Town boss Mick McCarthy tipped Newcastle for the Championship title after the table-topping Magpies had beaten the Blues 3-0 at St James’ Park.

“We were beaten by the better team, beaten by the champions if anything,” McCarthy said. “If I see a better team than that this year I’ll be surprised.

“I’ve just spoken to the players and that was one of those days. Having given the goal away, there wasn’t a lot really we could do about it. We were trying everything to stop them and get a foothold in the game.

“To be fair, the one pleasing thing was that we kept it at 1-0 for 70 minutes. We gave the ball away from a throw-in that we had for their second goal but nevertheless the finish was fabulous.

“All three finishes were fabulous and I wonder if we’d have had those chances or anybody else, would they have scored them, I don’t know. They were better than us, they are better than us, they’ll be champions in my view.”

McCarthy was reminded that he warned against allowing Newcastle, who scored their first goal in the opening minute, make a strong start at his pre-match press conference.

“I was the prophet of doom, wasn’t I?” he reflected. “I said I didn’t want to let them have the ball, we tried to press, we didn’t really do it particularly well, we didn’t get in a tackle.

“Maybe if somebody could have put in a tackle and put somebody on their arse and upset the crowd and got them going, but we didn’t, we didn’t get anywhere near them.

“I don’t know how many passes they had before it ended up in our net. It was difficult to stop.”

McCarthy made changes of system and personnel as the game progressed but to no avail.

“Yes, none of it worked,” the Town boss added ruefully. “And the players, they’re all knackered, they’ve all tried their nuts off, they’ve worked really, really hard and done it like they do every week for me, put a shift in.

“I can’t really say any more, they are a very good team, they played very well, they deserved to win and we got what we deserved, which was nothing.”

Was it any consolation that for a spell in second half Town made it difficult for Newcastle?

“I think we got in their half a couple of times,” McCarthy joked. “It’s not a consolation. I know my lads have worked really hard and having kept it to 1-0 in the first half, the second half at 70 minutes the crowd’s just getting a little bit fractious, they’ve passed a few balls out.

“Everybody knows that if you can keep it at that, you might get a corner and nick one, a freekick, you catch them on the break, there’s a mistake.

“Unfortunately that’s the disappointing thing, that we didn’t keep it at that and take it a bit longer, and that we had the ball [ahead of the goal], we gave it away it was our throw-in.”

Did Town miss Cole Skuse, a regular in central midfield throughout his time at Portman Road, who missed out with a toe injury.

“Whether that would have had such a bearing on it playing against them, I don’t know,” the Blues boss continued.

“He’s been an ever-present Skusey, so you know what I think of him and how important he is to the team.

“It’s never nice to leave a player of his importance to a team, but I’m just hoping he’ll be fit for Saturday.”

Regarding Leon Best’s half-time withdrawal, McCarthy said that it was tactical rather than down to an injury: “He dislocated his finger, he had it put back in. But no, I wanted Didzy on the pitch and I wasn’t going to have the two of them on the pitch.

“I didn’t think I was going lose anything, I was only going to gain something by getting Didzy 45 minutes. I thought he did all right and he’ll be a lot better for playing 45 minutes in the first team.”

Jonas Knudsen was also replaced at the break and that was down to an injury, McCarthy confirmed: “Jonas couldn’t stand up straight, he ricked his back, so he was in real pain because he is a tough lad, he couldn’t carry on.”

McCarthy was pleased with Josh Emmanuel, who took over in the unfamiliar left-back role: “Josh did fine, he was all right. He’s never going to be spraying the ball about from that position, he doesn’t particularly do that from the right-back slot, so difficult on his left. But he defended well, I thought he did really well. Josh is fine.”

Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez was delighted to see his side claim their fifth successive win.

“I would say it was another good win because it’s not easy to win in this competition,” he said.

“I thought we played really well in the first half, we had a lot of chances, we could have scored more goals but we didn’t do it, so we had to work hard in the second half when they were pushing and pressing high and it was not easy to pass the ball in the way we wanted to until we scored the second goal.

“After the second goal we had even more control and it easy at the end because you can see the result, but it was difficult during the game, especially the second half.”

Photo: Action Images

martin587 added 09:12 - Oct 24 Even if we beat Rotherham on Saturday it's only breafly papering over the cracks.There needs to be a really big re think with regard to the staff,tactics, direction of the club, and the Manager otherwise we will be in dire straights come January. We just cannot blame it all on injuries.There are good players at this club who could and should be doing a lot better. It seems MM is oblivious of this and just plods on with the stagnant midfield,certain players in wrong positions,and better players just warming the subs bench. Surely the way MM praises our opponents before we even play them must have some affect in the wrong way on the team.He should be praising up the players and not in my opinion knocking There confidence.

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Palestine added 09:44 - Oct 24 The argument for saying we can't go to Newcastle and 'have a go' is rather undermined if the alternative, 'going there to defend' gets you a3-0 defeat. If playing boring and ultra-defensive gets you a 3-0 loss, you may as well go there and have a go! Feel sorry for our fans. They are way better than this football and this attitude. Taking 3k away is positive, bullish and passionate. That performance probably didn't warrant any away fans at all. Same when we go to Man U in the cup to defend and lose 3-0, when other teams in lower leagues had a right go and caused some upsets, and had some entertainment and passion! This is ultra negative, 'small man' mentality. It doesn't breed winners, rather it is: "well they are better than us, play better football, but maybe we can sneak something..." every bleeding week. It would be one thing if this approach was gonna sneak us in the play offs, but if it is only gonna sneak is into mid-table what is the point? Zero achievement and zero entertainment? But you have to pay loads to watch it? It makes less and less sense. The sad irony is that these players aren't that bad. I am not convinced if they were coached to go for it that we couldn't get (better) results. Oh Ipswich, you got me singing the blues....

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BackTheBlues added 11:05 - Oct 24 The Newcastle fans are calling Douglas - "A fat slow Grandad in too tighta shorts going for a morning stroll!" Sums him up - why not play Bish and give it a go? We went there to not lose 3 - 0 and still lost 3 - 0!
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MathieandMarshall added 12:28 - Oct 24 i think some of the "pro Mick" camp are confused. People are not angry/annoyed at the fact we lost to Newcastle. They are a big team with a very good squad and probably will bounce back up in the top two. They sent a £14m sub on in the second half! we are a long way behind teams like that. Its losing to Newcastle without ever trying to actually compete and have a go that irks people! Mick said himself pre-game that he wasnt going to take a risk at Toon. Well, we set up not to concede and keep it tight and lost 3-0! I'm sure if we had a real go at them and tried to win the game but lost 3-0 there would be very few complaints on here! The better team may have won but they were the only team that tried to and in reality probably never got out of 1st gear. it depresses me how low our expectations are these days as a club!

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JimmyP45 added 12:45 - Oct 24 If Mick says this team were the better team and the best, but he also says every other team that get a result against us are the better team...then in Mick's head he must believe we are in the bottom 3 or 4 in the league. When are we going to be the better team Mick?
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rinkydinkpanther added 13:11 - Oct 24 'McCarthy: Beaten By the Champions'. Yes we were. Of 2009/10. It's currently only October of the 2016/17 season. And as McCarthy loves saying, "Show me the table come May". That should apply to any team, or any prediction someone tries to make. It can't be breezily overruled to limply qualify a defeat.
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Palestine added 15:47 - Oct 24 "We went there to not lose 3 - 0 and still lost 3 - 0!" Best comment of the lot!!! Also: "Its losing to Newcastle without ever trying to actually compete and have a go that irks people!"
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Elizabeth added 18:56 - Oct 24 Karl Robinson is now available !!!!
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Cheshire_Blue added 19:06 - Oct 24 Yes, Karl Robinson is now available and he can't get a win in League 1, which is where we will be next year if MM is replaced.
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TR11BLU added 12:24 - Oct 25 @Cheshire_Blue You've obv not ventured out of Cheshire to witness this sh!te this season Give me Robinson every day over Dino. Under his management we would improve... no doubt about it
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tempzzzz added 12:41 - Oct 25 I was completely shocked with this result, couldn't believe we kept it to just 3! I went to Newcastle, but knowing how boring Dino is I didn't go hoping for a win, I went for the weekend away in a great city and to see at least one team playing quality football. This lack of excitement gives the fans nothing to sing about either, so didn't even have that really. Douglas shouldn't have even been on the pitch, but Micks comments in the week proved that he would be whatever happened. Stubborn old goat that he is. Chambers in the team yet again, when Emmanuel is a much better fit. The fact that a Newcastle fan felt the need to video Douglas in particular to mock him on Twitter says it all really. Overall the football was terrible, but at least the city has good pubs, bars and strippers, so my weekend wasn't a complete waste of time ;)

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farquinell added 14:28 - Oct 25 I don't comment very often on here, and to be honest I think Mick has taken some unfair stick over the years, however I think he has taken us as far as he can and unless the owner is content to be a mid table record breaking championship staying club, then we need a change, yes we all feared going down to the third tier, but Narwich went came back stronger, Southampton, Manchester City , Hull City ! I just feel we need to at least have an ambitious manager that goes out there with a winning mentality, attacking playing attractive football, rather than the boring s**t we watch week in week out. I remember when we had a good side a top side , going to places like Barnsley in the cup and them coming out with lets have a go at them , get the crowd behind them really create a hostile atmosphere. when was the last time we did that at home ? I reckon the Arsenal cup game with a caretaker manager just prior to Micks arrival (think it was Arsenal lol) Need A change of attitude within the whole club

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