Frustrated Town boss Mick McCarthy was left bemoaning conceding two "awful" goals as the Blues were defeated 2-0 at home by Nottingham Forest in front of the Sky cameras. Britt Assombalonga netted after only 17 seconds, the fastest goal in the Championship this season, then added a second in first-half injury time.

“A bad day at the office? That probably sums it up,” the Blues manager admitted. “It couldn’t have been any more awful, the [first] goal we conceded, that’s for sure.

“I was asked on Thursday about having a fast start and I said that that wouldn’t matter if we started as we did against Rotherham [when Freddie Sears scored after three minutes] and it ended the same [in a 2-2 draw].

“But I didn’t expect them to have such a fast start. It was a real awful, awful goal for us to concede, and it was always going to make it tough.

“Both goals were awful, probably worse than the Rotherham goals. So, from a team which had seven clean sheets out of 11, we look like we’ve no chance of keeping one playing like that.”

He added: “Mistakes are made and if you make mistakes and they capitalise on them, which they did [you concede goals], perhaps before we weren’t making the mistakes.”

“It was a catalogue of them, a sequence for both goals. They were really poor goals to concede.”

Having gone behind and then conceded the second goal McCarthy says it was never going to be easy to get back into the match against a resolute Forest backline.

“It was always going to be difficult to get through them and we rallied in the second half,” he continued.

“Whatever we say about the first goal, giving that away, the second one was just abysmal, to concede that before half-time.

“If we come in at 1-0 then we can do something about it. We still attempted to do something about it, but it makes it far more difficult and it gives them that opportunity to have that siege mentality and they did. But all round, it’s a bad day at the office.”

The Town boss was at a loss to explain how the Blues had been so impressive as they won 2-1 at Sheffield Wednesday a fortnight ago and then so poor today.

“If I could explain that I’d be doing very well,” he said. “I find that very difficult, to try and explain how well we played and how disciplined we were [at Hillsborough] and how tough and resolute we were and then give two goals away like we did today, is as far removed as you could ever get.”

Having won at Wednesday the Blues had a chance to build some momentum against a Forest side, which had won only once in 12, hadn’t previously recorded a victory on their travels or a clean sheet anywhere this season.

“It’s hugely frustrating,” admitted McCarthy, who revealed that striker Leon Best missed out on a place on the bench having suffered a minor knock.

Forest manager Phillippe Montanier felt the goal in the 17th second goal was key and said he hadn’t taken such an early lead in a game for many years.

“When I was a player we scored after 10 seconds and I had to wait 25 years to see the same situation,” he said.

“It was very good. It is very important when you play away to open the score but it was a tough second half.

“However, we defended very well and we conceded only two shots on target and we had many opportunities of scoring.”

Photo: TWTD

prebbs007 added 21:23 - Nov 19 Go away TW&T !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Lightningboy added 21:27 - Nov 19 The win at Wednesday (and pretty much any other win over the last couple of years tbh) has only papered over the cracks that are McCarthy and his style of football do not belong at our club. Unfortunately Marcus Evans knows absolute zero about football so he only looks at our position in the table - let's face it,even when we made the play-offs our football was still cr4p and only Murphy's goals scraped us in. We are a long way from the glorious football we used to play under Sir Bobby,Burley,even Royle and certainly Magilton. Sad sad times.

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TimmyH added 21:28 - Nov 19 Mick states 'it was always going to be difficult to get through them' re: Forest scoring in first 20 seconds, unbelievable against a team out of form and can't keep clean sheets!!!! Your a joke McCarthy, your taking the piss out of the supporters.
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stringtheory added 21:35 - Nov 19 Fans have been screaming for Teddy Bishop to be selected - when he plays he looks so average. There's a real talent gap between him and Johnny Williams, that was so obvious today.
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RegencyBlue added 21:43 - Nov 19 Don;t bet on another season in the Championship just yet. We look like potential relegation fodder to me!
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hinchers1066 added 21:44 - Nov 19 Misguidedly I decided to go to the local pub tonight to watch the match. 6 screens in the pub and not 1 available. Quote "we are only showing West Ham v Spurs and Ireland v the All Blacks, there is no interest here for Ipswich. That really says it all, so I didn't watch and I left the pub. I don't think MM will leave or for that matter ME will either. God knows where this club is heading but as sure as the sun rises in the east it will not be pretty. I look forward to the day when our once great club will at least recognised as an attractive footballing side, as it was in the Cobbold days, my major concern is that I may not live long enough to see it!!!!!!!!!!!

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surgery added 21:49 - Nov 19 It's a good job for your sake that you don't work in the real world of an office. If you did you would have been handed your P45 months ago, without the benefit of any compo
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surgery added 21:50 - Nov 19 It's a good job for your sake that you don't work in the real world of an office. If you did you would have been handed your P45 months ago, without the benefit of any compo
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Taricco_Fan added 21:54 - Nov 19 The office needs a new manager.
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Wonky added 22:04 - Nov 19 A team that can't create and then take chances. Depressing.
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rugbytomc added 22:05 - Nov 19 As a fan it's pretty frustrating this inconsistency and to be fair to Mick it's the first time during his reign we've been so up and down. There's no guarantee changing manager will bring success. Villa tried and failed where Huddersfield and so far succeeding. It's a lottery. It's only fair to give Mick more time but if this up and down form and no clear direction in playing style or preferred line up continues then maybe it's time for a parting of ways at the end of the season

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Swn98 added 22:06 - Nov 19 Full respect to Mick he's had to come out do an interview and as usual told the truth if fans see it as arrogance that's their choice however it was a poor poor game by what most people would say is our best first team squad bar Best And Pitman. there's players today who should look in the mirror and ask themselves if they've done their best for Club ,Management and fans?

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Mark added 22:20 - Nov 19 A bad day at the office? In 10 trips to Portman Road this evening we have seen just 3 wins, beating only Barnsley, Preston and Burton and riding our luck to win those to be honest. I was really optimistic going into today's game after the win in Sheffield and with Bish, Ward, Lawrence, McGoldrick and Sears all in the side which on paper was so strong Williams couldn't get into it. Yet we were terrible and in all honesty could have lost by more. Immediately on the back foot and outplayed by another of the worst teams in the league. Dreadful.

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bobble added 22:32 - Nov 19 We could just stay up, with a lot of luck ....
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Tractorboy78 added 22:45 - Nov 19 havinit69 has it spot on. Players tonight should be totally ashamed of themselves for that first half when we lost the game. No heart, no hunger, no balls. It's been the same theme for a while, not one player is ready to get stuck in. That is all the fans are crying out for. Changing the manager will not change the fact we have too many average players. Evans to splash the cash in January is critical.

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EssexTractor added 22:52 - Nov 19 There is now a widening dissent between ownership management ana supporters. Probably more deeply than before. It seems that the manager has little belief in supporters views, as though people who watch each week , who actually do understand football, who know a forward pass about six inches off the ground to a player in a similarly coloured shirt is evidently more satisfactory than a " hoof it Henry". Our manager holds one view, his own. Again I restate we don't know what the owner truly thinks. In days gone by the Cobbolds and David Sheepshanks, despite some idiosycrancies loved the Club, were concerned about supporters, the people who really truly kept a Club alive and were regarded as important. Does our owner now hold such an opinion? If so step up to the mark and explain what your remedial action is to be. Impossible that 100% of football fans, real fans , who pay their money, buy the shirts, save endlessly for away trips have, if will ever, agree on every aspect of the game, but there is almost 100% agreement that our club Ipswich Town Football Club is being dragged into an abyss of embarrassing and dismal failure. Some will recall that' once a huge number of English fans chose Ipswich as their second favourite team, now after being exposed again on a National and World Sky stage the phrase will be " our first most boring team" Is there a saviour out there ???

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jonbull88 added 22:58 - Nov 19 Today was nothing short of shockingly bad. 3 points bs QPR vital now.
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MicksZzzTactics added 23:06 - Nov 19 Just a mere "bad day and the office" ehhhh`??? Rofl Hmmmm how many are YOU Master Mick, not to speak of a person employed in a 'normal' job!, allowed to have and thus 'get away with' then say just within 1 or even half a calendar year in your twisted World View oh Sire??? rofl :-) :-) :-) :-) Exactly like @jas09999 writes: only last week our Great Messiah was all preoccupied about telling us -- while clearly sticking 2 finger up in the process -- the dumb dumb ITFC fans how he was an IMPLIED football genius! and that the unequivocally fairly fortunate but also unequivocally "good looking" Wednesday win (albeit against a very very TAME homeside also bewildering opting to start without disorderly ace Fernando Forestieri on on the day mind you!) was thus ultra "representing" of not only his ever soooo glorious 4 years here but also his "every single week IDEA of passing and attack-minded football"???!!! .....LOL thus conveniently "forgetting" than in 90+% of his games in those 4 years here he has EAGERLY and even often before/or after more or less directly publicly admitted to: be taking the field not remotely tactically trying to win!!! .... no matter the form curve and/or injury & suspension problems of the opponent (i.e. if they were basically "there for the taking"!), and worse very often partly thanks to notoriously having no viable Plan B not even taking the game to the opponents and their jugular in the 2nd half then!, that s if it turned they were clearly having themselves an truly collective "off day" in the 1st!!! And on that pathetic note now over to my little Zzzzilly 'The Most Interesting Man In The World' (you know the absolute über one that "doesn't always drink beer...") meme of this = ANOTHER abysmal & embarrassing day to be an ITFC fan: Cheers! And ohhh imho the 'Dos Equis' brand do taste rather exquisitely fresh actually!

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Surco72 added 23:57 - Nov 19 Swn98... I blame supporters like you constantly making excuses for MM who is ruining this club . Bury your head some more and blame the players who are told what system to play and coached day in day out but don't improve , blame the chairman for the squad MM has assembled anything but look at the real issue that has been obvious to some since Jan 2015
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skusesrightpeg added 00:00 - Nov 20 Luke chambers at cb was a stroke of genius out of position for both goals, how many chances does that fool get
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strikalite added 00:57 - Nov 20 Admit you've taken us as far as you can Mick please, we're losing fans here and you can't allow this to carry on, you've been in the game long enough to know this...thanks for your efforts, but walk with some dignity...
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midastouch added 01:29 - Nov 20 Mick never ceases to amaze me, see here: http://www.burymercury.co.uk/sport/jonathan_douglas_could_be_the_answer_to_ipswi Clearly he hasn't got a Scooby Clue!
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shakytown added 05:04 - Nov 20 Outclassed in every facet of the game yet again. What has happenned to this club????? The problem is not only mm it' really with Marcus Evans. Put up or push off. possibly the worst squad this club has ever seen no talent no ambition just a bunch of losers collecting too much pay for their awful perfomances. Perhaps a few sackings might up the effort but then again if your just not good enough what can you do???

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Brownie added 07:18 - Nov 20 I don't think anyone can say a positive word after watching that performance. The players & manager are as always to blame aren't they? Yes for the players - they were lethargic, lacking in ideas & were second best in all departments against a struggling team. They are a genuine bunch but as a group they are not good enough. Yes for the manager - constantly picking out of form players. Knudsen knows he plays rather than having to prove he is better than Kenlock. It doesn't matter that he is not good enough & it showed in his lack of effort today. I also need someone to explain to me how Williams is not in our starting line up? I dont agree with those people who say MM doesn't care. He does but it is time for a change and he should be going before it gets worse. Which leaves the biggest problem - The Owner. ITFC is just another ME Group company. He doesn't seem to care that it is struggling. If he did he would invest in the team when in a position of strength - i.e January 2015 when we were second. This club will not go forward until we get change & the owner gives whoever is the manager some cash to improve the squad. Do I think any of the above will happen? No I don't which is why the frustration & disappointment is no better this morning than it was after the game. Troubled times ahead me thinks..

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Swn98 added 07:48 - Nov 20 Surco does a manager/coach have to teach a player who earns 5k plus aweek how to pass a ball 5yds to a player on his own side? People moan about the long balls forest played plenty difference was they found their own players I don't look for excuses I look at the reality of it we've waited for our best players to get fit and they just aren't competitive enough that's where I would place some of the blame at MM door he does the best with what his got they aren't good enough he should be telling Evans invest or I'm off. Blue boy I don't know what your profession or trade is or was do you think that MM is happy with what he watched yesterday?Yes he might get well paid for what he does but he's still got pride I bet he hurts as much as all of us train for 10 days then put in an inept display like that yesterday yes he can be held responsible for tactics but not for basic school boy errors by players of our supposedly strongest squad.

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