he’ll be fine.”

Town have scored only four goals in their eight Championship games since netting four against Barnsley on the opening day. Does McCarthy believe his team presents enough of an attacking threat?

“I thought there was at Brentford for a while, there was in that game,” the Town boss added. “Certainly against Barnsley we did.

“Aston Villa there was nothing until the last 10 minutes for either side. Norwich we had chances, Wolves we’ve played well and had chances. But it is a concern if we’re not scoring goals, of course.”

McCarthy was pleased with sub Leon Best’s performance, despite the 30-year-old having player more of the game - 65 minutes - than his manager would have wanted.

“I would have liked Brett to have stayed on for longer, but I thought he did well, Besty. I was pleased with him,” he said.

“He was a threat but he was a threat in a very difficult game. We didn’t get the ball up to him really or keep it up there. But he’s worked hard. I was pleased with him, pleased with what he’s done.”

Regarding 24-year-old Wood, who failed to score in his three starts and five sub appearances during his loan at Portman Road in 2014/15 but has netted seven times already this season, he added: “I don’t think he’s ripped it up here until now, until this season. You’re moving around all the time, having loan spells, maybe a move doesn’t work.

“I think you get deconditioned because you travel the team, you don’t play, you go back, you do bits of training. You’re treated a like a first-team player.

“I think that’s what happened to Woody when we got him. I was pleased with him just at the end when he was starting to get there and, of course, Leicester took him back.

“Leeds have got a very good player, he’s in great shape, he played really well today and his performance today has shown why people were coveting his signature a few years ago.

"And if he continues doing that then Leeds have got a really exceptional Championship striker.”

Whites boss Garry Monk, whose team has now won four in a row in all competitions, was pleased with the win but believed his side ought to have won by a greater margin.

“It’s very pleasing. I thought we did very well today," he said. "I think we understood the game very well, our planning in the game went very well.

“We understood that playing against Ipswich they were going to make us defend certain situations a lot and we planned for that very well and I thought we were excellent in that phase of the game defensively.

“And then offensively we created some very good chances today and my disappointment from the game is that we weren’t clinical enough, we didn’t make it comfortable for ourselves in terms of getting those extra goals that we needed to make it a little bit better for ourselves and give ourselves a little bit of breathing space.

“There’s always the danger towards the end of the game that one lapse or one moment could cost you and that’s always the fear, whereas really we should have been much more comfortable.”

Photo: TWTD

Blue_Moses added 18:11 - Sep 24 Same 11 on Tuesday then...time to go
8

Umros added 18:16 - Sep 24 Shame we didn't take such an exceptional striker on then wasn't it!
11

christiand added 18:17 - Sep 24 When are we any good with ball Mick? I can't honestly remember it's been poor for so long. Time to go, we need someone with fresh ideas and a new approach.
24

julesbda added 18:19 - Sep 24 You can only " Mug " a few teams each season !! ..This is painful !!
18

Suffolk_n_Good added 18:19 - Sep 24 Reasons we lost: 1. Smith missing 2. Chambers at right back 3. Playing Skuse & Douglas together 4. Sears playing out of position 5. Selling Murphy without getting in a quality replacement 6. Lack of squad depth 7. A manager who always goes out for a point, then bleets after we lose about how good the opposition were Anyway, to be honest every day that passes is a day closer to Mcarthy retiring, enjoy your evening folks.

45

Knightsy added 18:20 - Sep 24 MM comments “I've not had that many frustrations this season so far in terms of performances,” he reflected. “Brentford away in the second half. We were poor today, it was a poor performance. I am frustrated, I always am when I don't play well . Your the Donkey that picks and coaches the team. If we lose the next 2 games this moron has to go. We haven't played well since the Leeds game at home in February. The football is boring, at least 4 players should been dropped ages ago. I'm fed up with the same old sh1te and spin that comes out of Portman Rd.

32

TimmyH added 18:23 - Sep 24 'They're a good side, they've got some good players' - No they're not a good side Mick they won't get in the top 6, 'We were poor with the ball today, very poor' - correct on that one but when have we ever been good!?! even when we play fairly well it's by the ethic of pushing players higher up the pitch and pressing the opposition not by actual passing football. Please break up the midfield of Skuse/Douglas and Bru, we won't get in the top 8 never mind the play-offs if they're continue to be in the starting line up.

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jas0999 added 18:24 - Sep 24 The problem is there have been too many poor performances in the past year. The style is dreadful. The squad average. Mick and Marcus should share the blame. Can't see many stay away fans returning to watch this below average, no quality dross. Shame.
31

Penguinblue added 18:26 - Sep 24 Get out of our club - we want it back. Everything about this excuse for a hoofball manager is cringe worthy. Where does the prat think he is - some sort of nursery school with his childish nicknames. It is not even worth commenting on his 'tactics' any more - he has none. McCarthy OUT
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carlo88 added 18:33 - Sep 24 I'm sorry, I honestly don't know who "dozzer" is. Can someone enlighten me?
1

Mark added 18:34 - Sep 24 I feel sorry for anyone paying £40 + travel to watch that. We will lose games sometimes, but our lack of goals and being able to control the game (even in spells) by our midfield are a worry. 14th place and a goal difference of zero is about where our team is realistically, we will win some, draw some, lose some and finish mid-table in all probability. It'll be tough as the injuries mount up, especially.

10

Deep_Blue added 18:44 - Sep 24 The time to get rid of this dinosaur arrived a long long time ago and it is simply staggering that he is still in post. Evans, stop getting involved in sordid ticket touting & pay attention - McCarthy has to go and if you can't see that then you can f&*k off as well! In fact, you can f&*k off anyway.
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runaround added 18:52 - Sep 24 With all these injuries Mick will be forced to change the team Tuesday. However I fear that it may make him go even more negative and defensive. If we do that we'll probably lose anyway so let's just go for it
6

boroughblue added 18:58 - Sep 24 carlo, if you are being serious then its dozzel. if you're not then i look a pillock...
7

carlo88 added 19:00 - Sep 24 ^ No, thank you I was being serious but don't get to many games these days stuck in Devon. I wasn't sure if it was McGoldrick but of course that's Dizzer isn't it.
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prebbs007 added 19:13 - Sep 24 4 goals in 8 games tells the whole problem. Playing a total liability at RB. Playing two cart horses in CM who are slower than snails and having no creativity or pace with more square pegs than a camp site. Our defence is average. Webster out now so will become below average. Our midfield (well the one this dinosaur picks) is slow and dull. Our attack (cos we failed to replace Murphy) is firing blanks and is hugely lacking supply. No loans allowed and no transfers likely means we are in deep deep trouble and make no bones about it unless me stubborn acknowledges his glaringly obvious selection errors we are in for a relegation struggle !!! It really pains me to say it but we need to be realistic before it sneaks up on us. Chambers is not good enough. Knudsen is not good enough. Skuse is very average. Douglas is a poor skuse. No way both can be in team. Bru not good enough. Sears not scored for 35? games so have to say not good enough. Pitts should be a back up. We are so short of top championship players I'm very worried. With Mick's stubbornness and our players averageness (or worse) this is going to be a long, tough season and there is only one way we will get out of this division and it won't be up. Really hope I'm wrong !!!!!!!!! 😢😡😢

26

Surco72 added 19:20 - Sep 24 Time for a change everything about the club is stale and average , Leeds look better than us and their manager has only been there 9 games
19

dannyrr added 19:22 - Sep 24 Last season Lua Lua left Chambers behind- he will outrun him anytime.
0

jjhbruno added 19:22 - Sep 24 He has one tactic. Defend. But if you only have one shot on target each game that tactic only gets you so far and that's where we are again, pointless, which in the clubs context could have so many different meanings right now. Honestly I can't remember the last time we really played well,I mean really played well and that surely must mean something is seriously up and has to change.

27

birdie82 added 19:25 - Sep 24 Absolutely nothing to be excited about. Football is boring, MM attitude is tedious. Setting up for draws and to pinch results is just rubbish. Out dated. Owner appears to lack spending ambition to compete. With current regime we will not improve. It's not all about spending money but the combination of long ball football and a poor squad just makes it worse. It doesn't look like anything will change for a long while.

12

blue75 added 19:52 - Sep 24 Dear Santa Please please can we have our Christmas present early don't think we can wait 93 sleeps to get rid of Mcarthy!!
17

Pabloisgod84 added 19:54 - Sep 24 POOR POOR ? thats being kind, that was and not for the first time I've said one of the worst town performances ever! big respect to the fans, it only took me 1hr 20 to get there from where i live but that felt too far to travel for that. MM has to go theres no other scenario. we wouldn't of scored if we played for 24hrs today. i think we had 1 deflected shot and that was it. players out of position, skis and douglas are poor poor poor. no strikers. I'm past being angry now its just a joke this man is still at the club. we play for a point in nearly all games even at home, have no plan b. when was the last time a player in our team took a shot from outside the area? no set piece specialists, no proper wingers, no creativity, no overlapping of fullbacks. THE WORST TEAM FOR A WHILE THIS IS!!!! MICK OUT MICK OUT MICK OUT

20

Pabloisgod84 added 19:54 - Sep 24 POOR POOR ? thats being kind, that was and not for the first time I've said one of the worst town performances ever! big respect to the fans, it only took me 1hr 20 to get there from where i live but that felt too far to travel for that. MM has to go theres no other scenario. we wouldn't of scored if we played for 24hrs today. i think we had 1 deflected shot and that was it. players out of position, skis and douglas are poor poor poor. no strikers. I'm past being angry now its just a joke this man is still at the club. we play for a point in nearly all games even at home, have no plan b. when was the last time a player in our team took a shot from outside the area? no set piece specialists, no proper wingers, no creativity, no overlapping of fullbacks. THE WORST TEAM FOR A WHILE THIS IS!!!! MICK OUT MICK OUT MICK OUT

2

alfromcol added 20:04 - Sep 24 Did Newcastle only buy Murphy to stop us playing him? Still not even on the bench!!!!
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pegasus added 20:08 - Sep 24 I couldn't manage a football team, that's why I find myself reading these columns, but I do have an observation about Mick's post-Leeds comments. It WILL be very interesting to see Chambers back as a central defender. I've NEVER seen him as a full back/wing back...more as a brick outhouse central defender. One of these youngsters playing alongside/outside him...could be the beginning of the big turnaround...

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